▪ I. † ˈcircumspect, n. Obs. rare.
[ad. L. circumspectus a looking round, f. circumspicĕre; see next.]
State of watchfulness or circumspection.
| 1494 Fabyan vii. 551 He shall dwell in suche a cyrcumspecte with hym, that he shall dylygentlye foreloke and see that Goddys wylle be done. |
▪ II. circumspect, a.
(ˈsɜːkəmspɛkt)
Also 6 cyrcum-.
[a. F. circonspect, or ad. L. circumspect-us considerate, wary, cautious, circumspect, properly pa. pple. of circumspicĕre to look around, take heed, consider; hence of things, ‘well-considered’, transf. to persons ‘considerate, cautious’, etc.]
1. Of things or actions: Marked by circumspection, showing caution, well-considered, cautious.
| 1422 Lydg. Coronation Hen. VI, in Ritson Anc. Songs 70 By circumspect advise. 1562 Act 5 Eliz. c. 21 §1 If circumspect Remedy be not hereunto provided. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. Ep. Ded. 1 Circumspect and holy labours. 1847 Emerson Poems, Monadnoc Wks. (Bohn) I. 441 By circumspect ambition. |
2. Of persons: Watchful on all sides, attentive to everything, cautious, heedful of all circumstances that may affect action or decision.
| 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy ii. xvi, Circumspect in all his gouernance. 1494 Fabyan vii. ccxlvi. 290 Which in all his faytes is so circumspecte. 1542 Boorde Dyetary xxiii. (1870) 287 Sanguyne men..must be cyrcumspect in eatynge of theyr meate. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, iv. ii. 31 High-reaching Buckingham growes circumspect. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia iv. 147 This will make us more circumspect. 1728 Newton Chronol. Amended ii. 260 Herodotus was circumspect and faithful in his narrations. 1850 Prescott Peru II. 31 The wild passes..practicable..for the sure and circumspect mule. 1881 Besant & Rice Chapl. of Fleet i. 38, I was to be circumspect in my behaviour. |
† b. with dependent sentence or clause. Obs.
| 1573 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (1884) 2 As circumspect to se to mi self. 1658 W. Burton Itin. Anton. 172, I have..been very scrupulous and circumspect what authorities I made use of. |
† 3. Considered, respected. [late L. circumspectus.] Obs. rare.
| 1579 Twyne Phisicke agst. Fortune ii. xxxii. 209 a, Then wylt thou be the more circumspect, and the better knowne. |
▪ III. † circumˈspect, v. Obs. rare.
[f. L. circumspect- ppl. stem of circumspicĕre: see prec.; cf. inspect, respect, etc.]
trans. To examine or inspect on all sides; to take note of, ‘look to’.
| 1667 Waterhouse Fire Lond. 31 Ability..to circumspect every part of his charge. 1708 Newcourt Repert. Eccl. I. 233 Whose office is to circumspect, and note daily all the Defaults and Offences in the Choir. |