▪ I. † ramage, n.1 Obs. rare.
[f. ramage a.; the OF. n. is not recorded in the same senses.]
1. Wildness, high spirit, courage.
In first quot. perh. an adj. (qualifying woodnes).
| 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 285 Malice or hete, woodnes, ramage, or pride orguillous. a 1500 Promp. Parv. 422/2 (MS. H.) Ramage, or corage, coragium. 1618 Latham 2nd Bk. Falconry (1633) 107 The Lanner..is nothing inferiour to the other in ramage and wildenesse. |
2. A ramage hawk. rare—1.
| 1612 Selden Illustr. Drayton's Poly-olb. v. 304 The Goshawk taken at the source by the Falcon soone fell down at the King's foot, which performance in this ramage made him yearly afterward send hither for eyesses. |
▪ II. ramage, n.2
(ˈræmɪdʒ)
Also 7 ramm-.
[a. F. ramage = Prov. ramatge:—late L. *rāmāticum, f. rāmus branch: see ramus and -age.]
1. a. The collective branches of a tree or trees. arch.
| 1656 Blount Glossogr., Ramage, Boughes, Branches, or any thing that belongs thereto. 1855 Bailey Mystic, etc. 85 That beneficent stem..From leaf and ramage sheddeth cool bright showers. |
b. Anthrop. A corporate descent group which includes members of both maternal and paternal lineages.
| 1936 R. Firth We, the Tikopia x. 371 One term that might be employed to characterize such kinship groups is ‘ramage’, for which there is literary authority, though it has fallen out of use. Ibid. xvi. 586 The patrilineal principle of descent in the ramage (‘joint family’ is the translation given of the native term hoaɔ) is modified. 1957 ― in Man LVII. 6/1 In former publications I have used ramage to include the Tikopia unilineal descent group. This, I think, is better described functionally as a lineage. Ibid. 6/2 Ramage would then be defined as a corporate descent group of a non-unilinear (ambilineal) character, membership being obtained ambilaterally..according to circumstances. 1963 Brit. Jrnl. Sociol. XIV. 24 The word ramage has been used to mean a corporate group in which membership may be acquired through either parent. 1976 Hunter & Whitten Encycl. Anthropol. 330/1 Ramage, nonunilineal descent group composed of individuals who are descended from one ancestor through any combination of male and female links. |
† 2. The song or cry of birds. Obs. arch.
| 1616 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems ii. x, My Lute bee as thou wast when thou didst grow..in some shadie Groue,..And Birds on thee their Ramage did bestow. a 1693 Urquhart Rabelais iii. xiii, The barking of currs, bawling of mastiffs,..rammage of Hawks. |
▪ III. † ˈramage, a. Obs.
Also 6–7 (9) rammage, 7 ramadge; 6–7 ramege, 7 rammege.
[a. OF. ramage:—late L. *rāmāticus: see ramage n.2 and cf. rammish a.2, rammist a.]
1. Of hawks: Having left the nest, and begun to fly from branch to branch (cf. brancher2); hence, wild, untamed, shy.
| 1390 Gower Conf. I. 361 The faucon which that fleth ramage And soeffreth nothing in the weie, Wherof that he mai take his preie. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour A viij, Take a sperhauke ramage and calle hym curtoysly and ye shall make hym come frely to yow. 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie 31 The seconde name is a ramage falcon, and so she is called when she hath departed and left the eyrie. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 708 Iias-hawkes are nothing so valiant as those which are taken long time after, and are called ramadge hawkes. a 1682 Sir T. Browne Tracts (1683) 118 Nor must you expect from high Antiquity the distinctions of Eyess and Ramage Hawks. 1773 J. Campbell Mod. Faulconry 201 It is best to give them [stones] at night to haggards and ramage-hawks. |
b. transf. of persons.
| 1567 Turberv. Epit. etc. 15 b, You are become so wylde and rammage..As though you were a haggard Hawke. 1589 Greene Menaphon (Arb.) 42 She left from being so rammage, and..came to the fist, and granted me those favours she might affoord. 1652 Maine Epig. from Donne vi. 89 Though ramage grown, Th' art still for carting fit. |
2. Of animals: Wild, untamed, unruly, violent.
| c 1290 MS. Laud 108 fol. 11 Þe wolfues þat weren ramage. 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love i. iii. (Skeat) l. 49 Nothyng is werse then the beastes, that shoulden been tame, if thei catche her wildenesse, and ginne again waxe ramage. c 1430 Lydg. Reas. & Sens. 2858 At wylde bestis for to shete,..Whan she seeth hem to savage, Hygh of gres, or to Ramage. 1580 Blundevil Art of Riding D i b, A horse that is..of nature ramege or restiffe. 1639 T. de Grey Compl. Horsem. 12 Horses..becomming wild, rammage and unruly. |
b. Of persons: Furious, frenzied.
| c 1470 Harding Chron. xcvii. vi, Some woode, some ramage went. [1824 Mactaggart Gallovid. Encycl. 406 When a man is rammaged, that is..craz'd..with drink.] |
3. Of places: Full of thickets, rough.
| c 1475 Partenay 527 Cerching, enquering in wodes ramage. 1809 Christmas Ba'ing in Skinner Misc. Poet. 127 He rumbl'd down a rammage glyde. |
4. Of velvet: (see quot. and cf. branched 2 b).
| 1727–41 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Velvet, Ramage or branched velvet, representing long stalks, branches, &c. on a sattin ground. |