habiliment
(həˈbɪlɪmənt)
Forms: α. 5 abily-, abyl(l)y-, 5–6 abyle-, 5–7 abille-, abili-, 6 abbili-, abilla-, 7 abilli-, abilia-, abliment. β. Sc. forms (chiefly in senses 1, 3, 4) 6 abulye-, abuilye-, abuilie-, 6–7 abulȝea-, abuilȝie-, abulȝa-, 9 abuilyiement. γ. 5 habyl(l)e-, habyly-, 5–7 habille-, 6 hable-, 6–7 habile-, 6–8 habilli-, habilla-, 7–9 habila-, 6– habiliment. See also abiliment, biliment.
[a. OF. habillement, abillement, f. habiller to render fit, fit out, f. habile fit, suitable: see able. In early use often spelt without initial h, esp. in the senses which connected themselves with able, ability; but with the gradual restriction of the word to sense 4 (like mod.F. habiller, habillement, obviously influenced in sense by F. habit clothing), the h has been restored. (The Sc. ly, lȝ, represents Fr. ll mouillé.)]
1. (without pl.) Outfit, accoutrement, equipment, array, attire, dress. (Now only of personal attire.)
| 1470–85 Malory Arthur i. xviii, Alle maner of abylement that pretendith to the werre. c 1477 Caxton Jason 30 b, Hauyng the forme and habylement of a knight. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) I. p. lvi, Thair abulyement was..maid..efter the general gise of the cuntre. 1552 Lyndesay Monarche 4546 Rycht hartfully content Of meit, drynk, and abuilyement. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. vi. 30 Straunge Lady in so straunge habiliment. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 146 The costlie excesse of cleithing, and abulzament of mens bodies. 1753 Hanway Trav. (1762) I. iii. l. 229 To keep pace with this romantic extension of habilliment. 1812 S. Rogers Columbus App. 14 In rich habiliment Two Strangers at the Convent⁓gate. 1842 Poe Murders Rue Morgue Wks. 1864 I. 202 Numerous changes of habiliment. |
| fig. 1894 Athenæum 22 Dec. 363/2 The style is the habiliment of the spirit. |
† 2. pl. Fittings, apparatus, furniture, gear, outfit, rigging; as of a ship. Obs.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 92/1 The cordes and other habyllemens of the shippe bracke. |
† 3. pl. Munitions, appliances, implements, or apparatus of war; weapons, warlike stores, etc.
(In this sense the initial h was more commonly omitted, doubtless from the recognized connexion with able, ability, quasi ‘things making able for war’.)
| 1422, etc. [see abiliment]. a 1467 Gregory Chron. (Camden) 145 Alle the abyllymentys of werre..as welle pouders, gounnys, and arblastys, schott, or othyr artyleres. 1495 Act 11 Hen. VII c. 64 Preamble, Shippes with all abilimentis of Werre. 1569 T. Stocker tr. Diod. Sic. i. iv. 7 To prepare for all such necessarie hablements and engines of warre as were meete. a 1642 Sir W. Monson Naval Tracts v. (1704) 489/1 Ammunition, Victuals, or other Abilliments for the War. 1686 Lond. Gaz. No. 2120/2 Armour, Munition, Stores..Ordnance, or other Habiliments of War. |
† b. esp. Personal accoutrements for war; armour, warlike apparel; also the trappings of a horse. Obs.
| c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon i. 53 Soo beganne eueriche of theym to seke his armes and habylymentes. 1602 Marston Ant. & Mel. ii. Wks. 1856 I. 28 In glistering habilliments of armes. 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. xvi. §51 He armed himselfe in the dead Knights abillements, with guilt spurres. 1816 Scott Old Mort. vii, To return his armour and abulyiements at a moment when it was impossible to find a suitable delegate in his stead. |
4. pl. The apparel, vestments, or garments appropriate to any office or occasion. Applied also, jocularly or grandiloquently, to ordinary clothes. (The chief extant sense.)
(In this sense initial h has always prevailed; the connexion with able, ability, being less obvious, and that with mod.F. habit, habillement more so.)
| 1491 Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) 111 Clothynge and habyllements of the sayd holy fader. 1533 Bellenden Livy i. (1822) 35 He cled him with riche and riall abulyementis. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VII, 28 b, Wyth y⊇ gartier, coller, mantell, and other habiliamentes apperteyninge to the companyons of the sayde noble ordre. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. i. (Arb.) 149 They want their courtly habillements. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iv. i. 11 My riches, are these poore habiliments. 1642 Rogers Naaman 474 To put on all those abiliments upon him, to kill the fat Calf to welcome him. 1770 Mrs. Boscawen in Mrs. Delany's Life & Corr. Ser. ii. I. 305 We have no winter habiliments. 1848 A. Jameson Sacr. & Leg. Art (1850) 218 The Saviour is seen in the habiliments of a gardener. 1867 M. E. Braddon R. Godwin II. ii. 30 She saw George Stanmore in his everyday habiliments. |
| fig. 1614 Sir W. Leighton in Farr S.P. Jas. I 265 All curious quaint abiliments exil'd, In humblest habite now my verse compil'd. a 1656 Bp. Hall Rem. Wks. 98 The earth decks herself in her fresh abiliments of blossomes. 1822 Keble Serm. i. (1848) 8 Mistaking the circumstances and outward habiliments of things for the things themselves. |
† 5. Anything worn as an ornament; = biliment.
| c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814) 8 Pyers..bought for them abylementes and jewelles. 1541 Act 33 Hen. VIII c. 5 Any frenche hoode or bonet of veluet, with any habiliment paste or edge of golde perle or stone. 1560 Bible (Genev.) Gen. xxiv. 22 The man took a golden abillement of half a shekell weight. 1621 Ainsworth Annot. Pentat., Gen. xxiv. 22 Eare-ring: or abillement, jewell, ouch: which was hanged sometime on the eare. |
† 6. fig. Mental equipment or qualification; capacity; pl. abilities, faculties, powers (of mind). Obs.
| 1585 Abp. Sandys Serm. (1841) 2 How can the Holy Ghost..but require us to bestow all the forces and habiliments we have? 1604 T. Wright Passions iii. iv. 102 If the impediments of Nature bee but small, And the habiliments otherwise great. 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus i. 9 Wouldest thou haue eloquence added to all these former abilliments? 1633 Ford Broken Ht. v. ii, Never lived gentlemen of greater merit, Hope or abiliment to steer a kingdom. a 1640 Jackson Creed xi. xlvi. §10 There is a freedom or abiliment to do that which is pleasant and acceptable unto God. |
Hence habiliˈmental a., of or relating to attire. habiliˈmentary a., dealing with habiliments.
| 1837 New Monthly Mag. LI. 466 Embodied representatives of antiquity in a moral as well as habilimental point of view. 1845 Blackw. Mag. LVII. 731 The result of his habilimentary effort. 1882 Hardy Two on Tower II. vii. 109 Researches among habilimental hulls and husks. |