(ba)  Forms: inf. 1 abycg-an, abicg-an; 2 abug-en, 2-4 abuggen, abigg-en; 3-4 abugg-e, abigg-e; 4 abegg-e, abedge; abey-e(n, abei-e, abé; aby-en, abi-en; 4-5 abaye, abaie; 4-6 abie; 5 (abyche); 6 (abygge), 4-9 aby, abye. pa. tense 1-3 abohte; 3-4 abote, aboute; 4-5 aboughte; 5- abought. pa. pple. 1-3 aboht; 3-4 abot, about; 4- abought. Abugge (ü) was s.w.; abegge, abedge s.e.; abeye, abye, abie mdld. and nor. [f. A- prefix 1 away, out, back + BUY, OE. bycgan; cogn. w. Goth. usbugjan to redeem: see BUY.] 

    1. trans. To buy, purchase, pay for. Obs.
 
  c1175 Lamb. Hom. 185 Nis nan blisse soes in an ing et is utewi · et ne beo to bitter aboht. c1200 Moral Ode in Trin. Coll. Hom. 224 Swines brade is wel swete..Ac al to diere he hit abui e ief ar-fore his swiere. c1300 in Wright Lyr. Poetry xxxvii. 103 A thyng that is ful precious, ful duere hit ys aboht. c1374 CHAUCER Compl. Mars & Venus 334 Thus dere abought is Love in yevynge. 1503 Stat. 19 Hen. VII, vi. §1 Theves..bryng such stolen vessell unto theym..to sell..and abought they bryng it to pryve places..and ther sell much part of hit to straungers.
 

    2. trans. To pay the penalty for (an offence), to redeem, atone for, suffer for, make amends for, expiate: commonly with sore, dearly, etc. arch.
 
  c1175 Lamb. Hom. 35 a wrecche saule hit scal abuggen. 1205 LAYAMON 8158 u me smite bi on rugge, Ah sare u hit salt abuggen. c1230 Ancren Riwle 306 Bute if he abugge e sunne et he wrouhte. c1270 King Horn 110 Wi swerd oer wi kniue, We scholden alle deie And i fader de abeie. c1314 Guy Warw. (1840) 49 His deth thou schalt wel sore abigge. c1380 Sir Ferumb. 2848 Abigge ow schalt is wronge at ov ous hast y-don. Ibid. 3404 ilke companye o ful dere abote at ay come are. 1393 LANGL. P. Pl. C. XI. 233 Here aboute e barn · hus belsires gultes. 1393 GOWER Conf. I. 261 Thy false body shall abie And suffre, that it hath deserved. Ibid. II. 386 He wolde done his sacrilegge That many a man shulde it abegge [some edd. abedge]. c1400 Gamelyn 810 He schal it abegge that broughte him thertoo. c1430 Hymns to Virg. 118 Now lete my flesche my synnis abie! 1560 Thersites (Hazl. Dodsl. I. 406) They shall aby bitterly the coming of such a guest. 1613 BEAUM. & FL. Knt. of Burning Pestle III. iv. 26 Foolhardy knight, full soon thou shalt aby This fond reproach, thy body will I bang. 1815 SCOTT Ld. of Isles V. xxvii. By Heaven, they lead the page to die..They shall abye it! 1876 BANCROFT Hist. U.S. V. ix. 432 Dearly did the Cherokees aby their rising.
 

    3. trans. To pay (as a penalty); suffer, endure. arch.
 
  1374 CHAUCER Boeth. 39 ou quod she abaist us e tourment of i fals[e] opinioun. c1386 Knt.'s T. 1445 Keep me fro the vengans of thilk yre, That Atheon aboughte trewely. 1596 SPENSER F.Q. III. iv. 38 Who dyes, the utmost dolor doth abye; But who that lives, is lefte to waile his losse. 1870 MORRIS Earthly Par. III. IV. 339 Certes thou wouldst abye A heavy fate if thou shouldst lie herein.
 

    4. absol. To pay the penalty, to make restitution, to atone, to suffer. Obs.
 
  c1300 Vox & Wolf 208 e, quad the vox, al thou most sugge, Other elles-wer thou most abugge. c1386 CHAUCER Doctor's T. 100 For I dar wel seye, If that thay doon, ye schul ful sore abeye. 1393 LANGL. P. Pl. C. XXI. 448 Ac for e lesynge at ow, lucifer · lowe til eue, ow shalt abygge bitere. 1400 Pol. Rel. & Love Poems (1866) 256 I am gylty & ou abeyst. c1449 PECOCK Repr. III. viii. 331 Lete it Abie which is gilti. 1548 UDALL etc. Erasm. Par. Luke xii. 47 He shall abye with many a sore strype. 1596 SPENSER F.Q. III. vi. 24 If I catch him in this company..he dearly shall abye: Ile clip his wanton wings that he no more shall flye.
 

    5. absol. To endure, remain; or trans. to endure, experience. In this sense ABY came to be identical with senses of ABIDE, and was formally confused with it: see Note ¶ under ABIDE. Obs.
 
  1450 Past. Lett. 134 I. 179 Knowlage of myche more thyng than he myth have..because of short abyng. 1591 SPENSER Ruines of Time 101 For warlike power, and peoples store, In Britannie was none to match with mee, That manie often did abie full sore. 1596 F.Q. III. vii. 3 But nought that wanteth rest can long aby.