utterest, a. (n.)
(ˈʌtərɛst)
Also 3 uttrest, 5 otter(e)st, vttyreste, vterrest(e, vttrest(e, -ist, utteres, Sc. uterast.
[f. utter a. + -est. Cf. OFris. ûterst, utterst, utrest, etc., OLG. ûtrist, MDu. uterst (Du. uiterst), OHG. ûȥar-, ûȥȥar-, ûȥorosto, etc. (MHG. ûȥȥer-, -ûȥereste, G. äusserst), ON. {uacu}tarst adv. (Da. yderst, Norw. ytrast, yttarst), MSw. yterst(e, ytärsta, etc. (Sw. ytterst), a superl. formed on a comparative: cf. outerest a.
Now rare, the usual form being uttermost.]
I. † 1. Most outward; = utmost a. 1. Obs.
| c 1200 Vices & Virtues 17 Ðanne clepeð he his pineres, & hat hem me nemen,..& werpen me in ðe uttreste þiesternesse. Ibid., Þe uttreste is se þiesternesse of helle. c 1350 Leg. Rood 69 Þai fell In-to þe vtterest end of hell. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. pr. i. (1868) 7 Þo come sche nere and sette hir doun vpon þe vterreste corner of my bedde. 14.. M.E. Med. Bk. (Heinrich) 93 Doo away the vttrest barke. 1464 Rolls of Parlt. V. 568/2 Your seid Town is sette in the utterest place of this youre Reame. 1491 Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) i. xvi. 19 b 1 He had dwellyd in thutterest of last desertes of Heracleos. |
2. a. Extreme; = utmost a. 2. Now rare.
| c 1386 Chaucer Clerk's T. 787 (Camb. MS.), His wif to tempte more To the vttyreste priue of hire corage. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle iii. iv. (Caxton, 1483) 53 Doyng yow to wite, that ye ben now wretchid poure Caitifs at the vtterest meschyef. c 1444 Pecock Donet 90 Gloriose benefetis of god..ben in her vtterist goodnes and felicite. a 1470 H. Parker Dives & Pauper (W. de W. 1496) ii. ii. 120/2 Punysshed with the uttrest payne & torment. 1481 Cely Papers (Camden) 67, I schall do my best in sayelles [sc. sales] to my otterst poyer. 1530 A. Baynton in Palsgr. p. xii, He..may..in a brefe tyme attayne to his utterest desyre. 1883 J. Parker Tyne Ch. 89 The utterest darkness of the wintriest night. |
b. Of persons: That is such to a superlative degree; greatest.
| 1593 Nashe Christ's T. 8 If you should denie it,..the diuill (my vttrest enemy) would confirme it. 1873 ‘Ouida’ Pascarèl II. 140 The utterest fool..in all the universe. |
† 3. Last, final; = utmost a. 3. Obs.
| c 1400 Love Bonavent. Mirr. xxxvi. (1908) 184 He wolde..myȝtily suffre the malice of his pursueres in to the vttereste ende. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 513/1 Vttrest, and laste of alle,..extremus, novissimus. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 272 Till all gude resoun of uterast conclusioun of understanding of this poynt. c 1470 G. Ashby Active Policy 371 Thaugh your wytt excelle & be more hable To discerne the vtterest Iugement In any case to your appurtenent. |
II. absol. or as n.
† 4. Extreme limit, part, etc.; = utmost a. 4.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter cxxxiv. 7 Fra vttrest of erthe kloudes ledand. Ibid. cxxxviii. 8 If i..eerde in vtrest of þe se. a 1325 Prose Psalter cxxxviii. 8 Ȝif þat y take my liȝtynges..and wonne in þe vtterest [Dublin MS. vttermast] of þe see. |
† 5. The very most; = utmost a. 5, 5 b. Obs.
| c 1410 Lantern of Light 122 We must do oure vttirest to conforme oure wille to þis. 1450 Paston Lett. I. 156 That wyll sette hym verely to do the utterest ayens yow. 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 109, I haue not yet shewde the vtterist of my myght on yow. 1571 Fortescue Forest 145 b, Defending theim selues to their vtterest, from the force of any other. 1577 Hellowes Gueuara's Chron. 41 Traiane did vtter and expend the vtterest of his skill, deuice, and policie, to take him. |
6. to the utterest, = utmost a. 7.
| c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxiv. 111 Þe emperour..destruyd þam to þe vtterest. ? c 1430 Brut ii. 437 Thei two floughten togederis, armyd at all poyntis, to the vtterist. 1474 Stonor Papers (Camden) I. 150 He seith hit..wolbe sued to the utterest accordyng to your title. 1481 Caxton Reynard xlii. (Arb.) 115 Neuer for noman wold I torne fro yow, But abyde by yow to the utterist. 1571 Fortescue Forest 129 Paulus Emilius..did his paine to the vttereste, that his children should be like hym. 1884 J. Payne Tales fr. Arabic I. 302 She was distinguished to the utterest for chastity. |
| (b) 1513 W. Sabyn in Lett. & Papers War France (1897) 142, I do yt to the utterest off my power. 1540 Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. (1902) II. 272 To the utterest of my Remembraunce. 1549 Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. Rom. 41 Jesus Christe, whose worke I labour in, to the vtterest of my power. |
† 7. at (the) utterest: a. = sense 6. Obs.
| c 1420 Brut ii. 355 Þeze ij worthi lordez comyn yn to þe ffelde, clene armed.., and were yn the place redy to fiȝt at þe vttrest. c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xvii. 99 If eny man dare not..suffre his feith and hise othere opiniouns be brouȝt into liȝt..to be at uttrist examyned. |
† b. At the utmost limit or latest period of time. Obs.
| c 1425 Orolog. Sapient. v. in Anglia X. 361/24 To-morowe or atte þe vtterist with-in þis seuen-nyȝte. 1487 Cely Papers (Camden) 169 Wythyn viij or x days wee schall knowe at the uttrest. |