(du)  = at do, which was the fuller form. [In Norse at is the prep. used with the inf. = Eng. to; see A- prefix 5. Hence in northern Eng., as still used in north Lanc. and Westm. ‘a bit o' summat at eat.’ Ado is thus a northern dialect form for to do, which has in certain phrases, and as a n., passed into general use.] 

    1. pres. inf. To do; in northern writers in all constructions; in others only after have, in phrase to have ado. (Cf. Fr. avoir affaire, orig. avoir à faire to have a-do, or to do.)
 
  ?1280 Kemble's Cod. Dipl. II. 186 Na man sal have at do. 1375 BARBOUR Bruce x. 349, I mycht nocht suffice thar-to, Sa mekill suld be thare ado. c1400 Rom. Rose 5083 Al that thei han ado. c1460 Towneley Myst. 181 We have othere thinges at do. c1466 SIR J. PASTON in Lett. 566 II. 295 Fur I woll nowt have ado ther with. c1550 CHEKE Matt. vi. 34 Eueri dai hath inough adoo with her own troble. 1637 GILLESPIE Eng. Pop. Cerem. I. viii. 25 We are dead to them, and have nothing adoe with them. c1817 J. HOGG Tales (1837) II. 194, I wonder what he had ado in appearing to me?
 

    2. In doing, being done; at work, astir.
 
  1577 FLEETWOOD in Ellis Orig. Lett. II. 202 III. 56 Upon Thursday there was nothing ado but preaching of Sermondes. 1628 EARLE Microcosm. xxvii. 58 Only an eager bustling, that rather keeps ado than does anything. 1634-46 J. ROW (father) Hist. Kirk (1842) 291 The tryell of presbyteries is the principall thing that is ado at this tyme. 1637 RUTHERFORD Lett. 97 (1862) I. 248 The remembrance..raised a great tempest & (if I may speak so) made the devil ado in my soul. 1698 J. NEWTON in Phil. Trans. XX. 263 How now, what is here ado?
 

    ¶Hence through such phrases as much ado, little ado, more ado, by taking the adverbs as adjs. qualifying ado the latter was viewed as a n., and so construed in a great ado, any ado, etc. The transition may be seen in the following quotations, in the first of which ado is still the inf., in the second the n., in the third it may be either.
 
  1563 Homilies II. (1859) 191 To have any thing ado with him. Ibid. 178 That any true christian ought to have any ado with filthy and dead images. Ibid. 472 St. Paul had much ado for the staying of that matter.
 

    3. n. (pl. rare, adoes, ados.) Doing, action, business, fuss. without more ado: without further work, ceremony.
 
  c1380 Sir Ferumb. 1495 e lordes bu an a-paste wyoute more a-do. 1440 Prom. Parv., A-do, or grete bysynesse, Sollicitudo. 1489 CAXTON Faytes of Armes II. xxxviii. 160 They that by the see wol go, be it in armee or to som other adoo. 1535 COVERDALE Ps. xlv. 6 The Heithen are madd, the kyngdomes make much adoo. 1592 SHAKES. Rom. & Jul. III. iv. 23 Weele keepe no great adoe, a Friend or two. 1634-46 J. ROW (father) Hist. Kirk (1842) 162 The King's Majestie..imployed them at his pleasure in some particular adoes. 1755 B. MARTIN Mag. Arts & Sc. III. xi. 237 The Ancients made much more ado about this Season of the Year than we. 1876 FREEMAN Norm. Conq. III. xii. 85 William wanted a wife, and they were married without more ado.
 

    4. Action or work forced upon one, labour, trouble, difficulty. with much ado: with much trouble or difficulty.
 
  1485 CAXTON Chas. the Gt. 221 And made no more a-doo to bere hym, than dooth a wulf to bere a lytel lambe. 1513 MORE Hist. Edwd. V, 6 His Mother the Dutches had much adoe in her travell. 1548 UDALL, etc. Erasm. Paraphr. Mark v. 27 She had with muche ado wounde her selfe out of the prease of people. 1650 FULLER Pisgah Sight IV. vi. 105 Their clothes were made large and loose, easie to be put on, without any adoe. 1742 WESLEY Wks. 1872, I. 357, I had much ado to sit my horse. 1850 CARLYLE Latter-d. Pamph. I. 56 Unhewed forests, quaking bogs;which we shall have our own ados to make arable and habitable. 1876 FREEMAN Norm. Conq. I. iii. 129 Tribes which the Kings had much ado to keep in even nominal subjection.