bravery
(ˈbreɪvərɪ)
[prob. a. F. braverie the action of braving, f. braver to brave, or ad. It. braveria, f. bravare to brave.]
† 1. The action of braving or acting the bravo; daring, defiance; boasting, swaggering; bravado. a bravery: an act of bravado. in, upon, or for a bravery: in bravado, in defiance, in display of courage or daring, as a brag. Obs.
| 1548 Patten Exped. into Scotl. in Arb. Garner III. 98 The Scots continued their bravery on the hill. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World iii. 93 The whole Campe (not perceiving that this was but a bravery) fled amaine. a 1631 Donne Ess. Div. (1651) 63 No Man is an Atheist, however he pretend it and serve the Company with his Braveries. 1671 Milton Samson 1243 Ere long thou shalt lament These braveries, in irons loaden on thee. 1814 Southey Roderick xxiv, No time, said he, is this for bravery. |
| 1577 Harrison England ii. xii. (1877) 241 In a braverie to show what store he had. 1594 Nashe Unfort. Trav. 14. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 92 Certaine of the souldiers upon a bravarie adventured to mount the wall. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World iii. 95 Hee made a stand, rather in a bravery, than with purpose to attempt..any further. 1666 Temple Let. Wks. 1731 II. 23 We sate for four Hours, and in Bravery I drank fair like all the rest. |
2. Daring, courage, valour, fortitude (as a good quality). In earlier quotations not clearly separable from sense 1. (The ordinary current sense.)
| 1581 Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 56 He receiued more brauerie of minde, bye the patterne of Achilles, then by hearing the definition of Fortitude. 1613 J. H. Lives Norman Kings Eng. 150 Full of inward braverie and fiercenesse. 1732 Law Serious C. xxiv. (1761) 465 The noblest bravery that an human mind is capable of. 1769 Junius Lett. i. 8 The bravery..of the Commander-in-chief. 1837 H. Martineau Soc. Amer. III. 116 What can a woman be, or do, without bravery? 1859 Tennyson Elaine 113 Lancelot, the flower of bravery. |
3. Display, show, ostentation; splendour.
| 1570 Holinshed Scot. Chron. (1806) I. 29 Their apparel was not made for braverie & pompe. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 204 The brauerie of this world..likened is, to flowre of grasse. 1600 Holland Livy xxxiv. iv. 855 a, Wastfull and sumpteous bravery of women. 1673 Cave Prim. Chr. i. vi. 144 The churches began to excel in costliness and bravery. a 1716 South 12 Serm. (1717) III. 390 A Festival, designed chiefly for..joyfull Piety, but generally made only an occasion of Bravery. 1843 Prescott Mexico vi. i. (1864) 338 All their wonted bravery of apparel. 1874 C. Geikie Life Woods v. 78 The leaves are in all their bravery. |
b. concr. Finery, fine clothes;
= Sc. braws.
| 1563 Homilies ii. vi (1859) 309 Preparing ourselves in fine bravery, to wanton, lewd, and unchaste behaviour. 1591 Spenser M. Hubberd 608 All the braverie that eye may see. a 1618 Raleigh Rem. (1644) 100 Exceed not in the humour of rags and bravery. 1636 Sympson Law-breakers, Have I borrowed the forehorse bells, his plumes, his braveries. 1862 Times 26 June 11/1 Tens of thousands..in their decent Sunday bravery. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 86 There stood our guide, decked out with braveries. |
† c. An adornment, an embellishment.
Obs.| 1577 Holinshed Chron. I. 55/1 Such painting of their bodies..they esteemed a great brauerie. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. I. i. 224 They vse for a brauerie to make great holes in their eares. Ibid. (1810) III. 598 Their teeth are all filed, which they doe for a braverie. |
† d. A thing of beauty or interest, a thing to exhibit.
Obs.| 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. cvi. 650 A relike to be showed for a brauerie. 1650 Fuller Pisgah 426 Two eminent braveries, First, the Golden Vine..The other was that Golden Eagle. 1657 W. Coles Adam in Eden To Rdr., What fairer objects..than these painted Braveries? |
† e. A fine thing, a matter to boast or be proud of.
Obs.| a 1626 Bp. Andrewes Pattern Catech. Doct. (1846) 150 In a vain glory we think it a bravery and a magnificent thing to swear. 1638 Ford Fancies ii. i. 145 'Twere a bravery, Could you forget the place. |
† 4. Mere show, ostentatious pretence.
Obs.| 1628 Hobbes Thucyd. (1822) 95 This is not now rather a bravery of words..than real truth. a 1640 Massinger Old Law ii. i, Worth itself is lost, And bravery stands for 't. 1681 Burnet Hist. Ref. II. 241 [They] measured counsels more by the bravery than the solidity of them. |
† 5. A gallant, a beau; also
collect. gallants, grandees, chivalry.
Obs.| 1609 B. Jonson Sil. Wom. i. iii. (1616) 536 Hee is one of the Braueries, though he be none o' the Wits. 1633 Massinger City Mad. ii. i, Sitting at the table with The braveries of the kingdom. a 1652 Brome Queene's Exch. i. ii, Whole Sholes of upstart Braveries. a 1670 Hacket Abp. Williams (1692) I. 162 (D.) The Grandees also, and others of the Castilian Bravery. |