fordo
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to do away with; kill; destroy.
-
to ruin; undo.
verb
-
to destroy
-
to exhaust
Etymology
Origin of fordo
before 900; Middle English fordon, Old English fordōn ( see fore-, do 1); cognate with Dutch verdoen, Old High German fartuon
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This eventful day, which, to quote Iago, was either to "make or fordo quite" the widow, found her as calm, cool and deliberate in the execution of her purpose as the Ancient himself.
From A Book of Remarkable Criminals by Henry Brodribb Irving
Full she drad that God the Wreaker all mankind would fordo with water for his evil sins.
From Ulysses by James Joyce
So benevolent is God to mankind, that he has set his angels over us as guardians, that they may not allow the fierce devils to fordo us.
From The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church Containing the Sermones Catholici, or Homilies of ?lfric, in the Original Anglo-Saxon, with an English Version. Volume I. by Abbot of Eynsham Aelfric
Forsooth this is a shameful custom of a lady, and if I had not a great matter in my hand I should fordo your evil customs.
From Le Mort d'Arthur: Volume 2 by Sir Thomas Malory
Juno, Thus hath your ire our lineage all fordo* *undone, ruined Save only me, and wretched Palamon, That Theseus martyreth in prison.
From The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by D. Laing Purves
Him longing fordid To wot whether the bold man he quick there shall meet In that mead-stead, e'en he the king of the Weders, All sick of his might, whereas he erst Itft him.
From The Tale of Beowulf Sometime King of the Folk of the Weder Geats by Anonymous
Also Merlin let make there a bed, that there should never man lie therein but he went out of his wit, yet Launcelot de Lake fordid that bed through his noblesse.
From Le Mort d'Arthur: Volume 1 by Sir Thomas Malory
And yet they are talking about our fathers being such good men, while they are cursing us fordoing precisely what they did, only to a less extent than they did.
From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 8 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Political by Robert Green Ingersoll
Thy people, O self-deluder, thou'lt leave in mourning for thee; Ay, all their lives they shall sorrow for thee, fordone and slain.
From The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Volume II by John Payne
Also another gret armee and voiage fordone for defaut and lak of spedy payment this yere of Crist Gyen.
From The Boke of Noblesse by Unknown
He was near fordone, poor man! but still entreatingly prayed, in sentences broken by consumptive spasms, for wisdom and faith and the fire of the Holy Ghost in this dire emergency.
From The Cruise of the Shining Light by Norman Duncan
Who should have Priam's wealthy substance won, If watery Thetis had her child fordone?
From The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3) by A. H. (Arthur Henry) Bullen
Other pray'r hath he none Save this, "Sir, let me begone Whence I came, since fordone My expertise."
From Helen Redeemed and Other Poems by Maurice Henry Hewlett
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
