▪ I. resemble, v.1
(rɪˈzɛmb(ə)l)
[ad. OF. resembler (12th c.; mod.F. ressembler), f. re- re- + sembler:—L. similāre, simulāre, f. similis like: cf. It. risim-, risomigliare.]
1. trans. To be like, to have likeness or similarity to, to have some feature or property in common with (another person or thing).
| 1340 Ayenb. 61 Hi resembleþ an eddre þet hatte serayn. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xvi. 214 Þe sone, if I it durst seye, resembleth wel þe wydwe. c 1420 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 1572 Mathew in hys mood, Resemblyd an Aungell with wynges gloryously. 1530 Palsgr. 688/1 It is nat he but he resembleth hym moche. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. ii. vi. 36 These trees doe properly resemble the Lentiscus. 1605 Shakes. Macb. ii. ii. 13 Had he not resembled My Father as he slept, I had don't. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. iii. i. 241 A sort of vain and flanting Grandees, who..do but too much resemble these painted Clouds. 1718 Free-thinker No. 75. 142 Cunning resembles Prudence, as an Ape resembles a Man. 1771 Junius Lett. lxvii. (1788) 339 The unhappy Baronet has no friends, even among those who resemble him. 1830 D'Israeli Chas. I, III. vi. 114 There was no Stuart whose countenance resembled that of Charles the First. 1896 Law Times C. 466/2 The coronet..did not so closely resemble a Royal Crown as to be likely to be taken for it. |
2. To compare or liken (a person or thing) to another. Now arch.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xii. 265 To lowe lybbyng men þe larke is resembled. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 135 The maladie Which cleped is ydropesie Resembled is unto this vice. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 16 Lyff may be resembled unto the fleyng of an arowe. 1509 Fisher Funeral Serm. C'tess Richmond Wks. (1876) 303 This noble prynces whome we dyde resemble vnto the blessyd woman Martha. 1539 Taverner Erasm. Prov. (1545) 93 Ydle personnes whiche flee paynes, who be very well resembled to cattes by the englysh prouerbe. 1604 T. Wright Passions ii. iii. §3. 72 We may resemble our Passions to men affected with the dropsie. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. iv. §25. 425 As Jupiter and the world may be resembled to a man, so may Providence be to the soul. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 160 ¶4 Thus Solomon resembles the Nose of his Beloved to the Tower of Libanon. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1862) I. ii. 9 The ships..may be resembled to two men. 1825 Coleridge Aids Refl. (Bohn) I. 131 At the date of St. Paul's Epistles, the Roman world may be resembled to a mass in the furnace in the first moment of fusion. 1887 Athenæum 31 Dec. 897/3 Mars, the red planet to which that star [Antares] was thus resembled, is in Virgo. |
† b. To compare together, or with another thing. Also ellipt. Obs.
| 1533 More Debell. Salem Wks. 984/1 How goeth nowe..thys aunswere of this good man..touchyng the point that I resemble theim for? 1599 J. Rainold Overthrow Stage-plays (1629) 78 A marvellous case, that I should compare and resemble plaiers together so absurdly. 1622 Callis Stat. Sewers (1647) 153 And if one would resemble this case with other authorities, and with the reason of other Book cases of the Law, it will be made thereby apparant, that [etc.]. 1673 Marvell Reh. Transp. II. 203 The Power of Princes is not improperly resembled and derived down by Paternal Authority. |
† c. To explain (a thing) in a certain way.
| 1592 Babington Comf. Notes Gen. xxxii. 11 Jacobs halting some haue resembled..in this sorte. First that it should betoken an halting posterity. |
† 3. To represent, depict, make an image or likeness of (a person or thing); to figure, typify. Obs.
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 125 This Signe is verraily resembled Lich to a man, which halt assembled In eyther hand a water spoute. 1562 Leigh Armorie (1597) 70 b, There are nine rebatings of Armes, which..are resembled, as hereafter followeth. 1579–80 North Plutarch, Alexander (1612) 674 Lysippus..hath perfectly drawne and resembled Alexanders manner of holding his necke. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage iv. xviii. 437 The Chinians,..if they would resemble a deformed man, they paint him with short habite..and a long nose. 1638 Junius Paint. Ancients 53 Painters and Carvers..when they were to resemble the Gods, departed not one inch from the Poets. 1705 Stanhope Paraphr. I. 25 Admitting the Ignorance..of former Ages to be well resembled by the Darkness of the Night. |
† b. To imitate or copy. Obs. rare—1.
| 1613 B. Jonson Challenge at Tilt Wks. (1616) 998 In what shape soeuer I present my selfe, thou wilt seeme to be the same? Not so much as my chariot but resembled by thee? |
4. To make like to some person or thing. Also in pa. pple., made like, similar. Now rare.
| c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. ii. (1885) 112 Thair kyngdomes bethe than most resembled to the kyngdome of God. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Abripio, Although nature hath not resembled him, or made him like vnto his father. 1586 Marlowe 1st Pt. Tamburl. ii. vi, I hope we are resembled, Vowing our loves to equal death and life. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. i. vi. 175 Outward Accidents, and Conditions, whose restless Vicissitudes but too justly and too fitly resemble them to Wheels. 1865 Bushnell Vicar. Sacr. iii. iii. 241 A want of system..too closely resembled to a want of truth to allow any solid title to respect. |
† 5. intr. To seem, to appear. Obs.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxv. (Julian) 503 He resemblyt fore to be worthy and gud. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xix. 210 And thei seyn, that theise Bestes ben Soules of worthi men, that resemblen in lyknesse of the Bestes, that ben faire. 1453 Rolls of Parlt. V. 270/2 Come unto theym resemblyng to be theire grettest frendes. c 1475 Partenay 4521 An huge tablet this fair lady bar..Resembling to be fourged all of-new. c 1477 Caxton Jason 56 b, They..resemble well by theyr countenaunce and habylemens that they ben departed from noble and goode hous. c 1510 Barclay Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570) D iij, Reputing in his thought By suche maner giftes thee greatly to content, Because thou resembled as poore and indigent. |
6. To be like in some respect to another person or thing. Now rare.
| 1429 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 144 God graunt the grace for to resemble in al Unto these noble worthy conquerours. a 1471 Fortescue Wks. (1869) 485 Suche a compassion resembleth rather to cruelte than to pyte. 1530 Palsgr. 134 Participles.., in some accidentes, resemble unto their verbes. 1584 Cogan Haven Health i. 8 That which resembleth vnto cleare water, betokeneth [etc.]. 1715 M. Davies Athen. Brit. I. 328 Fortescue's Fate..resembles something to Chancellor Bacon's Misfortunes. 1836 Lytton Athens (1837) I. 52 The Persian Creed derived from Zoroaster resembled the most to that of Christianity. |
b. To have mutual likeness; to be like or similar to each other.
| 1751 Female Foundling II. 6 Few Characters could resemble more, than the Characters of these two Women. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India I. ii. x. 431 In one feature or two, nations resemble, which are placed at stages considerably remote. a 1871 Grote Eth. Fragm. ii. (1876) 31 Wherein they resemble and wherein they differ. |
Hence reˈsembled ppl. a. rare.
| 1575–85 Abp. Sandys Serm. v. 84 So in this resembled bodie, and ciuil societie, there must be diuersitie as of members so of functions. |
▪ II. † reˈsemble, v.2 Obs.
[f. re- + semble v.: cf. reassemble and F. rassembler.]
1. intr. To assemble, collect, come together.
| c 1450 Lovelich Grail xiv. 713 With an horn he gan to blowe, And made his meyne to resemble aȝen. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 3210 Than shortly resembled vnto that sayd place The people of Hamburgens, a great company. 1533 in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxford (1880) 117 Resemblinge in a great multitude together. 1596 Lodge Marg. of America D 3 b, Thither likewise resembled the flower of the nobilitie and Ladies. |
2. trans. To bring together or collect.
| c 1477 Caxton Jason 143 In this estate was I..till that the goddes haue resemblid this lady and me by your grete defaute. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vi. clxx. 165 Wherfore y⊇ Danys resembled theyr people, and gaderyd a newe hoost. |