hindmost, a.
(ˈhaɪndməʊst)
Forms: 4–6 hen-, 5 hynd-, 6 hyn-, 6–9 hin-, 6– hind-; 4 -mast, 6 -mest, 9 Sc. -maist, 5– -most.
[app. f. hind a. + -most: see hind a. The similarity to Goth. hindumist, and the analogy of ME. formest, foremost, have given rise to the conjecture that this is a double superlative, f. OE. hindema + -est; but the OE. word is known only once in Beowulf, and there is a chasm of 500 or 600 years between this and Barbour's henmast. Mod.Sc. uses hinmest of time and succession, hintmest of fixed position.]
1. Furthest behind or in the rear; last in position; last come to; most remote.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce viii. 245 Gif the formast egirly Be met..The henmast sall abasit be. Ibid. xii. 268 To meit thame that first sall assemmyll So stoutly that the henmast trymmyll. 1535 Coverdale 1 Macc. iv. 15 The hynmost of them were slayne. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 43 This [Dunesbe] is the last and hindmest hil in Scotland. a 1635 Corbet Iter Bor. (R.), They curse the formost, we the hindmost. 1723 Pres. St. Russia I. 167 To the hindmost Recesses of Siberia. 1852 C. M. Yonge Cameos II. iv. 43 The hindmost declared they would not stop till they were even with the front. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. vi. 42 The ridges..have their hindmost angles wasted off. |
b. Proverbial phrase, the devil (Satan, hell) take the hindmost.
| 1611 Beaum. & Fl. Philaster v. iii, They run all away, and cry, ‘the devil take the hindmost’. 1663 Butler Hud. i. ii. 633 Each Man swore to do his best..And bid the Devil take the hinmost. 1728 Pope Dunc. ii. 60 ‘So take the hindmost, Hell’, (he said) ‘and run’. 1811 Byron Hints fr. Hor. 712 If Satan take the hindmost, who'd be last? 1890 Spectator 13 Sept. 331/1 A good example of the devil-take-the-hindmost attitude. |
2. Last in order, succession, or time. (Chiefly Sc.)
| ? a 1500 (MS. 1592) Chester Pl. vii. 596 Though I come the hyndmoste [MS. 1607 hyndermost] of all. 15.. Aberd. Reg. (Jam.), To pa the henmest penny of the said fiftene {pstlg}. 1526 Tindale 1 Cor. iv. 9 My thynketh that god hath shewed vs which are apostles for the hynmost off all. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. 186 We salbe cruellest on the hindmest day. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iii. i. 2 'Tis not his wont to be the hindmost man. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. x. 326 Thair hindmest hand tha set not to the wark. 1889 Barrie Window in Thrums 98 For the hinmost years o' his life. Ibid. 152 The henmost time I saw him. |