greatness
(ˈgreɪtnɪs)
[f. great a. + -ness: in OE. (*gréatnes) grétnys.]
† 1. Thickness, coarseness; stoutness. Obs.
| c 1020 Rule St. Benet (Logeman) lv. 92 Þara þinga eallra be bleo ne oððe gretnysse [L. grossitudine] na cidan. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 200 If it so be þat þis greetnes [= swelling] come of malancolious blood or of greet fleume. 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 587/22 Grossitas, gretenesse. c 1440 Eng. Conq. Irel. 89 Forto aquenche that gretnes he put hym-Selfe to ful mych trauayl that vnneth he lette his body haue enny reste. a 1450 Fysshynge w. angle (1883) 16 And your floyt for on heyr be no bygger a pese for ij herys as a beyn for xij heres as a walnot and so forthe euery lyne aftur hys gretnes. 1536 in Gentl. Mag. (1813) May 427 Euery Essex byllet conteyn in lenght iij footte, w{supt} the carfe; in gretnes in mydes xv ynches. |
† b. Pregnancy. Obs.
| c 1450 Merlin 86 Thus was the kynge wedded to Ygerne, and kepe her till her gretnesse apered. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus, Grauiditas, greatnesse with childe, or with yonge. 1634 T. Johnson Parey's Chirurg. (1649) 594 Certain infallible signs of greatness with child. Ibid., In this greatness of childe-bearing. |
2. The attribute of being great in size, extent or degree; † loudness (of voice); † force (of the pulse).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 27033 Wan-hope es..quen man for grettnes of his gilt has tint þe hope o merci. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 117 The puple woundrid herof for gretnesse of þe myracle. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xii. 50 It es also called a see, for þe greteness þeroff. c 1500 Melusine xxxviii. 304 They were al abasshed of hys gretnes, For he was xv foot of lengthe. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. ii. xxi. 59 b, The greatnes & magnificence of the costly & sumptuous Thermes. 1614 Bp. Hall Recoll. Treat. 902 For greatnesse of number, hugenesse of quantity, strangenesse of shapes. 1682 Bunyan Holy W. 143 They shouted with that greatness of voice. 1707 Floyer Physic. Pulse-Watch ii. 168 We must endeavour to preserve the natural Strength, Greatness, Celerity and Crebrity [of the pulse]. 1767 A. Young Farmer's Lett. People 79 The greatness of rent which a little farm bears. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) I. 215 The Zara, and the Coanza, from the greatness of whose openings into the sea..we form an estimate of the great distance from whence they come. 1898 T. Adamson Stud. Mind in Christ x. 248 He saw the difficulty and greatness of his task. |
† b. semi-concr. Great bulk. Obs. rare.
| 1595 Daniel Civ. Wars ii. vii, Goodly riuers (that haue made their graues, And buried both their names and all their good Within his greatnes, to augment his waues). |
† 3. Magnitude or size in the abstract. Obs.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xvi. 59 On o more thei growed, And of o gretnesse and grene of greyne thei semen. c 1440 Anc. Cookery in Househ. Ord. (1790) 472 Make rounde pelettes of the gretnesse of an ey. 1488–9 Act 4 Hen. VII, c. 22 The said gold..not wrought in gretnesse of threde and in colour according to the outeward shewe. 1512 Act 4 Hen. VIII, c. 19 §14 Nott regardyng the quantitie greatnesse or smalnes of the same penyes. 1551 Recorde Cast. Knowl. (1556) 271 These starres..are distincte into diuers measures of lyght, and namely 8, which are called the first greatnes, the second [etc.]. 1553 Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 15 An Elephant excedeth in greatnes thre wilde oxen. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 506 The flowres in forme and greatnesse are like to those of the Orange-tree. 1654 Z. Coke Art Logicke (1657) 29 Greatnesse is extension, or stretching out..Of greatnesse, the subject is said to be equal or unequal. 1765 A. Dickson Treat. Agric. (ed. 2) 339 That the weight of the roller bear a proportion to the greatness of the diameter. |
4. Eminence of rank or station; great or exalted rank, place, or power; eminence, distinction, importance. Occas. in pl.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 3312 Ye..souerain of all, Shalbe worshipped..And honouret..To be gouernet in your grettenes, most godely of other. 1595 Shakes. John iv. ii. 94 It is apparant foule-play, and 'tis shame That Greatnesse should so grossely offer it. 1601 ― Twel. N. ii. v. 158 Some are become great, some atcheeues greatnesse, and some haue greatnesse thrust vppon em. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 3 These Iles were unknowne in Romes greatnesse. 1638 Ibid. (ed. 2) 103 He had small joy of his greatnes. 1650 Earl of Monmouth Senault's Man become Guilty 101 Those who think to better their condition by revolting are oft undone by their rebellion, and fal from their legitimate greatnesses for having sought after unjust ones. 1652 H. Cogan tr. Scudery's Ibrahim ii. iv. 64, I was..to abandon her to grief and despair, and so return again to enjoy all those greatnesses. 1729 Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 85 The grave, the end of all temporal greatness. 1751 Johnson Rambler No. 153 ¶21 Wealth..commands the ear of greatness. 1809 W. Irving Knickerb. vii. i. (1849) 385 It is the mystery which envelopes great men, that gives them half their greatness. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. i. I. 4 Nothing in the early existence of Britain indicated the greatness which she was destined to attain. 1877 Mrs. Oliphant Yng. Musgrave I. 4 The old greatness of the house. |
b. of God.
| a 1325 Prose Psalter cl. 2 Herieþ hym efter þe michelnes of his gretnes. 1388 Wyclif Deut. v. 24 Lo! oure Lord God schewide to vs his maieste and greetnesse [1382 mychyl⁓nesse]. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. vi. §2 Betokening the greatnesse of God. 1611 Bible 1 Chron. xxix. 11 Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory. 1895 W. Watson Hymn to Sea 8 Man and his greatness survive, lost in the greatness of God. |
† c. Used as a title. (Cf. highness 2 b.) Obs.
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. i. 113 Some certaine speciall honours it pleaseth his greatnesse to impart to Armado a Souldier. Ibid. v. ii. 894 Most esteemed greatnesse, wil you heare the Dialogue that the two Learned men haue compiled? 1638 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 137 After six dayes attendance his Greatnesse was pleased to visit Sheraz. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 62 Int'rest thy Greatness in our mean Affairs. 1766 H. Brooke Fool of Quality (1808) I. Ded. ix, Your greatness was pleased to demand, whether this romance was wholly on my own invention. |
5. Inherent nobility or dignity (of mind, character, action, or expression); grandeur.
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. vi. §1 The greatness and dignity of all manner actions is measured by the worthiness of the subject from which they proceed. c 1665 Mrs. Hutchinson Mem. Col. Hutchinson (1846) 27 He had..a sweet greatness that commanded love. 1697 Dryden Ess. Virg. Georg. (1721) I. 199 This Language..has a Natural Greatness in it. 1718 Freethinker No. 6 ¶5 True Greatness of Mind consists in manfully supporting Misfortunes. 1793 V. Knox Pers. Nobility xlii. Wks. 1824 V. 93 Greatness of soul is more necessary to make a great man, than the favour of a monarch and the blazonry of the herald. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xx. IV. 530 She received the intimation of her danger with true greatness of soul. 1856 Ruskin Mod. Paint. III. iv. iii. §5 Greatness of style consists, then: first, in the habitual choice of subjects of thought which involve wide interests and profound passions, as opposed to those which involve narrow interests and slight passions. 1892 Jas. Brown Serm. 183 It is the surest test of greatness that a man can act alone. |
6. Intimacy or familiarity with. Obs. or arch.
| 1625 Fletcher Noble Gent. iii. iii, Your greatnesse with the people. 1668 G. Etherege She Wou'd if she cou'd iv. ii. Wks. (1723) 151 The access which his greatness with Sir Oliver has giv'n him daily to me. 1731 E. Calamy Life (1830) I. i. 60 His greatness with him did not in the sequel turn to his honour or advantage. 1897 D. H. Fleming Mary Q. Scots 460 note, Bothwell's greatness with the Queen. |