perambulation
(pəˌræmbjʊˈleɪʃən)
[a. AF. perambulation, med.L. perambulātio (both in early use in England in sense 3), n. of action from perambulāre: see perambulate v. and -ation. Cf. It. perambulazione (Florio).]
1. The action of walking through; a walk, a journey on foot; formerly more generally, the action of travelling through or about; a tour.
| c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) ii. 67, I shall..make perambulacion, Thorow oute damaske. 1579–80 North Plutarch (1895) II. 136 Then he sent out skowtes..to viewe the way of their perambulation. 1632 Lithgow Trav. viii. 342 Whether discontent or curiosity droue me to this second perambulation. 1788 Cumberland Observer No. 96 IV. 25 The fatigue of so ill-timed a perambulation disabled me from expressing that degree of admiration, which seemed to be expected. 1829 Lytton Devereux ii. xi, I..venture to request you to seek some other spot for your nocturnal perambulations. 1877 ‘H. A. Page’ De Quincey II. xvi. 29 In the course of his daily perambulations at Lasswade. |
b. Const. of (the place).
| 1642 Howell For. Trav. (Arb.) 43 In the perambulation of Italy young Travellers must be cautious..to avoyd one kind of Furbery or cheat. 1779–81 Johnson L.P., Milton Wks. II. 91 He seems to have intended a very quick perambulation of the country [Italy]. 1861 Lewin Jerusalem 110 In their perambulation of the walls both started in opposite directions. |
2. The action of travelling through and inspecting a territory or region; a survey. b. transf. A written account of a survey or tour of inspection.
| 1576 Lambarde (title) A Perambulation of Kent: Conteyning the Description, Hystorie, and Customes of that Shyre. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. i. vii. §6 Adrian spent his whole reign..in a perambulation or survey of the Roman empire. 1657 Wood Life (O.H.S.) I. 215 Apr. 30...he began his perambulation of Oxfordshire: and the monuments in Wolvercot church were the first that he survey'd and transcrib'd. 1894 Lancet 3 Nov. 1069 The work will include a ‘Perambulation’, such as is found in the classic by Stowe and Strype. |
3. The action or ceremony of walking officially round a territory (as a forest, manor, parish, or holding) for the purpose of asserting and recording its boundaries, so as to preserve the rights of possession, etc.; beating the bounds.
| [c 1250 Bracton iv. ix. (Rolls) III. 70 Fiat inde perambulatio et sic terminetur negotium.] 1540 Act 32 Hen. VIII, c. 12 Discrete persons..to make parambulacions & to appoint..wher the boundes..shal extend. 1563 Homilies ii. Rogation Week iv. (title), An Exhortation to be spoken to suche Paryshes where they vse theyr Perambulation in Rogation weke. 1590 Reg. Privy Council Scot. IV. 515 Ane court of perambulatioun haldin mair nor ane hundreth yeiris syne. 1654 Boston Rec. (1877) II. 119 Mr. James Oliver and Robtt Turner are appoynted to run the line betwixt Cambridge and Rocksbury, and the towne of Boston in perambulatyon. 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn. I, Perambulation of the Forest, is the Surveying or Walking about the Forest, or the Limits of it, by Justices, or other Officers..to set down the Metes and Bounds thereof. 1875 Stubbs Const. Hist. II. xiv. 149 The perambulations necessary for carrying out the forest reforms were ordered. |
b. transf. A record of a perambulation.
| [1373 Rolls of Parlt. II. 320/2 Qe les Chartre, Franchises, & Perambulation dont ceste Bille fait mention soient ratifiez.] 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 497 King Henry the Second..disforested it (as wee finde in an old Perambulation). |
4. The boundary traced, or the space enclosed, by perambulating; circuit, circumference, bounds; district, precinct, extent. lit. and fig.
| 1601 Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 46 In that perambulation is contained the greater part of Hungarie. 1678 T. Jones Heart & Right Sov. 116 The one lying within the perambulation and jurisdiction of Divine soveraignty, the other of humane. 1705 Hickeringill Priest-cr. iv. (1721) 215 They were never quiet till they..enlarged the Perambulations of what they had. 1860 Forster Gr. Remonstr. 226 Extending the boundaries of the forests in Essex, and annihilating the ancient perambulations. 1892 Daily News 25 Jan. 5/4 Nominally the Forest has a perambulation of ninety-three thousand acres. |
† 5. fig. Comprehensive relation or description; also, circumlocution, ‘beating about the bush’. Obs.
| 1509 Hawes Joyf. Medit. viii, What sholde I shewe by perambulacyon All this grete tryumphe. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. To King §15, I will now attempt to make a generall and faithfull perambulation of learning. a 1652 Brome Mad Couple i. Wks. 1873 I. 16 Leave these perambulations; to the point. [Cf. preambulation.] |
6. attrib.
| 1670 in Daily Chron. 12 May (1904) 4/7 Spent on the perambulation dinner, {pstlg}3 10s. 1886 Willis & Clark Cambridge I. Introd. 12 A sort of boulevard, or perambulation-road (circuitus). |