† ˈgeason, a. and n. Obs.
Forms: 1 gǽsne, géasne, 3 geasne, 4 gesen(e, 5–6 geso(u)n, 6 ges(s)en, 6–7 gayson, geazon, geasone, (6 gai-, geison, 7 gey-, gheason), 5–7 geason.
[OE. gǽsne, gésne barren. Cf. OHG. keisinî barrenness.]
A. adj.
1. Producing scantily; barren, unproductive; exhausted. Const. in OE. with gen. or on; later of. Also, clear of.
| a 1000 Christ 849 in Exeter Bk., Þæt we gæstes wlite ær þam gryre-broᵹan on þas gæsnan tid ᵹeorne biþencen. a 1000 Juliana 381 ibid., He siþþan sceal godra gum-cysta geasne hweorfan. a 1000 Andreas 1084 (Gr.) Ah þær heorodreoriᵹe hyrdas laᵹan, gæsne on greote, gaste berofene. a 1121 O.E. Chron. an. 1116 Þisᵹear wæs swa gæsne on mæstene. 14.. MS. Cantab. Ff. ii. 38 lf. 23 (Halliw.) In werke they weren never so nyce, Ne of moo good liveres geson. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. viii. 5 Now make the feeldis wilde of busshis geson. c 1430 Hymns Virg. 64 Drunkelew folk ben goostli blinde, For faute of witt her lyf is gesoun. |
2. Scantily produced; rare, scarce, uncommon. In the 16th c. sometimes with passive infinitive, as geason to be found, geason to be seen, etc.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 271 My wafres there were gesen. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 803 Custade Costable, when eggis & crayme be geson. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 588 Grotes and peas were geson. 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) 35 A good man is geason, not easy to be founde. c 1530 H. Rhodes Bk. Nurture 116 in Babees Bk. 85 They that will not knowe howe to amend, their wits be very geason. 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Pref. 19 Precious stones that are gayson to bee founde. 1567 Turberv. Epit. & Sonn. (1837) 295 Rich be thy robes, and geason to be had. 1577 Harrison England ii. xii. (1877) i. 239 In the houses of Knights..it is not geson to behold generallie their prouision of tapistrie. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 51 Rare birds vpon the earth, and as geason as blacke swans. 1601 F. Godwin Bps. of Eng. 380 Good knowledge in the Greeke toong..in those daies was geason. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 98 Ixine is a rare herb and geason to be seen. 1610 ― Camden's Brit. (1637) 536 Marle in this place is very geason or skant. 1674 Ray S. & E.C. Words 67 Geazon, scarce, hard to come by. Ess. |
3. ‘Rare’, extraordinary, amazing.
| 1572 N. Roscarrock Prelim. Verses Bossewell's Armorie, The siege of Thebes, the fall of Troy, in beaten massie golde, dan Vulcan hath set out at large, full geazon to beholde. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 47 With weather astonyed, with such storms geason agrysed. Ibid. iv. 104 The duke æneas with sight so geason agasted. |
B. n. Rarity, scarcity. rare.
| 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 124 Of them is no plentie but great geason. 1557 Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 250 Good should by geason, earne no place, Nor nomber make nought, that is good. |