† lengest, a. and adv. Obs.
Also 3 lenguest, 4 lynguste.
[OE. lęngest:—OTeut. *laŋgisto-, f. *laŋgo- long a.; cf. prec.]
A. adj. Longest, very long.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark xii. 40 Þa onfoð lengestne [Lindisf. lengra] dom. c 1290 Michael 313 in S. Eng. Leg. 308 ‘Longueman’ hatte þe middleste [sc. finguer] for he lenguest is. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 256 And lengest lyf in hem lent of ledez alle oþer. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VIII. 65 Arthures scheen boon..was lenger by þre ynches þan þe leg and þe kne of þe lengest man þat was þoo i-founde. c 1400 Destr. Troy 3776 A large man of lyms, lengest of stature. c 1449 Pecock Repr. 133 Bi eeldist and lengist vce of bileeuyng in the Chirche. 1530 R. Whitford Werke for Househ. A, The lengest lyfe of this worlde is very short. |
B. adv. Longest.
| a 1000 O.E. Chron. an. 755 (Parker MS.) He hæfde þa oþ he ofsloᵹ þone aldormon þe him lengest wunode. a 1250 Prov. ælfred 351 in O.E. Misc. 124 So me may þane loþe lengust lede. a 1300 Cursor M. 26652 Qua lenges [Fairf. langest] lijs in sin Vnnethes he mai þar-vte win. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 18 Rancour and euyl wille dwelliþ lengest amonges hem of alle oþere men. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 427 And wheþer of hem lyvede lengest [MS. γ lynguste] schulde be oþere heyre. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xviii. xviii, They began fyrst and lengest endured. |