appointment
(əˈpɔɪntmənt)
Also in 6 appunctuament; for other forms see appoint v.
[a. OF. apointement: see appoint v. and -ment. In 15–16th c. often assimilated to med.L. appunctā-, appunctuā-mentum.]
† 1. A pointing out, indication. Obs. rare.
| c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. viii. Prol. 12, I haf stablit myne entent Now to mak here apoyntment Qwhen þe succession lynealle Endit. |
† 2. The action of agreeing, or coming to an arrangement; an agreement, pact, contract. Obs.
| a 1440 Paston Lett. 25 I. 39 Accordyng to poyntment that ye made. 1461 Ibid. 408 II. 35 Without agrement or apoyntement taken. 1526 Acts James V (1814) 310 (Jam.) Ratifijs and appreuis the contract and appunctuament made. 1631 Quarles Samson in Farr S.P. 128 The long stay Betwixt th' appointment and the mariage-day. 1745 De Foe Eng. Tradesm. I. xix. 182 The ordinary appointment of people to meet either at place or time. |
† 3. spec. The act of capitulating, or coming to terms with an opponent; terms of capitulation. Obs.
| 1494 Fabyan vi. clxxxi. 179 Delyuered y⊇ cytie by appoyntement, that he with the people myght departe thens without bodely harme. 1521 Arnold Chron. (1811) Introd. 48 The Kynge..lyed syege to the cyte of Torney, and wan it by poyntment. 1533 Bellendene Livy iv. 326 Sic appunctment as the victoure plesis to gif. 1603–5 Sir J. Melvil Mem. (1735) 240 They would have taken any reasonable Appointment. |
4. spec. An agreement or arrangement for a meeting; engagement, assignation. (Cf. quot. 1745 in 2.) Also attrib., as appointment book.
| c 1530 J. Heywood Interlude (1846) Introd. 40, I and ij or thre Of my frendes made an appoyntement..That in a place we wolde sup together. 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis ii. (Arb.) 67 With mee shee kept not apoinctment. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. iii. i. 92 For missing your meetings and appointments. 1745 De Foe Eng. Tradesm. I. xix. 181 A promise or appointment for a further day. 1864 Dickens Mut. Fr. I. viii. 65 Would you take a seat..while I look over our Appointment Book? 1879 Reade Drink, I shall break an appointment. 1950 T. S. Eliot Cocktail Party ii. 91 The Nurse-Secretary enters, with Appointment Book. |
† 5. Resolution, purpose. Obs.
| 1529 More Comf. agst. Trib. ii. Wks. 1199/2 The proude man himself hath no certain purpose or appointment. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iv. x. 8 Where their appointment we may best discover, And looke on their endeuor. |
6. The action of ordaining or directing what is to be done; direction, decree, ordinance, dictation.
| c 1440 Generydes 2100 These princes hadde vj thowsand knyghteȝ In ther poyntement. 1574 tr. Marlorat's Apocalips 15 All things are done and disposed by his determination and appoyntment. 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis i. (Arb.) 27 By Gods forwarned apoinctement. 1651 Father Sarpi (1676) 96 Making one of his Writers read to him, or write at his appointment. 1736 Butler Anal. i. i. 19 According to a natural order or appointment. 1833 H. Martineau Tale of Tyne iv. 67 The wind also failed,..a more merciful appointment than if it had blown a great storm. |
7. Law. The act of declaring the destination of any specific property, in exercise of an authority conferred for that purpose.
| 1601 Act 43 Eliz. iv. §1 Such giftes, limitacions, assignements, and appoyntments. 1768 Blackstone Comm. II. 119 An appointment by tenant in tail of the lands entailed, to a charitable use. 1874 G. Farwell Powers 2 The ordinary power of appointment among children in a marriage settlement where personalty is vested in trustees. 1876 Digby Real Prop. vii. §2. 326 Powers of appointment, that is, conferring on a person a power of disposing of an interest in lands quite irrespective of the fact whether or not he has any interest in the land himself. |
8. The action of nominating to, or placing in, an office; the office so given. Esp. in phr. by appointment, by or as by royal warrant.
| 1658–9 Ld. Lambert in Burton Diary III. 333 By your appointment agree the Government. Then appoint officers. 1863 Cox Inst. Eng. Govt. ii. iii. 342 The appointment of incompetent judges. Ibid. These appointments are made by the ministers of the Crown. 1864 Dickens Mut. Fr. I. v. 33 He..settled it with himself..that he was errand-goer by appointment to the house at the corner. 1868 Geo. Eliot F. Holt 36 A poor baronet, hoping for an appointment. 1874 Davidson Concise Preced. 477 Appointment of new trustees of a will. 1878 Lecky Eng. in 18th C. I. iii. 426 His appointment to the lucrative office of Joint Vice-Treasurer of Ireland. 1962 Guardian 2 Dec. 12/1 A list of Royal Warrant holders..shows that only two firms are now permitted to style themselves ‘By Appointment to the late Queen Alexandra’. |
9. Equipment, equipage, outfit, accoutrement, furniture, or any article thereof. Now usually pl.
| 1575 Laneham Lett. (1871) 48 Hiz honorz exquisit appointment of a beautifull garden. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, iii. iii. 53 That from this Castles tatter'd Battlements Our faire Appointments may be well perus'd. 1658 Evelyn Corr. 8 Nov., To allow him [him son] an appointment so noble and considerable as does become his greatness. 1759–67 Sterne Tr. Shandy (1802) III. xxii. 335, I have not one appointment belonging to me which I set so much store by, as I do by these jack-boots. 1864 Boutell Heraldry xxiv. 402 Royal blazonry upon the appointments as well of his horse as of his own person. |
† 10. An allowance paid to anyone, especially to a public officer. Obs.
| 1715 Burnet Own Time an. 1674 (R.) He had the appointments of an ambassador. 1727–51 Chambers Cycl. s.v., Appointments differ from wages, in that the latter are fixed and ordinary..whereas appointments are annual gratifications granted by brevet for a time uncertain, and are paid out of the privy purse. 1753 Hanway Trav. (1762) II. i. ix. 51 The appointment of the stadt-holdership..is one hundred thousand guilders. 1761 Smollett Gil Blas i. xvii. (1802) I. 109 His parents will turn thee away..perhaps even without paying thee thy appointments. |