What does dure mean?
"Dure" is an old English verb meaning to last, to continue in existence, or to endure through time. It entered Middle English from Old French "durer", which itself descends from the Latin "durare", meaning to harden or make firm — the same root that gives us "durable", "duration", and "endure". Once a perfectly ordinary word, it has gradually fallen out of use, surviving today chiefly in archaic literature and in Scots dialect, where expressions such as "as lang as the world dures" (as long as the world lasts) can still be found. Its most visible legacy is the common preposition "during", which originated as the present participle of this very verb. Writers who reach for "dure" today usually do so deliberately, seeking an antique or poetic tone. For readers, encountering it signals older registers of English, and its kinship with familiar words like "endure" makes its meaning easy to infer even on first meeting.
verbTo last or continue in existence for a period of time; to endure. Now chiefly archaic or dialectal, surviving mostly in older literature and Scots.
- (intransitive, now archaic) To last, to continue in existence for a length of time.
- (intransitive, chiefly Scots) To endure hardship or remain firm.
"Though the storm raged all night, their small shelter would surely dure until morning."
"Their provisions were meagre, yet they hoped the winter would not dure long."
"In older Scottish writing, one still finds phrases like 'as lang as the world dures'."
The everyday word 'during' is actually a fossil of this forgotten verb — it was originally the present participle of 'dure', meaning simply 'lasting'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dure
"Dure" came into Middle English from Old French "durer" (to last), ultimately deriving from the Latin "durare", 'to harden or render firm', from the adjective "durus" (hard). It has been part of English since medieval times and was once common in everyday speech. Its participle survives transparently in the preposition "during", while its fuller relatives include "durable", "duration", "obdurate", and "endure".
Related word forms
How dure is actually used
"Dure" is archaic in modern standard English; readers will meet it mainly in older poetry, historical fiction, and Scots texts. It should not be used in contemporary prose without an archaic flavour being intended.
Easily confused with dure
Endure means both 'to last' and 'to bear patiently', whereas dure carries only the sense of lasting and is now largely obsolete.
During is a preposition derived historically from this verb's participle, meaning 'throughout the time of'; dure itself is a verb meaning 'to last'.