expound, v.
(ɛkˈspaʊnd)
Forms α. 4–5 expoun-en, -pown-en, 4–6 expoun(e, -pown(e (5 exponne); β. 3–6 expounde, expownd(e (5 exspound), 4– expound. pa. tense and pa. pple. 5–6 expouned, -powne(d, -pownd(e, -pound(e.
[ME. expoune-n, expounde, ad. OF. espondre, espundre, ex- (3 pl. esponent, derivs. espon-, espond-) = Pr., Sp. esponer, Pg. espõr, It. esporre:—L. expōnĕre, to put out, set forth, explain: see expone. The d of the Fr. inf. -pondre was mechanically developed in the transition from the n to the r of -ponre the regular contraction of L. -pōnĕre; a pa. pple. -pondu and various derivatives were formed on the inf. stem.
In ME. the prevailing form was expoune, adopted according to the usual practice from the finite parts of the Fr. vb.; but the form expound(e, from the inf., appeared equally early in northern writers (Hampole and the Cursor Mundi). In the course of the 16th c. expoune became obsolete, the general adoption of expound being favoured by the phonetic tendency exhibited in sound for the earlier soun, and also by the frequent occurrence of expound as pa. pple. In accordance with the analogy of expound = L. exponere, the earlier compoune, compone were in 16th c. replaced by compound, and propone by propound; in the former case the substitution may have been partly due to other causes; see compound v.]
1. trans. To set forth, declare, state in detail (doctrines, ideas, principles; formerly, with wider application).
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 37 To þat spot þat I in speche expoun I entred in þat erber grene. Ibid. B. 1058 Clopyngnel expounez..a speche, to hym þat spede wolde Of a lady to be loued. 1382 Wyclif Isa. xliv. 7 The ordre expoune to me. 1519 Interl. Four Elements in Hazl. Dodsley I. 37 He hath expound cunningly Divers points of cosmography. 1526 Tindale Acts xxviii. 23 There cam many vnto hym..to whom he expouned and testifyed the kyngdom off God. 1736 Shenstone Schoolmistress x, She..quaintly cou'd expound The Chicken-feeding Pow'r of ev'ry Crumb she found. 1748 Hartley Observ. Man i. iii. 344 Ideas, or the Motions by which they are expounded. 1812 Woodhouse Astron. xvi. 171 Formulæ expounding its quantity and law. 1845 S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. I. 455 The doctrines expounded by St. Augustine. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 162, I have..an excellent interpretation..which I will expound to you. |
| absol. 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 70 We will and ordeigne that all curattz..iiij tymes in the yere in the masse tyme publish and expowne. 16.. Dryden Poems (1822) I. 242 The carrier's not commission'd to expound. |
b. To set forth, represent (a mathematical function or quantity) by figures, symbols, etc.
| 1708 E. Halley in Misc. Cur. II. 102 The roots may be expounded by Perpendiculars let fall, upon the Axis or given Diameter of the given Parabola, from the Intersections of that Curve with a Circle. 1812 Woodhouse Astron. xxvi. 268 These perturbations, when numerically expounded, are so insignificant, etc. |
2. To explain, interpret.
a. gen. To explain (what is difficult or obscure); to state the signification of; to comment on (a passage or an author).
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1727 Now expowne þe þis speche spedly I þenk. 1436 Pol. Poems (1859) II. 182 Expoune me this, and ye shall sothe it fynde. 1483 Cath. Angl. 119 To Expo(w)nde, commentari. 1511–2 Act 3 Hen. VIII, c. 23 §12 The same Ambiguyte..[shall] be declared, expownned..by the Chaunceller. 1628 T. Spencer Logick 113 This definition hath nothing in it to be expounded. 1826 Scott Woodst. viii, One who was expounding some religious Mystery to them. 1869 J. Martineau Ess. II. 100 Our author proceeds to expound his own analysis. |
b. esp. To interpret, comment upon (Scripture, religious formularies, etc.). Now chiefly with reference to homiletic exposition. Also
absol.| a 1300 Cursor M. 17288 + 383 (Cott.) And þus he..expounded þe prophesyes. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 4272 His ministres sal swa lette yhit Þat na man sal expound haly writ. c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. ix. 47 To expowne or interprete or glose dewli and treuly Holi Scripture. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 3 Saynt Gregory expoundynge the same place of Scripture sayth. 1545 Udall, etc. Erasm. Paraph. (1548) Luke viii. 90 b, Many other parables..all which..he expounded severally unto his disciples. 1656 Bramhall Replic. i. 5 The primitive Fathers expounded it [the Creed] where it did stand in need of clearer explication. 1715 De Foe Fam. Instruct. i. i. (1841) I. 17 The Spirit of God expounds the word of God to us. 1867 M. E. Herbert Cradle L. viii. 220 Our..Lord, having read..the words regarding Himself..expounded them to the people. |
| absol. a 1340 Hampole Psalter Prol., In expounynge i fologh haly doctours. 1733 Neal Hist. Purit. II. 272 He was suspended..for expounding upon the Catechism. 1778 Fletcher Lett. Wks. 1795 VII. 222, I have ventured..to expound once in the church. 1854 Macaulay Bunyan Misc. Writ. 1860 II. 230 Those martial saints who fought and expounded in Fairfax's army. |
† c. To interpret the motives or reasons of a person.
Obs.| 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. i. iii. §5 Cicero doth excuse and expound the Philosophers for going too far. a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) II. 25 He, that says what he thinks, lays him⁓self open to be expounded by the most ignorant. |
† d. To give the meaning of (a word or name); also, to give a version of in another language; to translate.
Obs.| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiv. 277 In englisch..it is wel harde wel to expounen. c 1386 Chaucer Sec. Nun's T. 86 First wol I yow the name of seint Cecilie Expoune..It is to say on Englisch, hevenes lilie. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 7 (MS. A) We moun knowe surgerie bi expownynge of his name: for siurge comeþ of siros.. & in englisch siros is an hand. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 6691 Þe kyng his preching walde expound, And telle it in englyssh tonge. 1549 Latimer Serm. Ploughers (Arb.) 33 For them yat be vnlearned I wyll expounde it. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xxii. 79 As soon as the Interpreter had read the Letter, and expounded the contents thereof. |
e. To interpret, explain the significance of (a dream, vision, symbol, etc.); to interpret, solve (a riddle);
rarely, to explain, account for (a phenomenon).
arch.| 1375 Cantic. de Creatione 773 in Anglia I, Þe angel anon gan it expoun and tolde him what it [a tree] was. c 1386 Chaucer Monk's T. 166 Daniel..the dremes of the kyng expowned. c 1400 Rom. Rose 7176, I wole bigynne, To expowne you the pith withynne. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 728 His mayster on þis wyse had Expounde his visyoun. 1535 Coverdale Judges xiv. 14 They coulde not expounde the ryddle. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. iv. iv. 79 My Master..has left mee here behinde to expound the meaning or morrall of his signes and tokens. a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) I. 215 The Stagyrite, unable to expound The Euripus, leapt into 't, and was drown'd. 1814 Wordsw. White Doe i. 223 Studious to expound The spectacle. |
f. To infer from indications.
rare—1.
| 1821–56 De Quincey Confess. (1862) 269 The clouds by which chiefly the eye expounds the distance of the blue pavilion stretched over our heads. |
g. refl. † To explain one's meaning (
obs.). Also, to be one's own expositor.
| 1601 Cornwallyes Ess. ii. xlviii. (1631) 307 An abilitie to behold things ambiguous with the true sight gives..circumstances, leave to expound themselves. 1661 Bramhall Just Vind. vii. 163 The Pope was forced to expound him⁓self. 1859 Tennyson Vivien 316 The people call you prophet: let it be: But not of those that can expound them⁓selves. |
3. To give a particular interpretation to; to construe in a specified manner. With
adv. or phr. Now chiefly in
Law.
| 1533–4 Act 25 Hen. VIII, c. 21 §19 Prouided alwaies, that this act nor anythinge..therein conteined, shalbe..interpreted or expounded, that, etc. 1534 More On the Passion Wks. 1314 Some expowne also those woordes..to sygnifye that [etc.]. 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. iv. 28 That deadly wownd..The which his mother vainely did expownd to be hart-wownding love. 1685 Baxter Paraphr. N.T. Matt. x. 23 This hard Text is variously expounded. 1767 Blackstone Comm. II. 381 That a devise be most favourably expounded. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) VI. 191 The courts..expound the will in such a manner as to carry the testator's intention into effect. 1839 Thirlwall Greece IV. 445 Sparta..was constituted the interpreter of the treaty; she expounded it by the rule, not of reason, but of might. |
† b. to expound (a statement, etc.) concerning or of: to explain as referring to.
Obs.| c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 241 Men expownen comounly þis prophecie of oure Jesus. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 3767 This may be wele expovned of the blissed virgyne marie. 1574 tr. Marlorat's Apocalips 14 They..that go about to expound this place concerning Christ, according to the letter; do wrest it too violently. 1645 Ussher Body Div. (1647) 85 Which place Paul expoundeth of the Holy Ghost. 1724 A. Collins Gr. Chr. Relig. 236 Those of whom they are ordinarily expounded. |
† c. To render by a specified term. With
complement, or
const. for.
Obs.| 1530–1 Act 22 Hen. VIII, c. 13 No person..being a comon Baker, Brewer..shall be interpreted or expounded handicrafts men. 1531 Elyot Gov. i. i, Chaos..of some is expounde a confuse mixture. 1533 More Answ. Poisoned Bk. Wks. 1087/2 Men..that expounde those wordes of Christ..to be spoke and ment of the very eating of hys blessed body. 1599 Thynne Animadv. (1875) 33 ‘Orfrayes’ yo{supu} expounde ‘Goldsmythes Worke’. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 69 Rabbi Solomon, and Abraham Ezra, expound Egel, for a Calf of one year old. |
† d. To interpret as a prognostic of something. Const.
to.
Obs.| c 1430 Lydg. Bochas i. iv. (1544) 7 a, Worthy Ninus..expouned his laughter to great felicitye. |
† 4. In
etymol. sense of L.
expōnere (
cf. expose n.1). To expose to view.
Obs. rare| 1651 Life Father Sarpi (1676) 38 He celebrated the Mass, and every Wednesday expounded upon his Altar the holy Sacrament. 1664 Butler Hud. ii. iii. 1087 First, he expounded both his Pockets, And found a Watch, with Rings and Lockets. |
Hence
exˈpounded ppl. a.,
exˈpounding vbl. n., the action of the
vb. expound;
concr. an exposition or interpretation.
exˈpounding ppl. a.| c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 272 False expounyng of holy writt. c 1440 Hylton Scala Perf. (W. de W. 1494) ii. xli, I fele wel of thy Name þe true expownynge that thou art Jhesu hele. 1483 Cath. Angl. 119 An Expow(n)dynge; commentum. 1571 Golding Calvin on Ps. viii. 2 A fullfilling or expownding part of speache. 1642 J. Eaton Honey-c. Free Justific. b iij a, Expounded texts and verses. 1643 Milton Divorce xiii. (1851) 55 A yoke..which..nothing but unwary expounding hath brought upon us. 1745 Wesley Answ. Ch. 3 One of our English Brethren..said in his Publick Expounding, ‘As many go to Hell by praying as by thieving. 1881 Mahaffy Old Grk. Educ. xi. 137 The repeating and expounding of the founder's view. |