imbrue (embrue) /im-BROO/. verb. To stain or drench, particularly with blood. When speaking of a weapon, to thrust or plunge. From Old French embreuver (moisten, soak [in], dye, imbue)
“These barbarous wretches, who have imbrued their hands in so much innocent blood.” (Oliver Cromwell)
“Come, blade, my breast imbrue!” (William Shakespeare)
“A highly popular murder had been committed, and Mr. Wopsle was imbrued in blood to the eyebrows.” (Charles Dickens)
“I used to stand on the balcony and watch the setting sun imbrue the sky with its puce and blue-indigo stains and then fall down” (Mark Leyner)
“…it has been a sort of balm to my spirit to sit up with the King, night after night, imbrued in the royal gore, breathing it into my lungs, sopping it up with my flesh…” (Neal Stephenson)
“What! shall we have incision? shall we imbrue?
Then death rock me asleep, abridge my doleful days!”
(William Shakespeare)
“To sue and lose, his knightly soul might bear;
But insult galled him sore.
Should he imbrue
His puissant sword in her own father’s gore?”
(William Stephen Pryer)