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defy (1, 2, and sense ‘set at defiance’ are about equally common in S.)
1. to challenge, esp. to a fight Err. V. i. 32, John II. i. 406, H5 II. i. 76, Ant. II. ii. 164.
2. to reject, despise AYL. Epil. 21, Mer.V. III. v. 76, 1H4 IV. i. 6 “do The tongues of soothers,” Ham. V. ii. 232 “we defy augury,” Per. IV. vi. 29.
A Shakespeare Glossary. C. T. Onions. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1911.

This text was converted to electronic form by professional data entry and has been proofread to a high level of accuracy.

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hide References (9 total)
  • Cross-references in text-specific dictionaries from this page (9):
    • William Shakespeare, Anthony and Cleopatra, 2.2
    • William Shakespeare, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, 4.6
    • William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 5.2
    • William Shakespeare, King John, 2.1
    • William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 5.4
    • William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors, 5.1
    • William Shakespeare, The First Part of Henry IV, 4.1
    • William Shakespeare, Henry V, 2.1
    • William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, 3.5
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