extremity
(ɛkˈstrɛmɪtɪ)
Forms: 4–6 extremite(e, ex(s)tremyte(e, 6–7 extreamitie, -ty, -extremity.
[ad. F. extrémité, ad. L. extrēmitāt-em, f. extrēmus (see extreme a.).]
1. The extreme or terminal point or portion of anything; the very end.
| c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 155 Þe round extremite of þis boon. 1578 Lyte Dodoens iii. lxxi. 413 Branches..hauing at their extremities or endes certayne whites. 1607 Shakes. Timon iv. iii. 301 The middle of Humanity thou neuer knewest, but the extremitie of both ends. 1657 S. Purchas Pol. Flying-Ins. 204 The extremities of their wings are blunt. 1661 Boyle Style of Script. 75 In the Mariner's Compasse, the Needle's extremity, though [etc.]. 1726 tr. Gregory's Astron. I. 47 From these Extremities F, D, draw the very small right Lines FE, DC. 1828 Stark Elem. Nat. Hist. II. 296 Antennæ thickening towards their extremity. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Extremities, the stem and stern posts of a ship. 1870 F. R. Wilson Ch. Lindisf. 81 At the extremity of the east end is a mausoleum. |
b. pl. The uttermost parts of the body; the hands and feet.
| 1460–70 Bk. Quintessence 17 He schal waische al his body and his extremytees wiþ brennynge watir ofte tymes. 1707 Floyer Physic. Pulse-Watch 438 Cold in the Extremities. 1768 W. Gilpin Ess. Prints 112 His heads are ill-set on; his extremities incorrectly touched. 1804 Abernethy Surg. Observ. 185 His extremities were cold. His feet were put into hot water. 1870 Emerson Soc. & Solit., Courage Wks. (Bohn) III. 109 Bodily pain is..seated usually in the skin and the extremities. |
† 2. The two things which are at the extreme ends of a scale; the ‘extremes’ as opposed to the ‘mean’. Obs.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 336 Vorschip Extremyteis has twa; Fule-hardyment..And..cowardiss. c 1400 Rom. Rose 6528 Richesse and mendicitees Ben clepid two extremytees. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 179/3 Thextremytees of Justyce ben cruelte and defaulte. 1598 R. Barckley Felic. Man (1631) 620 The extremities of estates, specially the highest, are more subject to those things..than the meane estates. |
3. The extreme or utmost degree, that which reaches the utmost point. † Also in phrases in, to (an, the, that) extremity. Obs. = extreme n. 4.
| 1543–4 Act 35 Hen. VIII, c. 12 The kynge..is forced..to prosecute his saide ennemies, with the sworde to the extremitie of his power. 1552 Huloet, Extremitye of the lawe. Summum Ins. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. i. i. 142 Haplesse Egeon whom the fates haue markt To beare the extremitie of dire mishap. ― Mids. N. iii. ii. 3 Which she must dote on, in extremitie. 1638 Rouse Heav. Univ. iii. (1702) 23 Having none of them to suffer extremities of Penury and Want. 1653 Walton Angler i. xvii. §5 In Derbyshire..the waters..clear to an extremity. 1692 Dryden Cleomenes Pref., Farce, the Extremitie of bad Poetry. 1719 De Foe Crusoe (Reprint) 41 The weather was hot to the Extremity. 1722 ― Plague (1756) 173 It was encreased to such a frightful extremity. 1776 Gibbon Decl. & F. I. xxiv. 708 The last extremities of thirst and hunger. 1882 Farrar Early Chr. I. 449 note, No more violent extremity of sin..can be described. |
† b. The utmost penalty. Obs.
| 1591 R. Turnbull St. James 103 Before the iudgement seates..they will haue the extremitie of them. |
† 4. Extreme or inordinate intensity or violence (of passion, action, suffering, labour, etc.); an instance of this; a violent outburst. Obs.
| 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xvi. li, Great extremyte Of fervent love. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. ii. 38 With equall measure she did moderate The strong extremities of their outrage. 1596 Edward III, iii. i. 35 When the exhalations of the air Break in extremity of lightning flash. 1621 Bp. Hall Heaven upon Earth §4 An vnwonted extremitie of the blow shall fetch blood. 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 20 The Admirall..burst..into an extremitie of weeping. 1669 Marvell Corr. cxxix. Wks. 1872–5 II. 293 Having the favor to sit by reason of his extremity of the gout. |
b. Extreme stress or severity (of weather).
| 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 197 All such Extremities of Weather. 1692 Luttrell Brief. Rel. (1857) II. 348 The extremity of the weather..prevented it. 1716–8 Lady M. W. Montague Lett. I. xxi. 65 It is now the very extremity of the winter here. 1797 T. Bewick Brit. Birds (1847) I. 75 The extremity of the weather. |
† 5. Extravagance in opinion, behaviour, or expenditure; an instance of this. Obs.
| a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) I v b, Ye women are so extreme in all headlong extremitees. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. iv. ii. 169 If I..shew no colour for my extremity: Let me..be your Table-sport. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. ii. ix. 86 Many notorious for extremities may find favourers to preferre them. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I xlvi. 505 This extremity in apparel..tended to the confusion of the degrees of all estates. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 426 ¶4 All the Extremities of Houshold Expence. |
† 6. Extreme severity or rigour. Obs.
| 15.. Hours of Virgin 100 Entreating me w{supt}{suph} like extremitie As if I were Thy mortall enemie. 1580 Baret Alv. E 505 To vse extreamitie..Iure summo agere. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. v. i. 307 Oh times extremity! Hast thou so crack'd and splitted my poore tongue [etc.]. 1639 Massinger Unnat. Combat. i. i. B iv b, We sit ingag'd to censure him with all Extremitie and rigour. |
7. A condition of extreme urgency or need; the utmost point of adversity, embarrassment, or suffering. Phrases, to † bring, drive, † put, reduce to (the last) extremity or extremities. † upon an extremity: on an emergency.
| c 1425 Hoccleve Minor P. i. (1892) 208 In swich an houres extremitee. c 1542 Udall in Ellis Orig. Lett. (1843) 3 Considre in what extremitee and distresse I am constitute. 1560 A. L. tr. Calvin's Foure Serm. Songe Ezech. iv, Sometimes thei are brought to such extremitie that onles they digge the earth..they haue not a droppe of water to drinke. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. 21 He vsed it vpon an extremity. 1607 Topsell Serpents (1658) 597 A Serpent was the first original of all his extremities. 1681 Dryden Abs. & Achit. 159 A daring Pilot in Extremity. a 1691 J. Flavel Sea-Deliverances Wks. 1731 II. 608 We knew that man's extremity is God's opportunity. 1719 De Foe Crusoe I. viii. 130, I was not driven to any extremities for food. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. III. 165 Florence was reduced to the last extremity. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 95 Driven to extremity. |
b. (to resist, etc.) to the last extremity: to the death. † to expect the extremity: to be prepared for the worst or for death.
| 1684 Lond. Gaz. No. 1969/2 The Besieged..seem resolved to expect the Extremity. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Aristocracy Wks. (Bohn) II. 80 The English tenant would defend his lord to the last extremity. |
8. A person's last moments; the ‘article of death’. arch.
| 1602 Warner Alb. Eng. xiii. lxxvi. (1612) 315 Yea..in extremeties, thou touchest on his name. a 1628 Preston New Covt. (1634) 109 At the day of death, at the time of extremity. 1753 N. Torriano Gangr. Sore Throat 51 Many Children sick of this Disease, to whom I could give no Help, being not called till the very Extremity. 1838 James Louis XIV, III. i. 14 Letters from Mazarin announcing that the King was at extremity. 1863 Sala Last Crusader 218 Saint Louis..being in extremities..receives extreme unction. |
9. An extreme measure; the utmost point of severity or desperation. Chiefly in pl.
| 1639 Massinger Unnat. Combat. ii. i, Look, therefore, for extremities..I will.. kill thee As a serpent swollen with poison. 1734 tr. Rollin's Anc. Hist. (1827) VIII. xix. ix. 250 Urge me to extremities. 1862 Ld. Brougham Brit. Const. xii. 165 In case matters were pushed to the extremity of a civil war. Ibid. xv. 234 The extremities to which the leaders went against the King. 1890 Sat. Rev. 19 Apr. 483/1 Putting him up as if to be shot, knowing all the while that he could not legally proceed to extremity. |
10. The quality of being extreme (in the current senses of the adj.); extremeness. Somewhat rare.
| 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 555 The extremity of the danger drew Sancroft forth from his palace. 1861 Tulloch Eng. Purit. 99 The very extremity of their views gave them strength. 1862 Stanley Jew. Ch. (1877) I. xvii. 328 This exact description..required by the very extremity of its destruction. |