pursuance
(pəˈsjuːəns)
Also 7 pour-, 7–8 persuance.
[f. as pursuant: see -ance. Cf. OF. pour-, prosuiance, poursivance (Godef.).]
The action, or fact, of pursuing, in various senses.
† 1. The action of pursuing in order to catch or kill; chase: = pursuit 2. Obs.
| 1648 Cromwell in Carlyle Lett. & Sp. 20 Sept. (1871) II. 55 In pursuance of the remaining part of the enemy. a 1656 Ussher Ann. (1658) 243 Hoping..to make him desist from any further pursuance after them. 1693 Mem. Cnt. Teckely iv. 62 Altho' orders had been given for a speedy pursuance of them, they could overtake but some few. |
2. The seeking after or aiming at something; endeavour to attain; search; = pursuit 6. (Now with end, object, or the like; formerly more widely.)
| 1640 Bp. Reynolds Passions x. 84 The love of both which is then onely Regular, when it is..Humble in the manner of pursuance, without swelling and curiositie. 1648 Milton Tenure Kings (1650) 43 In the pursuance of fame and dominion. a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Yorks. (1840) III. 421 He [Ripley]..studied twenty years together in pursuance of the Philosopher's stone. 1710 Norris Chr. Prud. viii. 391 As diligent in prosecuting our true and great End, as they are in the pursuance of their false and little ones. 1878 Stewart & Tait Unseen Univ. ii. §50. 69 To start in pursuance of that object. |
† 3. The action or fact of following; that which follows or is consequent, a consequence. Obs. rare.
| 1596 Bacon Max. Com. Law viii. (1630) 40 Any accessory before the fact is subiect to all the contingencies pregnant of the fact, if they bee pursuances of the same fact. |
4. The action of following out (a process); following on with or continuance of something; continuation, prosecution.
| 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. x. §10 A man would thinke of the dayly visitations of the Phisitians, that there were a poursuance in the cure. 1638 Chillingw. Relig. Prot. i. Ep. Ded. 2 It is..nothing else, but a pursuance of, and a superstruction upon that blessed Doctrine. 1713 Steele Englishm. No. 56. 363, I write to you in pursuance of my Letter which you printed on the Ninth. 1753 Hogarth Anal. Beauty 7 A great assistance to us in the pursuance of our present enquiry. 1859 A. Cary Country Life i. (1876) 29 In pursuance of some train of thought. |
† b. That in which any process is continued; the course, sequence, sequel.
| 1645 Milton Colast. Prose Wks. (1847) 220/1 What book hath he ever met with..maintaining either in the title, or in the whole pursuance, ‘Divorce at pleasure’? 1704 Norris Ideal World ii. vii. 330 The train and pursuance of our discourse requires that we should say [etc.]. |
5. The action of proceeding in accordance or compliance with a plan, direction, or order; prosecution, following out, carrying out. (The chief current sense.)
| 1660 Trial Regic. 46 In pursuance of that Order, I did receive, among other things [etc.]. 1672 Essex Papers (Camden) I. 35 We have publisht a proclamation in pursuance to his Maj{supt}{supi}⊇{sups} Letter prohibiting all persons to commence any suits [etc.]. 1770 Langhorne Plutarch i. 35 He freely offered himself, in pursuance of some oracle, to be sacrificed. 1816 Gentl. Mag. LXXXVI. i. 553 General Chartrand has been shot at Lille, in pursuance of his sentence, for having joined Buonaparte. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. iv. xii, When they reached London in pursuance of their little plan, they took coach and drove westward. |