Citations:perdu

perdu or perdue

1. Hidden.
   • c.1767, Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy,

     Bridget stood perdue within, with her finger and her thumb upon the latch, benumb'd with expectation; and Mrs. Wadman, with an eye ready to be deflowered again, sat breathless behind the window-curtain of her bed-chamber, watching their approach.

   • 1829, Washington Irving, Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada,

     While thus lying perdu six Moorish scouts, well mounted and well armed, entered the glen, examining every place that might conceal an enemy. Some of the Christians advised that they should slay these six men and retreat to Gibraltar. "No," said De Vargas; "I have come out for higher game than these; and I hope, by the aid of God and Santiago, to do good work this day. I know these Moors well, and doubt not but that they may readily be thrown into confusion."

   • 1856, Richard Francis Burton, First Footsteps in East Africa,

     Our Abban enlarged upon the unpleasant necessity of travelling all night towards the hills, and lying perdu during the day.

   • 1862, Theodore Winthrop, Cecil Dreeme,

     He is lying perdu here, hid from Densdeth and the world.

   • 1865, Elizabeth Gaskell, Wives and Daughters,

     She would never have guessed the concealed romance which lay perdu under that every- day behaviour.

   • 1884, George Fletcher Moore, Diary of ten years eventful life of an early settler in Western Australia and also A descriptive vocabulary of the language of the aborigines,

     Hunt was a constable in London; he has just been here to request I would send him word if Ya-gan appears again in this quarter: his party is to lie "perdu" at Mr. Bull's for some time.

   • 1888, Richard Francis Burton, The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night,

     On the other hand Haykar, who lay perdu in his Silo, ever praised Allah the Compassionate, and returned thanks unto Him for saving his life and was constant in gratitude and instant in prayer and in humbling himself before God.

   • 1917, Henry Handel Richardson, Australia Felix,

     This she spread on the bedroom floor, Mrs. Hemmerde having already given both rooms a sound scouring, just in case a flea or a spider should be lying perdu.

1. Lost one.^[1]
   • c.1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King Lear,

     Had you not been their father, these white flakes

     Had challeng'd pity of them. Was this a face

     To be oppos'd against the warring winds?

     To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder?

     In the most terrible and nimble stroke

     Of quick cross lightning? to watch—,poor perdu!—

     With this thin helm? Mine enemy's dog,

     Though he had bit me, should have stood that night

     Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father,

     To hovel thee with swine and rogues forlorn,

     In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!

     'Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once

     Had not concluded all.—He wakes; speak to him.