graith

English

Alternative forms

• graid, grade

Etymology 1

From Middle English graith, grayth, greith, from Old Norse greiðr (“ready, available, free”), from Proto-Germanic *garaidijaz (“ready, orderly”), from Proto-Germanic *ga- + Proto-Indo-European *rēydʰ- (“to count, order”). Cognate with Old English ġerǣde (“ready, prompt”), German gerade (“straight, direct”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌳𐍃 (garaids, “exact”). More at ready.

Adjective

graith (comparative graither or more graith, superlative graithest or most graith)

1. (now chiefly UK dialectal) Ready; prepared.
2. (now chiefly UK dialectal) Straight; direct; prompt.
3. (now chiefly UK dialectal) Free; clear; available.

Derived terms

• graithly
• graithness

Etymology 2

From Middle English graithen, greithen, graiden, grathen, from Old Norse greiða (“to make ready, prepare, arrange, disentangle”), from Proto-Germanic *garaidijanan (“to prepare, put in order”). Cognate with Old English ġerǣdan (“to arrange, dispose, order, provide for, harness”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (garaidjan, “to enjoin”).

Verb

graith (third-person singular simple present graiths, present participle graithing, simple past and past participle graithed)

1. (transitive, now chiefly UK dialectal) To make ready; prepare; put in order; make fit for use.
2. (transitive, now chiefly UK dialectal) To deal with; treat; handle (a person); complement.
3. (transitive, intransitive, now chiefly UK dialectal) To dress; get dressed.

Etymology 3

From Middle English graith, graythe, greithe, from Old Norse greiði (“preparation, arrangement”), from Proto-Germanic *garaidijan (“apparatus, gadget”). Cognate with Icelandic greiðe, greiði (“preparation, arrangement, order, hospitality”), Faroese greiði (“requisite articles”), Norwegian greida (“implements, tackle”), Norwegian greide (“harness”).

Noun

graith (plural graiths)

1. (obsolete) Preparation; arrangement; manner of doing a thing; proper course.
2. (now chiefly UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) An apparatus of any kind; gadget; materials or equipment; tackle; tools or implements.
3. (now chiefly UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) Furnishings; furniture; equipment or accoutrements for work, travelling, war, etc.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Jamieson to this entry?)

Related terms

• greith

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.