▪ I. strength, n.
(strɛŋθ)
Forms: 1 strengðu, -o, strengð, strængð, strenð, strencð, oblique cases strengðe etc., 2–3 strengðe, 2 streongðe, streangðe, 2–5 strengþe, 2–6 strengthe, 2 streinðe, 2 (5 Sc.) streinþe, 3 strencðe, strenncþe (Orm.), strenðe, 3–4 strencþe, strencth, 3–5 strenkþe, 3–7 strenth, 4 strenþe, strinth(e, (strennthe, streinþ, streinthe), 4–6 strenthe, 4 strenȝt, 4–5 strenkith, -keþ, (4 strenket, 5 strenkit, -kyght, 4, 6 Sc. strynth, (4 -the), 4–6 strenght, (4 strengheth), 5 strengþ, streynth(e, streynght, stryngth(e, (strengyth, strentht, streyngthe, strayngth, streyint, strynt), 5–6 strenghth, (6 stranghth, streinght, stryncht, Sc. strainth, stryntht), 3– strength.
[OE. stręngðu str. fem. = OHG. strengida:—OTeut. type *straŋgiþō, f. *straŋgo- strong a.: see -th1 b.]
1. The quality or condition of being strong. a. Power of action in body or limbs; ability to exert muscular force.
In 15–18th c. the plural was often used after a plural possessive.
| a 1000 Ags. Ps. (Spelm.) cxlvi. 11 Na on strengðe horses willan habbað. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6136 Edmond vor is strengþe [v.r. strenge] was ycluped yrensyde. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 3047 Ȝyf þou for strenkþe be mysproute, And hast bostful wrdys and loude. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 5898 Þe gudes of kynd er bodily strenthe,..And delyvernes and bewte of body. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 84 Of his stature he was of euene lengthe And wonderly delyuere and of greet strengthe. c 1400 Parce michi 101 in 26 Pol. Poems 146 Sampson loste hys streyngthe therfore. 14.. Lat. & Eng. Prov. (MS. Douce 52) 27 Strenghth mowes down þe medow. c 1470 Gol. & Gaw. 346 War al your strenthis in ane, In his grippis and ye gane, He wald ourcum yow ilkane. 1471 Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) 242 He put hem a backe by naturell strength and force many tymes. 1577 Googe tr. Heresbach's Husb. i. 14 Some woorkes require strength more then skill. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. ii. 17 More huge in strength, then wise in workes he was. 1592 Soliman & Pers. i. iii. 5 Put Lambe-like mildenes to your Lyons strength. 1633 T. James Voy. 49 We heaued to the vttermost of our strengths. 1661 Boyle Style of Script. 248 The self same Nail must enter Lesse or Deeper according to the Strength of the Hand that Drives it in. 1719 De Foe Crusoe i. (Globe) 123 Getting one [sc. a block of wood] as big as I had Strength to stir, I rounded it. 1732 B. Robinson Anim. Oecon. 101 A frequent Increase of this Force in Muscles much moved must of Necessity increase both their Magnitudes and Strengths. 1736 Butler Anal. i. iii. Wks. 1874 I. 62 Possibly the sum of the whole strength of brutes may be greater than that of mankind. 1817 Shelley Rev. Islam 2785 She grasped me with the strength Of madness. 1832 Brewster Nat. Magic x. 246 Dr. Desaguliers was convinced that his feats were exhibitions of skill and not of strength. 1868 Field 4 July 14/3 London rowed in very good form, but lacked strength and dash. 1888 F. Hume Mme. Midas i. Prol., You have strength, I have brains. |
b. Bodily vigour in general; efficiency of the bodily powers;
esp. in contrast with the weakness due to illness, fatigue, age, immaturity, etc.
† Also
collect. pl. for sing.:
cf. L.
vires.
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 76 Swa swa se fulfremeda wæstm bið on fulre strencðe þeonde. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. viii. 83 Olde Men and hore þat helples beoþ of strengþe. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxi. (Clement) 438 Þe fadyr þane strynth cane tyne. In swonyng þane he fel flat brad. Ibid. xxxi. (Eugenia) 274 Fevrys..þat trawalit hir hard & hat, & of strinthis mad hyr mat. 1490 Caxton Eneydos xxviii. 108 Dydo..thre tymes made her effort to reyse her self vpon her elbowe. But her strengthes..myght not therto suffyse. 1544 Betham Precepts War i. clxiv. H vj b, Sparyng nothynge, y{supt} they maye be healed and may haue theyr strength restored. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iii. i. 42 It is but as a Body, yet distemper'd, Which to his former strength may be restor'd, With good aduice, and little Medicine. 1618 W. Lawson New Orch. & Gard. (1626) 16, I haue knowne a tree tainted in setting, yet grow, and beare blossomes..and yet for want of strength could neuer shape his fruit. 1662 J. Degravere Thesaurus Remed. (ed. 2) 35 The full Dose is the whole Medicine, for Men and Women of strength. 1725 N. Robinson Th. Physick 173 At last, after many Fits and much enduring, the Hands tremble, the Strength fails, and Spirits sink. 1748 in Nairne Peerage Evid. (1874) 125 You may..assure Mrs. Brown that her son is recovering strength daily. 1776 Trial of Nundocomar 32/2 He has not strength to undergo any examination, after the fatigue of bringing him to court. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xi. 79 My strength was gone, and..I required to rest once more. |
c. Power in general, whether physical, mental, or due to the possession of resources; ability for effective action; efficiency, vigour (of mental faculties, etc.).
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 950 (Gr.) Ac se weard [of Eden] hafað miht & strengðo. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1014 Þat tu mahe stihen to understonden in him godes muchele strencðe. c 1320 Cast. Love 534 We [the Trinity] beoþ on in one fulnesse, In miht, in strengþe and in heiȝnesse. 138. Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 478 Þer wittes ben þinne, þer strynthe littel, þer tyme schort, to study and teche holy writte. 1551 T. Wilson Logic D j, The natural strength, is an aptnes of nature, geuen either to the body, or to the mynd. 1561 Hoby Castiglione's Bk. Courtier i. (1900) 28 To laye uppon me a burden that passeth my strengthe. 1562 Aberd. Kirk. Sess. Rec. (Spalding Club) 5 Quhow God suld be lowit,..wirshipped allanerlie, with the haill man, saull, hart, mynd, mycht, and stryncht. 1616 B. Jonson Devil an Ass i. i. 24 Foolish feind, Stay i' your place, know your owne strengths, and put not Beyond the spheare of your actiuity. 1662 Gunning Lent Fast 51 As Nazianzen above attemperating his example to our strength. 1759 Johnson Rasselas viii, Discovering in me great strength of memory and quickness of apprehension. 1779 Mirror No. 19 The natural strength of his understanding. 1838 Dickens Nich. Nick. xxii, You could write us a piece to bring out the whole strength of the company. 1859 J. Martineau Ess. (1866) I. 73 So far we think Mr. Mill's strength as great here as elsewhere. 1894 Liddon Life Pusey I. i. 32 His strength lay in accurate verbal scholarship rather than in philosophy. |
d. Capacity for moral effort or endurance; firmness (of mind, character, will, purpose); power to resist temptation or fulfil a difficult duty;
† fortitude as one of the cardinal virtues. Freq. in
phr. strength of character.
in one's own strength: in reliance on oneself and not on divine grace.
| c 900 Bæda's Hist. i. ix. [xii.] (1890) 46 Achi..lærdon þæt hi him..modes strengðo naman. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 44 Þa wearð se eadiᵹa Stephanus mid Godes ᵹife, and mid micelre strencðe afylled. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 155 Ah ure drihten..ȝeue us mihte and streinðe. c 1200 Ormin 5519 Þe feorþe ȝife off Haliᵹ Gast Iss strenncþe ȝæn þe deofell. c 1320 Cast. Love 801 Foure vertues cardinals [þat] beoþ; þat is, strengþe and sleihschupe, Rihtfulnesse and worschupe. a 1350 S. Lucy 155 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 18 Swilk strenkith god sent to hir. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. pr. iv. (1868) 13 Þo I þat hadde gadered strenkeþ in my corage answerede and seide [etc.]. c 1386 ― Pars. T. 728 Agayns this horrible synne of Accidie..ther is a vertu, that is called fortitudo or strengthe. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 138 The more perfytly the lyght of goostly strength shall shyne in vs. 1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 8 Of hoip in our awin strenth. 1567 Gude & Godlie Ballatis (S.T.S.) 34 Faithfull is God, and on ȝow hes pietie, And will not thole ȝow temp[t]it for to be, Aboue ȝour strenth. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iv. i. 72 If..Thou hast the strength of will to slay thy selfe. 1636 B. Jonson Discov. init., He knows not his own strength, that hath not met adversity. 1675 J. Owen Indwelling Sin x. (1732) 116 This therefore ought a Believer diligently to attend unto, namely, That every thing he doth to God, be done in the Strength of Christ. 1779 Cowper Human Frailty 19 A stranger to superior strength, Man vainly trusts his own. 1836 J. H. Newman Parochial Sermons III. i. 3 Of course men who make such sacrifices, often evidence much strength of character in making them. 1855 Tennyson Will 11 But ill for him who, bettering not with time, Corrupts the strength of heaven-descended Will. 1863 N. Hawthorne Our Old Home i. 74, I have not found reason to suppose that the English dowager of fifty has actually greater courage, fortitude, and strength of character than our woman of similar age. 1902 V. Jacob Sheep-Stealers xiii, Her overwrought mind was beginning to feel the influence of his quiet strength of purpose. 1919 G. B. Shaw Heartbreak House ii. 52 You know, Ellie has remarkable strength of character. I think it is because I taught her to like Shakespear when she was very young. 1957 Oxf. Dict. Chr. Ch. 583/2 It was owing to Gregory, in whom firmness and strength of character were tempered by gentleness and charity, that many of these evils were conquered. 1975 Economist 15 Mar. 38/3 Mike Denness had the job sewn up after his batting performances against India last summer... His batting efforts..show his strength of character. |
| pl. 1653 Jer. Taylor Serm. Golden Grove, Winter v. 65 [Want of attendance to the sense and intention of our prayers] is only so remedyed as our prayers are made zealous, and our infirmities passe into the strengths of the Spirit. |
e. Power of contending in warfare; now chiefly, military power derived from numbers, equipment, or resources.
| a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud. MS.) an. 1106, Ac seo streongðe & se siᵹe wearð þæs cynges. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 13 Ah ic eou ȝife siȝe and streinþe. a 1200 Vices & Virtues 27 Ac ne mai non senne ne non dieuel habben strengþe aȝean ðessere gode ileaue. c 1250 Owl & Night. 1713 For mony mon myd speres orde haueþ lutle strengþe & mid his schelde, Ah naþeles in one felde [etc.]. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 1013 [The old knights say] We may noȝt stand now in stede oure strenth is [to] febill. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xv. 69 By cause of ȝour ill liffing..and noȝt of oure strenth Godd has giffen it intill oure handes. c 1425 Eng. Conq. Ireland (1896) 96 Men that..yn so fele Anguysshes with vs hath your streynth assayed, cometh forth, men! 1474 Caxton Chesse iv. ii. (1883) 168 For yf he [sc. the king] be taken or ded or ellis Inclusid and shette vp alle the strengthes of alle other faylle and alle Is fynyshid and loste. c 1511 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.) Introd. p. xxxiii/2 For if they sholde come out by there strength and hardynesse the[y] wolde conquere all the worlde. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxi. 270 b, They were desyrous to proue their strengthes agaynst the Christen men. 1592 Kyd Span. Trag. i. iv. 15 Their fight was long,..Their strength alike, their strokes both dangerous. 1598 R. Grenewey Tacitus, Ann. xi. v. (1622) 146 Declaring that the ancient liberty of Germany was taken from them, and that the Roman strength mastered all. 1792 Anecd. W. Pitt III. xxxix. 51 If our people are united..we have an internal strength sufficient to repel any foreign invasion. 1818 J. T. Jones Acc. War Sp. & Portugal 423 Buonaparte was yet in strength to make face against the united armies of the remainder of Europe. |
f. In a fortification, fortified place, etc.: Power of withstanding assault or capture.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxiii. (George) 67 He entre mycht nocht, for gret strinth & hicht of wal & gret ȝemesel of ȝettis al. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cccxciii. 274 Within the towne there was a mynster..the whiche they of the countrey had fortefyed, and there in they were, in trust of the strenght of y⊇ place. 1562 Winȝet Cert. Tractatis Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 37 Quhat strenth had his armour of defence thair. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. viii. 9 Enquiring of him what strength the tower might be of. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iii. iv. 7 This Arme, that hath reclaym'd To your obedience..seuen walled Townes of strength. 1617 Moryson Itin. ii. 20 To the natural strength of the place is added the art of interlacing the low bowes, and casting the bodies of trees acrosse the way. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xxxi, ‘But they know not,’ thought she, ‘its strength, or the armed numbers within it’ [the castle]. 1820 Scott Monast. xxxv, He questioned him..concerning the Baron of Avenel's probable forces—the strength of his castle [etc.]. 1842 Borrow Bible in Spain xxxiv, Llanes is an old town, formerly of considerable strength. |
g. In things, material or immaterial: Operative power; capacity for producing effects.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 114 Wið attres strenðe ᵹenim þas wyrte. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 649 Lauerd..ȝef swuch mahte & strengðe i mine wordes þat þeo..moten missen þrof. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxvi. 125 My worde sall be of als grete strenth, and als scharpe and scherand, as my swerde. c 1440 Generydes 6821 In strenthe or [? read of] erbys that ben profeitable, In them I knowe the vertu that is sure. 1569 T. Underdown Ovid's Invect. Ibis Pref. A v b, There is no poyson, to the poyson of a Serpente, no strength, to the strength of Gunpouder. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. iii. ii. 250 Thy threats haue no more strength then her weak praise [Theobald prayers]. 1611 ― Wint. T. iv. iv. 124 Pale Prime-roses, That dye vnmarried, ere they can behold Bright Phœbus in his strength. 1680 Moxon Mech. Exerc. xii. 205 And by the force and strength of the Wedge, the whole Drill-bench is drawn down, and fastned athwart the Cleeks of the Lathe. 1695 Woodward Nat. Hist. Earth vi. (1723) 294 The Sun..(to speak in the Phrase of the Vulgar,..) hath gain'd a greater Strength. 1732 Pope Ess. Man ii. 67 Most strength the moving principle requires; Active its task, it prompts, impels, inspires. 1781 Cowper Flatting Mill 4 When a bar of pure silver..is..roll'd In an engine of utmost mechanical strength. 1817 Shelley Rev. Islam 1569 Great is the strength Of words. 1882 G. M. Minchin Unipl. Kinematics vi. 167 The time rate of supply of liquid through the source is called the strength of the source. |
† h. Validity, legal force.
to bear strength: to be in force.
to stand in its strength: to remain valid.
Obs.| c 1418 Lydg. Troy-bk. iv. 342 But wher so be þat he be lef or loth, Þer is no more; but in conclusioun, In his [= its] strengþe stood þe eleccioun. 1423 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 256/1 That this ordynaunce stretche and bere strenketh also wel wyth in Chesshire. 1439 E.E. Wills (1882) 122 Annuites.., wiche he will that thei stande yn their strenketh. 1448 in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) II. 9 Then the forseid obligacion..stand in non strenketh nor effect, and elles yef hit be not fulfilled that then hit stand in strenketh and vertu. 1450 Rolls of Parlt. V. 186/2 That oure Graunt..be not prejudiced nor hurt, but stande in his strenght. 1538 Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844) I. 159 And this my petitioune, be way of reconuentioune to haf the stryntht of ane borght, gyf neid beis. 1579 Tomson Calvin's Serm. Tim. 2/2 This rule..whiche shal remaine of strength vnto the worldes end. 1690 in Nairne Peerage Evid. (1874) 27 The haill..provisions..are declared to stand..in their full force strenth and effect. |
i. Power to sustain the application of force without breaking or yielding.
| c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame 1980 And loo thys hous of which I write..Alle was the tymber of no strengthe Yet hit is founded to endure. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 427 Spirits..Not ti'd or manacl'd with joynt or limb, Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones. 1727 Chambers tr. Le Clerc's Treat. Archit. 23 Were we only to have regard to the Laws of Strength and Weakness, we shou'd diminish the Entablements of Columns that have Pedestals, rather than those which have none. 1763 Mills Pract. Husb. IV. 217 The bass used for this, or for any other binding, should be taken from a sound mat, and be soaked in water for some hours, to increase it's strength. 1839 Penny Cycl. XV. 48/2 The strength of materials in resisting the strains to which they are subject. 1841 Civil Engin. & Arch. Jrnl. IV. 79 Tables..to facilitate the computation of the strength and dimensions of Girders, Bressummers, [etc.]. 1842 Gwilt Archit. §1624 The primitive horizontal or transverse Strength of Oak is taken at 1000; its supporting or primitive vertical Strength at 807; and its cohesive or absolute Strength at 1821. 1876 Voyle & Stevenson Milit. Dict. 427/2 Tensile strength as applied to iron, is its power to resist being torn asunder by a force exerted..in the direction of its length. 1883 M. P. Bale Saw-Mills 191 The strength of best oxhide belts, used for belting, has been calculated at about 3,086 lbs. per square inch of section. 1884 Sargent Rep. Forests N. Amer. 252 The specimens tested for the purpose of determining the strength of the wood produced by the different trees. |
| fig. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacrœ i. i. §20 If Procopius his pillar hath strength enough to bear such a conjecture. |
j. Intensity and active force (of movement, wind, fire, a stream, current of electricity, or the like); intensity (of a physical condition, colour, sound, etc.). In
Telecommunications also with following numeral, indicating signal strength as shown on a meter.
† with strength: violently.
| c 1275 Passion of our Lord 499 in O.E. Misc. 51 He schef hit [sc. the spear] myd strenkþe þat to his heorte hit com. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3106 For þe fire here, of strenth es les Þan þe fire of purgatory es. c 1430 Hymns Virgin (1867) 120 Thorowe the strength off þe wynd Into the Welken hitt [the sea] schall slynge. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales (1904) 96 With strenthe of hur lowpyng þe bote drownyd. 1480 Rob. Devyll 334 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 232 So swyfte with strenght Robert dyd come, That hys speare ran thorowe the knyghtes bodye. a 1593 Marlowe Ovid's Eleg. i. ii. 11, I saw a brandisht fire encrease in strength. 1705 H. Blackwell Engl. Fencing-Master 8 For if a Thrust come to be forced, or with any Strength, the Parry is so narrow, that no Parade can be made. a 1719 Addison Disc. Learning Misc. Wks. 1914 II. 463 Thus has Time mellowed the Works of Antiquity, by qualifying, if I may so say, the Strength and Rawness of their Colours. 1727 P. Walker Semple Biog. Presbyt. (1827) I. 159 He entred in, and the Strength of Water carried him and his Horse beneath the Foord. 1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 267 If the strength of the shock is found to give uneasiness, it may be moderated by [etc.]. Ibid. 757 The colour thus prepared produces a fine crimson,..its strength may be increased by adding more of the oxide of gold. 1832 Brewster Nat. Magic vi. 138 The strength of the image of the Castle so far obscured the background, that it made no sensible impression on the observers. 1866 Chamb. Encycl. VIII. 7/2 The strength of the pulse depends chiefly on the force with which the blood is driven from the heart. 1873 J. C. Maxwell Electr. & Magn. II. vii. 206 It is a homogeneous function of the second degree with respect to the strengths of the [electric] currents. 1914 Rep. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. 1913 132 These instructions would include directions for simultaneous observations of..the strength of the time-signals..and the average strength and frequency of strays. 1923 Radio Times 28 Sept. 2/1 We can take the following as useful ranges from one of the main broadcasting stations for good strength on the head telephones. 1968 J. Sangster Touchfeather xvi. 188 He finally got the message, strength five. ‘What do you want?’ 1979 P. Niesewand Member of Club i. 6 ‘I've got them, but they're only hearing me strength two.’.. ‘How do you hear them?’ ‘Strength five.’ |
k. Vigour, intensity (of feeling, conviction, etc.). Also, emphasis, positiveness (of refusal).
| 1550 Coverdale Spir. Perle xxviii. (1560) 271 Faith..receiueth increasement and more strength, through patience. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. v. i. 198 If you did know..You would abate the strength of your displeasure. 1596 ― 1 Hen. IV. i. iii. 25 Those Prisoners in your Highnesse [name] demanded Were..not with such strength denied As was deliuered to your Maiesty. 1781 Cowper Conversat. 88 Opposition gives opinion strength. |
l. Intensity of the specific property, or proportionate quantity of the active ingredient in a substance; potency (of drugs, liquors). Also, in particularized sense, a definite degree of strength.
| 1588 Kyd Househ. Philos. Wks. (1901) 272, I speake of choyse wynes which get strength with age. 1653 T. Brugis Vade Mecum (ed. 2) 134 If you will put in gummes,..you must boyle them very gently least they burn, and the strength vanish away. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 155 T'allay the Strength and Hardness of the Wine. 1790 Act 30 Geo. III, c. 37 §2 Spirits of any greater or higher Degree of Strength than that of One in Six under Hydrometer Proof. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXVII. 459/1 A wine is prepared which is green, and which becomes deeper by time, while the strength increases so much, that [etc.]. 1851–3 Tomlinson Cycl. Useful Arts (1867) II. 29/2 A mixture of lime and water of 3 or 4 different strengths. 1904 Knowledge Mar. 43/2 This difference of price is due to the greater ‘strength’ of the flour..meaning by ‘strength’ the capacity to make more and larger loaves for equal weights of flour used. 1907 J. A. Hodges Elem. Photogr. (ed. 6) 151 A developer of normal strength. |
m. Of soil: Firmness.
| 1573–80 Tusser Husb. (1878) 49 The straw and the eare to haue bignes and length, betokeneth land to be good and in strength. 1707 Mortimer Husb. 42 Ploughs..must be great or small according to the depth and strength of the Soil you Plow. 1794 Vancouver Agric. Cambridge 73 Westwardly of this, the soil again improves in strength, and staple. 1892 Speaker 3 Sept. 289/1 Half a hundred acres of thistly land, from which savour and strength had long departed. |
n. Demonstrative force or weight (of arguments, evidence); amount of evidence for (a case).
| 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iii. i. 49 Whiles Warwick tels his Title, smooths the Wrong, Inferreth arguments of mighty strength. 1725 Watts Logic iv. ii. (1726) 351 Afterwards mention the Objections distinctly in their full Strength, and give a distinct Answer to them. 1814 Chalmers Evid. ii. 65 Consider the strength even of heathen testimony to the facts of the gospel history. 1818 Hallam Mid. Ages viii. iii. (1819) III. 48 In this consists, I think, the sole strength of the opposite argument. 1895 Law Times XCIX. 544/1 The litigant should as speedily as can be learn something of the strength of his opponent's case. |
o. Energy or vigour of literary or artistic conception or execution; forcefulness (of delineation, versification, expression).
| 1687 Miege Gt. Fr. Dict. ii. s.v., The strength (or energy) of a Discourse, la force d'un Discours. 1695 [R. Graham] Short Acc. Painters in Dryden's Du Fresnoy's Art Paint. 314 He had indeed an admirable Colouring, and great strength in all his Works. 1709 Pope Ess. Crit. 361 And praise the easy vigour of a line, Where Denham's strength, and Waller's sweetness join. 1710 Felton Diss. Classics (1718) Pref. 17 We should see more and more into the Property, Strength, and Compass, and all the hidden Beauties of the Greek and Latin Tongues. 1715 Pope Iliad I. Pref. C 4, He consider'd these [dialects] as they had a greater Mixture of Vowels or Consonants, and accordingly employ'd them as the Verse requir'd either a greater Smoothness or Strength. 1752 Gray Stanzas to Mr. R. Bentley 13 Ah! could they catch his strength, his easy grace, His quick creation, his unerring line. 1777 Potter æschylus, Prometh. Chain'd Foreword, There is in this remaining drama a sublimity of conception, a strength, a fire, a certain savage dignity peculiar to this bold writer. 1802 Edin. Rev. Oct. 86 Dr. Rennel's first sermon, upon the consequences of gaming, is admirable for its strength of language, its sound good sense, [etc.]. 1906 Lit. World 15 Nov. 519/2 The pictures are notable for a proper mingling of strength and delicacy. |
p. Cards. Of a hand (or the player holding it): Effectiveness due to the value of the cards held; also, the condition of being strong or abundant
in (a specified suit). Of a suit: Number and value of the cards held by a player.
| 1862 ‘Cavendish’ Whist (1864) 22 Both these ends are advanced by choosing for your original lead the suit in which you have the greatest numerical strength. 1900 J. Doe Bridge Man. 32 The test of very many doubtful No Trumpers lies in the strength or weakness of the Spades. |
q. Billiards. (See
quot. 1896.)
| 1788 J. Beaufort Hoyle's Games Impr. 194 [Billiards.] This game [i.e. the losing game] depends greatly upon particular strengths. 1896 W. Broadfoot Billiards iii. (Badm. Libr.) 106 Strength is the measure of force used to make a stroke, which is said to be soft or hard according to the strength. |
r. Comm. Firmness, absence of lowering tendency, in prices.
| 1891 Daily News 15 Apr. 2/7 No strength is yet felt in the market for home trade yarns. 1912 Standard 20 Sept. 8/7 Prices showed some degree of strength at the opening. 1913 Times 9 Aug. 17/2 The South African market showed strength. |
2. Phrases.
† a. by or with strength of: by force of.
Cf. force n.1 16.
Obs.| 13.. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. xlix. 424 He þat may fulli conquerre Al a cuntre bi strengþe of were. 1555 Instit. Gentl. E ij, When as they winning by strength of armes y⊇ cuntrie of Asia..did frely geue [etc.]. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. v. 4 We rowing with strength of oares towardes the saide citie. Ibid. ii. xi. 46 With strength of rowing we coasted along. 1598 W. Phillip tr. Langenes' Voy. Ships Holland E. Ind. 27 They entered into their boate, and by strength of oares rowed from vs. |
† b. no strength: no matter (
= no force,
force n.1 20).
Obs.—1| 1340 Ayenb. 51 And yef he him damnede be him zelue: þer-of no strengþe. |
† c. (to hunt) with strength: by way of regular chase.
Cf. force n.1 22 a.
Obs.| c 1369 Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 351 And al men speke of huntynge How they wolde slee the hert with strengthe. c 1400 Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xxv, Whan þe kynge..will hunte for þe herte with strength, þe maister of þe game moste haue [etc.]. |
d. on the strength of:
† (
a) with the strength derived from, fortified by (food or drink) (
obs.); (
b) encouraged by, relying on, or arguing from.
Cf. 1 Kings xix. 8 ‘in the strength of that meat’, which is literal from the Hebrew.
| 1625 Massinger New Way ii. ii, Here; drinke it off, the ingredients are cordiall... You may ride on the strength of this till to morrow morning. 1708 Addison Pres. St. War 24 The Allies after a successful Summer are too apt upon the Strength of it to neglect their Preparations for the ensuing Campaign. 1717 Prior Alma iii. 243 Was ever Tartar fierce or cruel, Upon the Strength of Water-Gruel? a 1734 North Life Ld. Kpr. Guilford (1742) 53 Sir William Jones, who, upon the Strength of the Duke of Bucks, set his Lordship so hard for the Solicitor General's Place. 1780 Mirror No. 92, I have known a lady here contrive to make a figure for half the winter, on the strength of a plume of feathers, or the trimming of a petticoat. 1806–7 J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (1826) iii. §39 Going to see a party of strolling players on the strength of an encouraging report. 1845 Dickens Chimes iii. 110 [He] had considerably improved his acquaintance with Sir Joseph Bowley on the strength of his attentive letter. 1865 Emerson in Harper's Mag. (1884) Feb. 461/2 On the strength of your note, I am working away at my last pages. 1885 Manch. Exam. 13 July 5/2 He makes a careful selection of instances, on the strength of which he asks us to accept the conclusion at which he has arrived. 1890 D. C. Murray John Vale xxv, You have [made a discovery], have you?.. And you want half-a-crown for a drink on the strength of it? |
e. the strength of: the point or meaning of, the essential facts about (
ellipt. in
quot. 1958). Esp. in
phr. that's about the strength of it: that is what it amounts to (
cf. that's (
about)
the size of it s.v. size n.1 10 f);
to get the strength of: to understand.
colloq. (
orig. and chiefly
Austral. and
N.Z.).
| 1908 H. Fletcher Dads & Dan: between Smokes 112 ‘So yous thinks I'se wore out,..an' past patchin' an' mendin'?’ ‘That's about ther strength of it.’ 1916 C. J. Dennis Moods of Ginger Mick 63 Then, bit be bit, Mick gits the strength uv it. 1926 K. S. Prichard Working Bullocks xv. 136 Now..I'll just give you the strength of Red Burke... They say there never was a good Burke. 1943 N. Marsh Colour Scheme v. 93, I don't get the strength of it myself. He wouldn't say much. 1946 K. Tennant Lost Haven (1947) ix. 129 If it hadn't been for her engine..you might just as well have left her on the sandbar to go to pieces... That's about the strength of it. 1958 F. Norman Bang to Rights i. 10 The strength was that he'd got nicked for ponceing off his old woman. 1965 A. Prior Interrogators x. 188 ‘Just passing and you saw the door was open?’ He laughed. ‘Well, yes, that's just about the strength of it.’ 1969 Advertiser (Adelaide) 12 May 5/4 Get the strength of this: You [sc. Australians] talk about bankos and trunks—is that English? 1974 J. Cleary Peter's Pence vi. 178 ‘What's the strength of all this?’ ‘Strength?’ Kessler's English didn't run to Australian colloquialisms. ‘What's the point, the meaning?’ |
f. give me strength: used as an expression of exasperation.
| 1967 ‘S. Woods’ And shame Devil 251 ‘Give me strength,’ said O'Brien helplessly. ‘I'll try to explain.’ 1970 K. Benton Sole Agent xviii. 194 ‘You make all my plans sound so drab and sordid.’ ‘Oh give me strength!’ |
3. Used for: A source of strength; that which makes strong. (Not now in
pl.)
Often in Biblical language (literally from
Heb.),
esp. as predicated of God.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) lix. 6 And Effrem ys æðele strengþu heafdes mines. a 1300 Cursor M. 7208 His wijf wald noght fin..Til sco þe soth had gert him sai, In quat stede al his strencth lai. a 1340 Hampole Psalter xxx. 4 For my strenght and my fleynge ert thou. c 1386 Chaucer Monk's T. 68 For alle hise strengthes in hise heeres weere. a 1400 Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. xxiii. 234 Heil vr Ioye of worþinesse, And vr strengþe þerto. 1615 E. S. Britain's Buss in Arber Eng. Garner III. 648 Our shipping and mariners, sea towns, and coasts, which..should be the walls and strength of this Islandish Monarchy. 1630 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. 220 Both of them are wonderfull strengths, eases, and riches to his Countrey. 1630 M. Godwyn tr. Bp. Godwyn's Ann. Eng. 21 Our chiefe strength were our Archers. 1667 Milton P.L. x. 921 [Eve to Adam] Bereave me not, Whereon I live,..My only strength and stay. 1678 Bp. Sprat Serm. 7 Nov. (1710) 130 What they boaded would be a Mischief to us, you are providing shall be one of our principal Strengths. 1738 Wesley Psalms li. vii, And all my Powers shall join to bless The Lord, my Strength and Righteousness. 1855 Prescott Philip II i. v. I. 69 The strength of his army lay in his Spanish veterans. 1883 Manch. Exam. 24 Oct. 4/6 The strength of Conservatism was that it appealed to men of all classes and positions..who desire to maintain the Constitution as it is. |
† 4. Superior power exerted for conquest, outrage, or compulsion; force; wrongful force, violence;
pl. acts of violence.
to make strength; to resort to force.
Obs.| c 1000 Apollonius of Tyre (1834) 2 He..ða onᵹean-winnendan fæmnan mid micelre strengðe earfoðlice ofercom. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1119, Sume þa castelas he mid strengðe ᵹenam. 1154 Ibid. an. 1137, §6 Landes þat rice men hefden mid strengthe. a 1200 Moral Ode 168 in O.E. Hom. I. 169 Ne scal him na mon mene þer of strengþe ne of wronge. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 179 And ȝif þe louerd net his underlinge to ȝiuene, þat beoð strengðe, and refloc. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 673 Nembrot nam wið strengðhe ðat lond, And helde ðe tur o babel in his hond. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4166 Some he mid strencþe nom & al quic hom vret. c 1300 K. Horn 1084 (Laud) Mody Myd strencþe hyre hadde And in to toure ladde. c 1300 Leg. Gregory (Schulz) 621 Þo was þe douke wiþ strengþe ytake, And brouȝt to þe conteise sone. 13.. Cursor M. 19323 (Edin.) To þe tempil þan þai giede, þa postlis to þair curte to lede, bot strenþes nane did þai þaim til. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 240 And that thing mai I noght fulfille, But if I scholde strengthe make. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) v. 37 On that was clept Guytoga..made him Soudan be strengthe. c 1400 Brut lix. 54 Þai hade descomfitede him biforn-hand, and dryuen him out by strengþ. c 1400 Pride of Life 332 in Non-Cycle Myst. Plays 99 Med is mad a demisman, Streyint betit þe lau. 1463 Stat. Roll Irel. 3 Edw. IV (1914) 187 To resist the malicieux pourposes might and strayngth of your forsaid Irishe Enemyez. |
† 5. A power, faculty; an active property.
Obs.| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 116 Ᵹenim þas ylcan wyrte & ele & swinen smero do tosomne þonne hæfð hit ða strængðe hyne to ᵹewyrmenne. 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love iii. vi. (Skeat) l. 67 Instrument of willing is thilke strength of the soule, whiche that constrayneth to wilne. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 96 Vche sawle is a spirituell stryngthe,..and it hauys two stryngthes rennynge to-gedre yn þe body,..oon of þe stryngthes is a tokenynge, þe oþer ys wirkand, þat glorious god hauys inlightyd of vij strenghes; of stryngthe attractyue, and retractyf, of stryngthe digestyf, and purgatyf, of strengthe nutrityf, and infirmatyf, and sustantyf. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xcvi. 427 (Add. MS.) Therfore I am holdyn to serue hym with all my strengthes And membres. 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 264 Be dragonis baitht and dowis, ay in double forme, And quhen it nedis ȝow, onone, note baith ther stranthis. 1525 tr. Brunswyke's Handywork Surg. xv. D j b, That the powder [shall] haue in hym selfe suche strength that whan it towcheth the vayne, that it therwith may close, which strength is namyd stiptica. Ibid. lxviii. O iv b, Lay thervpon this plaster, whyche hathe the strengthe to cause all bowed bones to come out agayn. |
† 6. A feat of strength; an act requiring strength.
to make no strength of: to find no difficulty in.
| c 1290 Alban 62 in S. Eng. Leg. 69 Huy comen to an vrninde brok: þere huy mosten ouer wade: þe tormentores woden ouer al a-brod: and no strencþe þar-of ne maden. 1375 Barbour Bruce xvi. 646 Thar did ane Ynglis man, perfay, A weill gret strynth, as I herd say. 1579–80 North Plutarch, Crassus (1612) 573 These bowmen [Parthians] drew a great strength, and had big strong bowes. |
† 7. The force, tenor, or import (of a document); the power, phonetic value (of a letter of the alphabet).
Obs.| c 1425 Eng. Conq. Ireland (1896) 90 The forme of thay preuyleges, as thay wer endyted..a latyne, ne myght I nat comly setten yn Englyshe, & þerfor I hyt leue; bot the meste streynth ys thys. 1447 Rolls of Parlt. V. 132/1 That it be doone after the strengthe, fourme and effecte of this Petition. c 1450 Godstow Reg. 348 Aftir the strengthe, forme, and effecte, of theire charter therof made. 1602 [J. Willis] Art Stenogr. B 5, In these wordes, H, hath the strength of a thicke Aspiration, as if they [sc. Ah, Oh] were thus written, Agh, Ogh. |
† 8. Strengthening, reinforcement, confirmation.
| c 1420 Brut cxxxviii. 144 He passede þe see, and come into Engeland, þrouȝ conseil & strengþ & helpe of meny grete Lordes of Engeland. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 52 Soo, for þis man was so yturnet from all wyckednesse ynto all goodnesse, yn gret strengþe and helpe to holy chyrch. Ibid. 228 For ryght as a castell hath a depe dych yn strengyth of hyt, soo hath our lady a dyche of mekenes. c 1450 Godstow Reg. 95 Into witnesse and strengthe of all thingis he made his seale. Ibid. 206 Yf nede were the sewters of the forsaid court shold come fully to the strengthe of the courte for the kyngis breef or writte ther to be demed at that tyme. |
† 9. Legal power; authority. (
Cf. 1 h.)
Obs.| 1414 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 58/1 By strengthe and colour of the forseide Statut so generally mad..the forseide Priour and Chanons hav us..by enquestes enbraced as for her bonde boremen. 1480 Caxton Cron. Eng. ccviii. 190 He..axed the keyes of the yates of the Cyte thurgh vertue and strengthe [Brut strengh] of his commyssyon. 1501 Will of John Bawde in Bury Wills (Camden) 84, I charge my feffoours that they delyuer strengthe jn as moche londe as jt most redyest mony to be had for to my executoours. 1530 Will of John Bewchyr, ibid., note, I gyve all my strength that my mother gaue me..I gyve nowe all my strength to John Wallgore for to gyve or sell all the goods, houses [etc.]. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. xlix. 13 To leaue poore me, thou hast the strength of lawes, Since why to loue, I can alledge no cause. 1689 in Acts Parlt. Scot. (1875) XII. 63/2 By causeing persewand forfault seuerall persones upon strenthes of old and absolute lawes. |
10. a. A stronghold, fastness, fortress. Now
arch. or
Hist., chiefly with reference to Scotland.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 270 Auh þis heie sacrament..unwrihð his wrenches, & brekeð his strencðes. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 7142 Alle þe strengþes he gan to sese..he had alle þys forceresses. 1375 Barbour Bruce v. 469 Thai held the strynthis of the land. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 449 Codrus..entrede in to þe strengþe of his enemyes [L. castra hostium ingreditur]. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 55 Ther let he make of lym and sond A strengthe where he wolde duelle. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 238 Meny hardy men that hadden wil to fyghte, To brennen and to bruten, to bete a-doun strengthes. c 1420 Contin. Brut ccxlv. 386 And so þe King gat and conquered alle the tounez and Castelles, Pilez, Streynthis, and Abbeyez, vnto Pountlarge. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. xiii. 42 Sum in the hillis hie sall set wp syne The strenthis and the castellis Collatyne. 1542 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. VIII. 109 Utheris to kepe thair housis and strengthis un the bordouris. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 118 In conclusion, he toke money sayth Reynulph and yeelded vp his Castelles and strengthes which he helde. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres v. i. 121 The Generall of the Artillerie is to prouide for all the forts and strengths of the realme. 1643 Chas. I. Conc. Treaty Oxf. Wks. 1662 II. 320 If any Prince seize upon any Strength that belongs to His stronger Neighbour. 1661 J. D[avies] Civil Warres cviii. 370 To lay down their Arms, and surrender Chester and other strengths. 1667 Milton P.L. vii. 141 This inaccessible high strength, the seat Of Deitie supream. 1748 Smollett Rod. Rand. xxxiii, Our sailors at the same time become masters of all the other strengths near Boca Chica. 1807 G. Chalmers Caledonia I. i. ii. 91 There was once a subterraneous communication, between these two British strengths, on Barry⁓hill. 1815 Scott Antiq. xxviii, Auld Elspeth's like some of the ancient ruined strengths and castles that ane sees amang the hills. 1870 Burton Hist. Scot. lix. (1873) V. 351 If we suppose it clear..that King James was to be taken to that lonely strength, it is..an absolute mystery how he was to be treated when he was there. |
† b. A defensive work, munition, fortification. Also
fig. Obs.| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xix. 362 Conscience comaunded þo al crystene to delue, And make a muche mote þat myȝte ben a strengthe, To helpe holycherche. 1382 Wyclif Isa. xxxiii. 16 The strengthys of huge stones his heȝte [Vulg. munimenta saxorum sublimitas ejus]. c 1400 Beryn 239 The knyȝt..went to se the wall, And þe wardes of the town..; Devising ententiflich þe strengthis al a-bout. 1500 Reg. Privy Seal Scot. I. 791 To big a tour..and mak thairapon irn ȝettis, machcolyn,..and al uther strenthis. 1609–10 Act 7 Jas. I, c. 20 §2 For the making..keeping and mainteyninge of Peres, Wals, Jettes, Pyles, Strengthes, Fortificacions, Defences, and other thinges whatsoever to withstand and breake the rage and violent beating of the Sea. 1636 B. Jonson Discov. (1640) 92 That there was a Wall or Parapet of teeth set in our mouth..that the rashnesse of talking should..be fenced in, and defended by certaine strengths, placed in the mouth it selfe, and within the lips. 1661 Reg. Privy Counc. Scot. Ser. iii. I. 6 To cause demolish and slight the wallis, strenths and fortificationes of the Citiedale of Inuernesse. |
† c. One's strong position; the place within which one is most secure;
spec. in
Wrestling (see
quot. 1714).
Obs.| 1375 Barbour Bruce iii. 44 Tharfor me thynk maist awenand To withdraw ws,..Till we cum owt off thar daunger. For owr strenth at our hand is ner. 1436 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 498/1 Ye Parysh Kirk of Bidstone in ye same Countee of Chestre, within his awne strenght. c 1440 Bone Flor. 497 All that were lefte onslayne, Fledd unto ther strenkyth agayne. 1464 in Archæologia XLVII. 191 Be it kend..me Alexander Hom..be these present letters assouver..Thomas Burghe..safly to pass agan in Ingland to thar own st[r]enth. 1513 More Rich. III, Wks. 57/2 Then thought the protectour,..while y⊇ lordes of the realme wer about him out of their owne strenghtis,..it wer best hastly to pursue his purpose. 1612 Hayward Ann. Eliz. (Camden) 52 They kept themselves so within their strength, that only two of their horsemen and one of their footemen [were] slayne. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. ix. §100 The counter-scuffle at Petherton-bridge, when two of his own parties..fought with each other, whilst the enemy retired to their own strengths. 1714 T. Parkyns Inn-Play (ed. 2) 57 Stand straight and wide, but not out of your strength with your Toe out. |
† 11. a. collect. sing. Troops, forces.
Obs.| 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1140, Þa hi þær inne wæren þa com þe Kinges cuen mid al hire strengthe. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8793 So þat a Misselmasse eue, mid hor ost hii come To gadere mid gret strengþe, & þe bataile nome. c 1420 Contin. Brut ccxli. 351 The King..made hym redy with his streynthe, and rode yn-to Essex. 1461 Paston Lett. II. 59 And yet..he wolde send me with strengthe of men as a presoner. c 1482 J. Kay tr. Caoursin's Siege of Rhodes (1870) ¶11 Therfor the lord mayster putted also strenght of men into the walles of Rhodes whiche were beten downe with bombardes. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 51 That we shold sende our strength and souldiours unto straungers [L. subministrare videlicet copias, et militem nostrum aliis]. Ibid. 137 b, He fortifieth it with workes and strength of men [L. opere praesidioque munit]. 1642–4 Vicars God in Mount 163 In expectation of some more strength either from Glocester-shire, or else from the Lord Generall. 1649 Davenant Love & Hon. v. i. 16 Vasco, it is the Dukes command that you Assemble straight some strength from the cast regiments To guard the pallace yard. a 1700 Evelyn Diary Apr. 1646, Within is another fort and spacious lodgings for the souldiers... No accommodation for strength is wanting. 1703 Burchett Mem. Transactions at Sea 288 All that the Admiral could do was to protect the Trade, till such time as the additional Strength expected from England joined him. |
b. A body of soldiers; a force.
Obs.| a 1500 in Kingsford Chron. Lond. (1905) 177 Quene Margaret came owte of ffraunce in to Scotland w{supt} a strength of people; and so entred into England and made opyn warr. 1544 Betham Precepts War ii. lxiv. L vj b, Wherfore we must all wayes fyght wyth fresshe men, newe strengthes, and plentye of vytayles. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus, Decurias hominum inducere, to bryng in a strength of men. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, i. iii. 76 That he should draw his seuerall strengths togither And come against vs in full puissance. 1599 Hayward 1st Pt. Hen. IV, 18 The king..sent a strength of men with charge, either to set vpon the earle of Arundell where he did lie, or [etc.]. 1617 Moryson Itin. ii. 210 The Forces in Garrison at Carrickfergus, out of which Sir Arthur Chichester was to draw a competent strength to come by water and meete the Lord Deputie. 1627 Drayton Mis. Q. Marg. xcix, Yorke..With his deare Nevils, Counsels what to doe, For it behou'd him, to make good his Guard With both their strengthes and all to little too. |
12. Mil. and
Naval.
a. The number of men on the muster-roll of an army, a regiment, etc.; the body of men enrolled; the number of ships in a navy or fleet.
under strength: having less than the standard or normal number.
| 1601 Shakes. All's Well iv. iii. 181 Demaund of him of what strength they are a foot. c 1610 Let. in Daily News (1896) 24 Nov. 8/1 His strength is as followeth: When he goeth in person to the wars, he hath not less than 300,000 men armed with lances and swords. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 7 Nov. 1691, The relation he gave of the strength of the French King..was very wide from what we fancied. 1711 Swift Cond. Allies 40 And as they [the Dutch] increase their Trade, it is obvious they will enlarge their Strength at Sea. 1718 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to Abbé Conti 31 July, His strength at sea now [is] very small. 1802 C. James Milit. Dict. s.v., In all returns which are made of corps, strength implies the number of men that are borne upon the establishment, in contradistinction to effective force, which means the number fit for service. 1809 Lond. Chron. 8 Aug. 130 Strength of the Garrison. Two captains, [etc.]... Total 127. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 580 Orders were given that the strength of every company of infantry and of every troop of cavalry should be increased. 1859 Musketry Instr. 82 [Rules for ‘Monthly Progress Return’] 1st. Strength, &c.—Under this head are to be shown the effectives of each company,—that is, every man of the company, whether present or absent, on the last day of the month, minus regimental staff-serjeants, drummers, and recruits in a musketry sense. 1894 ‘J. S. Winter’ Red Coats 26 But outside the fighting strength of the regiment Colonel de Crespigny was not liked. 1896 Daily News 9 Feb. 3/3 At present the Brigade of Guards was under strength. |
b. on the strength: entered on the rolls of a regiment. Also said of those soldiers' wives whose marriage has been approved by the authorities, and who have therefore a recognized position; opposed to
off the strength.
| 1864 G. J. Whyte-Melville Brookes of Bridlemere ii, The coloured clothes denoting that the wearer was a bâtman, or officer's servant, though on the strength of the regiment as a trooper in its ranks. 1889 Eng. Illustr. Mag. Apr. 533/2 The colonel had put the widow woman ‘on the strength’—she was no longer an unrecognized waif, but had her regimental position. 1890 Pall Mall Gaz. 6 Sept. 7/2 Only the wives of the men on the married strength proceed, at the expense of the Government,..but those married without leave go at their own expense. 1897 Col. Forrest in United Serv. Mag. Nov. 147 Married soldiers are of two categories, those married ‘on the strength’ and those married ‘off the strength’. |
13. A sufficient number (of persons or things) for some purpose. Now
dial.| 1607 Markham Caval. i. 75 When the colt is haltered, you shall prouide, that good strength of men take hold vpon the end of the chase halter. 1640 J. Taylor (Water P.) Differing Worships 2 His Worships Altar's Crown'd with Glorious strength Of Massie Plate. 1717 Bolingbroke Let. to Sir W. Windham (1753) 69 When..she took the resolution of laying him aside, there was a strength still remaining sufficient to have supported her government. 1748 Anson's Voy. ii. ii. 128 Without the help of their crews he had no longer strength enough to navigate the ship. 1765 A. Dickson Treat. Agric. (ed. 2) 316 These two plowings may be performed with the same strength, and in the same time with one clean plowing. 1769 G. White Selborne, To Pennant 2 Jan., Half-a-dozen gentlemen, furnished with a good strength of water-spaniels. 1875 W. Alexander Sk. Life 140 Maister Mutch has stren'th o' men an' beasts to be mair nor maister o' a' the wark upo' the fairm. 1878 Cumbld. Gloss., Strenth o' men and pitchforks, power, influence. |
† 14. The aggregate resources (of a nation).
Obs.| 1695 C. Davenant Ess. Ways & Means Wks. 1771 I. 62 In taxing the people we have hitherto gone chiefly upon land, and foreign trade, which are about 1/3d part of the strength of England. 1708 Addison Pres. St. War 6 The Woollen Manufacture is the British Strength, the staple Commodity and proper Growth of our Country. 1711 Swift Cond. Allies 8 No Monarch..did ever engage beyond a certain Degree; never proceeding so far as to exhaust the Strength and Substance of their Country by Anticipations and Loans. |
15. Strongest part.
† a. gen. Obs.| c 1530 Judic. Urines ii. xiii. 42 b, Ilica passio... Ile is the pyth and the strenth of a thyng. 1585 Higins Junius' Nomencl. 143/1 Pulpa,..the hart, or strength of timber. 1725 Pope Odyss. ii. 427 Then studious she prepares the choicest flour, The strength of wheat, and wines, an ample store. |
b. Fencing.
= forte n. 2.
Obs.| 1705 H. Blackwell Engl. Fencing-Master 10 You must engage your Adversary with the Strength of your Foile on the Feeble of his. 1711 Z. Wylde Engl. Master of Defence 5 From the Shell to the middle, I call the Fort or Strength of the Weapon. |
c. The strongest part (of a stream or current).
| 1807 O. W. Roberts Voy. Centr. Amer. 258 Keeping generally in the strength of the current, which..carried us down with great velocity. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Strength of the tide, where it runs strongest, which in serpentine courses will be found in the hollow curves. |
16. A mighty company, a power.
nonce-use.
| 1842 Tennyson Ulysses 66 We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven. |
17. strength through joy [
tr. G.
kraft durch freude]: a movement founded in Germany by the National Socialist Party in 1933 to promote physical and cultural recreational activities among working people. Also
transf. and
fig. (Freq. with capitals and hyphens.)
| 1935 G. Dimitrov Working Class against Fascism in Rep. 7th World Congress (1936) 43 In the Hitler Youth Leagues, in the sports organizations, in the Kraft durch Freude organisations (Strength Through Joy). 1939 Ann. Reg. 1938 iii. 201 During the first days after the ‘Anschluss’, 10,000 [Austrian] workers..inclined to Communism and Socialism, had been invited for a fourteen-day trip to Germany where they found a hearty welcome and were shown the institutions of the Kraft durch Freude (strength through joy) movement. 1943 Tribune 4 June 19/1 The strength-through-joy brigades you will have met Whose mouths are baggy and whose hair is scented. 1962 L. R. Banks End to Running ii. iv. 177 Full of an awful sort of phoney strength-through-joy. 1967 T. Stolper tr. G. Stolper's German Economy v. 152 Annual paid vacations, inexpensive theaters and concerts, and all the other activities of the party's leisure time organization—‘Strength through Joy’ (Kraft durch Freude). 1973 ‘G. Black’ Bitter Tea x. 156 The girl..looked as if she had graduated from one of Lee Kuan Yew's strength-through-joy courses. 1975 Listener 16 Jan. 71/3 Physical fitness was a Nazi fetish..bronzed young Germans cultivating ‘strength-through-joy’. 1979 J. Gardner Nostradamus Traitor xv. 86 ‘They sent me up to Scotland.’ It was a toughening-up course at a Strength Through Joy Camp... Survival. Living off the land. |
18. attrib. and
Comb., as
strength-constant,
strength-return,
strength test;
strength-(to-)weight ratio; objective, as
strength-giver;
strength-conferring,
strength-decaying,
strength-giving,
strength-increasing,
strength-inspiring,
strength-restoring,
strength-sapping,
strength-showing,
strength-sustaining,
strength-testing adjs.| 1720 Pope Iliad xix. 168 Built anew with *Strength-conferring Fare. |
| 1881 Q. Jrnl. Geol. Soc. XXXIX. 139 On the Elasticity and *Strength-constants of Japanese Rocks. By Thomas Gray..and Prof. John Milne. |
| 1600 Weakest goeth to Wall F 3 *Strength-decaying age. |
| 1890 Spectator 3 May, They could settle..what the value of the potato really is as a *strength-giver. |
| 1845 J. R. Lowell in Amer. Rev. Aug. 137, I saw them in all higher moods, and durst Face their *strength-giving eyes. 1880 C. R. Markham Peruv. Bark 144 The strength-giving, invigorating coca. |
| 1655 Marquis of Worcester Cent. Invent. Index p. iij, A *Strength-increasing Spring. |
| 1799 Campbell Pleas. Hope i. 101 Thy *strength-inspiring aid. |
| 1852 Bailey Festus 524 Another holy day..hath now slid Into the passive *strength-restoring night. |
| 1893 Bowdler tr. von Pfeil's Exper. Prussian Officer iii. 31 Prince Charles..compared the figures shown on the *strength-returns of some Russian troops with the actual numbers. |
| 1961 Times 6 Dec. 3/4 Both boxers kept up a *strength-sapping pace. |
| 1939 N. de V. Hart Bridge Players' Bedside Bk. 133 North's Two Spades is a true *strength-showing reverse, because South has to raise the bidding level to three in order to put North back to clubs. 1967 Bridge Players' Encycl. 490/1 Strength-Showing Bids, in some special situations a suit bid can be used to show strength rather than length or control. |
| c 1624 Chapman Hymn to Hermes 665 Because he beares Of *strength-sustayning youth, the flaming yeares. |
| 1898 Engin. Mag. XVI. 154/2 *Strength Tests of Swedish Iron and Steel. |
| 1898 Daily News 12 Apr. 3/7 *Strength-testing machines. |
| 1978 Jrnl. R. Soc. Arts CXXVI. 682/1 The primary incentive for the development of titanium was without doubt its *strength-to-weight ratio and the potential of this property in aircraft construction. |
| 1945 F. S. Stewart Airframe Materials i. 2 The *strength-weight ratio of materials used in airframes is of such great importance. |
▪ II. † strength, v. Obs. Forms: see
strength n.; also 4
strengþi.
[f. strength n.] 1. trans. To give strength to, to make strong or stronger, to strengthen, fortify, confirm.
| c 1160 Hatton Gosp. Luke i. 80 Soðlice se cnape weox & wæs on gaste ᵹe-stræncþed. a 1225 Ancr. R. 140 Heo temeð wel hire fulitowene fleschs, & strenðeð & deð menske hire wurðfule soule. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4720 Hii..strengþede castles. 13.. Cursor M. 22366 (Gött.) Þai sal..strinth þaim al gain þat fight. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints v. (John) 384 Þan mad he byschoppis ay-quhare, to strinth and vpehald goddis lare. 1382 Wyclif Prov. xx. 18 Thoȝtis bi counseilis ben strengthid. 1414 26 Pol. Poems xiii. 108 Strengþe ȝoure marche, and kepe þe see. c 1425 Eng. Conq. Ireland (1896) 68 The lond of Irland..whyche he had y-cast for to streynth with castell. 1450–80 tr. Secreta Secret. 82 Thynges þat strynghtes and makys fat þe body. c 1450 Godstow Reg. 104 And leste that the same Rauf or his heires shold rynne into harme thereof afterwarde by hym or by his heires, he strengthed þis writyng with his seale. 1483 Caxton Golden Leg. 308/1 They be sent for to strengthe in us all our perfection unto the ende. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 12 God is as redy to here hym, & with his grace to helpe & strength hym. 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. i. Wks. 1140/1 To stable and strength the walles of our heartes agaynste the gret sourges of this tempesteous sea. 1562 Winȝet Cert. Tractatis Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 25, I strenthit not my purpose with ma sufficient ressonis and auctoriteis. 1573–80 Tusser Husb. (1878) 46 Marsh wall too slight, strength now, or god night. 1610 Mason Turke G 2 Twas loue and state Gaue thee this time of life to strength my fate. 1614 J. Taylor (Water P.) Water-worke B 4 b, Those Marchants..more to strength their power, ioynd with the Pope. |
2. To force, compel.
| 1340 Ayenb. 86 Ne alle þe dyeulen of helle ne moȝen mannes wyl strengþi to do one zenne wyþ oute his wylle. |
3. refl. To summon up one's strength.
| c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon iii. 109 Whan Bayarde wyst hymselfe lade wyth two knyghtes, he strengthed hym selfe so strongly that it semed to Reynawde that he was more ioyouse. |
Hence
† strengthed ppl. a.;
† ˈstrengthing vbl. n. the action of the verb; also
concr.| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xiii. (Mark) 197 To þe strinthinge of haly kirk. 1382 Wyclif 4 Kings xxiv. 10 The cyte is enuyround with streynthyngis. Ibid., Isa. xxxvi. 1 Alle the strengthid cities of Iuda. 1472 in Charters, etc. Edinb. (1871) 135 To help..to the said fortressing and strenthing of our said Burgh. 1528 Paynell Salerne's Regim. D j b, The streingthynge therof is nat sufficient to digest great repletions of meates. 1574 in P. Cunningham Extr. Acc. Revels (Shaks. Soc.) 84 Tape for tyenge and strengthing, vij s. |