You link says the word entered the English language in 1620, with that very meaning. Do you understand how citing references work? You're supposed to link to resources supporting your interpretation. Hope this helped.
That link traces the word to the early 15th century. It says that the meaning "to govern by restriction" dates back to the 1620s, which is the early 17th century.
But I wouldn't conclude that there was a 200-odd year period during which the word was in use, but had no meaning.
