Tó-flówan

According to the Old English Dictionary:

tó-flówan

p. -fleów; pp. -flówen To flow different ways, disperse in flowing, flaw away :-- Ic tóflówe defluo, Ælfc. Gr. 28, 5; Zup. 175, 14. Tófleówan l út urnan defluxerant, Hpt. Gl. 473, 37. I. referring to material objects, (a) to flow in different directions, be dispersed :-- Iudas tóbærst on emtwá and his innoð tófleów, náteshwðn gelógod on nánre byrgene, Homl. Th. ii. 250, 26. Him (the stream) on innan felþ muntes mægenstán. . . hé on tú siððan tósceáden wyrð . . . bróc biþ onwended of his rihtryne rýðum tóflówen, Met. 5, 20. (b) to melt away, be destroyed :-- Swá hwæt swá ðeós gesyhþ oþþe hrepeþ hyt tóflewþ swá ðæt ðǽr nánwiht belifeþ búton ða bán, Lchdm. i. 242, 26. Muntas swé swé wex tófleówun (fluxerun;). Ps. Surt. 96, 5. II. metaphorically, (a) of wane of concentration in the mind, to wander, be drawn hither and thither, be distracted :-- Nán wuht nis on ús ungestæððigre ðonne ðæt mód, for ðæm hit gewítt suá oft fram us suá us unnytte geðohtas tó cumaþ, and æfter ǽlcum ðara tófléwþ nil in nobis est corde fugacius, quod a nobis toties recedit, quoties per pravas cogitationes defluit, Past. 38 ; Swt. 273, 13. Hié nellaþ hié gehæftan and gepyndan hiora mód, ac hé lǽt his mód tóflówan on ðæt ofdele giémeliéste, 39; Swt. 283, 14. Gebyreþ oft ðæt hié beóþ suá micle ungestæððelícor tóflówene on hiera móde suá hié wénaþ ðæt hié orsorgtran beón mǽgen quae tanto latius diffluunt, quanta se esse secwrius aestimant, 38; Swt. 271, 18. (b) to be separated, take different directions :-- Hú ungelic sprǽc eode of ðissa tuéga monna múðe. . . . ðeáh heó an tú tefleówe, ðeáh wæs sió sǽspryng sió sóðe lufu, Past. 7; Swt. 49, II. (c) to spread :-- Suá willaþ ða synna weaxænde tóflówan gif hié ne beóþ gebundne mid láreówdóme. Past. 17; Swt. 123, 16. (d) to pass away, be dissipated, scattered, rendered useless, brought to nothing :-- Ðæt wé gemundan ðæt úre dǽde and úre geþohtas nalæs on ðisne wind on ídelnesse tóflówan (tóflówenne, Bd. M. 440, 24) ac tó dóme ðæs hcán déman ealle gehealdene beón ut meminerimns facta et cogitaiiones nostras non in ventum diffluere, sed ad examen summi judicis cuncta servari, Bd. 5, 13; S. 633, 27. Of ðære tíde ongan se hyht and mægen Angelcynnes ríces tóflówan and gewanod beón ex quo tempore spes coepit et virtus regni Anglorum fluere, ac retro sublapsa referri, 4, 26; S. 602, 28. (e) to separate in confusion, become disconnected :-- lc ongite ðæt ealle gesceafta tófleówon swá swá wæter, and náne sibbe ne náne endebyrdnesse ne heóldon, gif hí næfdon ǽnne God ðe him eallum stiórde, Bt. 34, 12 ; Fox 154, 2. to-flowan