† comfortative, a. and n. Obs.
Also con-.
[ME. confortatif, a. F. confortatif, -ive:—L. type *confortātīv-us: see comfort v. and -ative.]
A. adj. Having the quality of comforting.
1. Strengthening, reviving (medicine, food, etc.).
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. xli. (1495) 627 Saffron is confortatyf. c 1440 Gesta Rom. 338 (Add. MS.) It must be wyne confortatif [v.r. comfortable] that shuld be yeven to the sike. 1567 Drant Horace's Epist. xviii. F v, For life and limmes comfortityue. 1620 Venner Via Recta vii. 149 It is of a notable abstersiue, consolidatiue and confortatiue [1650 comfortative] faculty. 1683 Salmon Doron Med. i. 299 Incarnative, Comfortative, Regenerative. |
2. Cheering; cheerful. rare—1.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xv. 213 Þe loue þat lith in his herte maketh hym lyȝte of speche, And is companable and confortatyf, as cryst bit hymselue, Nolite fieri sicut ypocrite, tristes, etc. |
B. n. A strengthening or reviving medicine, a cordial. Also fig.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vii. xxxii. (1495) 247 Ayenst herte quakynge men shall yeue confortatyues. 1564 P. Moore Hope Health ii. ix. 28 Borage..is a comfortatiue to the harte. 1684 tr. Bonet's Merc. Compit. xix. 695 Confortatives alone without stimulaters..have not had the desired effect. 1742 Jarvis Quix. ii. iv. vi. (D.), The two hundred crowns in gold..as a cordial and comfortative I carry next my heart. |