▪ I. infirm, a.
(ɪnˈfɜːm)
[ad. L. infirm-us weak, feeble, etc., f. in- (in-3) + firmus firm. Cf. F. infirme (16–17th c., earlier enferme, enfer, etc.), Sp. enfermo, It. infermo.]
1. a. Of things: Not firm or strong; weak, unsound; esp. unable to resist pressure or weight, giving way easily, frail, ‘shaky’, feeble. Now rare.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. v. met. ii. 119 (Camb. MS.) The sonne..ne may..nat by the Infirme lyht of his beemes, brekyn or percen the inward entrailes of the erthe. 1624 J. Hewes Surv. Eng. Tongue A iv, Those that build on sandie or infirme ground. 1638 Chillingw. Relig. Prot. i. i. §8. 36 A building cannot be stable, if any of the necessary pillars thereof be infirme and instable. 1703 R. Savage Lett. Antients ii. 20 The World..in its Infancy..form'd an infirm Orb. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 40/2 Ground, tho it does resist the Pick-axe,..may..be infirm. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Let. xiii, The still more infirm state of his under-garments. |
b. transf. Of arguments, titles, etc.: Weak, invalid; unsound. Now rare.
| 1557 N. T. (Genev.) Ep. *iv, The Newe Testament..is so named in respect of y⊇ Olde, the which..was in it selfe infirme and vnperfect. 1653 Milton Hirelings 82 The reason which they themselves bring..becomes alike infirme and absurd. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. iii. ii. §10 This opinion..was built on the same infirm conclusions. 1844 Ld. Brougham Brit. Const. xiv. (1862) 198 The infirm title of the House of Lancaster during the earlier portion of the period. 1952 Mind LXI. 83 Clearly the argument is infirm. |
2. a. Of persons, with reference to physical condition: Not strong and healthy; physically weak or feeble, esp. through age; hence freq. old (or aged) and infirm. Also transf. of age.
| 1605 Shakes. Lear i. i. 302 The vnruly way-wardnesse, that infirme and cholericke yeares bring with them. Ibid. iii. ii. 20 A poore, infirme, weake, and dispis'd old man. 1693 Temple Mem. fr. Peace 1679 (R.) The present elector is old and infirm, and has, for some years past, deceived the world by living so long. 1727 Gay Fables i. xxxi. 6 With secret ills at home he pines, And, like infirm old age, declines. 1773 Observ. State Poor 83 The aged and infirm who have settled habitations. 1805 Scott Last Minstr., The minstrel was infirm and old. 1832 H. Martineau Ella of Gar. i. 8 Their father had been growing infirm for many years. 1846 McCulloch Acc. Brit. Empire (1854) I. 691 Allowance being made for old and infirm persons, children, &c. |
b. Of parts of the body. († In early use: unhealthy, diseased).
| 1601 Shakes. All's Well ii. i. 170 What is infirme, from your sound parts shall flie. 1643 J. Steer tr. Exp. Chyrurg. vii. 29 If the offended part be the arme or the leg, begin at the infirme part. 1819 Shelley Prometh. Unb. iv. 565 If, with infirm hand, Eternity..should free The serpent [etc.]. |
† c. absol. = invalid n. Obs. rare.
| 1711 Light to Blind in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 184 The royal infirm is fully possessed of..patience at the shortness of his life. |
3. Of persons, with reference to the mind: Not firm or strong in character or purpose; weak, frail, irresolute. Also of the mind, judgement, etc.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 80 b, It is a token of an infyrme and weyke herte, the subgette to discusse the commaundement of his prelate. 1605 Shakes. Macb. ii. ii. 52 Infirme of purpose: Giue me the Daggers. 1641 Milton Ch. Govt. i. vi, Let us think it worth the examining for the love of infirmer Christians. 1667 ― P.L. x. 956 That on my head all might be visited, Thy frailty and infirmer Sex forgiv'n. 1784 Cowper Task iii. 44 Too infirm, Or too incautious, to preserve thy sweets. 1841 Disraeli Amen. Lit. (1859) II. 129 His judgment was the infirmest of his faculties. 1850 H. Martineau Hist. Peace II. v. ix. 344 He was..infirm of purpose. |
▪ II. infirm, v. Now rare.
(ɪnˈfɜːm)
Also 5 inferm.
[ad. L. infirmāre to weaken, invalidate, etc., f. infirmus infirm a.; cf. F. infirmer (Oresme, 14th c.; earlier enfermer), Sp. enfermar, It. infermare.]
To make infirm.
† 1. trans. To make physically infirm or frail; to weaken, impair the strength of. Obs.
| 1555 Bradford Let. in Foxe A. & M. (1684) III. 287/2 If they be strong, you do what you can to infirm their strength. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. i. (1877) 95 It infirmeth the sinewes. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iv. v. 188 Herein the spleene is injustly introduced to invigorate the sinister side, which being dilated it would rather infirme and debilitate. |
| transf. 1635 Chapman & Shirley Chabot v. iii, Those distempers that infirm my blood And spirits. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. i. v. 18 Our understandings being eclipsed, as well as our tempers infirmed, we must betake our selves to wayes of reparation. 1650 W. Brough Sacr. Princ. (1659) 475 Nature is vanquisht..her faculties infirm'd. |
† 2. To weaken (belief), impair the force of (an argument, reason, proof, etc.); to make less firm or certain; to render doubtful or questionable. Obs.
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. ii. vi. 175 Thou infirmyst and feblist bi a greet deel the Euydencis which thou hast & holdist aȝens the hauyng & the using of ymagis. 1563 Winȝet Four Scoir Thre Quest. Wks. 1888 I. 58 To infirm and adnull his awin cause rather than to strenthe the samin. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. xiv. §6 Socrates..professing to affirme nothing, but to infirme that which was affirmed by another. 1677 Hale Prim. Orig. Man. i. vi. 124 The Reason herein given doth not at all infirm the important Reason against the Eternity of Mankind. |
3. To invalidate (a law, custom, privilege, etc.); to declare invalid, call in question. Now rare.
| 1558 Knox First Blast (Arb.) 22 This is a speciall lawe..whose sentence, lest it shulde be violated, infirmed, or made weake, women are commanded to be in silence. 1590 Swinburne Testaments 127 The vnhonest condition..doth either presently confirme or infirme the effect of the disposition. 1642 Sir E. Dering Sp. on Relig. 27, I will neither inveigh upon them as unnamed Commissioners, nor infirme them as the work of a dead Convocation. 1644 Laud Wks. (1854) IV. 103 Mr. Vassal..desired the Lords he might have reparation, which altogether in law infirms that which he testified. 1890 Times 19 Feb. 5/4 The bad faith of the Habsburgs could not infirm Magyar rights. |
Hence inˈfirming vbl. n.
| 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus i. 9 Tending to the conuerting and confirming of the tractable; or else the infirming and weakening of false doctrine. 1639 Ld. Digby, etc. Lett. conc. Relig. iv. (1651) 58 To your infirming of those Ancient Authorities..it will be sufficient to put you in minde that [etc.]. |