The verb is derived partly from the following:
* From Middle English boden, bodian (“to be a sign or symbol, betoken, signify; to be an omen of a future event, forebode, foreshadow; to foretell, presage; to command, order; to deliver a message, proclaim, report; to preach”), from Old English bodian (“to announce, proclaim, tell; to foretell, prophesy; to preach; etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *bodōn (“to announce, proclaim; to call, summon”), from Proto-Germanic *budōną (“to announce, proclaim; to call, summon”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“to be awake; to be aware”). Doublet of bid (“to make an attempt; to make an offer”).
* A back-formation from forebode.
The noun is derived from Middle English bod (“foreboding, omen; message, report; command, edict; (Christianity) commandment; etc.”), from Old English bod (“command, edict, order”), from Proto-West Germanic *bod (“command, mandate, order”), from Proto-Germanic *budą (“message; offer”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (see above).
Meanings
A feeling that something is going to happen; a premonition, a presentiment.
(obsolete) An indication, an omen, a sign.
[A]t Myræ in Lycia, vvas the fountaine of Apollo Curius, vvhere the fiſhes being three times called vvith a Pipe, aſſembled themſelues, and if they deuoured the meats giuen them, it vvas interpreted a good bode and happie preſage: if they ſtrucke avvay the ſame vvith their tailes, it vvas direfull and dreadfull. 1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Asia.] Of Ionia and Other Countries in that Chersonesus.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All Ages and Places Discouered, from the Creation vnto this Present. […], London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, book III (Of the Arabians, Saracens, Turkes, and of the Ancient Inhabitants of Asia Minor, and of Their Religions), page 285:
Ovr Poet […] deſires that yee / VVould not diſtaſte his Muſe, becauſe of late / Tranſplanted, vvhich vvould grovv here, if no fate / Have an unlucky bode […] 1632, Iames Shirley [i.e., James Shirley], “Epilogus”, in Changes: Or, Love in a Maze. A Comedie, […], London: […] G. P. for William Cooke, […], →OCLC:
(obsolete) A message; also, news, tidings.
I muſt tell you vvhat lovely Jeſus, fair Jeſus, King Jeſus hath done to my ſoul; ſometimes he ſendeth me out a ſtanding drink, and vvhiſpereth a vvord thorovv the vvall; and I am vvell content of kindneſs at the ſecond hand; his bode is ever vvelcome to me, be vvhat it vvill; […] 1637 June 25 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Rutherford, “To Marion M‘Naught”, in Mr. Rutherfoord’s Letters, […], 5th edition, Edinburgh: […] Thomas Lumisden and John Robertson, […], published 1724, →OCLC, page 72:
Thorough counsel I shall you answer, / What bode ye shall to your lord bear. 1805, George Ellis, quoting [unknown author], “History of Richard Cœur de Lion”, in Specimens of Early English Metrical Romances, Chiefly Written during the Early Part of the Fourteenth Century; […], volume II, London: […] [R[ichard] Taylor and Co.] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, […]; Edinburgh: A[rchibald] Constable and Co., published 1805, →OCLC, page 232:
The verb is derived partly from the following:
* From Middle English boden, bodian (“to be a sign or symbol, betoken, signify; to be an omen of a future event, forebode, foreshadow; to foretell, presage; to command, order; to deliver a message, proclaim, report; to preach”), from Old English bodian (“to announce, proclaim, tell; to foretell, prophesy; to preach; etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *bodōn (“to announce, proclaim; to call, summon”), from Proto-Germanic *budōną (“to announce, proclaim; to call, summon”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“to be awake; to be aware”). Doublet of bid (“to make an attempt; to make an offer”).
* A back-formation from forebode.
The noun is derived from Middle English bod (“foreboding, omen; message, report; command, edict; (Christianity) commandment; etc.”), from Old English bod (“command, edict, order”), from Proto-West Germanic *bod (“command, mandate, order”), from Proto-Germanic *budą (“message; offer”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (see above).
Meanings
(transitive) Of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); to portend.
But so much haste bodes / Right little speed, and— […] 1823, Lord Byron, “Werner; or, The Inheritance”, in Werner, a Tragedy, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 60:
It bodeth evil for Atlantis that I come back with my spirit sore to find Oltis stepping into the place of high priest. 1892, Elizabeth G[reen Davey] Birkmaier, “The Pelasgian Captives”, in Poseidon’s Paradise: The Romance of Atlantis, San Francisco, Calif.: The Clemens Publishing Co. […], →OCLC, page 43:
But in the thought and ſcope of my opinion, / This bodes ſome ſtrange eruption to the ſtate. c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], signature B2, recto:
O heauen; O earth, beare vvitness to this ſound, / And crovvne vvhat I profeſſe vvith kinde euent / If I ſpeake true: If hollovvly inuert / VVhat beſt is boaded me, to miſchiefe: I, / Beyond all limit of vvhat elſe i'th vvorld, / Do loue, prize, honor you. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 11, column 1:
(archaic, transitive) To declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs; to foretell, to predict; specifically, to predict (something undesirable); to forebode.
Forgive my Impatience: But my preſaging Mind bodes horrid Miſchiefs! 1741, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XLI”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], 3rd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 208:
Thou bodedst thence, long erst, the Church's fall,— / Allowing but the span of human life, / Till that should come, which would be little joy / To those who should behold her desolate. 1845, “Book III”, in The Vicarage, London: F[rancis] and J[ohn] Rivington […], page 65:
Therewith flew another crow over the ship and screeched. Therewith the bonder heedeth no longer the rowing, and the oar became loose in his hand. Then said the king: "Much thou bodest of that crow, bonder, or of what it saith." The bonder said: "Lord, now it misgiveth me thereof." 1895, Snorri Sturluson, “The Story of Olaf the Quiet. Chapter X. Of a Soothsayer.”, in William Morris, Eiríkr [i.e., Eiríkur] Magnússon, transl., The Stories of the Kings of Norway Called the Round of the World (Heimskringla) […] (The Saga Library; V), volume III, London: Bernard Quaritch, […], →OCLC, page 200:
There are croakers in every country, always boding its ruin. 1771–1790, Benjamin Franklin, “The Autobiography [Part 1]”, in John Bigelow, editor, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., published 1868, →OCLC, page 167:
Augur accurſt! denouncing Miſchief ſtill, / Prophet of Plagues, for ever boding Ill! 1715, Homer, “Book I”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 7, lines 131–132:
(intransitive) Often followed by ill or well: of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of something.
Recent investment by Sellafield and DRS in new wagons and more environmentally friendly traction bodes well for the future of one of the UK's last remaining internal rail networks and for the dedicated team who operate and maintain it. 2023 December 27, Ben Jones, “Inside Sellafield … by Rail”, in Rail, number 999, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 25:
VVhat ever novv / The Omen prove, it boded vvell to you. 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, Act II, page 26:
"Vile wretch!" the angry chief replied, / "Thou ever bodest ill; / If I had but thee in my power, / Thy heart's blood I would spill." 1861, James T[raill] Calder, quoting an anonymous poet, chapter IX, in Sketch of the Civil and Traditional History of Caithness, from the Tenth Century, Glasgow: Thomas Murray and Son […], →OCLC, page 129:
The period and policy of Julian are returning. Some think this bodes ill for the Church; no, it is the State that will suffer. 1870, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter XXXI, in Lothair. […], volume III, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 270:
[S]he'd also received a backstage tour of a national magazine and star treatment from its publisher, all of which seemed to bode well for the future of her little column. 2025, Marie Bostwick, “The Definition of Fun”, in The Book Club for Troublesome Women […], Nashville, Tenn.: Harper Muse, HarperCollins Focus, →ISBN, page 72:
de ahnen lassen ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · pt pressagiar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · it promettere ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · fi povata ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · ru предвеща́ть ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · fi ennustaa (to predict (something undesirable) — see also forebode) · fi luvata ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · ca augurar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · it presagire ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · pt augurar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · ru веща́ть ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · sv båda ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · ko 징조이다 ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · cs věštit ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · el προοιωνίζομαι ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · de verheißen ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · nl voorspellen ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · es augurar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · es presagiar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · ru погада́ть ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · it far presagire ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · el προοιωνίζω ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · de sich ankündigen ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · ru сули́ть ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · es agüerar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · io augurar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · fi aavistaa (to predict (something undesirable) — see also forebode) · de ahnen lassen ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · es anunciarse ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · cs předpovídat ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · de verheißen ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · bg гада́я ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · fr augurer ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · cs být předzvěstí ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · it preannunciare ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · fi ennustaa ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · fr présager ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · ru гада́ть ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · cs věstit ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · es pronosticar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · es agorar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · el προμηνύω ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · cmn 預示 /预示 ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · gl augurar ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · fi ennakoida ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · fi aavistaa ((transitive) to declare (something, such as a future event) before it occurs — see also foretell, predict) · ru посули́ть ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · bg веща́я ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · bg предвеща́вам ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something) · ru предвести́ть ((transitive) of a thing: to be an indication, omen, or sign of (something); (intransitive) to be an indication, omen, or sign of something)
The noun is derived from Middle English bod (“act of bargaining or offering, or the subject of the bargain or offer; promise; proposal”), the same word stated in etymology 1. Doublet of bid.
The verb is probably derived from the noun.
cognates
* Dutch bod
* Faroese boð
* German Gebot
* Icelandic boð
* Norwegian Bokmål bud, Norwegian Nynorsk bod
* Old Saxon gibod
* Swedish bud
Meanings
(Northern-England, Scotland) An offer to pay a certain amount of money for something; a bid.
Na, na, Captain; ye're ower young and ower free o' your siller [silver]—ye should never tak a fish-wife's first bode; […] 1816, [Walter Scott], chapter X, in The Antiquary. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 215:
The noun is derived from Middle English bod (“act of bargaining or offering, or the subject of the bargain or offer; promise; proposal”), the same word stated in etymology 1. Doublet of bid.
The verb is probably derived from the noun.
cognates
* Dutch bod
* Faroese boð
* German Gebot
* Icelandic boð
* Norwegian Bokmål bud, Norwegian Nynorsk bod
* Old Saxon gibod
* Swedish bud
Meanings
(Scotland, transitive) To make a bid or offer for (something); to bid, to offer.
52. Bode good, and get it. / 53. Bode a Robe, and wear it; bode a Sack, and bear it. / Speak heartily, and expect Good, and it vvill fall out accordingly. 1721, James Kelly, A Complete Collection of Scotish Proverbs Explained and Made Intelligible to the English Reader, London: […] William and John Innys […], and John Osborn […], →OCLC, paragraphs 52–53, page 63:
From Middle English bode (“emissary, messenger”), from Old English boda (“herald, messenger; prophet”), from Proto-West Germanic *bodō, from Proto-Germanic *budô (“messenger”), from *beudaną (“to bid, offer”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“to be awake; to be aware”) (compare etymology 1).
cognates
* Dutch bode (“harbinger, messenger”)
* German Bote (“messenger”)
Meanings
(qualifier:obsolete except historical) A herald; a messenger.
[T]he fame of the Duke's coming was sent abroad by the bodes or messengers, despatched to prepare the towns through which he was to pass for an arrival sooner than expected, […] 1848, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter III, in Harold, the Last of the Saxon Kings; […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, book II (Lanfranc the Scholar), page 138:
From Middle English bod, bode, bade, baide; further etymology uncertain, probably:
* an aphetic form of abod (“act of waiting, delay”), probably related to Old English bād (“expectation; waiting”), from Proto-West Germanic *baidu, from Proto-Germanic *baidō; and/or
* a variant of bide (“act of delaying; a delay”), from Old English bīd (“act of abiding; delay”), related to bīdan (“to remain, stay; to wait”), from Proto-West Germanic *bīdan (“to wait”), from Proto-Germanic *bīdaną (“to await, wait”) (whence modern English abide, bide), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeydʰ- (“to convince; to trust”).
Meanings
(Scotland, obsolete) An act of biding or waiting; a wait; also, a delay.
[M]ake thou thy boade, / In reſolution to reuenge theſe vvronges, / VVith bloud of thouſands guiltleſſe of this rage, / Flie thou on them amaine: […] 1593, [George Peele], The Famous Chronicle of King Edward the First, […], London: […] Abell Ieffes, and are to be solde by William Barley, […], →OCLC, signature C3, recto: