Definition of "repast"
repast1
noun
countable and uncountable, plural repasts
(countable)
Quotations
Forthwith from dance to ſweet repaſt they turn / Deſirous, all in Circles as they ſtood, / Tables are ſet, and on a ſudden pil'd / With Angels Food, and rubied Nectar flows: […]
1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, lines 630–633
We pitch'd our little Camp here, and ſet down to our Repaſt; for I found, that tho' we were to go back to lodge, yet my Patron had taken care we ſhould be furniſhed ſufficiently for Dinner, and have a good Houſe to eat it in; that is to ſay, a Tent, as before.
1725, [Daniel Defoe], “Part II”, in A New Voyage Round the World, by a Course Never Sailed before. […], London: […] A[rthur] Bettesworth, […]; and W. Mears, […], page 118
Earth's coarsest bread, the garden's homeliest roots, / And scarce the summer luxury of fruits, / His short repast in humbleness supply / With all a hermit's board would scarce deny.
1814, Lord Byron, “Canto I”, in The Corsair, a Tale, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], for John Murray, […], stanza II, page 4, lines 71–74
I do not run from the King, the King has run me out. Now that Lord Pharaoh has his ear, he says my sense of humor is in doubt. 'Tis true, tonight I ate my last of the royal repast.
2010 September, Pseudonymous Bosch [pseudonym; Raphael Simon], “The Royal Kennels”, in This Isn’t What It Looks Like (The Secret Series; 4), New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, page 127
(obsolete) A period of refreshment or rest.
Quotations
[T]he nobleſt Raptures have been conceiv'd in the Walks and ſhades of Trees, […] the Profound Philoſophers lov'd here to paſſe their lives in repoſe and Contemplation, and the frugal Repaſts—molleſque ſub arbore ſomni [a soft sleep under the tree] were the natural and chaſt delights of our Fore-Fathers.
1670, John Evelyn, “. Chapter XXXV. An Historical Account of the Sacrednesse, and Use of Standing Groves, &c..”, in Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, page 235
(uncountable)
(archaic) Food or drink that may be consumed as a meal.
Quotations
I prethee go, and get me ſome repaſt, / I care not what, ſo it be holſome foode.
c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene iii], page 223, column 2
Go therefore, half this day as friend with friend / Converſe with Adam, in what Bowre or ſhade / Thou find'ſt him from the heat of Noon retir'd, / To reſpit his day-labour with repaſt, / Or with repoſe; […]
1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, lines 229–233
The feast was usher'd in—but sumptuous fare / He shunn'd as if some poison mingled there. / For one so long condemn'd to toil and fast, / Methinks he strangely spares the rich repast.
1814, Lord Byron, “Canto II”, in The Corsair, a Tale, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], for John Murray, […], stanza IV, page 37, lines 718–721
(archaic, figuratively) Something that is intellectually or spiritually nourishing.
Quotations
Gao[ler]. Come Sir, are you ready for death? / Poſt[humus]. Ouer-roaſted rather: ready long ago. / Gao. Hanging is the word, Sir, if you bee readie for that, you are well Cook'd. / Poſt. So if I proue a good repaſt to the Spectators, the diſh payes the ſhot.
1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act V, scene iv], page 394, column 2
(obsolete) The consumption of food; also, refreshment obtained from eating; (generally) refreshment; rest.
Quotations
I do dine today at the fathers of a certaine pupill of mine, where if (before repaſt) it ſhall pleaſe you to gratifie the table with a Grace, I will on my priuiledge I haue with the parentes of the foreſaid childe or pupill, vndertake your bien venuto, where I will proue thoſe Verſes to be very vnlearned, neither fauoring of Poetrie, wit, nor inuention.
c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [Act IV, scene ii]
The other [room] was termed Triclinium, that is, Three beds encompaſſing a table, as may be ſeen in the figures thereof, and particularly in the Rhamnuſian Triclinium, ſet down by Mercurialis [Girolamo Mercuriale?]. The cuſtomary uſe hereof was probably deduced from the frequent uſe of bathing, after which they commonly retired to bed, and refected themſelves with repaſt; […]
1650, Thomas Browne, “Of the Pictures of Eastern Nations, and the Jews at Their Feasts, Especially Our Saviour at the Passover”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], 5th book, page 204
[H]ow inconſiſtent is it with his gravity and goodneſs, to couple a ſpiritual grace with matters of corporeal repaſt: […]
a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, “Oxford-shire”, in The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, page 328
repast2
verb
third-person singular simple present repasts, present participle repasting, simple past and past participle repasted
(transitive)
(archaic) To supply (an animal or person) with food; to feed.
Quotations
To his good friends thus wide I'le ope my armes, / And like the kind life-rendring Pelican, / Repaſt them with my blood.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, [Act IV, scene v]
The top-leaves and oldeſt would be gathered laſt of all, as being moſt proper to repaſt the worms with towards their laſt change.
1670, John Evelyn, “. Chapter IX. Of the Mulberry.”, in Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, page 61
(also reflexive, obsolete) To refresh (oneself or someone) through eating and drinking.
Quotations
[A]nd ſoo within a lytil whyle they came to that heremytage ⸝ and there they dranke the wyne ⸝ and ete the veneſon and the foules baken ⸝ And ſo whan they had repaſted hem wel ⸝ the dwarf retorned ageyn with his veſſel vn to the caſtel ageyne ⸝ […]And so within a little while they came to that hermitage, and there they drank the wine, and ate the venison and the baked fowls. And so when they had repasted themselves well, the dwarf returned again with his vessel unto the castle again, […]]
, book VII (in Middle English), [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, leaf 117, verso; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, page 234, lines 25–29