imbrace

English

Verb

imbrace (third-person singular simple present imbraces, present participle imbracing, simple past and past participle imbraced or (archaic) imbrast)

Obsolete spelling of embrace
- 1557, unknown, “The Louer Refused of His Loue Imbraceth Death”, in Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey [et al.]; Edward Arber, editor, Tottel’s Miscellany. Songes and Sonettes […] (English Reprints; 24), London: [Edward Arber]; Muir & Paterson, printers, […], published 15 August 1870, OCLC 1083021568, page 168:
  The louer refused of his loue imbraceth death. [poem title]
- 1576, Iohannes Caius [i.e., John Caius], “Dogges of a Course Kind Seruing for Many Necessary Uses, Called in Latine Canes Rustici, and First of the Shepherds Dogge, Called in Latine Canis Pastoralis”, in Abraham Fleming, transl., Of Englishe Dogges, the Diuersities, the Names, the Natures, and the Properties. […], imprinted at London: By [John Charlewood for] Rychard Johnes, […], OCLC 1121314616; republished London: Printed by A. Bradley, […], 1880, OCLC 669210085, page 31:
  There was no faynting faith in that Dogge, which when his Master by a mischaunce in hunting stumbled and fell toppling downe a deepe dytche beyng vnable to recouer of himselfe, the Dogge signifying his masters mishappe, reskue came, and he was hayled up by a rope, whom the Dogge seeying almost drawne up to the edge of the dytche, cheerefully saluted, leaping and skipping vpon his master as though he would haue imbraced hym, beying glad of his presence, whose longer absence he was lothe to lacke.
- c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, OCLC 932916628, [Act V, scene ii]:
  I will imbrace him with a ſouldiour's arme, / That he ſhall ſhrinke vnder my curteſie, [...]
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Acts 20:1, column 1:
  And after the vprore was ceaſed, Paul called vnto him the diſciples, and imbraced them, & departed, for to go into Macedonia.
- 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], chapter VI, in The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], OCLC 868004604, book I, page 14:
  [...] Love, though not wholly blind, as Poets wrong him, yet having but one eye, as being born an Archer aiming, and that eye not the quickeſt in this dark region here below, which is not Loves proper ſphere, partly out of the ſimplicity, and credulity which is native to him, often deceiv'd, imbraces and comforts him with theſe obvious and ſuborned ſtriplings, as if they were his Mothers own Sons, for ſo he thinks them, while they ſuttly keep themſelves moſt on his blind ſide.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554, lines 772–774:
  Theſe lulld by Nightingales imbraceing ſlept,
  And on thir naked limbs the flourie roof
  Showrd Roſes, which the Morn, repair'd.
- 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], OCLC 228725984; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress (The Noel Douglas Replicas), London: Noel Douglas, […], 1928, OCLC 5190338, page 164:
  Let Ignorance a little while now muſe / On what is ſaid, and let him not refuſe / Good counſel to imbrace, leſt he remain / Still Ignorant of what's the chiefeſt gain.
- 1686, [formerly attributed to Augustine of Hippo], “The Accusation of Man, and the Commendation and Praise of the Divine Mercy”, in [John Floyd], transl., The Meditations, Soliloquia, and Manual of the Glorious Doctor St. Augustine. Translated into English, London: Printed for Matthew Turner […], OCLC 221918224, page 6:
  Thou doſt reduce me when I err; thou ſtayeſt for me when I am dull; thou imbraceſt me when I return; thou teacheſt me when I am ignorant; [...]
- a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: Printed by W. B. for A[ugustus] and J[ohn] Churchill […], published 1706, OCLC 1103142418, §34, page 105:
  [I]f a Man can be perſuaded and fully aſſur'd of any thing for a Truth, without having examin'd, what is there that he may not imbrace for Truth; and if he has given himſelf up to believe a Lye, what means is there left to recover one who can be aſſur'd without examining.

Conjugation

Conjugation of imbrace

2nd-person singular	imbrace
infinitive	(to) imbrace
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	imbrace	imbraced
3rd-person singular	imbraces
plural	imbrace

subjunctive	imbrace	imbraced

imperative	imbrace	—

participles	imbracing	imbraced

Noun

imbrace (plural imbraces)

Obsolete spelling of embrace
- c. 1613–1616, Francis Beaumont; John Fletcher, “The Scornful Lady, a Comedy”, in Fifty Comedies and Tragedies. […], [part 1], London: […] J[ohn] Macock [and H. Hills], for John Martyn, Henry Herringman, and Richard Marriot, published 1679, OCLC 1015511273, Act III, scene i, page 72, column 1:
  That Gentleman I mean to make the model of my Fortunes, and in his chaſt imbraces keep alive the memory of my loſt lovely Loveleſe: he is ſomewhat like him too.

References

“imbrace”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989, →ISBN.