dree

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dɹiː/

Etymology 1

From Middle English dreen, dreghen, dreogen, from Old English drēogan (“to do, work, perform, fulfill, take part in, conduct, lead a (certain) life, pass life, fight, wander, commit, perpetrate, do battle, wage war, experience, bear, suffer, endure, sustain, tolerate, act, labor, enjoy, be employed, be busy”), from Proto-Germanic *dreuganą (“to work, act, do military service”), from Proto-Indo-European *dhereugh- (“to hold fast”), from Proto-Indo-European *dher- (“to hold, hold fast, support”). Cognate with Scots dree, drie (“to endure, thole, suffer, bear”), Gothic  (driugan, “to do military service”), Icelandic drýgja (“to commit, connect, perpetrate, lengthen”). See also dright, drighten.

Verb

dree (third-person singular simple present drees, present participle dreeing, simple past and past participle dreed)

1. (transitive) To suffer; bear; thole; endure; put up with; undergo.
   • 1885: And redoubled pine for its dwellers I dree — Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night (Volume 8)
2. (intransitive) To endure; brook; be able to do or continue.

Derived terms

• adree
• dree one’s weird

Etymology 2

From Middle English dreȝ, dregh, dryȝ (“long, extended, great”), from Old English *drēog (“fit, sober, earnest”) and/or Old Norse drjúgr (“extensive, sufficient”); both from Proto-Germanic *dreugaz (“extensive, firm”), from Proto-Indo-European *dhereugh- (“to hold fast”), from Proto-Indo-European *dher- (“to hold, hold fast, support”). Cognate with Scots dreich (“extensive, lasting, long-lasting, tedious, tiresome, slow”), West Frisian drege (“extensive, long-lasting”), Danish drøj (“tough, solid, heavy”), Swedish dryg (“lasting, liberal, hard, large, ample”), Icelandic drjúgur (“long, substantial, ample, heavy”).

Alternative forms

• dreigh, dreegh (Scotland)

Adjective

dree (comparative more dree, superlative most dree)

1. (Now chiefly dialectal) Long; large; ample; great.
2. (Now chiefly dialectal) Great; of serious moment.
3. (Now chiefly dialectal) Tedious; wearisome; tiresome.

Derived terms

• dreely

Etymology 3

From Middle English dreghe, dregh, from dregh, dreȝ (“long, extended, great”). See above.

Noun

dree (plural drees)

1. (Now chiefly dialectal) Length; extension; the longest part.

Anagrams

• deer
• dere, de re
• rede
• reed, Reed

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Luxembourgish

Verb

dree

1. second-person singular imperative of dreeën

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Scots

Etymology

Old English drēogan.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /driː/

Verb

tae dree (third-person singular simple present drees, present participle dreein, simple past dreed, past participle dreed)

1. to endure, suffer, put up with, undergo

Derived terms

• dree one’s weird