▪ I. insinuate, v.
(ɪnˈsɪnjuːeɪt)
Also 6–7 -at.
[f. ppl. stem of L. insinuāre, f. in- (in-2) + sinuāre to bend in windings, to curve. Nearly all the Eng. senses were already in Lat.; the fig. senses of the L. were the first to be adopted in Eng.: see 5, 6, 7.]
1. a. trans. To introduce tortuously, sinuously, indirectly, or by devious methods; to introduce by imperceptible degrees or subtle means.
| 1647 H. More Song of S. iii. App., Pref., Nor is it harder to phansie, how these Præexistent Souls insinuate into Seed, Embryos, or Infants, then how Created ones are insinuated. 1671 R. Bohun Wind 146 Open the pores of our bodyes by heat and then insinuate the malignant influences. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. v. 744 These Philosophers concluded concerning Souls, that..they were Insinuated or Introduced into Bodies, in Generations. 1746 Berkeley Let. to Prior 20 May in Fraser Life viii. (1871) 316 The insinuating of such salts into the wood. 1809 Kendall Trav. III. lxxvi. 185 Trees, which insinuate their roots into the fissures, are seen in all the lower parts of the mountains. 1850 Robertson Serm. Ser. iii. i. (1872) 3 There are poisons so destructive that a single drop insinuated into the veins produces death in three minutes. 1852 Motley Corr. (1889) I. v. 133 Our street was narrow, and the machine could by no possibility be insinuated therein. |
| fig. 1610 Healey St. Aug. Citie of God 724 The booke [Malachi] insinuateth the New Testament. |
b. refl. To introduce oneself, make one's way, or penetrate, by sinuous or subtle ways.
| 1598 Hakluyt Voy. I. 556 There is ayer also, which insinuating it selfe by passages, and holes, into the very bowels of the earth, doeth puffe vp the nourishment of so huge a fire. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 513 Mediterranean..in many places he insinuates himselfe within the Land by Gulfes or Bayes, twining his loving armes about. 1759 tr. Duhamel's Husb. ii. ii. (1762) 206 This wet insinuates itself very easily between the husks. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. iii. iii, Having insinuated himself into the chamber. 1895 in Westm. Gaz. 30 May 2/2 Enormous creepers insinuated themselves everywhere. |
† c. intr. (for refl.) Obs.
| 1600 Holland Livy xliv. xli. 1197 The Romanes espied where there was a breach made and lane left between, and there they would insinuate and wind in with their rankes and files. 1666 W. Boyhurst Loimographia (1894) 28 The Plague gradually insinuated, and crept downe Holborne and the Strand. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 348 Close the Serpent sly, Insinuating, wove with Gordian twine His breaded train. 1692 Ray Dissol. World iii. (1732) 20 The Water where it could insinuate and make its way. a 1774 Goldsm. Surv. Exp. Philos. (1776) II. 209 The air..is forced out of the substances into which it has insinuated. |
2. a. trans. To introduce (a person) by sinuous, stealthy, or artful ways into some position or relation; esp. refl. to worm oneself in, or make one's way sinuously or stealthily into the company, society, favour, affection, etc. of another.
| 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 134 When their sonnes shall insinuate themselues in the company of flatterers. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. (1810) III. 407, I sent him two sutes of apparell..the better to insinuate myself into his friendship. 1665 Surv. Aff. Netherl. 136 Then they petition against strangers..and insinuated their chief Demagogues to the places of greatest Honour and Trust in the Countrey. 1755 Man No. 21 ¶6 She knows extremely well how to insinuate herself. 1792 Anecd. W. Pitt I. xix. 299 The Duke of Bourbon insinuated himself so adroitly with the young..King as to establish himself Prime Minister. 1807 Robinson Archæol. Græca v. xx. 503 Those who, by flattery and other mean arts, were accustomed to insinuate themselves to the tables of other men. 1832 tr. Sismondi's Ital. Rep. ix. 198 They insinuated themselves into families to betray them. |
† b. intr. (for refl.) To work or wheedle oneself into, to ingratiate oneself with. Obs.
| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. iv. ii. 38 To see so great a Lord Basely insinuate, and send vs gifts. c 1592 Marlowe Massacre Paris ii. iv, Now, Madam, must you insinuate with the King, And tell him that 'tis for his country's good. 1628 Gaule Pract. The. (1629) 70 One Angell insinuated to converse with a Woman; and so deceiued her to a desperate Fall. 1656 Stanley Hist. Philos. iv. (1701) 135/2 He soon insinuated into the favour of Dyonysius. 1727 De Foe Syst. Magic i. iii. (1840) 86 With what address he insinuated into her weakest part. 1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) III. 13 To keep in fee some discreet..matron, who may insinuate into her acquaintance. |
3. a. refl. Of an immaterial thing: To instil itself subtly; to win or gain a way for itself into men's minds, favour, or notice.
| 1594 Hooker Eccl. Pol. i. vii. §6 There is no particular evil which hath not some appearance of goodness whereby to insinuate itself. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. i. iv. §2 The novelty and pleasingness of Musick and Poetry did presently insinuate its self into the minds of men. 1776 Gibbon Decl. & F. xv. (1869) I. 332 A pure and humble religion gently insinuated itself into the minds of men. 1843 Gallenga Italy, Past & Pr. (1848) I. p. xxviii, That spirit of scholastic erudition which insinuated itself into Italian literature. 1858 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. vii. ix. (1872) II. 340 Saner thoughts begin to insinuate themselves. |
† b. intr. (for refl.) Obs.
| 1601 Holland Pliny II. 372 Things plausible to the world crept and insinuated farther into the heart of man. 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 306 To bring them off with Conscience, and (which insinuates into all men) some little Reputation. |
† 4. trans. To draw, win, or attract (a person, etc.) subtly or covertly to or unto something. Obs.
| 1594 J. P. (title), Dame Helen Branch, by whose godly and virtuous life virgins are insinuated to virtue, wives to faithfulness, and widows to Christian contemplation (Latham). 1624 Heywood Gunaik. iii. 143 To reobtaine his principalitie hee insinuated unto his aide Porsenna King of the Tuscans. a 1677 Barrow Wks. (1686) III. Serm. xxxiii. 364 These [kinds of flattery]..do insinuate our mind, and..do inveagle to sin more effectually. |
5. To introduce, convey, or impart to the mind indirectly, covertly, or privily; to infuse or instil subtly or imperceptibly.
| 1529 More Dyaloge i. xxv. 36 a/1 He temperyth hys reuelacyons and in such wyse doth insinuate and inspyre them into the brestys of hys crysten people, that by the secrete instynct of the holy gost, they consent and agre to gether in one. 1553 Act 1 Mary Sess. 2. c. 1 §2 A very few persons..deuised first to insinuat a scruple into the King your fathers conscience. 1626 W. Sclater Exp. 2 Thess. (1629) A iv b, On fairest pretenses, to insinuate errour about the time of Christs second comming. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. v. ii. (1848) 303 Opportunity to insinuate into the minds of the people, that their Persecutors had rather see men vitious, than inquisitive. 1774 Warton Hist. Eng. Poetry xxx. II. 263 Our Author with much address insinuates to King James the Fourth an exhortation to conjugal fidelity. 1841 D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1867) 128 Under Elizabeth favourite phrases were insinuated into the dialect by over-refined travellers. 1862 Maurice Mor. & Met. Philos. IV. ix. §8. 530 In which wisdom was to be insinuated not enforced. |
6. To convey (a statement or notion) by indirect suggestion; to hint obliquely: now generally with implication of cunning or underhand action.
| 1561 Throgmorton in Tytler Proofs & Illustr. vi. 467 Whatsoever the said queen shall insinuate your maj. of him. 1563 Winȝet Wks. (1890) II. 10 He can nocht cal it a General Counsel, sa he apperis to insinuat that the haly Fatheris aggreit nocht thare amangis thame selfis. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. x. 395 Sum wicket persounis clattiris behind backis, and insinuatis, how contrare thair vtilitie was that Jornay. 1692 Bp. of Ely Answ. Touchstone 223 Now that is said to be insinuated which is not expressly prepounded but adumbrated and obscurely indicated. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. i. §4 Hints and allusions, expressing little, insinuating much. 1772 Junius Lett. lxviii. 355 Was it..insinuated to you..that no felony was committed? 1817 Cobbett Pol. Reg. 15 Feb. 207 After so much had been said, and so much more had been insinuated, to misrepresent my own particular views. 1825 T. Jefferson Autobiog. Wks. 1859 I. 67, I..did not think it proper to insinuate any doubt of the fair conduct of his government. 1828 D'Israeli Chas. I, I. v. 99 [He] delicately insinuated that the marriage would never take place. |
| absol. 1858 Froude Hist. Eng. III. xii. 30 He must go beyond the matter and beside it, and insinuate when he was unable to assert. |
7. To signify or express indirectly; to give to understand; to hint, suggest, imply. Obs. or arch.
| 1533 More Answ. Poysoned Bk. i. vi. Wks. 1045/1 By these woordes..our Sauiour dyd as the old holye doctours declare, insinuate, and secretelye sygnifye to theym, the meate of hys owne blessed person. 1555 Eden Decades 99 By whiche woordes the poore man seemed to insinuate that he had byn robbed. 1605 Willet Hexapla Gen. 198 It was God that talked with him, and not an angel, as the words of the text insinuate. 1638 F. Junius Paint. of Ancients 161 Huge power, which is signified by the scepter; sometimes a sore hurt, which is insinuated by the serpents. 1641 Marmion Antiquary 1, He did insinuate with his eyes, unto me, I should depart and leave them. 1776 G. Semple Building in Water 146 The small Dart at r. insinuates, that only a small Quantity of the Tide comes into the Harbour. 1816 Scott Tales My Landlord Ser. i. Introd., Our metropolis and mart of gain, whereby I insinuate Glasgow. |
8. Law. To enter (a deed or document) in an official register; to register; to deliver or lodge for registration. Cf. insinuation 6. (F. insinuer, late L. insinuāre.)
(Still used in the Commissions issued by the Bishop of Winchester to the Deans of Jersey and Guernsey as his Commissaries.)
| 1529 Act 21 Hen. VIII, c. 5 Every suche bysshoppe or ordynary..shall approve insynuate seale and regystre from tyme to tyme the said testamentes. 1602 W. Fulbecke 2nd Pt Parall. 32 Such Testaments must be insinuated to the Officiall or Commissarie of the Bishop of the Dioces within foure monethes after the death of the testator: which insinuation is appointed by Law. |
Hence inˈsinuated ppl. a.; inˈsinuating vbl. n.
| 1605 Verstegan Dec. Intell. x. (1628) 338 Borrowed from such before-insinuated languages as haue no dependance on ours. 1643 Milton Divorce Introd. (1851) 4 The suttle insinuating of Error and Custome. 1655 M. Carter Hon. Rediv. (1660) 23 Eminent preferments; which they too often come to, more by insinuated favour, than reall desert. 1828 Lights & Shades II. 192 A smile and insinuated sovereign, which purchase my lord's butler. |
▪ II. † inˈsinuate, ppl. a. Obs.
[ad. L. insinuāt-us, pa. pple. of insinuāre: see prec. and -ate2.]
Insinuated. (Const. as pa. pple. or adj.)
| 1534 More Treat. on Passion Wks. 1292/2 The great mistery of Christes passyon..lyttle and lyttle at sundry seasons to bee sygnifyed and insinuate conueniently to man. 1671 True Nonconf. Pref., I thought it worth my pains..to check the tumor of this insinuat boasting. |