assignation
(æsɪgˈneɪʃən)
[a. OF. assignacion (14th c. in Littré), ad. L. assignātiōnem, n. of action f. assignāre: see assign v. and -ation.]
1. The action of allotting; apportionment.
| 1600 Holland Livy 919 (R.) As touching the appointment and assignation of those provinces. 1673 Lady's Call. i. ii. §13 Since Gods assignation has thus determined subjection to be the womens lot. a 1716 Bp. O. Blackall Wks. 1723 I. 132 Not a Matter of Choice, but of divine Assignation. 1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 73 To hold out visions of assignations of public land..to the multitudes. |
2. The action of legally transferring a right or property (see assign v. 2); formal transference. Also a. formal declaration of transference; b. the transferred interest. (Now usually assignment.)
| 1579 Fenton Guicciard. iv. (1599) 176 And sent them foorthwith the assignation of the Castle. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. §10 Alexander made..a liberal assignation to Aristotle of treasure. 1621 R. Johnson Way to Glory 29 Hee had but the assignation and lease of tythes. 1754 Erskine Princ. Sc. Law (1809) 342 All moveable rights are transmissible by simple assignation. 1809 Tomlins Law Dict., Assignation is when simply any thing is ceded, yielded and assigned to another. |
† 3. The setting apart of certain revenue to meet a claim. Also a. the mandate granting the money; b. the amount thus set apart, a pension, allowance.
| 1489 Acts Jas. IV, xxiv, Quhatsumeuer assignatioun or gift be made thairupon under the preiue seill. a 1626 Bacon Lopez' Treason (T.) He had obtained an assignation of 50,000 crowns to be levied in Portugal. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. III. xiii. 343 They settled an Assignation of six thousand Livers by the Month upon the King, payable out of such a Gabel. 1747 Gentl. Mag. 13 Jan., The payment of the assignations of the purveyors..of the army. |
4. Paper currency; a negotiable document representing and secured by revenue or property; a bill, an assignat.
| a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. III. xvi. 601 The custom of that Country, [Holland]..being to make their payments in Paper by Assignations. 1747 Gentl. Mag. 13 Jan., It is not possible it should be satisified by paper or any assignation. |
† 5. Appointment or designation to office. Obs.
| 1432 Paston Lett. 18. I. 32 The namyng, ordeignance and assignacion beforesaid. 1593 Bilson Govt. Christ's Ch. 111 If they be called by Christ, read their assignation from Christ. 1656 Bramhall Replic. v. 202 Their successors have assignation to particular charges. |
† 6. Authoritative appointment, prescription, order. Obs.
| a 1400 Cov. Myst. 93 Be [= by] prayour grett knowleche men recure And to this I counselle ȝou to ȝeve assygnacion. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. iv. (1520) 37 b/1 Seynt Laurence at the assygnacion of his mayster the pope departed this tresour about Rome. 1544 Bale Sir J. Oldcastell in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) I. 276 Temporall payne, which I am worthy to suffer as an heretike, at the assignacion of my most excellent chrysten Prince. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. i. vii. §6 Making assignation..for re-edifying of cities. |
7. a. The appointment of a particular time or place; esp. the arrangement of the time and place for an interview; an appointment, tryst.
| 1660 Jer. Taylor Duct. Dubit. ii. ii. vi. §51 This assignation of a definite time. 1680 Crowne Mis. Civ. War ii. 16 'Twou'd have spoil'd An assignation that I have to-night. 1854 J. Abbott Napoleon (1855) II. xii. 197 Compelled to make assignations with as much secrecy as two young lovers. |
‖ b. A summons to appear in court. (Fr.)
| 1884 Pall Mall G. 31 Mar. 3/1 And have served assignations upon..the Comtes de Paris and de Bardi. |
8. The action of attributing as belonging to or originating in; attribution of origin.
| 1603 Sir C. Heydon Jud. Astrol. xxi. 477 He concludeth against the assignation of phlegme to the Moone. 1782 T. Warton Rowley Enq. 68 (T.) Happy to find this assignation of Stonehenge..ascertained by so authentick an historian. 1865 T. Wright in Athenæum No. 1979. 441/3 The true assignation of the bronze weapons. |
† 9. A pointing out, indication, assignment (of a cause, etc.). Obs.
| 1615 Crooke Body of Man 178 His Assignation of the vse of the Bladder of Gall. 1667 Phil. Trans. II. 511 A very ingenious assignation of the cause of that variety. |
10. attrib. (sense 7), assignation house (U.S.), a brothel.
| 1870 O. Logan Bef. Footlights 538 Denounced the National theatre as the vilest of ‘assignation houses’. 1943 R. Ottley ‘New World A-Coming’ 28 Don't come..bothering me with any more protests about assignation houses until you can bring concrete evidence of such houses. |