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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Thrist, Thryst(e, Thirst, v.¹ Also: threst, thrust. [ME and e.m.E. þirrst (Orm), thrist (Cursor M.), threst (Rolle), þrust (Trevisa), ON þyrstan, OW þyrsta.]

1. intr. To suffer thirst, be thirsty. Freq. in fig. context.pres. c1450 Cr. Deyng (STS) 137.
And sua the sek suld say in the payne at he tholys, now byrne, now schere, now thrist, now sla, that before God may alleg the pacyens tharof fore the luf of hyme and have eternall joy tharfore a1500 Bernardus 65.
Thocht tha [sc. the cattle] hunger and thryst for falt of drynk c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 123/7.
Quhiddir is it mereit mair To gif him drink that thristis sair, Or fill ane fow man quhill he birst? Arundel MS 240/78.
O Lord, as thou said: ‘I thrist,’ that wes the heill of the haly fathiris and saulis bidand thy cumyng to the lymbe Arundel MS 240/80.
Mak me that I euer thrist, luffand the well of the watter of life 1567 G. Ball. 150.
All ȝe that sair dois thrist, Throuch brukkilnes of the flesche, Cum vnto me, quhen that ȝe list, I sall ȝour saulis refresche 1633 Johnston Diary I 121.
Loe, I come, Lord, nou to thy taible, obeying thy cry quhilk I heard in the morning ‘Ho every on that thristeth come’, 55 Isay(b) c1520-c1535 Nisbet John iv 13.
He that drinkis of the watire that I sal gefe to him, sall nocht threst [P. thirste]p.t. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxv 42.
I threstit [P. thristide] and ye gafe nocht me to drink 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 5b.
Quhen he had sa doine he thristed that he was lyk to die … Than sprang furth of the dry baine a well quharof he drank [etc.]

2. fig. To have a fervent desire or longing; to crave, long for.

a. tr. Also with infin. object. b. intr. Const. efter, for, in.a. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xlii 87.
For scho thristyt oure althing For til cume til hewynnis kyng c1420 Wynt. iv 1640 (C).
For til haf met thai thristit eft [R. trystyd, W. semblit], The next tyme that thai mycht se A day set in serenyte a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 279.
The lambe till eit I thrist gretlye, Or I thole ded for man apoun the tre 1560 Acts II 526/2.
Lang have we thristit deir brethren to haue notifeit vnto the warld the soume of that doctrine quhilk we profesis 1567 G. Ball. 44.
I thrist, with all my micht, To saif mankynde fra panis strang 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 60.
He thristed, ane easiare occupatione, Amongis the lawers for to lyve — 1558-66 Knox II 27.
All that either thrist Chryst Jesus to reigne in this yle, or [etc.](2) a1500 Seven S. 1824.
Thai said thow sall quyk erdit be For thi cowatousnes we think Thow thristit gold and gold sall drink c1515 Asl. MS I 321/24.
In case the lyonis hungerit & thristit blude c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. v 6.
Blessit be thai that hungris and threstis [P. thristen] richtwisnes: for thai salbe fulfillit 1533 Boece 241.
Thay bludy boucheouris … eschamyng nocht quhare thai slay thare inemye to lape the hate blude, quhilk perpetualie thai thrist c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3638.
Scho kest his heid … In tyll ane vessell full of blude And said … Drynk, now thy fyll, gyf thow be drye, For thow did aye blude schedding thryste 1557 Knox IV 245.
Charitie moveth me to thrist his illuminatioun 1560 Cal. Sc. P. I 324.
[Your heart] that thrists the wele of boytht the realmes 1593 Warrender P. (SHS) II 208.
Nocht of thame quha maist crewellie thristed my blood laking oftentymes nather credit power nor meanis to revenge 1594 Cal. Sc. P. XI 491.
[Therefore we all] thrist [your speedy return](b) 1558-66 Knox I 359.
We thrusting the bloode of no manb. ?a1500 Obsecro 44.
Quhen he wes nalit on the croce, Woundit sair and seik cryand, For mannis help and heill thristand 1535 Stewart 18900.
With greit slauchter baith of men and brude So far thai thristit in the Pechtis blude … That thai ouirgat left nane levand on lyfe 1570 Sat. P. xiii 139.
As houngrie tykis ȝe thristit for his blude a1578 Pitsc. I 282/25.
That bluddie bouchour ewer thristand for blude a1599 Rollock Wks. I 318.
He [sc. Paul] is reigning now in hevin. Sa thou quha thirsts efter life, learne at him 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 191/735.
Quho in reuengis badde desyre do euer thriste & burne 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. in Misc. Spald. C. II xxxiv.
His owne kinsman, James Malcolmesone, … thirsting after the desire to rule, took occasion … to kill this Mackintoshie 1584 Calderwood IV 140.
Whill he was with them, he was both in doctrine and behaviour, and now absent, longed for and thristed after