suspicion

▪ I. suspicion, n.
    (səˈspɪʃən)
    Forms: α. 3–6 suspecion, 4–5 -ioun, 4–6 -yon, (4–5 susspecyun, -ion, sus(s)pescioun, suspessyon, 6 Sc. suspetion, -ione, -ioun). β. 4–5 suspicioun, (5 -ycon, 5–6 -icyon, -ycyon, -ycion, 6 -iciounn, sus(s)pissioun), 6–7 suspition, (6 -ioun, -ione, susspitioun), 5– suspicion.
    [a. AF. suspecioun (earlier suspeziun), var. OF. so(u)spe{cced}on (mod.F. soup{cced}on) = Pr. sospeisso, Pg. suspei{cced}ão:—med.L. suspectiōnem suspection. The orig. form suspecio(u)n finally gave way to suspicion, which arose in the 14th cent. through the influence of ‘learned’ OF. suspicion or of L. suspīcio, -ōnem, n. of action to suspicĕre to suspect.]
    1. The action of suspecting; the feeling or state of mind of one who suspects; imagination or conjecture of the existence of something evil or wrong without proof; apprehension of guilt or fault on slight grounds or without clear evidence.
    In early use often qualified by evil, wicked, false.

α 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 3971 Enuyus man ys so ful of susspecyun Þat euyl hym þenketh al, as a felun. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3487 When þou supposes any wykkednes, Thurgh suspecion, þar na es. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 40 Ȝif..here wyues ben of sich age þat noon euyl suspecion may be reysed of hem. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. ii. xxxvii. 155 Som signe wherby eny suspecion may be had.

β c 1400 Cato's Morals in Cursor M. App. iv. 311 Qua has..suspicioun in þoȝt þai haue lefte ese. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 286 Fals defamacyon, fals suspicyon. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 216 That the duke & all that came with hym, should be taken as hys trew frendes, without fraude or yll suspicion. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 315 b, Many times woulde they come into the Citie, neither wanted that thinge great suspicion. 1596 Spenser State Irel. Wks. (Globe) 631/2 He may under his mantell goe privilye armed, without suspicion of any. 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. ¶1 It is welcommed with suspicion in stead of loue. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacræ i. v. §6. 84 There seems to be very strong ground of suspition that some such thing was designed by Manetho. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 18 July 1679, [Oates and Bedlow] swearing positively to some particulars, which drew suspicion upon their truth. 1750 Johnson Rambler No. 79 ¶1 Suspicion..has always been considered, when it exceeds the common measures, as a token of depravity. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xix, No one may be discovered to whom suspicion attaches. 1889 Markham Life J. Davis xiii. (1891) 229 The story is continued by Habakkuk Prickett, whose narrative is open to some suspicion.

personified. 1608 Machin Dumb Knt. iv. i, Thou curse of greatness, waking-ey'd suspicion. 1609 B. Jonson Masque Queenes 56 Wks. (1616) 948 Wild Suspition, Whose eyes doe neuer sleepe. 1613 Marston Insatiate C'tess. iii. Wks. 1856 III. 143 Suspition is a dogge that still doth bite With⁓out a cause. 1719 D'Urfey Pills IV. 47 Suspicion hath double Eyes. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. i. v. iii, There sharpest gazes Suspicion into the pale dim World-Whirlpool.

    b. An instance of this.

1382 Wyclif 1 Tim. vi. 5 Enuves, stryues, blasfemyes, yuele suspiciouns. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvi. liii. (1495) Liv/2 Iacinctus..dooth away eleyngenes & sorowe, & also vayn suspecyons [Bodl. MS. suspessiouns]. 1549 Compl. Scot. xiv. 117 He beleuand to keip hym fra ane gritar suspetione. 1577 tr. Bullinger's Decades (1592) 131 They of old time did cleere themselues of heinous suspitions by taking of an othe. 1625 Bacon Ess., Suspicion (Arb.) 528 Svspicions amongst Thoughts, are like Bats amongst Birds, they euer fly by Twilight. 1678 R. L'Estrange Seneca's Mor. (1702) 342 Nor is it only by Tales, and Stories, that we are inflam'd, but Suspitions, Countenances [etc.]. 1792 Burke Corr. (1844) III. 370 To lie under those criminal suspicions would be still more grievous to them than the penalties themselves. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xii, If you leave me without any better reason but your own nonsensical suspicions. 1873 Nairne Peerage Evidence (1874) 129, I have a suspicion that Mrs. Sandeman is suffering from organic disease of the heart.

    † c. transf. A ground of suspicion; a suspicious circumstance. Obs.

1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. v. iii. 187 3. Wat. Here is a Frier... We tooke this Mattocke and this Spade from him, As he was comming from this Church-yard side. Con. A great suspition. 1687 T. Brown Saints in Uproar Wks. 1730 I. 81, I find you go by different names, a shrewd suspicion of your being cheats.

    2. Constructions and phrases. a. Const. of († in, † to, † upon) the person of whom some evil is suspected.

α c 1290 St. Sebastian 29 in S. Eng. Leg. 179 Ich habbe to þe suspecion..Þat þov aȝen me..Itorned hast þi þouȝt. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus v. 1647 Stod on a day in his malencolye This Troylus and yn suspecion Of here for whom he wende for to dye. c 1386 ― Man of Law's T. 583 Hem that hadden wronge suspecion Vpon this sely Innocent Custance. c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 89 The king..had no maner suspecion To hem of their fals treason. 1474 Caxton Chesse iii. iii. (1883) 102 He vnderstode that the parents and frendes of them had suspecion in hym. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xxxii. 46 Desyring hym to haue no suspecyons to hym. a 1533 [see d].

β 1590 Spenser Muiop. 377 Suspition of friend, nor feare of foe..had he at all. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, i. iii. 210 Let Somerset be Regent o're the French, Because in Yorke this breedes suspition. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth x, You do wrong even to intimate a suspicion of my Lord of March.

    † b. Const. of the thing of which some evil is suspected. Obs.

c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1290 Dido, This dido hath suspescioun of this And thoughte wel that it was al a-mys. c 1386 ― Pars. T. ¶380 Whan he hath any wikked suspecion of thyng ther he ne woot of it no soothfastnesse. c 1400 Beryn 2474 Þouȝe I suspecioune Have of yeur wordis. 1652 Culpepper Eng. Phys. (1656) 397 [This] may seem to give some suspition of honesty. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. I. 312 In order to increase the suspicions already entertained of his generalship.

    c. Const. of the evil suspected.

a 1350 St. Andrew 392 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 9 Lat me ett els whore so þou will, For drede of sum suspecion of ill. 1421 26 Pol. Poems 82 In towche is susspescioun of mys. 1483–4 Act 1 Rich. III, c. 3, Dyvers persones ben..imprisoned for suspecion of felonie. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 39 b, Which nation was euer furthest of from all suspecion of Heresye. 1605 Shakes. Macb. ii. iv. 27 Malcolme and Donalbaine..Are stolne away and fled, which puts vpon them Suspition of the deed. 1631 E. Jorden Nat. Bathes Ded. (1669) p. vi, Having removed out of my mind all suspition of misconstruction. 1686 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. I. 176 Luke Watson Lay under suspition of being Carnally Concerned with a Woman Servt. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. xxvii. III. 37 The council of Milan obstinately rejected the suspicion of danger, with a blind confidence. 1806 T. S. Surr Winter in Lond. III. 53, I..was about to relate my suspicions of the fate of his wife and child. 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. i. 5 A minute description of my own person such as would at once clear me from any suspicion of vanity.

    d. † to have suspicion, take suspicion, occas. bear suspicion: to entertain a suspicion. (Now only to have a, any, no, etc. suspicion, or suspicions.) † to give one suspicion: to cause one to suspect.

13.. K. Alis. 453 Þeo barouns haddyn suspecioun. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 561 As I was comynge Al sodeynly he lefte his compleynynge. Of which I toke somwhat suspecion. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 10 Nay, syr, not so, lest men wold haue suspessyon of euell. 1471 Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) 90 She..had suspecion that he wold do harme to Iupiter. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 1027 Whiche might be occasyon to gyve you suspicion. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxv. 222 To thentent that he take in you no suspecyon. 1588 Parke tr. Mendoza's Hist. China 257 More for that none should doo to them any harme, then for any euill suspition they had of them. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 1321 To cleare her From that suspicion which the world might bear her. 1611 ― Wint. T. i. ii. 460 His ill-ta'ne suspition. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 7 May 1685, Under pretence to serve the Church of England, he gave suspicion of gratifying another party.

    e. † of suspicion: that is (to be) suspected, suspicious. † without (or but) suspicion: without being suspected, unsuspected. † out of all suspicion: beyond all doubt. upon suspicion or on suspicion († by suspicion): on the basis of mere supposition (of evil or wrongdoing). above suspicion: too good or worthy to be suspected of evil.

1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1652 Or it es a signe of suspecyon Þat he es in way of dampnacyon. 1375 Barbour Bruce x. 555 For I but suspicioun Micht repair till hir preuely. 1514 in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. I. 101 Uppon suspicion he was taken by the Popis commandment and sett in Castill Angill. 1538 Starkey England (1878) 122 Not wythout cause, apon suspycyon only, euery man may frely accuse other of treson. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 118 Many were apprehended, some by information, and some by suspicion. 1586 A. Day Engl. Secretorie ii. (1625) 10 L. thy kinsman..being..brought before a Iustice vpon suspition of his wretched liuing. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. v. iii. 222 Bring forth the parties of suspition. 1599 ― Much Ado ii. iii. 166 Shee's an excellent sweet Lady, and (out of all suspition,) she is vertuous. 1660 Blount Boscobel ii. (1680) 8 She procured Him the better Chamber and Accommodation without any suspition. 1683 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. I. 84 To aprehend some persons upon suspition of putting away of bad money. 1772 Jacob's Law Dict. s.v., A person may be taken up on suspicion, where a felony is done. 1850 Merivale Rom. Emp. iv. (1865) I. 152 The wife of Caesar must be above suspicion. 1867 Philatelist 1 Jan. 18/1 The rare red-brown sixpenny Barbados, unperforated,..is not altogether above suspicion.

    † f. in suspicion: (a) suspecting; (b) suspected. to have in suspicion: to suspect. to bring in or into suspicion: to cause to be suspected. to enter into suspicion with: to become suspicious of. Obs.
    Cf. quot. a 1340 in sense 4.

c 1450 Merlin xxvii. 539 Thei wolde not slepe, but were euer in susspecion of the saisnes. 1471 Arriv. Edw. IV (Camden) 10 Hymselfe was had in great suspicion. 1484 Caxton Fables of æsop ii. xviii, They..shall euer lyue ryȝte heuyly and in suspycon. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI, 181 b, This kyng Iames from his firste rule, began to entre into suspicion with William Erle Douglas. 1555 Bradford in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) III. App. xlv. 131, I declare nothinge to bringe these noblemen into suspition. 1561 T. Hoby tr. Castiglione's Courtyer iv. (1577) Y vij b, To commit no vice, nor yet to be had in suspition of any vice. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 121 They were had in suspicion to be great Brybers. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. v. ii. 31 This Newes..is so like an old Tale, that the veritie of it is in strong suspition. 1635 A. Stafford Fem. Glory (1869) 80 Hee that..bringes my Faith to God in suspition. 1665 Manley Grotius' Low C. Wars 338 He hoped they would not blame the well-known Reputation of the House of Austria, or have him in suspition, now desiring to be the Author of Peace. 1755 N. Magens Insurances I. 269 It is not to be presumed that the meadows could be had in Suspicion, for it was never yet to be discovered, that the cause of the Distemper proceeded from the Ground.

    3. gen. Imagination of something (not necessarily evil) as possible or likely; a slight belief or idea of something, or that something is the case; a surmise; a faint notion, an inkling. (Chiefly in negative context.)

c 1400 Beryn 3831 And ȝit had I nevir suspecioun,..Who did þat cursid dede. 1482 Monk of Evesham (Arb.) 59, I neuyr herde before nether hadde any suspycyon hethirto that the kynde of wemen hadde be deprauyd..by suche a foule synne. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 86 The Earle of Douglas..was remaining thair..witht out ony suspetionnis of Schir William Creichtounis gaddering. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §78 There being..not the least Suspicion or Imagination that the Marriage would not Succeed. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. vii. (1653) 132 A round white..Chin, the Candor whereof seems to introduce into the beholders mind, a certaine suspition of a Rosie colour. a 1699 A. Halkett Autobiog. (Camden) 6 Nott so much as either his sister or mine had the least suspittion of it. 1718 Prior Poems Ded., The natural Endowments of Your Mind, (which, without suspicion of Flattery) I may tell You, are very Great. 1752 Hume Ess. & Treat. (1777) I. 550 This may beget a little suspicion, that even animals depend not on the climate. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India v. v. II. 524 Tippoo..and M. Lally..surrounded Colonel Braithwaite before he had received even a suspicion of their march. 1867 A. J. Wilson Vashti xiii, ‘Can you conjecture the cause of the present trouble?’ ‘I have a suspicion.’ 1908 Expositor July 20 There was no previous suspicion of her future destiny in the Virgin's mind.

    † 4. Surmise of something future; expectation; esp. expectation or apprehension of evil. Obs. or merged in other senses.

a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxviii[i]. 39 Smyte away my reprofe þat i had in suspecion [Vulg. quod suspicatus sum]. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xviii. 315 [They] haueþ suspecion to be saf, boþe sarrasyns and Iewes, Thorwe Moyses and makamede. 1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 228, I entered into a great suspition of my lyfe. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 275 The successe of al things..was answerable to our suspicion. 1658 Tradit. Mem. K. James 44 So high a suspicion of the immense Treasure. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 7 Sept. 1666, There was in truth some days before greate suspicion of those two nations joyning. Ibid. 18 June 1690, On suspicion that he might..come into the Confederacy of the German Princes.

    † 5. A slight appearance or indication (of something). Obs. rare^—1. (So L. suspicio.)

1565 Jewel Repl. Harding (1611) 346 M. Harding, not shewing vs any suspition, or token of inordinate heat in that Reuerend Master of the Church of God.

    6. A slight or faint trace, very small amount, ‘hint’, ‘suggestion’ (of something).
    This use app. arose as an englishing of soup{cced}on.

1809 Malkin Gil Blas viii. iii. ¶3 As for polite literature..there was not even a suspicion of it in all their talk. 1860 O. W. Holmes Elsie V. v. (1891) 66 Flip,..made with beer and sugar, and a certain suspicion of strong waters. 1871 M. Collins Mrq. & Merch. III. iv. 107 He was a wall-eyed horse, with a suspicion of spavin.

    Hence suˈspicional a., pertaining to suspicion; † suˈspicionating vbl. n., the entertaining of suspicion; suˈspicionful a., = suspicious 2; suˈspicionless a., devoid of suspicion, unsuspecting.

1890 Alien. & Neurol. XI. 347 The same emotional mobility and *suspicional tendencies which characterized her gifted son.

a 1637 N. Ferrar 110 Consid. (1638) 311 The *suspicionating, which is as it were a fearing even when it is of the holy spirit.

1911 H. S. Harrison Queed xxiii. (1914) 305 That *suspicionful scrutiny so galling to men of spirit.

c 1650 Don Bellianis 106 Altogether *suspicionlesse of any such treason. 1824 Blackw. Mag. XV. 168, I, poor dupe, suspicionless. 1840 Galt Demon of Destiny 7 As mourning mortals tell, Suspicionless, to old confiding friends, Disastrous tidings.

▪ II. suˈspicion, v. dial. and colloq. (orig. U.S.).
    [f. prec.]
    a. trans. To suspect. (With simple obj. or obj. cl.)
    Quot. a 1637 appears to be a fortuitous occurrence unrelated to later uses.

a 1637 N. Ferrar 110 Consid. (1638) 310 Suspicioning of himselfe, that if he should grow negligent, he might come to loose his magnanimity.

1834 Kentuckian in New York I. 64 (Thornton), They began to suspicion, maybe, that they had got the wrong sow by the ear. 1839 Marryat Diary Amer. Ser. i. II. 212, I suspicion as much. 1853 Louisville (Kentucky) Democrat, It was considered ‘treason’ almost to suspicion him of a mean transaction. 1863 Atkinson Stanton Grange (1864) 219 They suspicioned all wasn't reet. 1876 ‘Mark Twain’ Tom Sawyer xxvii, Anybody would suspicion us that saw us. 1902 Academy 5 Apr. 359 We suspicion a whiff of democracy in this. 1916 H. L. Wilson Somewhere in Red Gap ii. 68 Wilbur says I'm too good, not suspicioning. I'm just being wily, so he says he'll write up and fix it. 1919 J. Buchan Mr. Standfast xxi. 386 If the Boche once suspicions how little he's got before him the game's up. 1937 C. S. Forester Happy Return xxii. 259 He is in need of distraction, I suspicion. 1938 S. Beckett Murphy iii. 32 Intense Love nature prominent, rarely suspicioning the Nasty. 1946 S. J. Perelman in New Yorker 5 Jan. 21/3 Our nineteen-year-old son, which he's home from Yale on his midyears and don't suspicion that his folks are rifting. 1959 Observer 22 Mar. 23/6 The major is no fool, and he suspicions as quickly as the audience that the presumed Englishman is a wounded Hungarian on the run. 1961 R. P. Hobson Rancher Takes Wife (1962) viii. 114, I quite often suspicioned this trait of Gloria's but when I found it out for sure it was almost too late. 1973 ‘D. Shannon’ No Holiday for Crime (1974) vi. 88, I suspicioned what she was, but I didn't have no proof.

    b. absol. or intr.

1905 Kipling Actions & Reactions (1909) 40 An' d'you mean to tell me you never suspicioned? 1946 C. McCullers Member of Wedding iii. 173 In those bridge games..nobody ever drew a good hand, the cards were all sorry, and no high bids made—until finally Berenice suspicioned, saying: ‘Less us get busy and count these old cards.’

Oxford English Dictionary