▪ I. appoint, v.
(əˈpɔɪnt)
Forms: 4–6 apoint(e, apoynt(e, 4–7 appoynt(e, 5 ap(p)unct, appoynct, apoinct, 5– appoint. Aphet. 5–7 point.
[a. OFr. apointe-r, -ier, f. à point to the point, into condition: see point. Sometimes refashioned after med.L. appunctāre, whence also some of the senses were taken. The chief senses were already developed in OF., and did not appear in logical order in Eng.]
I. To come, or bring matters, to a point; agree, arrange, settle.
† 1. intr. (and pass.) usually with inf. or subord. clause: To come to a point about a matter in discussion, to agree, settle, arrange definitely. Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 405 Apoyntedyn ful warly..how ferre they wold procede. 1462 Paston Lett. 461 II. 115 Sir John Fastolff and your seid besecher comenauntyd and apoynted be writyng for the seid mater. 1488 Act. Dom. Conc. 93 (Jam.) It is apunctit and accordit. 1528 More Heresyes iv. Wks. 282/1 Theyr intent and purpose that they appoynt vpon. 1604 Sir W. Cope in Shaks. C. Praise 62 Thys ys apointed to be playd to Morowe night. 1660 Hist. Indep. iv. 50 They appointed to sell ten brace of Buckes. |
b. To make an appointment. arch. (This and the two following senses were evidently influenced by the earlier II. 7.)
| 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xxix, At xi. of the clocke, in the nyght..They did appoynt for to fulfyll this worke. 1711 Budgell Spect. No. 77 ¶9 The very place where he had appointed to be. 1802 M. Edgeworth Moral T. (1816) I. 199 Gentlemen, who had appointed to meet him at..Berlin. |
2. trans. To fix by arrangement the time or place of (a meeting); to arrange. arch.
| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. iv. iv. 102 Appoint the meeting, Even at his father's house. 1633 Heywood Eng. Trav. iii. Wks. IV. 54 Heere all the Countrey Gentlemen Appoint A friendly meeting. |
3. trans. To make an appointment for a meeting with (a person). (Cf. disappoint, to break an appointment with.)
| 1528 Gardiner in Pocock Rec. Ref. I. l. 99 Appointing us to the repair again the next day. 1601 Manningham in Shaks. C. Praise 45 Shee appointed him to come that night. 1728 Gay Beggar's Op. ii. x, I appointed him at this hour. 1797 W. Taylor in Month. Rev. XXIII. 582 She then appoints him deceptiously in the bath house. |
† 4. trans. To bring to a point, settle, decide (a thing disputed). Obs. rare.
| a 1619 Donne Biathan. (1644) 79 Almost all the points controverted..may be decided and appointed by it [this law]. |
† 5. refl. and pass. To bring oneself to the point or resolution; to make up one's mind, resolve, determine. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Merch. T. 351 He at the last appointed him on on. Ibid. 372 He was appoynted [v.r. apoynted, -ointed] ther he wold abyde. 1513 More Rich. III Wks. 54/1 Yf you appoint your selfe to tary here. 1550 Crowley Waie to Wealth 273 Apointe thy selfe therfore to beare it. |
6. intr. To determine, resolve, purpose. arch.
| c 1440 Generyd. 2120 Of euery ward to make a capteyn Ffirst he appoynted in especiall. 1529 More Comf. agst. Trib. iii. Wks. 1214/2 And appointe in his heart..that..he would rather dye than forsake y⊇ faith. 1611 Bible 2 Sam. xvii. 14 The Lord had appointed to defeate the good counsell of Ahithophel. 1722 De Foe Hist. Plague 11 To appoint to go away. |
II. To determine authoritatively, prescribe, decree, ordain.
7. trans. To determine authoritatively, prescribe, fix (a time, later a place) for any act.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 67 He wolde his time kepe As he, whiche hath his houre apointed. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, i. ii. 190 We wil..appoint them a place of meeting. 1625 Bacon Ess. (Arb.) 576 Pointing days for pitched fields. 1722 De Foe Moll. Fl. (1840) 317 The time appointed for execution. |
8. To ordain authoritatively, prescribe, establish, fix: a. that it shall be; b. a thing.
| 1538 Starkey England 53 Thus hyt was..appoyntyd by wysdome and pollycy, that ever..they schold be [so] gouernyd. 1611 Bible Gen. xxx. 28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will giue it. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. i. 74 Why..tooke he vpon him..t'appoint Who should attend on him? 1831 Carlyle Sart. Res. ii. x, Strangely..it is appointed that Sound..should be the most continuing of all things. 1850 M{supc}Cosh Div. Govt. ii. i. (1874) 139 The laws..are appointed by God. |
† 9. To decree, assign, or grant, authoritatively or formally (a thing to a person). Obs.
| 1494 Fabyan i. iv. 11 He beset or apoynted to hym the Countre of Walys. 1540 Househ. Ord. 211 That there be one chamber appointed for two Masters of the household. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iv. i. 30, I do appoint him store of Prouender. 1764 Priestley Ess. Educ. in Lect. Hist. 28 Let him appoint rewards to those who shall handle the subject in the most judicious manner. |
10. Law. To declare, in exercise of an authority conferred for that purpose, the destination of specific property. Cf. appointment 7.
| 1601 Act 43 Eliz. iv. §1 Uses and intents..for whiche they were given, limited, assigned, or appointed. 1874 Davidson Concise Preced. 310 A power to appoint to ‘issue’ includes all issue, however remote. 1883 Daily News 16 Nov. 2/1 He should not allow any power to the wife to appoint by will in favour of the husband. |
11. To ordain, destine, devote (a person or thing) a. to or for a fate or purpose. arch.
| 1526 Tindale 1 Thess. v. 9 God hath not apoynted us unto wrath [so in 1611 and 1881 Revised]. 1605 Rowlands Hell's Br. Loose 47 To their deserued deaths they are appoynted. 1625 Bacon Ess. (Arb.) 550 If you doe not point any of the lower roomes for a dining place of seruants. 1712 Budgell Spect. No. 404 ¶1 The Creator..has appointed every thing to a certain Use. |
b. to do or suffer something. arch.
| 1496 Ld. Bothwell in Ellis Orig. Lett. i. 12 I. 23 He has na wach bot y⊇ kings, apoinctit to be about him. 1526 Tindale Acts xxvii. 2 A ship..apoynted to sayle by the costes off Asia. 1535 Coverdale Ps. xliv. 22 As shepe apoynted to be slayne. 1615 Crooke Body of Man 426 [They] do appoynt the Patient to lie long vpon his backe. 1722 De Foe Moll. Fl. (1840) 310 Next day I was appointed to be tried. 1736 Butler Anal. ii. 410 Assistance, which nature..appoints them to afford. |
12. To ordain or nominate a person a. to an office, or to perform functions.
| 1557 Ord. Hospitalls D v, The Clerke..is appointed to many Recepts and Payments. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 50 ¶4 The Queen of the Country appointed two Men to attend us. 1859 Merivale Rom. Emp. (1865) IV. xxxii. 4 The Roman citizens appointed to all the higher magistracies. |
b. with complement: (for obs.) to be an official.
| 1611 Bible 2 Sam. vi. 21 To appoint me ruler ouer the people of the Lord. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iii. xl. 253 He appointed Joshua for the Generall of their Army. 1759 Robertson Hist. Scotl. I. ii. 117 Bonot was appointed governor of Orkney. 1839 Keightley Hist. Eng., Cranmer was appointed to be her confessor. |
c. simply.
| 1526 Tindale Luke x. 1 The Lorde apoynted other seventie also. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 808 Vengeance is his, or whose he sole appoints. Mod. Who appointed you, then? |
13. To ordain, set up, nominate, establish (an officer; and in Law a trustee, guardian, etc.).
| c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714) 110 A cheffe Ruler..chosyn and appointyd by the Kyng. 1529 Petit. §6 in Froude Hist. Eng. I. 194 The said prelates..appointed..appraysers, and other ministers for the approbation of Testaments. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 1 ¶9 We have appointed a Committee. 1768 Blackstone Comm. I. 462 This he may do [choose his own guardian] unless one be appointed by the father. 1875 Bryce Holy Rom. Emp. ix. 152 Henry deposed them all, and appointed their successor. 1883 F. Pollock Land Laws 61 The father was empowered to appoint persons of his own choice to be his children's guardians. |
III. To put into proper state or condition. (Cf. appoint n. 2, and Fr. en bon point.)
† 14. trans. To put in suitable order or condition; to prepare, make ready. Obs. in gen. sense.
| 1393 Gower Conf. II. 151 Yet shuld he nought apoint his herte With jelousy. 1540 R. Hyrde Vives' Instr. Chr. Wom. (1592) N viij, Appoint thy self, that thou maiest in such wise binde him unto thee with love. 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis ii. (Arb.) 54 They brandish weapons sharp edgde, to slaghter apoincted [L. neci parata]. 1615 Heywood Four Prent. i. Wks. II. 240 Prepare to meet them and appoint our powers. |
15. esp. To equip completely, fit out, furnish; to accoutre. Obs. exc. in pa. pple.
| 1490 Caxton Eneydos xv. 55 Thus appoynted she mounted on horsebacke. 1526 Tindale Luke xvii. 8 Apoynt thy selfe and serve me. 1590 Marlowe Edw. II, iv. ii, To see us there, appointed for our foes. 1660 N. Ingelo Bentiv. & Urania ii. (1682) 193 Their several Lodgings, which were as well appointed as such a season would permit. 1770 Burke Pres. Discont. Wks. II. 288 The house of commons..is miserably appointed for that service. 1823 Scott Peveril II. iv. 96 Thus appointed..he was in readiness to depart. |
IV. Isolated uses after Fr. and L.
† 16. To put a stop or limit to. Obs. rare.
| 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) F f iv, Great is that couetyse, whiche the shame of the worlde doth not repreue..nor reason appoynt. |
† 17. To point to or at, to point out. Obs.
| a 1547 Surrey æneid ii. (920) A blazing sterne..By a long tract appointing vs the way. 1554 Philpot Exam. & Writ. (1842) 113 He..fetched Cyprian and appointed out these words in one of his Epistles. a 1556 Cranmer Wks. I. 10 As well as if you had appointed me with your finger. |
† 18. To assign or impute blame to; to stigmatize, arraign. Obs. rare.
| a 1612 in Harington's Nugæ Ant. I. 48 (Halliw.) If anye of theise wants be in me, I beseeche your lordshipp appoint them to my extreme state. 1674 Milton Samson 373 Appoint not heavenly disposition, father. Nothing of all these evils hath befallen me But justly. |
▪ II. aˈppoint, n.
[f. prec. vb.; cf. Fr. appoint, ‘somme qui fait le solde d'un compte;’ Littré.]
† 1. Agreement, settlement. Obs.
| 1555 Fardle Facions i. v. 77 When thei are ones fallen at appoyncte, the bodye is delyuered. 1565 T. Stapleton Fortr. Faith 50 Let bothe those truthes and these truthes be beleved, and we shall be at appoinct. |
† 2. Array, equipment. Obs.
| 1592 W. Wyrley Armorie 62 Sir Charls Bloys doth aduance..In best appoint that hath been seene in Fraunce. |
3. Settlement per appoint (Comm.): Exact and independent settlement of a transaction, i.e. not by entering it in account, or by payments on account.
| Mod. Each transaction will be settled per appoint. |