▪ I. marvel, n.1
(ˈmɑːvəl)
Forms: α. 3, 5–7 mervel, 4 merwayle, -wal(e, -waal, 4–5 merveille, -vaille, -veyle, -vayl, 4–6 mervell, -veile, -vayle, 4–7 mervaile, 5 merveil(l, -velle, -vale, -veylle, -vayll, 5–6 mervaill, -val, -vaylle, -well, Sc. -waill(e, 5–7 mervail, 6 merveyll; β. 4 marveil, 4–7 marveile, -vaile, 4–8 marvail, 5 marvile, -velle (marfaylle), 5–6 marveyle, -vayle, 4–7 marvaylle, -veyl, -veille, 6–7 marvell, 6– marvel. See also marl n.2
[a. OF. merveille fem. (mod.F. merveille), a Com. Rom. word = Pr. meravelha, Sp. maravilla, Pg. maravilha, It. maraviglia, meraviglia, a fem. sing. n. repr. (with some irregularities of form not fully explained) L. mīrābilia, neut. pl. of mīrābilis adj., wonderful, f. mīrārī to wonder at.]
† 1. = miracle 1. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 16762 + 147 (Cott.) Mony þat stode & saȝe Þoo mervels doyn in dede, Torned & wore baptized. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints Prol. 67 How til hel he vent in hy, & of þe merwalis he vrocht þare. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) v. 61 Lord, thi Merveyles ben thi Witnesse. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 55 b/2, I shal stratche out my hand and shal smyte egypte in all my meruaylles that I shal doo amyd emong them. a 1600 Montgomerie Sonn. ii. 13 Prais him, O man! His mervels that remarks. |
2. A wonderful or astonishing thing; a cause of surprise, admiration or wonder; a wonder.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 178 Oft tille our Inglis men was schewed a mervaile grete, A darte was schot to þem, bot non wist who it schete. c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 652 Neuere yet was herd so grete meruailles. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 361 In þe vttermeste endes of þe world falleþ ofte newe meruailles and wondres. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 70 The worthi Hercules, Whos name schal ben endeles For the marveilles whiche he wroghte. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. 73 Þis mekel mervaile þat I shal of mene. c 1450 Merlin i. 3 Thei..tolde their maister the marvelle of the moreyn, that was fallen a-monge the bestes. 1485 Caxton Malory's Arthur Pref. 3 Wherfor it is a meruayl why he is nomore renomed in his owne contreye. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 39 b, Therfore theyr werkes were meruayles, but no myracles. 1555 Eden Decades To Rdr., It was accompted for one of the marueyls of the worlde. 1674 Brevint Saul at Endor 313 Sprinkle a little of this holy water upon yourself..; it will do Marvails. 1798 Ferriar Illustr. Sterne vi. 168 All these curiosities are..great marvels for fools. 1808 Scott Marm. iii. xviii, Marvels still the vulgar love. 1818 Byron Ch. Har. iv. xviii, [Venice] Perchance even dearer in her day of woe, Than when she was a boast, a marvel, and a show. 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. vii. (1878) 113 It was a marvel to me afterwards that nobody came near me. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 229 Among other marvels he beheld a hollow brazen horse. |
† b. A subject for surprise. Obs.
| 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 7 It suld nocht be grete mervaillis to se grete weris and bataillis in this warld here. c 1540 J. Heywood Four P.P. 701 And whiche of you telleth most meruell, And most vnlyke to be true, Shall most preuayle. a 1568 R. Ascham Scholem. i (Arb.) 58, I will tell yow the most meruell of all, and yet soche a trothe, as no man shall denie it. |
c. Wonderfulness.
| 1866 M. Arnold Thyrsis xix, And all the marvel of the golden skies. |
d. A wonderful example of (some quality).
| 1873 Black Pr. Thule xxv. 418 The house was a marvel of neatness and comfort. |
† 3. A wonderful story or legend. Obs.
| 13.. K. Alis. 6755 Wite ye eghwar by my weyes, Any merveilles by this wayes, That Y myghte do in storye. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 3910 Þe porter ȝede vp to þe halle, And þys merueylë told hem alle. c 1400 Destr. Troy 13776 (heading) Here Ye A Meruayle Of A Lady By Nygramansy. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour E j b, I shalle reherce yow merueil which a good lady dyde recount to me. 1484 ― Fables of Poge v, The whiche merueylle was announced or sayd to the sayd Pope. |
4. Astonishment, surprise, admiration or wonder. Obs. or arch. Phrase, † to have marvel: to be struck with astonishment or wonder.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 3927 Þe lorde and þe gestes alle..Had merueyle þat hyt was so, Þat he myȝte swych myracle do. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 1129 Delit þe lombe for to deuise, With much meruayle in mynde went. c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 79 In al the halle ne was ther spoken a word, For merueille of this knyght. c 1400 Destr. Troy 4954 Þai..hade maruell full mekull of þat mayne place. c 1450 Merlin 1 Whan the fendes sien that, they hadden right grete feer and gret merveile. 1493 N. Riding Rec. (1894) 125 To our great marvile and displeasure. 1535 Coverdale Rev. xvii. 6 When I sawe her I wondred with greate mervayle. 1586 A. Day Eng. Secretary ii. (1625) 26, I haue great marueile that..we can by no possibility heare of your being. 1587 Mirr. Mag., Brennus xlv, Our peace did all to ioy and maruaile move. 1601 W. T. Ld. Remy's Civ. Consid. 8 To the great meruaile of the French themselues, [he] consented that his sonnes should compound with the French. 1618 Rowlands Sacred Mem. 31 They said with maruell and great admiration, How strange and sodaine is this alteration? 1805 Scott Last Minstr. ii. xxxii, Use lessens marvel, it is said. 1884 W. Morn. News 11 Sept. 4/3 Sir Richard Cross..is..to nobody, if the look of marvel in his eyes may be trusted, a greater marvel than to himself. |
† b. Phr. to marvel (= F. à merveille): wonderfully. Obs.
| c 1500 Melusine 348 Wherof they were al joyfull & glad to meruayll. |
5. Phrases. † it is marvel: it is a wonder (obs.). what marvel, no marvel: = what wonder, no wonder (arch. or rhetorical).
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 265 It is grett meruaile þat god..distroieþ not alle þis cursed peple. c 1420 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 103 Hit was gret merueyle how I myght endure. c 1450 Cursor M. 17406 (Laud) No marvayle though ye vs not trow. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vii. ix. 225 Merueylle me thynketh said the grene knyght to the damoysel why ye rebuke this noble knyghte as ye doo. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 2 b, And no meruayle, For in the syght of the deite resteth all. 1529 S. Fish Supplic. Beggers (1871) 3 Is it any merueile that youre people so compleine of pouertie? 1545 Brinklow Compl. xi. (1874) 26 It is meruel..that fyre descend not down from heauen. 1607 Hieron Wks. I. 204 It is no meruaile though there bee euery where so many empty soules. 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. ¶4 And what maruaile? ― Ecclus. xvi. 11 It is merueile, if he escape vnpunished. 1615 W. Lawson Country Housew. Gard. (1626) 31 No maruell then, if Trees make their shoots, and put their spraies disorderly. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §10, I say, it is no Marvail..that he could think of no better way [etc.]. 1815 Scott Ld. of Isles iii. xxvii, No marvel, 'mid such musings high, Sleep shunn'd the monarch's thoughtful eye. 1857 Buckle Civiliz. I. x. 609 What marvel if..the most insignificant trifles should swell into matters of the highest importance? |
† b. with inf.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 1985 A myst and a merkenes was meruell to se. a 1400–50 Alexander 318 How he is merkid & made is mervaile to neuyn. Ibid. 1245 Slik a mynd vn-to me ware meruaill [Dubl. MS. mervell] to reken. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xvi. i. 664 And eyther made grete Ioye of other, that it were merueylle to telle. |
6. marvel of Peru, of the world. The plant Mirabilis Jalapa, native of tropical America, with handsome funnel-shaped flowers of various colours which expand towards night: = four o'clock 1.
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. liii. 272 The maruell of Peru, or the maruel of the world. 1660 Sharrock Vegetables 28 In the seed of Mervayle-of-the-world..you must chuse out such flowers as be variable while they blow. 1721 Mortimer Husb. (ed. 5) II. 230 Marvel of Peru, so termed from its wonderful Variety of Flowers on the same Root. 1882 Garden 6 May 317/3 Marvel of Peru..will look well at the back part of the borders. |
7. Comb., as marvel-monger; marvel-loving adj.
| 1648 J. Beaumont Psyche xviii. xcii, The Marveilmongers grant that He Was moulded up but of a mortal metal. 1903 Edin. Rev. Apr. 326 The marvel-loving chronicler. |
▪ II. marvel, n.2
(ˈmɑːvəl)
Also marvil.
Common Eng. and U.S. dial. var. of marble n.
| a 1734 J. Comer in Rhode Island Hist. Soc. Coll. (1893) VIII. 17 A little lad..was playing marvils..near the Old North Meeting House, Boston, and a cart laden passing by, a marvil rolling under the cart he stept to get it. 1743 W. Ellis Mod. Husbandman July 27 A Worm,..bred in them, which raised a Wart as big as a Marvel on them. 1823 E. Moor Suffolk Words & Phr. 221 Marvels, boys' marbles. 1845 J. J. Hooper Some Adventures Simon Suggs xi. 136 Sometimes..I play marvels. 1867 P. Kennedy Banks of Boro i. 5 In the season we shot marvels on the road. 1876 ‘Mark Twain’ Tom Sawyer ii. 13 Jim, I'll give you a marvel. 1929 Amer. Speech V. 19 Marvels,..marbles. ‘Th' young-uns has got some o' these hyar store-boughten marvels.’ 1942 Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §665/2 Marble, ivory, marb, marvel, man, mig, miggle. |
▪ III. † marvel, a. Obs.
[a. OF. merveil adj., evolved from merveille n.: see marvel n.1]
Marvellous, wonderful.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 81 Þis is a meruayl message a man for to preche. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. v. 87 Eke meruel thinge affermeth Marcyal. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 889 And vnder a tre he doune hym leyde, A meruayle sweuene þo con he mete. Ibid. 1429 Bot when þey seyn þis merfeyle syȝt..Þey cryede god mercy alle þat nyȝt. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xiv. 422 And also, sir, to you I tell The meruellest thyng that euer fell. 1470–85 Malory Arthur ii. xiv. 92 He is the merueyllest knyȝt that is now lyuyng. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 384 They..dyd ther feates of armes mervaile to recorde. 1525 Ibid. II. liii. [lii.] 188 They were the falsest people and of the merueylest condycyons y{supt} were in all the royalme. 1530 Rastell Bk. Purgat. i. xvii, Thys is now one of the mervelest conclusyons that ever I herd. |
▪ IV. marvel, v. Now only literary.
(ˈmɑːvəl)
Forms: see the n.
[a. OF. merveillier, f. merveille: see prec. n. Cf. Sp. maravillar, Pg. maravilhar, It. maravigliare, meravigliare.]
1. intr. To be filled with wonder or astonishment; to be struck with surprise. (In mod. use a stronger word than wonder.) a. without construction.
| 13.. K. Alis. 5314 Also the kyng was meruelynde, A cry he hereth gret behynde. c 1374 [see marvelling ppl. a.]. c 1450 Merlin i. 3 When the heirdes sye their bestes so deyen in the feldes, thei merveyled gretly. 1563 Homilies ii. Receiv. Sacrament i. I iii iij, Take then this lesson..that when thou goest vp to the reuerent Communion..thou maruell with reuerence. 1632 Sanderson Serm. 481 Let vs not mervaile if he begin to deale something strangely. 1782 Wolcot in J. J. Rogers Opie & Wks. (1872) 22 The Queen turned up the whites of her eyes, marvelling. 1839 J. H. Newman Par. Serm. IV. xix. 333 A religious mind is ever marvelling, and irreligious men..scoff at it because it does. |
b. const. at, formerly † of, † on, † upon.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. pr. v. 32 (Camb. MS.), I wondre gretely þat men meruaylen on swyche thynges. c 1375 Cursor M. 11271 (Fairf.) What they had herd & sene thei told Alle marvailid on. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints l. (Katerine) 111 Bot þu suld movse here & merwall, of hewine & erth. a 1425 Cursor M. 18774 (Trin.) Gode men of galile wher vpon merueile ȝee? 1535 Joye Apol. Tindale (Arb.) 37 Meruel not at this thyng. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. ix. 43 Guyon mervayld at her uncouth cace. 1605 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 372 Let not any man mervaylle of the manyfould downefalles into synne. 1666 Bunyan Grace Ab. ¶41 Presently I found two things within me at which I did sometimes marvel. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 551 Into the Heart of Eve his words made way, Though at the voice much marveling. 1841 W. Spalding Italy & It. Isl. III. 250 Their annual liquefaction of the blood of Saint Januarius, over which they never tire of marvelling. 1865 Trollope Belton Est. xiii. 142 She was one of those whose lot in life drives us to marvel at the inequalities of human destiny. |
| indirect passive. 1583 R. Tanner Prob. Conject. B iij b, It is a thing greatly to bee meruayled at. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. 1 viii. 7 b, It is not to be marueiled at thogh they haue great plentie of such pullen. |
c. with clause, expressing the object of wonder.
| 1390 Gower Conf. I. 117 Now schalt thou noght forthi mervaile That I doun fro my Charr alihte. 1465 Paston Lett. II. 220, I merveyll that I here no tidyngges from yow hough ye have do at the assises. 1538 Starkey England i. iii. 88, I can not agre wyth you, but rather I maruayle that you can say so. 1611 Bible Gal. i. 6. 1784 Cowper Task iv. 713, I marvelled much that..his beauties had then first Engaged my wonder. 1820 Scott Abbot ii, I marvel your ladyship could bear so long with her insolence. |
d. const. inf.
| 1535 Coverdale Ps. xlvii. 3 They marveled, to se soch thinges. 1535 Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. (1902) I. 437, I cannot a little marvayle to understand that..ye have [etc.]. 1582 N. Lichefield Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. ix. 23 He shoulde not meruaile to see them bring theyr weapons. |
2. To feel astonished curiosity: to ask oneself wonderingly. Const. interrogative clause.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 366, I merueyle wher þe pryuelegis commen alonde wherby [etc.]. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 7 Everich be himself merveilleth What thing it is that me so eilleth. c 1400 Melayne 529 Thay mervelde why the bellis so range. c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 497 Sotheroun marueld giff it suld be Wallace. 1530 Palsgr. 581/1, I marvayle what you meane. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. ii. 238, I maruell where Troylus is. 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. i. §45, I cannot but marvaile from what Sibyl or Oracle they stole the Prophesie of the worlds destruction by fire. 1875 Mrs. Randolph Wild Hyacinth I. 44 Christian was marvelling more and more what her father could possibly want with her. |
† 3. a. refl. = senses 1 and 2. Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 963 Merueille þe nought ȝyf þey haue grace, ffraunchise & fredom to purchace. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 1314 My lorde meruailles hym mekylle..Why thow morthires his mene. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xv. 70, I meruailed me gretely. c 1489 Caxton Blanchardyn ii. 15 Blanchardyn..coude not merueylle hym self to moche..of the dyuerse and strange werkes that he perceyued. 1548 Geste Pr. Masse B iv b, I maruel me muche that many of them..haue in earnest meyntenaunce transubstanciation. |
† b. impers. me marvels: = I marvel. (occas. with direct obj.) Obs.
| c 1325 Song of Yesterday 97 in E.E.P. (1862) 135 Me meruayles ouer al Þat god let monymon croke and elde. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 65 Me meruailes of my boke. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 277 So that the more me merveilleth, What thing it is mi ladi eilleth. ? 1401 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 75 Me merveilith moche of thin lewidheed! a 1425 Cursor M. 11671 (Trin.) Marye he seide me merueileþ þe Þat seest þe heȝenes of þis tre. 1496 Dives & Paup. (W. de W.) Int. x. a v b, Me meruaylleth moche why Cryste taught more that yonge riche man the commaundementes of the seconde table than of the fyrste. |
† c. pass. = senses 1 and 2. (Chiefly const. of.)
| 1390 Gower Conf. II. 196 Wherof the world is yit merveiled Of the maistries that he wroghte. a 1400–50 Alexander 3218 He..Was on þe make of þat mote noȝt mervalled a lytyll. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 324, I am greatly marveled of the letters ye have sent me. Ibid. cclxxiii. 409 They are all greatly marueyled..that..ye wolde nat yssue out of your strayte to fight with them. |
† 4. trans. To wonder or be astonished at. (Often in pass. with clause attached.) Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Judith x. 7 [Thei]..stoneȝende merueileden [Vulg. mirati sunt] ful miche the fairnesse of hir. c 1400 Rom. Rose 2062, I merveile thee asking this demande. 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 233 Hit is to be mervaylede how that so hevy a thynge myghte be soe erecte. 1513 Douglas æneis i. xi. 31 Thai mervalit the riche giftis of Eneas. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 441 It myght well be marveyled howe they endured so long. 1565 T. Stapleton Fortr. Faith 46 That were, surely, worth the lerning, and much to be marvailed, if [etc.]. 1625 Bacon Ess., Deformity (Arb.) 255 Let it not be Maruelled, if sometimes they proue Excellent Persons. 1819 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd i. (1827) 33 Sir Knicht did hing a while on wing, Marvellin' the meanin' o' that thing. |
† 5. To cause to wonder; to astonish. Obs.
| a 1400 Berlam & Josaphat 260 (Harl. MS.) Þis meteyng meruaild all his mode. 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) II. 369 There were iij. sustyrs as of oon pulcritude, whiche meruaylede theire beholders. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xvi. i. 665 One thynge merueilled me. 1560 Rolland Crt. Venus i. 505 This mater maruellis me [etc.]. 1567 Satir. Poems Reform. vii. 15 It dois merwell me Quhat causit hes the Lordis of Scotland Tak on ane enterpryse of sic folie. |