intreat

Verb

intreat (third-person singular simple present intreats, present participle intreating, simple past and past participle intreated)

1. (transitive) To ask earnestly or beg for (something, such as a benefit or favour); to beseech, to implore.
   • If you be ſhe, I doe intreat your patience / To heare me ſpeake the meſſage I am ſent on.c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
   • Our tyred lymbes, bruſ'd in the morning fight, / Intreat ſoft reſt, and gentle huſht repoſe.c. 1599 (date written), I. M. [i.e., John Marston], The History of Antonio and Mellida. The First Part. […], London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Mathewe Lownes, and Thomas Fisher, […], published 1602...
2. (transitive) To earnestly ask or beg (someone); to beseech, to implore.
   • Then Pharaoh called for Moſes and Aaron, and ſaid, Intreat the Lord, that hee may take away the frogges from me, and from my people: […]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 8:8, signature F3, verso, column 1
   • And here I muſt intreat the Reader to preſerve his full freedom of mind intire, and not vveakly ſuffer his judgment to be overborn by your imagination and your prejudices, by Ghoſts and Viſions, and above all by that extreme ſatisfaction and complacency vvith vvhich you utter your ſtrange conceits...1735, [George Berkeley], A Defence of Free-thinking in Mathematics. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], →OCLC, paragraph XXX, page 33
3. (obsolete, transitive) To try to influence or persuade (someone); to induce, to prevail upon.
   • [S]he could in no wiſe be intreated with her good vyll to delyuer him, […]1569, Richard Grafton, “Edwarde the Fift”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye...
   • This ſhould intreat your highneſſe to reioice, / Since Fortune giues you opportunity, / To gaine the tytle of a Conquerour, […]c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
4. (intransitive) Often followed by for: to ask earnestly or to beg for a benefit, favour, etc.; to appeal, to plead.
   • [T]he rayſing of people, and aſſemble of Souldiours by him, could ſignifie no peace, nor treatie of concorde: except a man ſhould ſaye, that intreating for fauour with naked ſworde in hande, were an humble ſubmiſſion and a meeke requeſt: […]1569, Richard Grafton, “The Seuenth Age, and Seuenth Part of this Chronicle. Henrye the Sixt.”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume I, London: […] Henry...
   • Theſe are the motives, vvhich t' induce, / Or fright us into Love, you uſe, / […] / Like ſturdy Beggers, that intreat, / For Charity, at once, and threat, […]1677 (indicated as 1678), [Samuel Butler], “The Ladies Answer to the Knight”, in Hudibras. The Third and Last Part. […], London: […] Simon Miller, […], →OCLC, page 265
5. (archaic, intransitive) To make a petition or request on behalf of someone; to intercede, to plead.
   • Wil ye accepte ye perſonne of God, and intreate for him?1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Job xiij:[8], folio...
   • That if ſhe loue me, I charge her to loue thee: if ſhe vvill not, I vvill neuer haue her, vlneſſe thou intreat for her: […]c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
6. (obsolete, transitive) To act towards or deal with (someone or something) in a specified manner; to handle, to treat.
   • And here I ſpeake of the generation, wherby they doo engender, and not of that, wherby they are engendred, becauſe it ſhuld be to long to intreate, howe the chyldren of lyght are ingendred, and how they come in at the doore: and howe the children of the world be engendred, and come in an other way.1536 June 19 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, translated by [anonymous], The Sermon that the Reuerende Father in Christ, Hugh Latimer, Byshop of Worcester, Made to the Clergie, in...
   • Vncle, you ſay the Queene is at your houſe, / For Gods ſake fairely let her be intreated.1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597...
7. (intransitive, obsolete) Sometimes followed by of or upon: to give an account or description of a matter; to deal with.
   • [T]he moſt admirable myſtery of Nature, in my mind, is the turning of yron touched vvith the loadſtone, tovvard the North-pole, of vvhich I ſhall have farther occaſion to intreate, […]1627, G[eorge] H[akewill], “Touching the Pretended Decay of the Heauenly Bodies”, in An Apologie of the Power and Prouidence of God in the Gouernment of the World. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Iohn...
   • [Y]ou ſhould diigently vveigh and conſider the matter vvhereof Paul intreateth: for he intreateth of the vvord of God, vvhich can never be maginified enough.1791, “The Second Chapter”, in [anonymous], transl., Dr. Martin Luther’s Commentary upon St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians: […], Wigan, Manchester: […] William Bancks, →OCLC, page 57
8. (intransitive, obsolete) Often followed by about, for, or of: to discuss or negotiate, especially in order to reach a settlement.
   • And this mariage agreed vpon (which ſemeth more likely to be intreated of then cõcluded [i.e., than concluded].1569, Richard Grafton, “Edwarde the Fourth”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey...
   • Ile ſend ſome holy Biſhop to intreat: / For God forbid, ſo many ſimple ſoules / Should periſh by the Svvord.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...