put case

English

Verb

put case (third-person singular simple present puts case, present participle putting case, simple past and past participle put case)

  1. (obsolete, idiomatic) To take as a hypothesis; to suppose (that). [15th–19th c.]
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 3:
      But put case they continue; thou art not so poor as thou wast born […]
    • 1646, Jos[eph] Hall, The Balme of Gilead: Or, Comforts for the Distressed, both Morall and Divine. […], London: […] M[iles] Flesher, for Nat[haniel] Butter, →OCLC:
      Put case that the soul after the departure from the body may live.
    • 1868-1869, Robert Browning, s:The Ring and the Book
      Put case a person wrongs me past dispute:
      If my legitimate vengeance be a blow,
      Mistrusting my bare arm can deal that blow,
      I claim co-operation of a stick

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