FromMiddle Englishassoilen(“to absolve or release from blame or sin”),[1] fromAnglo-Normanas(s)oiler,as(s)oilier, andOld Frenchas(s)oille [and other forms], thepresentsubjunctive, andas(s)oil, the presentindicative, ofas(s)oldre,as(s)oudre(“to absolve from blame”) (modernFrenchabsoudre), fromLatinabsoluere, the presentactiveinfinitive ofabsoluō, a variant ofabsolvō(“to set free from”), fromab-(prefix meaning ‘away from’) +solvō(“to loosen, set free”) (fromsē-(“prefix meaning ‘apart; aside; away’”) +luō(“to let go, set free”). Ultimately fromProto-Indo-European*lewH-(“to cut off, to free”).[2]Doublet ofabsolve andassoilzie.
assoil (third-person singular simple presentassoils,present participleassoiling,simple past and past participleassoiled)(transitive)
- (archaic)
- Toabsolve orrelease (someone) fromblame orsin; toforgive, topardon.
- Synonym:(Scotland)assoilze
1607,Michael Drayton, “The Legend of GreatCromwell”, inPoems: […], London: […] Willi[am] Stansby forIohn Smethwicke, published1630,→OCLC,page461:But ſecretlyaſſoyling of his ſin, / No other med'cine vvill he to him lay, / Saying that Heauen his ſiluer him ſhould vvin, / And to giue Friers, vvas better then to pray, / So he vvere ſhrieu'd, vvhat need he care a pin?
1610,William Camden, “Warwick-shire”, inPhilémon Holland, transl.,Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton,→OCLC,page564:Pray deuoutly for the ſoule whom Godaſſoile of one of the moſt worſhipfull Knights in his daies of manhood and cunning,Richard Beauchampe late Earle of Warwicke,[…] [Inscription on the deceased's tomb.]
1610 October,John Foxe, “An Old Ancient Writing Intituled, The Praier and Complaint of the Ploughman”, inActes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable, Happening in the Church, with an Vniuersall Historie of the Same. […], 6th edition, volume I, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for theCompany of Stationers,→OCLC, book V,page373, column 2:Lord thou ne taughteſt not thy diſciples toaſſoilen men of their ſinne, and ſetten them a penance for their ſinne, in faſting ne in praying, ne other almous deed:[…] For Lord, thou forgeue men her ſinnes, and bede him ſinne no more.[…] And Lord, thou neaſſoildeſt no man both of his ſinne and of his peine, that vvas due for his ſinne, ne thou grantedſt no man ſuch povver heere on earth.
1653,Jeremy Taylor, “Twenty-five Sermons Preached at Golden Grove; Being for the Winter Half-year, […]: Sermon XII. Of Lukewarmness and Zeal; or, Spiritual Fervour. Part I.”, inReginald Heber, editor,The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D. […], volume V, London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. […]; and Richard Priestley, […], published1822,→OCLC,page182:[M]any persons think themselves fairlyassoiled, because they are no adulterers, no rebels, no drunkards, not of scandalous lives;[…]
1664,H[enry] More, chapter V, inA Modest Enquiry into the Mystery of Iniquity, […], London: […] J[ames] Flesher for W[illiam] Morden […],→OCLC, book II,page112:[B]eing juſtified by Faith, in aForenſal ſenſe, that is, acquitted andaſſoiled from the guilt of all our ſins, as vvell as in ſeveral meaſures, according to our ſeveral ages and grovvths in Chriſtianity;[…]
- Toatone orexpiate for (something).
1596,Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VI”, inThe Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] forWilliam Ponsonby,→OCLC, stanza 25,page87:ButGlauce, ſeeing all that chaunced there, / VVell vveeting hovv their errour toaſſoyle, / Full glad of ſo good end, to them drevv nere, / And her ſalevved vvith ſeemly belaccoyle, / Ioyous to ſee her ſafe after long toyle.
1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e.,Pliny the Elder], “[Book XV.] Of the Lawrell or Bay Tree, Thirteene Kinds thereof.”, inPhilemon Holland, transl.,The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip,→OCLC,page453:And theſe reaſons verily induce me to beleeve, that in times paſt they choſe the Bay tree for their triumphs, before any other: rather than asMaſſurius vvould have it, becauſe the Lavvrell ſerved for a ſolemne perfume, to expiate andaſſoile the carnage and execution done upon the enemies.
- (law)Followed byfromorof: toacquit (someone) from acriminalcharge; tofind (someone) notguilty; toclear.
- Synonym:(Scotland, law)assoilze
1528,Thomas More, “A Dialogue Concernynge Heresyes & Matters of Religion […]. Chapter IIII.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e.,William Rastell], editor,The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, andRicharde Tottell, published30 April 1557,→OCLC, book III,page211, column 2:For if the mater appere vpon his ſyde therby, either clere or doubtefull, than may the iudges acquite andaſſoyle the defendaũt [defendaunt]. And better were it thefaute to be quytte, than the fautles to be punyſhed.
1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as1548),Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon theGospell of Saincte Matthew. The .xviii. Chapter.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e.,Nicholas Udall], transl.,The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche,→OCLC,folio xciii, recto:Whom Ceſar doth condemne, god ſumtime doethaſſoyle: and whom the prince dothaſſoyle, he leaueth in the cumpany of mẽ [men], to make other like himſelf:[…]
1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e.,Pliny the Elder], “[Book VI.] The Iland Taprobane.”, inPhilemon Holland, transl.,The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip,→OCLC,page131:Then are there 70 judges deputed to ſit upon his cauſe; and if it happen that theyaſſoile and quit this partie condemned: then thoſe 30 vvho condemned him, are diſplaced from their ſtate and dignitie, vvith a moſt bitter and greevous rebuke, and for ever after, as diſgraced perſons live in ſhame and infamie.
- (archaic or obsolete)Followed byfromorof: to release orset free (someone) from aliability, anobligation, etc.; todischarge.
1590,Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, inThe Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] forWilliam Ponsonbie,→OCLC, stanza 52,page150:But firſt thou muſt a ſeaſon faſt and pray, / Till from her bands the ſprightaſſoiled is, / And haue her ſtrength recur'd from fraile infirmitis.
1596,Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto III”, inThe Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] forWilliam Ponsonby,→OCLC, stanza 13,page40:His vvearie ghoſtaſſoyld from fleſhly band, / Did not as others vvont, directly fly / Vnto her reſt inPlutoes grieſly land, / Ne into ayre did vaniſh preſently, / Ne chaunged vvas into a ſtarre in sky:[…]
1844,Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Work”, inPoems. […], volume I, London:Edward Moxon, […],→OCLC,page133:What are we set on earth for? Say, to toil— / Nor seek to leave thy tending of the vines, / For all the heat o' the day, till it declines, / And Death's mild curfew shall from workassoil.
- (obsolete)
- Toclear up orresolve (adifficulty,doubt,problem, etc.); to absolve, tosolve.
- Synonyms:(obsolete)soil,(obsolete)soyle
1565,Thomas Stapleton, chapter 14, inA Fortresse of the Faith […], Antwerp: […] Ihon Laet, […],→OCLC,folio 65, verso:I ſaie,aſſoyleth this doubt and queſtion, by the only argument and aſſuraunce of the knovven Catholik church of Chriſt.
1567 November 6 (Gregorian calendar), Iohn Iewel [i.e.John Jewel], “The Apologie, Cap. 13, Diuision. 1.”, inA Defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande, Conteininge an Answeare to a Certaine Booke Lately Set Foorthe by M. Hardinge, and Entituled, A Confutation of &c., London: […] Henry Wykes,→OCLC, 2nd part,page235:Here M.[Thomas] Harding once againe moueth a very néedeleſſe queſtion. VVedemaunde, ſaithe he,vvhether vvee receiue the ſame Body of Chriſte by Faithe onely, vvithout our Body, or vvith the office of our Body. Any childe might ſoone be hable toaſſoile thisreddle.
1647, Theodore de la Guard [pseudonym;Nathaniel Ward],The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America. […], London: […] J[ohn] D[ever] &R[obert] I[bbitson] for Stephen Bowtell, […],→OCLC,page18:[O]thers, held very good men, are at a dead ſtand, not knovving vvhat to doe or ſay; and are therefore called Seekers, looking for nevv Nuntio's from Chriſt, toaſſoil theſe benighted queſtions, and to give nevv Orders for nevv Churches.
- Torefute (anargument, anobjection, etc.).
- (rare) To discharge (a liability, an obligation, etc.).
1591,Ed[mund] Sp[enser],Daphnaïda. An Elegy upon the Death of the Noble and Vertuous Douglas Howard,Daughter and Heire ofHenry Lord Howard, Viscount Byndon, and Wife ofArthure Gorges Esquier. […], London: […] [Thomas Orwin] forWilliam Ponsonby, […],→OCLC,signature [C4], recto:And ye poore Pilgrimes, that vvith reſtleſſe toyle / VVearie your ſelues in vvandring deſert vvayes, / Till that you come, vvhere ye your vovvesaſſoyle, / VVhen paſsing by ye read theſe vvofull layes / On my graue vvritten,[…]
- (rare) Toget rid of,put off, orremove (something).
- (Christianity) To absolve or release (someone) fromexcommunication or some otherreligiousoffence.
1611, Iohn Speed [i.e.,John Speed], “Iohn, Duke of Normandie, Guyen, and Aquitaine, &c. […]”, inThe History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […],→OCLC, book IX ([Englands Monarchs] […]), paragraph 51,page501, column 1:[H]isBarons[…] flatly oppoſe themſelues both to his commaund and their Countries good, denying him (vntill he vvereaſſoyled of his excommunication,) their attendance in ſo behouefull a ſeruice.
to absolve or release (someone) from blame or sin
—seeforgive,
pardonto acquit (someone) from a criminal charge
—seeacquitto release or set free (someone) from a liability, an obligation, etc.
—see alsodischargePossibly froma-(intensifyingprefix) orad-(prefix meaning ‘to, toward’, or indicating an addition or tendency) +soil(“to make dirty”), perhaps influenced byassoil (etymology 1).
assoil (third-person singular simple presentassoils,present participleassoiling,simple past and past participleassoiled)
- (transitive, archaic or obsolete) Tomake (something)dirty orsoiled; tosoil; tostain; tosully.
, Oxford:Oxford University Press, December 2021.