▪ I. result, n.
(rɪˈzʌlt)
[f. the verb. Cf. Sp. and Pg. resulta.]
† 1. The action of springing back again to a former position or place. Obs. rare.
| 1626 Bacon Sylva §137 The sound being produced betweene the String and the Aire..by the Returne or the Result of the String, which was strained by the Touch to his former place: which Motion of Result is quicke and sharpe. |
† 2. An impulse, inclination, or prompting. Obs.—1
| 1663 J. Heath Flagellum (ed. 2) 6 His Scholar growing insolent and uncorrigible from those results and swasions within him, to which all other dictates and Instructions were uselesse, and as a dead letter. |
3. a. A decision or resolution; the outcome of the deliberations of a council or assembly. Now U.S.
| 1647 in Rushw. Hist. Coll. II. iv. 835 A report was made of the Results of the general meeting. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 619 If our proposals once again were heard We should compel them to a quick result. 1701 Swift Contests Nobles & Comm. v. Wks. 1751 IV. 55, I have been often amazed at the rude, passionate, and mistaken Results, which have at certain Times fallen from great Assemblies. 1859 Bartlett Dict. Amer. (ed. 2) 362 Result, the decision or determination of a council or deliberative assembly. |
b. The effect, consequence, issue, or outcome of some action, process, design, etc.
| 1651 Baxter Inf. Bapt. 218 Duty only is the Object (or rather immediate result or product) of Precept. 1696 Whiston The. Earth iv. (1722) 365 The primary State here mention'd is but a proper result from the first Formation of the Earth. 1754 Young Centaur i. Wks. 1757 IV. 106 For Faith is intirely the result of Reason. 1786 Burke Art. agst. W. Hastings Wks. 1842 II. 233 The whole proceedings of the said resident were the natural result of the treaty of Chunar. 1821 Craig Lect. Drawing, etc. ii. 113 The result is entirely a matter of calculation, and very much a matter of chance. 1846 Grove Corr. Phys. Forces 77 This is an ordinary chemical action, the result of a double chemical affinity. 1893 Law Times XCV. 5/2 Other persons..discontinued their custom, the result being that his profits diminished. |
c. The quantity, formula, etc., obtained by calculation in arithmetic or algebra.
| 1771 Encycl. Brit. I. 112/1 If you substitute 2 for x, the result will be 24. 1845 Penny Cycl. Suppl. I. 522/1 We might then eliminate between the first and second power, and produce the result in the form A2 - B = 0. 1886 G. Chrystal Algebra I. v. 93 We see that the proper result will be obtained by operating throughout as before, using -2 for our multiplier instead of +2. |
d. Usu. pl. The final marks, scores, and placings in (a) an examination, (b) a sports event.
| 1916 Joyce Portrait of Artist (1969) v. 210 Did you hear the results of the exams? 1937 Partridge Dict. Slang 695/1 Results, news of sports results. 1955 Radio Times 22 Apr. 42/2 Sport. Today's results and weekend preview. 1968 Ibid. 28 Nov. 8/5, 4.55 Racing Results. 1977 Belfast Tel. 28 Feb. 9/3 The following are the results of the November exams held by the Institute of Cost and Management accountants. |
e. pl. Favourable or desired consequences. Also sing., a good or favourable result against an opponent.
| 1922 E. O'Neill Hairy Ape vii. 73 Take some of those pamphlets with you to distribute aboard ship. They may bring results. 1927 ― Marco Millions iii. i. 167, I kept my nose to the grindstone every minute... And I got results. 1931 Punch 18 May (caption) The charming young gold⁓digger who expected results of an Aberdonian. 1973 E. Dunphy Only a Game? (1977) ii. 52, I think we will get a result at Preston. 1976 Observer 21 Nov. 23/1 We needed a result... Perhaps we should have done better than win 1–0. |
† 4. Humorously used for ‘trousers’. rare—1.
| 1839 Lady Lytton Cheveley (ed. 2) II. v. 145 His dress..consisted, all the year round, of a snuff-coloured coat, mud-coloured results, and gaiters of the same. |
Senses 3 d, e in Dict. become 3 e, f. Add: [3.] d. pl. The outcome of trading over a given period, expressed as a statement of profit or loss announced by a business, esp. annually.
| 1877 R. W. Raymond Statistics Mines & Mining 185 The final results of several mining and reducing enterprises..are very discouraging. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 4 Jan. 6/3 The year-end stocktaking results. 1930 Economist 3 May 1008/2 A preliminary statement issued by this progressive company of bazaar proprietors reports excellent results for the year ended March 31, 1930. 1960 R. Kennedy Introductory Accounting viii. 124 The Revenue and Expense Summary account also facilitates the transfer of the operating results (net income or net loss) to the proprietor's capital account. 1977 (title) Financial results of the oil majors, 1976 (Shell Internat. Petroleum Co.). 1980 Times 5 Aug. 17/7 Only then will it emerge whether there are any writebacks to profits arising from the results of the first six months of this year. |
▪ II. result, v.
(rɪˈzʌlt)
[ad. L. result-āre to spring or leap back, f. re- re- + saltāre to leap. So F. résulter, Sp. and Pg. resultar, It. re-, risultare.]
1. intr. To arise as a consequence, effect, or conclusion from some action, process, etc.; to end or conclude in a specified manner.
| 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) III. 211 In the monocorde, when the wire extendede on a holowe body is distreynede diametrally by an instrumente.., then diapason resultethe on either parte of the wire. 1570 J. Dee Math. Pref. *iiij, Let two pound of Liquor be geuen, hote in the 4 degree: & one pound..hole in the third degree. I would gladly know the Forme resulting, in the Mixture of these two Liquors. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §65 He did not enough consider the Value of the obligation..; from which much of his Misfortune resulted. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. i. §1 From whence by a Series of Causes doth unavoidably result whatsoever is now done in it. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. iii. §13 The pure delight which results from order and decorum. 1773 Observ. St. Poor 53 That evil effects will result from evil causes,..must be readily acquiesced in. 1823 Brooke Crystallogr. 115 The planes resulting from classes b, and c, would produce a great variety of dodecahedral solids. 1860 Tyndall Glac. ii. xvii. 315 Crevasses..result from the motion of the glacier. 1885 Law Rep. 29 Chanc. Div. 797 There has been a grave breach of duty resulting in heavy loss. |
† b. To turn out, become. Obs.—1
| 1626 Bacon Sylva §481 Rew doth prosper much..if it be set by a Figge-tree;..the one Drawing Iuyce to result sweet, the other bitter. |
† c. refl. To resolve into something. Obs. rare—1.
| 1610 tr. Marcelline's Triumphs Jas. I 32 It is the number of Justice, because that first of all it resulteth itself into numbers of paire-like-parity. |
d. U.S. To decide or resolve that, etc. rare—1.
| a 1859 in Bartlett Dict. Amer. (ed. 2) s.v., The Council of Nice resulted, in opposition to the views of Arius, that the Son was peculiarly of the Father [etc.]. |
† 2. a. To disagree or diverge in opinion. Obs.
| 1572 J. Jones Bathes of Bathes Ayde Ep. Ded. 3 The second sheweth the diversitie of opinions, etc., how and wherein the Physicions and Philosophers resulte. |
† b. To yield ground; to give way. Obs. rare—1.
| 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. II. 55 That the kings battell,..finding sturdie resistance, began..to result or give backe. |
† c. To recoil; to rebound or spring back. Obs.
| 1598 Barret Theor. Warres ii. i. 16 Which he must doe with such..warie meanes, that they result not against him. 1616 Bullokar Eng. Expos., Result, to rebound, to leape backe. 1725 Pope Odyss. xi. 737 The huge round stone resulting with a bound Thunders impetuous down. 1757 Darwin in Phil. Trans. L. 247 As by the percussion of their angles they must result further from each other. 1784 Cowper Task v. 802 Praise..from Earth resulting, as it ought To Earth's acknowledg'd sov'reign. |
† d. To return upon one by reflection. Obs.—1
| 1610 B. Jonson Alchemist ii. vi. 18 Whose radij..Shall by a vertuall influence breed affections, That may result upon the partie. |
† e. To spring up or rise again. Obs. rare—1.
| 1609 J. Davies Holy Roode I, Hee, like the glorious, rare Arabian Bird, Will soone result from his incinderment. |
† 3. To issue or spring forth. Obs. rare—1.
| 1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. 28 b/2 The bloode could not resulte out of the apertione. |
4. a. Law. To revert to a person.
| 1768 Blackstone Comm. III. 426 Upon the abolition of the court of wards, the care..resulted to the king in his court of chancery. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) I. 438 It was resolved that the use resulted to the feoffor till he made an appointment. 1875 Digby Real Prop. vi. (1876) 293 The use was said to result or come back to the donor. |
† b. To appertain or fall to a person. Obs. rare.
| 1780 Bentham Princ. Legisl. xviii. §49 To the parent, then, in quality of guardian, results a set of duties. 1793 Jefferson Writ. (1859) IV. 68 It resulted to the executive to interfere in it. |
Hence reˈsulting vbl. n.
| 1599 J. Davies Immort. Soul ii. i. (1714) 27 Of the Forms which Fancy doth inroll; A quick Resulting, and a Consequence. |