comprise, v.
(kəmˈpraɪz)
Also 5–7 compryse, 5 Sc. compris, 7–9 comprize.
[f. F. comprendre (pa. pple. and pret. Ind. compris):—L. comprendĕre, contr. from comprehendĕre to comprehend. Probably formed by association with emprise, and possibly with enterprise, both of which verbs were derivatives from Eng. ns. of the same form (repr. F. emprise, entreprise, fem. ns. from pa. pple.), but being used as the Eng. reprs. of emprendre, entreprendre, formed a precedent for the analogous representation of other compounds of -prendre by verbs. in -prise: cf. apprise, surprise.
(Many of the early passages in which this word occurs are so vague that it is difficult to gather the exact sense.)]
† 1. a. To lay hold on, take, catch, seize. Obs.
| 1423 Jas. I. Kingis Q. xxviii, Quhat was the cause that he [me] more comprisit Than othir folk to lyve in suich ruyne? c 1440 Hylton Scala Perf. (W. de W. 1494) iii. xxviii, The sercher..shal be ouerlayd & comprysed of hymselfe. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxxvii. 710 And the frenche kynge to comprise to his agreement his sonne in lawe [et prendroit le roy de france sur luy son filz]. 1592 Greene Poems (1856) 129 He could with counsels commonwealths comprise. |
† b. Sc. To seize under legal authority, ‘attach’.
| c 1575 [see comprised]. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 87 The Kings officiars, in the end of the market, sall cause the said cattell to be comprised..be leill men..vntill the summe of the debt. 1621 Sc. Acts Jas. VI, c. 6 ¶1 That summe of money for the which the sayde Landes are comprised. 1637 Rutherford Lett. No. 133 (1862) I. 322, I will think it no bondage to be rouped, comprised, and possessed by Christ as His bondman. |
† 2. a. To ‘take in’ (mentally), perceive, comprehend, conceive. Obs.
| 1475 Caxton Jason 41 b, By alle that I see and comprise in you, hit semeth not..that ye be seke. 1485 ― Chas. Gt. 27 For to compryse thentencyon of the spekar. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. John 3 a, What is he that canne by very imaginacion comprise how that God the father..doeth continually beget God the sonne? 1563 J. Man Musculus' Commonpl. 372 a, It is very hard to comprise, and much harder to expresse the nature of Godde. 1680 H. More Apocal. Apoc. 198 A name..that no man knew but himself..he alone that is it, being able to comprize it. |
† b. ? To hold or bear in mind. Obs.—1
| a 1528 Skelton Dk. Albany, Lenuoy, In his mynde to comprise Those wordes his grace dyd saye Of an ammas gray. |
† c. intr. with of. Obs.
| 1481 Caxton Myrr. i. v. 20 Witte & raison for to serche and compryse of thinges of therthe. |
3. a. To bring together and comprehend or include, esp. in a treatise.
| c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ix. xx. 44 Of þis matere..I hard said on sa mony wys, That al I couth noucht weil compris. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 150 They condescended to compryse the whole matter in wryting. 1586 Thynne in Holinshed III. 1592 That some fauourer of learned mens fame, would comprise their names and works in a particular volume. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 290 Whose..vertues, if in verse I now should take in hand For to comprize. |
b. esp. To comprehend compendiously; to sum up.
| 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurelius (1546) X ij, In a monethe a man might recken all the stones..but in a M. yeres he myght not comprise the malices of hi[r] yll customes. 1548 Cranmer Catech. 147 b, The prayer of the Lorde..conteyneth..great and weyghty matters, suche as neither aungell nor man..was able so pitheli to comprise in so few wordes. 1794 Paley Evid. ii. ii. (1817) 51 The necessity..of comprising what he delivered within a small compass. 1858 Bright Sp. India 24 June, There is far more in it..than any man..can comprise..within the compass of a speech of ordinary length. |
c. To comprehend or include under or in a class or denomination.
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lviii. §2 We use..under the name of their substance not only to comprise that whereof they outwardly consist, but also the secret grace. 1752 Johnson Rambler No. 194 ¶4 This knowledge [of the world] she comprises in the rules of visiting, the history of the present hour, an early intelligence of the change of fashions, etc. 1853 C. Brontë Villette viii. (1876) 68 In her own single person she could have comprised the duties of a first minister and a superintendent of police. |
4. Of things material: † a. To take in within its space; to enclose, to hold. Obs.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 221/4 Al the world myght not haue comprysed hym. 1516 Fabyan iii. ccxl. 281, viii fote of grounde nowe hath my body comprysed. 1621 H. Elsing Debates Ho. Lords (1870) 105 The amendements cannot be comprised in the parchement. They have newe wrytten yt. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. vi v. 1647 H. More Song of Soul i. iii. xxxviii, But smoreing filth so close it doth comprize That it cannot flame out. |
b. To contain, as parts making up the whole, to consist of (the parts specified).
| 1481 Caxton Myrr. i. iv. 16 The fourme of the world and the facyon after that it conteyneth and compriseth. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. ii. iv. §4 The three walls of the City in which the three chief parts of it were comprized. 1868 Peard Water-Farm. xiii. 130 The works..comprise four ponds for fish. Mod. Advt. The house comprises box-room, nine bed-rooms, bath-room, etc. |
c. To extend so as to contain, to extend to; to cover a space or time.
| 1541 R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Chirurg. C iv, A corde that..compriseth all the elbow and moeueth the lytell arme. 1856 Stanley Sinai & Pal. v. (1858) 255 The first division of this plain, which comprised the territory of the ancient Philistines. 1870 Max Müller Sc. Relig. (1873) 49 The registers..which comprised a period of 200,000 years. |
5. Of things immaterial: a. To take in or include; as opposed to leaving out.
| 1651 Baxter Inf. Bapt. 67 The term [seed of God] doth comprize Infants. 1823 Thacher Mil. Jrnl. 79 [To] Comprize all the cases. |
b. To embrace as its contents, matter, or subject.
| 1765 Blackstone Comm. I. 354 Such subsequent parts of these commentaries, as will..comprize almost every object of the justices' jurisdiction. 1788 Priestley Lect. Hist. iii. xiii. 102 The third division of our subject..comprizes what is necesary..to be known previous to the study of history. 1837 Dickens Pickw. xv, ‘The word politics..comprises, in itself, a difficult study of no inconsiderable magnitude’. |
6. pass. To be included, embraced, comprehended: a. in (or within) a document or its scope, in a class, or group.
| c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ix. ix. 60 Thre yheris trwys..Qwhare-in þe Scottis men and þe kyng ware comprysyd. 1483 Caxton Cato 5 b, Ouer and aboue these [commandments] that be comprysed in this sayd table. 1525 Bp. Clerk in Ellis Orig. Lett. ii. 88 I. 320 Theys maters war..nott comprisyd in the articles expressly. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, v. ii. 96 She is our capitall Demand, compris'd Within the fore-ranke of our Articles. 1656 Bramhall Replic. 22 The new Articles since comprised in that Creed. 1823 H. J. Brooke Introd. Crystallogr. 271 Decrements on the acute solid angles, are all comprised within class b. |
b. in, within a space or time, between limits.
| 1587 Golding De Mornay vi. 81 The Might or Power is couertly comprised betweene them both. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 7 The writing..wherein her oath for never marrying againe was comprised. 1784 Cook's Voy. (1790) VI. 1963 That memorable day, in which are comprized the affecting incidents, and melancholy particulars. 1787 J. Barlow Oration 4 July 10 When an hundred millions of people are comprised within your territory. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. II. 31 The hours, when the electric fluid appears feeblest, are those comprised within the time [between evening and sunrise]. |
c. under a heading, title, common term, division.
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens iv. lxxi. 533 Whiche are all comprised under the name of wilde Thistelles. 1655 Gouge Comm. Heb. i. 2 All..Christians..comprised under this particle Us. 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 238 Materials..are comprised under six Heads, viz. 1. Bricks, 2. Tiles, 3. Morter, 4. Laths, etc. 1870 Rolleston Anim. Life Introd. 61 The sub⁓division Loricata, under which are comprised the two orders of Crocodilina and Chelonia. |
d. To be comprehended summarily.
| 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) ii. ii. 87 In these two poyntes is comprysed all the holy scrypture. 1576 Fleming Panop. Epist. 415 In this clause the sum of their request is comprised. 1601 Bp. Barlow Serm. Paules Crosse 20 The whole dutie of a Christian is comprised in one word. 1698 Dryden æneid ii. 86 Behold a Nation in a Man comprised. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. i. §11 Academical study may be comprised in two points, reading and meditation. 1834–43 Southey Doctor (1862) 40 Whether the secret of the Freemasons be comprised in the mystic word above. |
e. Said especially of the things that collectively make up the whole of the thing or class spoken of.
| 1580 North Plutarch (1676) 107 There were but one and thirty Cities comprised onely in the League. 1675 Baxter Cath. Theol. i. ii. 4 It is various degrees of punishment which are comprised in the word Death. 1751 Johnson Rambler No. 158 ¶10 What should be comprised in the proposition. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. II. 430 All the various titles that we find in the heathen mythology, we at last find comprized in Apollo, or the Sun. |
† 7. To put together, draw up, compose (a treatise). Obs.
| 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 21 Pepyn, and in especial charlemayn upon whome this werke is comprysed. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xiv. viii, A ryght greate boke he did truly compryse. 1628 M. Lok (title) The Famovs Historie of the Indies: Declaring the Aduentures of the Spaniards..with Varietie of Relations of the Religious, Lawes, Gouernments..of that People. Comprised into sundry Decads. |
8. Of things: † a. To take up, fully occupy (a space). Obs. rare.
| 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. ii. xxxiv. 144 Olde vesselles charged with stones..shal be drowned so that they shal compryse and fylle all the hauene. |
b. To constitute, make up, compose.
| 1794 G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. ii. xvi. 238 The wheels and pinions comprizing the wheel-work. 1794 Paley Evid. i. ix. (1817) 169 The propositions which comprise the several heads of our testimony. 1850 W. S. Harris Rudimentary Magnetism iv. 73 These substances which we have termed diamagnetic..and which comprise a very extensive class of bodies. 1907 H. E. Santee Anat. Brain & Spinal Cord (1908) iii. 237 The fibres comprising the zonal layer have four sources of origin. 1925 Brit. Jrnl. Radiology XXX. 148 The various fuses etc. comprising the circuit. 1950 M. Peake Gormenghast (1968) xiv. 94 Who, by the way, do comprise the Staff these latter days? 1959 Chambers's Encycl. XIII. 653/1 These fibres also comprise the main element in scar tissue. 1969 W. Hooper in C. S. Lewis Sel. Lit. Ess. p. xix, These essays together with those contained in this volume comprise the total of C. S. Lewis's essays on literature. 1969 N. Perrin Dr. Bowdler's Legacy (1970) i. 20 As to who comprised this new reading public, Jeffrey..guessed in 1812 that there were 20,000 upper-class readers in Great Britain. |
c. pass. To be composed of, to consist of.
| 1874 Art of Paper-Making ii. 10 Thirds, or Mixed, are comprised of either or both of the above. 1928 Daily Tel. 17 July 10/7 The voluntary boards of management, comprised..of very zealous and able laymen. 1964 E. Palmer tr. Martinet's Elem. Gen. Ling. i. 28 Many of these words are comprised of monemes. 1970 Nature 27 June 1206/2 Internally, the chloroplast is comprised of a system of flattened membrane sacs. |
9. The participles are used absolutely: = Including, included (cf. F. y compris); so the gerund.
| 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. vii. 21 He had lost above three thousand and five hundred men, not comprising the wounded. 1663 Gerbier Counsel 37 One quarter of the Ionick Column, the Base and Capital comprised. Ibid. 56 Brick-layers will work..the inside for thirty three shillings, arches comprised. 1887 W. G. Palgrave Ulysses, Phra Bat, The edifice..is square, about thirty feet in dimension each way, without comprising the outer colonnade. |
Hence comˈprised ppl. a., comˈprising vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| c 1575 Sir J. Balfour Practicks (1754) 147 Redemptioun of comprysit landis. Marg. Difference betwix comprysit landis and wodset landis. 1603 Florio Montaigne (1634) 295 If he be in himselfe, they are also two, the comprizing and the comprized. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 110 Comprisings of lands. 1691 E. Taylor tr. Behmen 316 Which breaketh the comprized Life again. 1879 Sir G. Scott Lect. Archit. I. 229 The subdivisions..three or four under one comprising arch. |