appearance
(əˈpɪərəns)
Forms: 4–5 aparaunce, 5 apparens, 5–6 apparaunce, 5–7 -ance, -ence, (6 aparance); 5 apperans, 5–6 -aunce, -ance, (appeerance), 6–7 appearaunce, 6– -ance. Aphet. 5 perance.
[orig. a. OFr. aparance, -ence (later apparence):—L. appārēntia, abst. n. f. appārēnt-em, pr. pple. of appārē-re to appear. Subseq. assimilated to the vb. appere, appear, though apparance, -ence, were still used c 1685. Cf. apparence, -ency, -ent.]
1. The action of coming forward into view or becoming visible.
| c 1400 Epiph. (Turnb. 1843) 119 They all thre Thys day were seyn by sothfast apparence. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 68 Her woonted image..mad her..aparance. 1611 Bible 2 Macc. xv. 27 Through the appearance of God, they were greatly cheered. 1794 S. Williams Hist. Vermont 115 The usual times of the appearance..and disappearance of these birds. 1869 Freeman Norm. Conq. III. xiv. 336 The appearance of the fleet was unlooked for. |
2. The action of appearing formally at any proceedings; esp. formal presentation of oneself in a court to answer (or prosecute) a suit or charge; called making or putting in an appearance.
| c 1400 Beryn 2623 Wherfor wee must..Such answers us purvey..Tomorow at our apparaunce. 1494 Fabyan vii. 351 To make summons, and distrayne for lacke of apperaunce. 1581 Lambarde Eiren. ii. ii. (1588) 112 Although this recognusance doe not comprehend any time of apparence. 1660 N. Ingelo Bentiv. & Ur. (1682) II. 164 The obedient Theoprepians made appearance at the time appointed. 1669 Penn No Cross, etc. vi. §10 The Souls of true Worshippers see God, make their Appearance before Him. 1809 Tomlins Law Dict. H vij/1 Appearance in person and by attorney are very different. 1883 Spurgeon in Chr. Herald 24 Oct. 235/1 All men must put in a personal appearance at the Last Assize. |
† 3. collect. A company presenting themselves; a muster, attendance, gathering, a ‘turn-out.’ Obs.
| 1599 Life Sir T. More in C. Wordsworth Eccl. Biog. (1853) II. 140 There was a great appearance of the clergie to have the oath tendered. 1660 Evelyn Mem. (1857) I. 371 An innumerable appearance of gallants. 1704 Lond. Gaz. mmmdccccxciii/2 Her Grace..invited all the Ladies..of whom there was a very great Appearance. 1747 in Col. Rec. Penn. V. 153 So thin an appearance of the Representatives. |
4. a. The action of coming before the world or the public in any character.
| 1671 Milton P.R. ii. 41 Will he now retire After appearance? 1711 Addison Spect. No. 1 ¶2 The gravity of my behaviour at my very first appearance in the world. 1711 Ibid. No. 13 ¶2 The Lion has changed his manner of acting..since his first appearance. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. II, ‘The first great event in history,’ says Berosus, ‘was the appearance of Oannes.’ 1880 Grove Dict. Music II. 263 [Mendelssohn's] first appearance before an English audience. |
b. The coming out or publication of a book.
| 1882 Palgrave Ess. in Spenser's Wks. IV. 43 The appearance of his first book. |
5. Occurrence so as to meet the eye in a document.
| 1868 Freeman Norm. Conq. II. App. 615 The single appearance of the word in Domesday is the earliest instance. |
6. The action of appearing conspicuously; display, show, parade.
| 1591 Raleigh Last Fight Rev. (Arb.) 15 The Spaniardes..fill the world with their vaine glorious vaunts, making great apparance of victories. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 4 ¶2, I gratify the vanity of all who pretend to make an Appearance. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 294 Their fine horses, their rich housings..made a splendid appearance. |
† 7. Clear manifestation to the sight or understanding; disclosure, detection. Obs. rare.
| 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 325/2 His secret and guilefull behauiour made perfect appeerance of his wicked intent. 1608 Chapman Byron's Trag. (N.) And with such apparence Have prov'd the parts of his ingratefull treasons. 1650 Sherwood, A plaine apparance of a crime, Flagrance d'un delict. |
8. The action or state of appearing or seeming to be (to eyes or mind); semblance; looking like. to all appearance: so far as appears to anyone.
| c 1430 Lydg. Chorle & Birde (1818) 1 Emblemes..By resemblance of notable apparence With moralitees concludyng on prudence. 1539 Bible (‘Great’) 1 Thess. v. 22 Abstayne from all euell appearaunce [1611 all appearance of euill]. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §253 The weather..had remained to all appearance much the same. 1839 James Louis XIV, I. 182 Disdaining the slightest appearance of coveting a sceptre. |
† 9. Semblance of truth or certainty; likelihood, probability; verisimilitude. Obs.
| a 1533 Frith Answ. Fisher (1829) 202 Neither yet can I imagine any way whereby they may have any appearance to escape. 1693 Mem. Count Teckely iii. 8 These Discourses, wherein was observed something of appearance, were capable of seducing a world of Persons. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §333 As near the extremity..as they could with the appearance of safety be built. |
† 10. subjectively: Perception, idea, notion of what a thing appears to be. Obs. (Cf. ‘to my seeming.’)
| a 1400 Cov. Myst. 271 This that shewyth as bred to your apparens, Is mad the very flesche and blod of me. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 509 Many times they leap a great distance and are supported without sinking to mans appearance. 1627 I. D. in Hakewill's Apol. (1630) 491 A place [Rom. viii.] which, as to your appearance, so to me, seemes, in truth, very pressing. |
11. a. The state or form in which a person or thing appears; apparent form, look, aspect.
| c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1372 Ladyis of thyn statly aparaunce [v.r. apparaunce, -ance]. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. iii. xvii. (1495) 62 All the lynes..make apperaunce, shapen as a tope. a 1581 Campion Hist. Irel. v. (1633) 13 Pittyfull in apparance. 1607 Shakes. Cor. iv. v. 66 Thou hast a grim apparance, and thy Face Beares a Command in't. 1722 De Foe Plague (1754) 9 Men..fitted out for travelling, as any one might perceive by their Appearance. 1872 Ruskin Eagle's Nest §148 In drawing, represent the appearances of things, never what you know the things to be. |
b. pl. The general aspect of circumstances or events; the ‘look’ of things.
| 1677 Temple Let. Wks. 1731 II. 430 The Appearances were ill; but Campaigns did not always end as they began. a 1745 Swift (J.) Appearances were all so strong The world must think him in the wrong. 1814 Southey Roderick xiii, All appearances Denote alarm and vigilance. Mod. Appearances are all in your favour. |
12. a. esp. as distinguished from reality: Outward look or show.
| c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame 265 Allis what harme dothe Apparence Whan hit is fals in existence. 1413 Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle iv. xxx. (1483) 80 Ther must nedes be a difference by⁓twene trouthe and apparence. 1581 Campion in Confer. ii. (1584) L, They were of vs in apparance, & in outward shewe. 1611 Bible John vii. 24 Iudge not according to the appearance. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 413 The Fiend Meer Serpent in appearance. 1790 Paley Hor. Paul. i. 8 To preserve an appearance of consistency. 1871 Blackie 4 Phases of Mor. i. 8 But the truth behind the appearance was, etc. |
b. to save appearances or keep up appearances: to maintain artificially the outward signs, so as to conceal the absence of the realities which they are assumed to represent; see also save v. 12.
| 1711 Steele Spect. No. 97 ¶2 It often happen'd that a Duel was fought to save Appearances to the World. 1760 C. Churchill Night (ed. 3) 14 Keep up appearances, there lies the test, The world will give thee credit for the rest. 1761 Churchill Rosciad Poems 1763 I. 15 Appearances to save his only care. 1836 [see keep v. 57 e]. 1861 Sat. Rev. 9 Mar. 244/1 Sacrificing real comfort to the desire of keeping up appearances. |
† 13. Illusive seeming or semblance; concr. an illusion. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 212 An apparence ymaad by som Magyk. ― Frankl. T. 412 Diuerse apparences swiche as thise subtile tregetours pleye. c 1400 Beryn 2774 Perfite of nygramance And of the art of apparen[c]e. |
14. a. concr. That which appears; an object meeting the view; esp. a natural occurrence presenting itself to observation; a phenomenon.
| 1666 Phil. Trans. I. 378 The Flux and Reflux of the Sea..Dr. Wallis his Theory touching that Apparence. 1667 E. King ibid. II. 426 White and clean appearances..all figur'd like the lesser sort of Birds Eggs. 1783 Cowper Lett. 13 June, I am..a great observer of natural appearances. 1879 Lockyer Elem. Astron. i. iii. 18 A careful examination of the stars..reveals to us the most startling appearances. |
b. That which appears without being material; a phantom or apparition.
| c 1470 Henry Wallace v. 206 Quhat perance he sawe thair. a 1500 Lancelot 364 So befell hyme that nycht to meit An aperans. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, i. ii. 128 Whose well-labouring sword Had three times slaine th' appearance of the King. 1613 Purchas Pilgr. I. v. vi. 406 Other things are shadowes and apparances. 1722 De Foe Plague 26 This appearance passed for as real a thing as the blazing star itself. 1831 Carlyle Sart. Res. i. viii, What is this Me? A voice, a Motion, an Appearance. |
15. Special Comb. appearance money, money paid to a (leading) sportsman or sportswoman for participating in an event (see quot. 1981).
| 1977 Washington Post 5 Nov. d7/3 While national advertising featured the unique concept of such a match, the loser's appearance money was never advertised. 1981 Event 9 Oct. 27/4 Appearance money, essentially a euphemism for expenses which are offered to technically ‘amateur’ athletes to lend their presence and thus status to a particular event. |