Acquit, 1) to make full payment for: “till life to death a. my forced offence,” Lucr. 1071, i. e. till life make to death full payment for my offence, till I atone for it by dying; or perhaps: till life, done to death, killed, atone for my offence.
2) to set free, to release from a debt, obligation, or penalty: “I will a. you,” Tw. III, 4, 235. “--ed by a true substantial form,” H4B IV, 1, 173. “if my tongue cannot entreat you to a. me,” V, 5, 133. With from: “may any terms a. me from this chance?” Lucr. 1706. With of: “--ed of grievous penalties,” Merch. IV, 1, 409. V, 138. “God a. them of their practices,” H5 II, 2, 144.
Refl., to clear one's self: “pray God he may a. him of suspicion,” H6B III, 2, 25. “of these supposed evils to a. myself,” R3 I, 2, 77.
3) to a. one's self well == to do good work: As I, 1, 134. R3 V, 5, 3.
Partic. a. for “--ed:” R3 V, 5, 3; in the sense of delivered, rid of: “I am glad I am so a. of this tinderbox,” Wiv. I, 3, 27.
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
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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