▪ I. Roman, n.1
(ˈrəʊmən)
Forms: α. 1 pl. Romane, Romanan. β. 3–4 Romein, 4–6 Romayn(e, 4–7 Romain(e. γ. 4–6 pl. Romanys, -nis, 6–7 Romane. δ. 5– Roman.
[ad. L. Rōmān-us, f. Rōma Rome: cf. It., Sp., Pg. Romano. The β-forms, however, are a. OF. Romain (12–13th c.; so mod.F.), whence also MDu. Romein.]
I. 1. a. An inhabitant or native of ancient Rome; a Roman citizen or soldier; one belonging to the Roman state or empire.
| α c 893 K. ælfred Oros. 2 Hu Romanum wearð an wundor oþiewed. a 900 O.E. Martyrol. 25 Dec., Romanan ᵹesawon fyren cleowen ᵹefeallan of heofonum. Ibid. 30 July, Þa weop eall Romana duᵹoð. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John xi. 48 Romane cumað & nimað ure land. |
| β 1297 R. Glouc. Chron. (Rolls) 1201 Vor þe brutons woxe vaste, þe romeins bineþe were. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 3295 Romayns dredden hem for to deye. Ibid. 3558 Neuere dirst Romayn stire in his stour. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. I. 328 Þis alien was kyng bi þe graunt of Romayns. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. iv. x. 1242 Þe Romayn slew þe Frankis man. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 46 A knycht askit justyng of a Romayn. 1526 Tindale Acts xxv. 16 It is nott the maner off the Romayns [etc.]. 1581 Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 22 Romaines, Saxons, Danes. 1611 Shakes. Cymb. iv. iv. 47 The hazard..fall on me by The hands of the Romaines. |
| γ 13.. Cursor M. (Gött.) 21470 Fordon ȝe haue me wid ȝur dome, Þat ȝe romanis broght fra rome. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. iv. ii. 150 He knyt hym to þe Tuskanys, And warrayide wiþe þaim þe Romanys. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. xv. 68 Bot thow, Romane, remember..To rewle the pepill. a 1591 H. Smith Arrow agst. Atheists iv. I 2 b, Mahomet with his Arabians went, and first tooke part with the Romanes. 1611 Bible Acts xxii. 26 Take heede what thou doest, for this man is a Romane. 1658 Sir T. Browne Hydriot. ii. 15 Nor is it improbable that the Romanes early possessed this Countrey. |
| δ c 1470 Wyntoun's Cron. iv. x. 1231 A Roman saw a Frankkis man. Ibid. xxiv. 2157 Silla þan a Roman wes. 1549 Compl. Scot. 98 Cheiffis and captans of the armye of the romans. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Gradus, The Romans hadde waye..by Sicilie to atteine the empire of Afrike. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iii. ii. 78 Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears. 1659 Jer. Taylor Ductor Pref. (1676) p. xiii, Tribonianus the Lawyer, who out of the Laws of the old Romans collected some choice Rules. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 81 ¶7 When the Romans and Sabines were at War. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. liii. V. 511 In the lowest period of degeneracy and decay, the name of Romans adhered to the last fragments of the empire of Constantinople. 1811 Byron Ch. Har. ii. lxxiii. note, To give details of these nominal Romans and degenerate Greeks. 1871 Ruskin Fors Clav. ii, The Romans did more, and said less, than any other nation that ever lived. |
b. King, or Emperor, of the Romans, the sovereign head of the Holy Roman Empire.
| c 1440 Alph. Tales 9 Philipp, þat was kyng of Romayns. 1492 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 200 To pass..to get the letteris subscriuit to the King of Rowmanis. c 1536 in Songs & Carols, etc. (E.E.T.S.) 152 This yer [sc. 1503] cam a gret embasset from þe Kyng of Romayns. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. xiv. §103 That meeting for the choosing a King of the Romans was of vast expense to every one of them. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v., King of the Romans, in our Age, is a Prince elected, and design'd Successor to the German Empire. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. V. 151 They respectfully saluted the august Charlemagne with the acclamations of basileus, and emperor of the Romans. 1845 Encycl. Metrop. XII. 39/2 Again was a compromise effected, in which the King of the Romans appeared as a mediator. 1878 Encycl. Brit. VIII. 180/1 The German sovereign..called himself merely ‘King of the Romans’..until he had received the sacred crown in the sacred city. |
c. An inhabitant or native of later (mediæval or modern) Rome.
| 1547 Boorde Introd. Knowl. xxii. (1870) 177 Naples is ioyned to Italy, wherfore they do vse the fashions..of Italyons and Romayns. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. lxix. VI. 552 The Romans were excluded from the election of their prince and bishop. 1808 C. Stower Printer's Gram. 38 Aldus Manutius, by birth a Roman. 1835 Lytton Rienzi v. vii, By birth a Frenchman, and full of the bitterest prejudices against the Romans. 1950 T. Williams Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone i. 34 Patience, said the Contessa. Rome was not built in a day! I am a Roman, said Paolo, but I am not Rome. 1967 C. Seton-Watson Italy from Liberalism to Fascism ix. 334 He was an intelligent man, but vain and irresolute, with a Roman's liking for combinazioni. |
† d. Mil. (See
quots.)
Obs.| 1796 Grose's Dict. Vulgar T. (ed. 3), Roman, a soldier in the foot guards, who gives up his pay to his captain for leave to work; serving, like an ancient Roman, for glory, and the love of his country. 1802 James Milit. Dict. s.v., A certain number of men were allowed to work in the metropolis, on condition they left their pay in their officer's hands. These men were called Romans. |
2. a. pl. Those inhabitants of ancient Rome who had accepted the Christian faith.
| a 1390 Wyclif Rom. Prol., Here bygynneth the prologe of Jerome in to the episteles of Poule to Romaynes. a 1420 Ibid., Romayns ben thei, that of Jewis and of hethene men gaderid to gidere, bileeueden in Crist. 1549 Latimer 5th Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 139 The steppes thereof are set forthe in the tenth to the Romaynes. 1611 Bible Rom. i, Paul commendeth his calling to the Romanes. 1632 Sanderson Serm. 21 The matter whereabout the eater and the not-eater differed in the case of the Romanes. a 1704 Locke Par. & Notes Rom. Synopsis, The Assurances he labours to give the Romans, that they are by Faith in Jesus Christ the People of God. |
b. ellipt. St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Freq. abbreviated as
Rom.
| c 1420 Wycliffite Bible IV. 297 Here..bigyneth a prologe on the Romayns. 1660 Jer. Taylor Ductor The Table s.v., Romans 14.14 that nothing is unclean of it self. a 1704 T. Brown Laconics Wks. 1711 IV. 14 The Cavaliers..us'd to trump up the 12th of the Romans upon the Parliament. 1824 Chalmers in Mem. (1851) III. 38, I have now finished the eighth chapter of the Romans. 1902 J. Denney Death of Christ 180 Romans sixth has nothing to do with Romans third. |
3. a. The language of the ancient Romans.
rare.
| 1656 Bullokar Eng. Expos. s.v. Romance, That tongue, which was corrupted out of the Latine or Roman; which we now call French. 1862 Latham Compar. Philol. 650 The only Roman which is known to us, i.e. the Latin of the classics. |
b. Romanic, Romance.
rare.
| 1838 Penny Cycl. X. 432/2 The German monarch [in 847] took the oath in Roman, and the French in Teutonic. |
c. The dialect of the modern Romans.
| 1598 [see Neapolitan n. d]. 1642 J. Howell Instructions Forreine Trav. xi. 138 There is in Italy the Toscan, the Roman, the Venetian, the Neapolitan,..and others..and all these have severall Dialects and Idiomes of Speech. 1973 Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 22 Feb. 65/3 She..spoke such a flowery Roman that I wondered if this wasn't a sort of cultural or social dust thrown into one's eyes. |
4. Printing. The style of letters distinguished by this name (see
Roman a. 5); also
pl. letters of a Roman fount.
| 1598 Ord. Stationers' Co. in Hist. O.E. Lett. Foundries (1887) 129 Those in pica Roman and Italic and in English. a 1625 Fletcher Nice Valour iv. i, Did I not say this wherrit, and this bob, Should be both Pica Roman? 1676 Moxon Print Lett. 3, I..have elected them for a Patern in Romans and Italicks. 1683 ― Mech. Exerc., Printing xiii. ¶1 Each of these several Sizes in the Roman,..for the Punches of Romans and Italicks..are not to be Forged to the same shape. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey) s.v., English Roman, a sort of large Printing-letter. 1771 Luckombe Hist. Print. 227 Roman is at present the most prevailing Letter used in printing. 1834–6 Barlow in Encycl. Metrop. (1845) VIII. 771/2 No intermixture of Roman and Italic. 1848 Hare Guesses Ser. ii. (1867) 393 The notion that one is to gain strength by substituting italics for romans. |
| attrib. 1888 Jacobi Printers' Vocab., Roman cases, the cases for these founts as distinguished from italic cases. |
5. a. A Roman nose.
Cf. Roman a.
1 4 c.
| 1838 Dickens Nich. Nick. v, Snubs and romans are plentiful enough. |
b. A Roman hyacinth.
| 1925 Glasgow Herald 26 Aug. 8/7 Early Romans are in, but at a very high price. 1934 ‘E. M. Delafield’ Provincial Lady in Amer. 126 Early Romans should certainly be well above ground now. |
II. 6. A member or adherent of the Roman Catholic Church; a Roman Catholic.
| 1547 Boorde Introd. Knowl. xx. (1870) 172, I am a Greke... Yet the Romayns with me be mervellous wood. 1607 Ld. Coke's Sp. & Charge D 2 b, The true harted Protestants..did quickly Cut the Throats of our English Romaines. 1689 Prot. Garland 3 As long as the Romans in Brittain bore sway, Good Men was Degraded, and in Prison lay. 1719 De Foe Crusoe ii. (Globe) 449 You will allow it to consist with me, as a Roman, to distinguish far between a Protestant and a Pagan. 1750 Wesley Wks. (1872) II. 197 The congregation was four times larger than usual, in which were abundance of Romans. c 1816 Mrs. Sherwood Stories Ch. Catech. 81, I..attended mass, which is the name the Romans give to the Lord's Supper. 1899 Expositor Oct. 285 A Puritan is satisfied with the Pilgrim's Progress and a Roman with the Imitation of Christ. 1936 S. Dark Manning iii. 101 Tory Romans were henceforth allowed to wear primroses in their button⁓holes on the anniversary of the death of Benjamin Disraeli. 1956 R. Macaulay Towers of Trebizond xxii. 255, I decided that it should stick to Anglican churches, eschewing both Knox and the Romans. 1962 V. J. K. Brook Life Abp. Parker xix. 343 He had constantly to entertain those given into his charge by the Council—Romans or others—that he might reason with them. 1965 M. Spark Mandelbaum Gate ii. 45 Latest bulletin from the Holy Romans..they'll take at least another month to decide. 1975 Byfield & Tedeschi Solemn High Murder (1976) i. 2 The Romans might have a nice large new..church right in town..but the little Anglican wooden shack..had wine. |
| Comb. 1576 Gascoigne Steele Gl. (Arb.) 76 Some do (Romainelike) Esteme their pall and habyte ouermuche. |
7. The Roman rite or liturgy.
| 1882 G. H. Forbes Anc. Irish Missal 28 marg., The Postcommon in the Roman is different. Ibid. 35 marg., This Service is not in the Sarum nor the Roman. |
▪ II. ˈRoman, n.2 = Romany3.
| 1851 Borrow Lavengro lxxi, A daughter of mine, married out among certain Romans who walk about the eastern counties. 1871 M. Collins Marq. & Merch. I. ii. 94 We Romans have had Ashridge Common for our camps. |
▪ III. Roman, a.1 (
ˈrəʊmən)
Forms: 4
Romein,
-eyn, 6
-eyne; 4–6
Romayn, 6
-ayne; 4–7
Romain(e, 5–7
Romane, 6–
Roman.
[In early use a. OF. Romain, -ayn, subsequently ad. L. Rōmān-us: see Roman n.1] I. 1. Of persons: Inhabiting, belonging to, or originating from the ancient city of Rome or its territory; holding the position of a citizen or member of the ancient republic or empire of Rome.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 22343 Bot at þe last the romain king Sal of his ost mak gret gadering. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 3366 Þey conseilled..Þat Brenne scholde turne a-gayn To wyþstande þe host Romayn. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 220 Paulus the worthi kniht Romein. 1533 Bellenden Livy Prol. (S.T.S.) I. 3 The empire..Fra romane kingis vnto consullis went. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie i. viii. (Arb.) 33 Horace the most delicate of all the Romain Lyrickes. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. iv. ii. 4 Let's present him to the Duke like a Romane Conquerour. 1660 Jer. Taylor Ductor iii. iii. (1676) 574 The Roman Emperors residing in the East. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 502 ¶1 Some perusing Roman Writers, would find [etc.]. 1756–7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) II. 408 On the window-shutters are to be seen the heads of celebrated Roman ladies, as Martia, Julia, Aurelia. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) I. 388 What the Roman lawyers called a jus precarium. 1841 Penny Cycl. XX. 80/2 Admixture of the northern people with the Roman population. |
2. Of things: Of or pertaining to, connected with, ancient Rome, its inhabitants or dominion; practised or used by, current or usual among, the Romans, etc.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 22255 Þat of þe romain sal Impire Hali lauerd be and sire. c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 642 He often tymes wolde preche, And me of olde Romayn geestes teche. 1533 Bellenden Livy iv. xviii. (S.T.S.) II. 115 Skairslie mycht þe romane tentis be þat day defendit. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus App., Romulus, as the Romayne stories affyrme, the son of Mars. 1613 Dekker Strange Horse Race Wks. (Grosart) III. 317 A Race,..with some triumphing in Chariots, after the Roman fashion. 1671 Milton P.R. i. 217 To rescue Israel from the Roman yoke. 1738 Gentl. Mag. VIII. 233/2 A Robe somewhat resembling the Roman Habit. 1776 Adam Smith W.N. i. v. (1904) I. 43 The northern nations who established themselves upon the ruins of the Roman Empire. 1819 S. Parkes Chem. Catech. (ed. 9) 574/1 Tin, used in the Roman coinage. 1872 Ruskin Fors Clav. xxi, Just where the Roman galleys used to be moored. |
b. Of language, etc.
= Latin a.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 12538 He spak wel þe speche Romayn, For he had longe wiþ hem ben. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 206 For Couste in Saxoun is to sein Constance upon the word Romein. Ibid. II. 90 The ferste lettres of Latin, Of which the tunge Romein cam. 1612 Brerewood Lang. & Relig. 50 The Spaniards call their language Romance till this day, which yet we know to differ much from the right Roman tongue. c 1620 A. Hume Brit. Tongue (1865) 8 Quhat was the right roman sound of them is hard to judge, seeing now we heer nae romanes. 1784 Cowper Tiroc. 605 'Tis not enough that Greek or Roman page, At stated hours, his freakish thoughts engage. 1841 Latham Eng. Lang. 45 At a given epoch between the first and fifth centuries the language of Gaul was more Roman and less Celtic than that of Britain. 1871 Earle Philol. Eng. Tongue §590 The two great linguistic elements of Western civilization, the Roman and the Gothic. |
c. Roman law, the system or code of law developed by the ancient Romans, and still accepted in principle by many countries.
| 1660 Jer. Taylor Ductor iii. v. (1676) 715 The paternal power is defin'd by the measures of the Roman law. 1681 Stair Inst. Law Scot. i. i. §10. 7 Oft-times by the Common Law, we understand the Roman Law, which in some sort is common to many Nations. a 1768 Erskine Inst. Law Scot. I. i. §i, The Roman law is always understood by way of excellency. 1804 Ranken Hist. France III. iii. iii. 292 By the consuetude of Roman and Gothic law in the south and west counties. 1842 T. Arnold Lect. Mod. Hist. (1860) 41 Many countries have adopted the Roman law. |
3. Of antiquities, etc.: Belonging to, surviving from, the time of the Romans. Also
Comb., as
Roman-looking adj.| a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 73 A pyller which was of auncient Romayne woorke. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 617 The face of an old Roman coine, scarce seene. 1663 Butler Hud. ii. i. 310 Love in your heart as idly burns As Fire in antique Roman-Urns. 1699 Phil. Trans. XXI. 287 Some of the backermost part of which is an Ancient Roman building. 1705 Addison Italy Wks. 1721 II. 123 The workmanship of the old Roman pillars. 1774 Pennant Tour Scotl. in 1772 82 Ride by the side of the Roman road. 1842 Murray's Hand-bk. N. Italy 251/2 A complete collection of all the Roman inscriptions found in the province of Brescia. 1864 Chambers's Encycl. VI. 23/1 As seen in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman lamps. 1869 ‘Mark Twain’ Innoc. Abr. xlviii. 505 We came to a..Roman-looking ruin. |
4. Of a type or kind characteristic of, or exemplified by, the Romans; Roman-like,
esp. in respect of honesty, strictness, courage, or frugality.
spec. Roman father, a dominating head of a family.
| 1577 Hellowes Gueuara's Chron. 43 Longinus vnderstanding thereof, dranke poison... This Romaine straunge act of Longinus gaue great admiration. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iii. ii. 297 One in whom The ancient Romane honour more appeares Then any that drawes breath in Italie. 1606 ― Ant. & Cl. i. ii. 87 He was dispos'd to mirth, but on the sodaine A Romane thought hath strooke him. 1750 W. Whitehead Roman Father v. ii. 74 Has not a Roman father power to take The lives of all his children? 1762–71 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. Pref., It is not rigid nor Roman to say it, but a people had better be unhappy by their own fault, than by that of their government. 1784 Cowper Task iv. 168 A Roman meal;..a radish and an egg. 1798 in Poet. Anti-Jacobin (1854) 217 Burke, in whose breast a Roman ardour glow'd. 1898 Daily News 6 Oct. 3/1 Europe may..resolve to place a sufficient force in the island to make a Roman peace. 1906 Kipling Puck of Pook's Hill 148 There can't be much of the Roman Father about you! 1922 T. E. Lawrence Let. 26 Aug. (1938) 361 Perhaps I'm playing the Roman father trick, and it's not as bad as I think. 1940 H. G. Wells Babes in Darkling Wood i. iv. 89 My Roman father! The Cadi of Clarges Street! 1962 Listener 25 Oct. 694/1 Dr Borosdin, the almost Roman father. 1977 P. G. Winslow Ditch Hill Murder ii. 153 Richard had taken to playing the Roman father to Lerida. |
† b. transf. Of language: Lofty, stately.
Obs.| 1619 J. Dyke Caveat Archippus 23 Others..affect.. such a Roman-English, as plaine Englishmen cannot understand. 1641 J. Trappe Theol. Theol. 227 Plainly to the capacity of the Hearers,..not in a stately stile, or Roman English. |
c. Of a nose: Having a prominent upper part or bridge. Also
transf. of a horse's nose.
| 1624 Massinger Renegado i. i, A third, An Austrian princess, by her Roman nose. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. 84 We use to call such an high and eminent Nose, a Roman Nose. 1709 Tatler No. 75 ¶5 The Butler, who was noted for round Shoulders, and a Roman nose. 1780 Cowper Progr. Err. 396 Some Cæsar shows—Defective only in his Roman nose. 1831 Youatt Horse viii. 117 In some horses, this arch is more than usually developed... These horses are said to have Roman noses. 1883 Cassell's Nat. Hist. I. 88 In man there is the Roman nose, the pug, the straight, the flat, the broken. |
d. Roman holiday, an occasion on which entertainment or profit is derived from injury or death; a scene of suffering considered as an object of amusement; a pitiable spectacle.
Orig. a holiday for a gladiatorial combat: see
quot. 1818
s.v. holiday n. 2.
| 1886 ‘S. Coolidge’ What Katy did Next ix. 223 (heading) A Roman holiday. 1931 R. Ferguson Brontës went to Woolworth's xxv. 220 There. I've made a Roman holiday of my dear little acquaintance, and I only hope I'm right. 1951 G. Greene Lost Childhood 47 The critics..were perhaps influenced by horror at the Roman holiday. 1957 ‘H. Carmichael’ Put out that Star x. 103 All you people ever think about is how you can turn any damn' thing at all into money: anything to make a Roman holiday. 1966 P. O'Donnell Sabre-Tooth xv. 205 She had watched impassively, caring nothing for the man's death but loathing the Roman-holiday manner of it. 1967 A. Wilson No Laughing Matter iii. 329 Was this what Picasso's wonderful Guernica stood for, this Roman holiday? 1972 A. Hunter Vivienne x. 131 A Roman holiday was in the making, and the number of reporters had risen to five. |
5. Of letters: Belonging to the modern type which most directly represents that used in ancient Roman inscriptions and manuscripts,
esp. in contrast to
Gothic (or
black letter) and
Italic.
| 1519 Indent. in Philol. Soc. Trans. (1867) 364 After thre dyverse letters, on for the englysh, an other for the laten, and the thyrde of great romayne letter. 1588 Procl. for Waightes 16 Dec., To be printed and marked with EL crowned, and a Romaine T with R. 1665 Sarum Churchw. Acc. (Swayne) 239 One large Bible in folio Buft and bost of a very faire Roman letter. 1683 Moxon Mech. Exerc., Printing ii. ¶2 Bodies are commonly Cast with a Romain, Italica, and sometimes an English Face. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Printing, Hitherto there had been nothing printed but in Latin, and the vulgar Tongues; first in Roman Characters, then in Gothic, and at last in Italic. 1808 C. Stower Printer's Gram. 35 Even in those nations works are printed..with Roman letters. 1857 Lowndes' Bibliogr. Man. I. 186/2 The first quarto edition of the authorised version, printed in the Roman letter. |
b. Of handwriting: Round and bold.
| 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. iii. iv. 31, I thinke we doe know the sweet Romane hand. 1685 Boyle Enq. Notion Nat. v. 155 If he should have made a Text-hand as fair as a Roman-hand. 1716 Lady M. W. Montagu Lett. I. xxvii. 89 Achmet Bey..can already write a good Roman hand. 1893 Daily News 18 Jan. 5/2 People who have to write great quantities of ‘copy’ for the Press..find their hands, if Roman and fine at first, gradually disappearing in scrawl. |
c. Roman uncial = semi-uncial a. (
n.)
| 1897 [see half-uncial s.v. half- II. n]. 1906 E. Johnston Writing & Illuminating i. 38 Roman uncials were fully developed by the fourth century. |
6. a. Of the alphabet or its characters: Employed by the Romans, and (with various modifications) by all the modern nations of Western Europe and their (former) colonies.
| 1728 [see next]. 1744–5 Phil. Trans. XLIII. 285 The Letters in this Sculpture are mixed, being partly Roman, and partly Saxon. 1846 Monier Williams Skr. Grammar 1 The following are the Devanāgarī letters, with their equivalents in the Roman character. 1879 Encycl. Brit. IX. 631/2 Many new sounds had to be represented which were not provided for in the Roman alphabet. |
b. Of numeral letters: (see
quot. 1728). Opposed to
Arabic.
| 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Character, Roman Characters consist of the Uncial or Majuscule Letters of the Roman alphabet... The Numeral Letters that compose the Roman Character are in Number seven, viz., I, V, X, L, C, D, M. 1735 Phil. Trans. XXXIX. 139 The Roman Numeral Ten, which was made in this Form, like an X. 1800 in Archaeologia XIII. 124 All the sums are specified in Roman characters. Ibid. 125 The churchwardens accounts of Shorne..are entered in Roman numerals as late as the year 1621. 1847 Brit. Mag. XXXII. 364 His singular intermixture of Arabic and Roman numerals. |
7. Arch. = composite a. 2.
| 1624 [see Italian a. 1 c]. 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 27 Composite, Compound, or Roman. Ibid. 28 Scamozzi makes the Roman Base 30 m. high. 1726 [see compound a. 2 c]. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Composite, The Composite is also called the Roman and Italic Order. 1841 Penny Cycl. XX. 72/2 Roman architecture presents chiefly a corruption of the Doric and Ionic. 1842 Murray's Hand-bk. N. Italy 275/2 Neither the Roman Corinthian, nor the Roman Composite had any fixed type. |
8. Used in combination with other
adjs., as
Roman-Alexandrian,
Roman-British,
Roman-Doric,
Roman-Dutch, etc.
Cf. the combs. in which
Roman forms the second element,
e.g. Brito-,
Gallo-,
Græco-Roman.
| 1802–12 Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) 720 The maxim of the Roman-Gallic law. 1845 Encycl. Metrop. II. 855/1 The Roman Dutch law consists of the civil law and the ordinances and edicts issued by the supreme power in Holland. 1854 Milman Lat. Chr. iv. iii. (1864) II. 227 The gradual expulsion..of the British and Roman British inhabitants. 1901 E. Nicholson Weights & Measures 44 A weight two-thirds of the Roman-Alexandrian talent. 1928 R. Nevill Romantic London ii. 39 The lower order is Roman-Doric. 1957 Ld. Hailey Afr. Survey 1956 xxii. 1520 In South Africa ownership of the land is, in accordance with the principles of Roman-Dutch law, held to comprise all values in the land including mineral rights. 1964 J. Summerson Classical Lang. Archit. 49/1 The Greek order has no base, nor is a base prescribed by Vitruvius, though in practice the Roman Doric always has a base, the Greek never. 1972 Mod. Law Rev. XXXV. i. 46 There is no warrant in Roman-Dutch law for a discretion as wide as that enunciated by the Appellate Division. |
9. Engaged in the study of Roman law, antiquities, history, etc.
| 1845 Encycl. Metrop. II. 748/1 To the Roman lawyer the study of Roman antiquities is essential. 1879 Encycl. Brit. X. 65/1 Though public games..must be studied by the Roman historian.., yet [etc.]. |
II. 10. Pertaining to Rome in its ecclesiastical aspect; belonging to, connected with, etc., the Church of Rome.
Cf. Roman Catholic a.
Roman collar, a special form of collar worn by Roman Catholic, and some Anglican, clerics.
Roman fever [
transf. use of 13 c], a fondness for the Church of Rome, a desire to be converted to Rome.
| 1535 Lyndesay Satyre 237 First, at the Romane Kirk will ȝe begin. 1578 J. Nelson in Allen Martyrdom Campion (1908) 112 A voluntary departure from the unitie of the Catholike Roman faith. 1628 Prynne Brief Suruay Ep., The very pillars, and foundation stones of the Roman and Arminian Faction. 1659 Jer. Taylor Ductor Pref., The Casuists of the Roman Church take these things for resolution. 1706 E. Wells Answ. Dowley 48 Those called by you Roman Missionaries might with more accuracy have been called Romish Missionaries. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. xlix. V. 136 That name, with the addition of saint, is inserted in the Roman calendar. 1812 J. Brady Clavis Cal. I. 250 The present method of chaunting..is frequently called the Gregorian chaunt, as well as the Roman chaunt. 1845 Gladstone Glean. (1879) VII. 192 Probabilism is by no means the universal or compulsory doctrine of the Roman theologians. 1877 O. Wilde Lett. (1962) 45 Poor Dunskie: I know he looks on me as a renegade; still I have suffered very much for my Roman fever in mind and pocket and happiness. a 1884 M. Pattison Mem. (1885) vi. 226 The daughter had got the Roman fever in her veins. 1897 Hall Caine Christian i. i, The younger clergyman wore a Roman collar. 1929 S. Leslie Anglo-Catholic xii. 171 Edward..assured him he had not left the Anglican Church, though the Anglican Church, he thought, had probably left him. The Canon only said, ‘For Roman fever there is no cure and for Rome there is no leechdom.’ 1952 R. Macaulay Let. 12 Jan. (1961) 248, I am glad Dom Gregory Rees thinks ‘Roman fever’ abated; I don't notice it myself, anyhow among the laity. |
| fig. 1697 Vanbrugh Relapse v. iii, Come, no equivocation, no Roman turns upon us. |
11. (Holy) Roman Empire: the Romano-Germanic Empire which originated with Charlemagne in 800, and continued to exist down to 1806. So
Roman Emperor,
= emperor 2.
| 1610 Elem. Armories 146 These the present Armories of the Romaine Empire. Ibid. 147 The sacred Romane Empire. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Empire, The Empire of Germany, call'd also, in Juridical Acts and Laws, the Holy Roman Empire. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. xlix. V. 167 In obedience to a secret treaty, the Roman emperor immediately withdrew. 1829 Scott Anne of G. vii, These dignitaries, because they held their fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire, claimed as complete sovereignty [etc.]. Ibid. xx, A system handed down to us from the most Christian and holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne. 1864 Bryce (title), The Holy Roman Empire. |
† b. Roman months, after G.
Römermonate: (see
quots.).
Obs.| 1670 Lond. Gaz. No. 525/2 The Contribution of the Empire, called the Roman Months, is not yet resolved. 1687 Ibid. No. 2284/1 This Grant of the Subsidy of 100 Roman Months hath met with another Perplexity. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Emperor, He receives a Kind of Tribute from all the Princes and States of the Empire, call'd the Roman Month. |
† 12. = romance 1 b.
Obs.| c 1425 St. Mary of Oignies ii. xi. in Anglia VIII. 179 Alle þis she seyde in ryme and romayne tunge. Ibid., Þe louely songe of oure lady, þat is Magnificat, she rehercyd ful often.., expounynge hit in Romayne tunge. 1530 Palsgr. 44 Thoughe the olde Romayne tonge use many suche wordes, the trewe frenche tonge leaveth never the e..onwritten. 1612 [see romance n. 1]. 1727 Bailey (vol. II.), Roman Language, a mixture of Gaulish and Latin. 1804 [see Romanesque a. 1]. |
III. 13. Of or pertaining to mediæval or modern Rome or its inhabitants; printed at Rome, etc.
| 1608 Ussher Lett. (1686) 22 We have long expected them from the Roman Press. 1647 Young Ibid. 517 The Passage Psal. 142. 9. which I find in my Roman Edition. 1705 Addison Italy Wks. 1721 II. 127 In several of the Roman Churches and Chappels. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1734) II. 546 He staid several Years at Rome, where he became acquainted with a Roman Lady. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Italian, The Tuscan is usually preferred to the other Dialects, and the Roman Pronunciation to that of the other cities. 1841 Penny Cycl. XX. 134/1 A collection of popular Roman songs was published by the Cavaliere Visconti. 1853 Humphreys Coin-coll. Man. II. 514 This modern Roman series has generally the name of the pope on one side. |
b. Roman school, the school of painting of which Raphael is the leading representative.
| 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XIII. 599/2 The artists in the Florentine and Roman schools painted most commonly in water colours or in fresco. 1841 Penny Cycl. XX. 76/2 The works of Raphael exhibit this style in its full development..and he is accordingly the head or representative of the Roman school. |
c. Roman fever, a form of malarial fever prevalent at Rome.
| c 1838 Encycl. Metrop. (1845) XXIV. 131/2 The Roman fever appears to differ in degree only from that of the West Indies. 1896 W. North Roman Fever Pref. p. v, The nature and origin of the disease known as ‘Roman Fever’, a local form of a malady widely prevalent elsewhere. |
d. Applied to a bidding system in Bridge
orig. used by certain Italian players, or to various conventions and signals within this system.
| 1959 Belladonna & Avarelli Roman Club Syst. Distrib. Bidding 2 In this fashion the person who is already playing bridge can learn one phase of the Roman Club expertly before going on to the next formula. 1959 Reese & Dormer Bridge Player's Dict. 190 Roman system... Opening bids of one diamond, one heart, and one spade, show a genuine suit and are forcing for one round. 1964 Listener 21 May 851/1 ‘Roman leads’..is a method whereby the lower of two touching honours, rather than the higher, is the normal lead. 1970 S. Hughes Art of Coarse Bridge iv. 93 Patiently South explained that the Roman Club..meant that he had either a minimum balanced hand or a very strong one. 1975 Times 27 Sept. 10/7 Opening bids with double meanings which we now associate with the Roman and other artificial systems. |
IV. In special applications.
14. † a. Roman herbs: (see
quot.).
Obs.| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 5 They do commonly call al such straunge herbes as be vnknowen of the common people, Romish or Romayne herbes, although the same be brought from Norweigh. |
b. In names of species or varieties of plants, fruits, etc., as
Roman apricot,
Roman bean,
Roman beet, etc. (see
quots. and these words).
| 1704 Dict. Rust. s.v. Apricock, The green *Roman-Apricock, the largest of all kinds and excellent for Compotes. 1766 Compl. Farmer s.v. Apricok tree E 3/2 The Roman is the next ripe apricot. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 474 In Englishe of Turner it is called kidney beane.., it may be also named Garden Smilax, or *Romaine Beanes. |
| 1620 Venner Via Recta vii. 143 The great red Beete, or *Romane Beete. |
| 1815 F. P. Chaumeton Flore Médicale II. 123 Latin Anthemis nobilis... Anglais Chamomile; *Roman Chamomile; Sweet-scented chamomile. 1856 Watts tr. Gmelin's Handbk. Chem. X. 415 Fusing the oil of Roman camomile with hydrate of potash. 1861 Bentley Man. Bot. 580 The flowers [of the Anthemis nobilis] constitute the Roman or True Chamomiles of the Materia Medica. |
| 1712 Phil. Trans. XXVII. 391 Tall *Roman Catch-Fly. |
| 1648 Hexham ii, *Romaine Coriander, or black Cummine-seed. |
| 1731 Miller Gard. Dict. s.v. Geranium, *Roman Crane's-bill, with strip'd Flowers. 1822 Hortus Angl. II. 189 E[rodium] Romanum. Roman Crane's Bill. |
| 1860 Watts tr. Gmelin's Handbk. Chem. XIV. 144 *Roman cumin oil is resinised by fuming nitric acid. Ibid., Roman cumin seeds, distilled four times with water, yield 3·27 p.c. oil. |
| 1665 Rea Flora 123 The *Roman Cyclamen hath rounder leaves than the last. |
| 1897 Syd. Soc. Lex., *R[oman] fennel, a variety of Fœniculum vulgare, grown in Rome, characterised by its large fruit. |
| 1877 D. T. Fish Bulbs 49 There are also *Roman hyacinths, of which very little indeed seems to be known, excepting that they are early, sweet, and delicate. |
| 1866 Treas. Bot. 663/2 *Roman laurel, Laurus nobilis. |
| 1611 Cotgr., Lavande Romaine, *Roman Lauender. |
| Ibid. s.v. Romain, Laictuë Romaine, *Roman Lectuce, the greatest kind of Cabbadge Lectuce. 1706 London & Wise Retired Gard. I. xv. 192 Now you may sow..the George Lettuce, the Roman, the Royal [etc.]. 1852 G. W. Johnson Cottage Gard. Dict. 531 Lactuca, Lettuce... Large Roman, Malta, for summer. |
| 1796 C. Marshall Gardening xv. (1813) 243 The *Roman and Portugal [melons] are small but early. |
| 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 213 Nectarines,..Red *Roman, little Green Nectarine [etc.]. 1796 C. Marshall Gardening xvii. (1813) 284 The Newington, red Roman,..and murry [nectarine], are good sorts. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 129 The first kind is now called..in English Greek or *Romayne Nettel. 1713 Phil. Trans. XXVIII. 35 Roman or Pill Nettle (Urtica Romana). 1834 Penny Cycl. II. 420/2 In the Roman nettle (Urtica pilulifera) they [the flowers] are collected into round heads. |
| 1632 Sherwood s.v. Nigella, Ordinarie or *Romane Nigella. |
| 1716 ‘H. S. Philokepos’ Young Gard. Director 89 *Roman Peach. 1726 Dict. Rust. (ed. 3) s.v. Peach, There are many other sorts of Peaches; as the Crown-Peach,..Isabella, Roman. |
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal 1047 The great Pease is called..in English *Romane Pease, or the greater Pease. |
| Ibid. 247 *Romane Rocket is cherished in Gardens. |
| 1796 C. Marshall Gardening xvi. (1813) 275 The round leaved sort [of sorrel], commonly called the *Roman, is reckoned the more grateful acid. Ibid., Common sorrel likes a cool moist soil, but the Roman a dry one. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 5 Wormwood *Romayne groweth plentifully in Hungarie. 1866 Treas. Bot. 1237/1 Roman Wormwood, Ambrosia artemisiæfolia; also Artemisia pontica. |
c. In some names of animals or birds, as
Roman pigeon,
Roman runt,
Roman snail; also
Roman-lamp shell.
| 1854 L. A. Meall Moubray's Poultry 248 Roman Runt:..mentioned by some writers as a separate subvariety. 1861 Hulme tr. Moquin-Tandon iii. ii. 84 The Helix Pomatia (Linn.) or Roman Snail. The shell of this species is 1½ inch in height. 1870 Gillmore tr. Figuier's Reptiles & Birds vii. (1892) 426 The Roman Pigeons, thus named because they are very common in Italy, are easily recognised from the circle of red which surrounds their eyes. 1898 Morris Austral Eng., Roman-Lamp Shell, name given in Tasmania to a brachiopod mollusc, Waldheimia flavescens. |
15. a. Roman balance,
Roman beam, or
Roman steelyard, the ordinary form of steelyard.
| 1611 Cotgr., Crochet,..a Romane beame, or Stelleere. 1678 J. Phillips tr. Tavernier's Trav. ii. 9 They carry their weights always along with them, being like a Roman Beam, or a Stelleer. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Balance, In the Roman Balance.., the Weight used for a Counterbalance is the same..; in the Common Balance, the Counterpoise is various. 1764 J. Ferguson Lect. iii. 32 The..Roman steel⁓yard is a lever of this kind. 1858 Homans Cycl. Commerce 1758/2 The Statera Romana, or Roman steelyard, is mentioned in 315 b.c. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 2370/1 A Roman balance found at Pompeii shows that they also had two centers of suspension for varying grades of weights. |
b. With names of measures or weights, as
Roman foot,
Roman mile,
Roman ounce.
| 1607 Topsell Foure-f. Beasts 655 The hornes..are so lively expressed by Pliny... They are..long, about two Roman feet and three palmes... They are in breadth where they ioyne to the head, three Roman fingers and a half. 1705 Arbuthnot Coins, etc. (1727) Pl. 17 The Roman Ounce is the English Avoirdupoise Ounce. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Measure, The Roman Foot, on the Monument of Cossutius. 1760 Raper in Phil. Trans. LI. 774 An Enquiry into the Measure of the Roman Foot. 1776 Gibbon Decl. & F. ii. (1782) I. 62 note, The whole distance was 725 Roman, or 665 English miles. 1839 Penny Cycl. XV. 210/1 Taking the Roman foot at 11.62 English inches, the original Roman mile was therefore 1614 yards. |
16. a. Roman alum, a reddish native alum found in Italy, or a manufactured imitation of this.
| 1725 Fam. Dict. s.v. Allom, The Roman-Allom is dark red, transparent within, and of a sharp stiptick Taste. 1753 Chambers Cycl. Suppl. s.v. Alum, Roman Alum properly denotes a rock Alum, of a red colour, prepared in the country near Rome. 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 38 It is probable that Roman alum is a sulphate of alumina and potash, with a slight excess of the earthy ingredient. 1863 Fownes' Chem. (ed. 9) 317 Roman alum, made from alum-stone. |
b. Roman vitriol, blue vitriol, sulphate of copper.
| 1737 in Bracken Farriery (1749) 363 Vitriol, Roman, per Pound, [{pstlg}]0 1 4. 1747 Wesley Prim. Physick (1762) 42 A little Roman Vitriol dissolved in a Pint of Water. 1819 S. Parkes Chem. Catech. (ed. 9) 307 It [copper] is..combined with sulphuric acid to form Roman vitriol. 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 337 The chemical preparations of copper which constitute distinct manufactures are, Blue or Roman vitriol.., Verditer and Verdigris. |
c. Roman cement, a cement or hydraulic mortar made by the addition of calcareous or argillaceous matter to lime, sand, and water
= Parker's cement. Also as
v. The original
Roman cement was that made by J. Parker from Sheppey stone and patented in 1796; the name, however, does not appear in the specification of the patent.
| c 1800 Parker & Co. (heading of circular), Roman Cement, artificial terras, and stucco. 1810 in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) II. 497 That the west Part [of Trinity Coll.]..be new fronted with Roman Cement. 1838 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. I. 245/1 When used as stucco, this lime is certainly superior to Roman cement. 1845 Ford Handbk. Spain i. 62 The cutaneous stucco by which his own illote carcass is Roman cemented. 1889, 1917 [see Parker's cement]. 1919 A. T. Bassett S. Barnabas', Oxford vi. 67 Some amusement was caused at the time by a box bearing the words ‘Roman Cement’, in large letters, being delivered at the Church for use in the connection with repairs to the campanile. 1970 H. Braun Parish Churches xix. 223 Roman cement is difficult to procure, but an admixture of lime with the Portland cement will help to improve the colour to some small extent. 1977 Sci. Amer. July 82/2 The high quality of Roman cements, which is evident in the number and solidity of the Roman structures still standing, was due in large measure to the added discovery that lime mixed with reactive siliceous material (in the form of crushed tiles or volcanic ash) gave a cement that developed superior strength and water resistance. ‘Roman cement’ made in this way enjoyed wide prestige and retained its popularity with little improvement or development until the end of the 18th century. |
d. In names of colours, as
Roman lake, etc.
| 1835 Field Chrom. 99 An observation which applies to various lakes under the names of Roman Lake, Venetian Lake [etc.]. Ibid. 80 Roman Ochre is rather deeper and more powerful in colour [etc.]. Ibid. 69 Roman White is of the purest white colour. |
e. Roman ring = flying ring s.v. flying ppl. a. 3.
| 1911 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 26 Apr. 5/4 They [sc. vaudeville athletes] begin by drawing their body from the floor on Roman rings with snail-like slowness. 1965 F. Sargeson Mem. Peon vi. 165 The creak of parallel bars and Roman rings. |
17. Misc. uses, as
Roman mosaic,
Roman punch,
Roman sandal,
Roman satin,
Roman scarf,
Roman strings,
Roman water.
Roman bath = Roman tub;
Roman tub U.S., a large sunken bathtub.
| 1757 A. Cooper Distiller 213 Recipe for a Gallon of Roman water... Take the outer..peels of six Citrons; a gallon of Proof Spirit, and two quarts of water. 1828 Lights & Shades II. 79 Oh, William, can you tell us what Roman punch is? 1855 E. Twisleton Let. 6 Apr. (1928) xiv. 266 Mrs. Carlyle was sumptuous, in a black velvet and Roman scarf. 1861 Chambers's Encycl. II. 677/2 The best [catgut] strings are used for musical instruments; and those which come from Italy, and are known as Roman strings, are the strongest. 1883 Encycl. Brit. XVI. 854/2 The modern so-called ‘Roman mosaic’ is formed of short and slender sticks of coloured glass. 1899 Daily News 21 Oct. 7/7 Roman satin is much used for ball and tea gowns, also dinner dresses. 1914 C. Mackenzie Sinister St. II. iii. iv. 559 Stella..was rushing from window to window, trying patterns of chintz and damask and Roman satin. 1934 Webster, Roman sandal. 1939 M. B. Picken Lang. Fashion 130/2 Roman sandal, sandal with front composed entirely of straps, equally spaced. 1961 Harper's Bazaar Feb. 69 The splendid Roman striped satin of a Heppelwhite chair. 1971 Sunday Nation (Nairobi) 11 Apr. 20/1 (Advt.), Boots, Roman Sandals. 1972 Fortune Jan. 140c (Advt.), You'll have a cocktail lounge and restaurant on the premises. An outside elevator joining the opulent pool deck area and the beach. A Roman tub in your master bath. 1976 Bathroom Ideas 58/2 Blue, blue is this Roman bath set apart from the rest of the room. 1979 Arizona Daily Star 5 Aug. (Advt. Section) 16/9 Features formal dining, atrium, 2-way fireplace, roman tub in master bedroom. |
▪ IV. ˈRoman, a.2 = Romany a.
3 3.
| 1851 Borrow Lavengro lxxi, You were always fond of what was Roman. 1857 ― Romany Rye vi, Mr. Petulengro was dressed in Roman fashion. |