faine

Noun (1)

fane (plural fanes)

1. (obsolete) A weathercock, a weather vane.
   • The ſteeple had become old and ruinous; and therefore the preſent one was built about the year 1740. It had, at that time, four fanes mounted on ſpires, on the four corners; theſe being judged too weak for the fanes, were taken down in 1764, and the roof of the ſteeple altered.1801, John Baillie, An Impartial History of the Town and County of Newcastle Upon Tyne, page 541
2. (obsolete) A banner, especially a military banner.
   • So fate fell-woven forward drave him,
     and with malice Mordred his mind hardened,
     saying that war was wisdom and waiting folly.
     ‘Let their fanes be felled and their fast places
     bare and broken, burned their havens,
     and isles immune from march of arms
     or Roman reign now reek to heaven
     in fires of...c. 1935, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fall of Arthur, Harper Collins, London, published 2013, →ISBN, page 18

Noun (2)

fane (plural fanes)

1. A temple or sacred place.
   • And Pallas rear'd him; her ovvn unctuous fane / She made his habitation, vvhere vvith bulls / The youth of Athens, and vvith ſlaughter'd lambs / Her annual vvorſhip celebrate.1791, Homer, “[The Iliad.] Book II.”, in W[illiam] Cowper, transl., The Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, Translated into Blank Verse, […], volume I, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 52...

See all 4 meanings of fane

Adjective

fain (comparative more fain, superlative most fain)

1. (UK, archaic, dialectal, poetic) Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.
   • VVhat is the truſt or ſtrength of fooliſh man? / They that of late vvere daring vvith their ſcoffes, / Are glad and faine by flight to ſaue themſelues.1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
   1. (UK, archaic, dialectal, poetic) Glad, contented, or satisfied to do something in the absence of a better alternative.
      • [T]hey vvere faine to patche uppe the Matter vvith a little piece of Paper clappid over the foreſaid VVordes, […]1559, John Strype, quoting John Feckenham, “[An Appendix; being a Repository of Faithful Extracts out of Various Records and Registers, […].] Numb[er] IX. The Oration of the Reverend Father in God...
   2. (UK, archaic, broadly, dialectal, poetic) Compelled or obliged to.
      • Penker in his ſermõ [sermon] ſo loſt his voice that he was faine to leaue of [off] & come downe in the middes.c. 1513 (date written), Thomas More, “The History of King Richard the Thirde (Vnfinished) […]”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London...
2. (UK, archaic, dialectal) Chiefly followed by to, or (obsolete) for or of: eager or willing, or inclined.
   • Man and Birds are fayne of climbing high.1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...

   Synonyms:

   disposed, keen, lief, raring

   Antonyms:

   averse, disinclined, loath, reluctant, unwilling

3. (archaic, obsolete, except in fair and fain) Favourable, well-disposed.
   • I felt a spirit of love begin to stir / Within my heart, long time unfelt till then; / And saw Love coming towards me, fair and fain, / (That I scarce knew him for his joyful cheer,) / Saying, "Be now indeed my worshipper!".1861, Dante Alighieri, “The New Life. (La Vita Nuova.)”, in Dante Gabriel Rossetti, transl., The Early Italian Poets from Ciullo D’Alcamo to Dante Alighieri […], London: Smith, Elder and Co., […]...
4. (archaic, obsolete) Accustomed, apt, wont.
   • [S]carcely ſhe could ryde, / And eke through heauie armes, vvhich ſore annoyd / The Prince on foot, not vvonted ſo to fare; / VVhoſe ſteadie hand vvas faine his ſteede to guyde, / And all the vvay from trotting hard to ſpare, / So vvas his toyle the more, the more that vvas his care.1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 37, page 118

See all 14 meanings of fain