▪ I. anon, adv.
(əˈnɒn)
Forms: 1 on án, on áne, 2–3 anan, 3 anæn, 3–4 onon, onan(e, an-nane, in an(e, in oon, 4 on o(o)ne, 4–5 anoon(e, 4–7 anone, 5 onon(e, enon, onoon, 6 annon(e, 2– anon. Aphet. 4 noon.
[OE. on án into one, on áne in one, i.e. in one body, mind, state, act, way, course, motion, movement, moment.]
† 1. In (or into) one body, company, or mass; in one; together; in one accord; in unity. Obs.
| a 1000 Metr. Ps. cxxxii. 1 H{uacu} glædlic..þætte bróður onán beᵹen hicᵹen. a 1000 Cynewulf Christ 970 (Grein) Téonleᵹ bærneð þréo eall onán grimme togædre. |
† 2. In one (and the same) state or condition (without change); the same. Obs. rare.
| c 1220 Ureisun in Lamb. Hom. 189 [He] halt euer anon wiþute sturunge. a 1300 Cursor M. 1852 Þe streme it stud ai still in-an [v.r. in ane, on an, in oon]. |
† 3. In one (and the same) course or direction, in a straight course, straight on, even. anon to: even to, as far as to; = L. usque ad, Fr. jusqu'à, Ger. bis zu. Obs.
| c 1200 Ormin 1105 He wass all daȝȝ Unnclene anan till efenn. c 1305 E.E.P. (1862) 49 Al þe lond biȝunde humber: anon into scotlonde. 1387 Trevisa Higden (1865) I. 85 From þe see þat is i-cleped Caspius anon to þe Rede see. 1399 Rich. Redeles ii. 126 Ȝe..plucked and pulled hem anon to þe skynnes. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 156 Shalle I never rest..Or I come ther anone? |
† 4. strictly, Straightway, at once, forthwith, instantly. Obs. (exc. when mod. writers have tried to revive the strict sense.)
| a 1000 Juliana 69 (Grein) Heó me onán saᵹað, þæt heó..ne ᵹyme. c 1175 Cotton Hom. 231 Gief he fend wére, me sceolde ánon eter gat [hine] ȝemete. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1067 He boden him bringen ut onon. 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 99 Roberd went to..Sir Lowys on one, and told him þat greuance. 1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 364 Thai buskit thame on-ane. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 365 A-non vndo þe ȝates! 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vi. vi, Þey risen oute of here bed and axen mete on oone [L. subito 1582 anone]. c 1400 Destr. Troy iii. 813 Enon he lurkys to his loge. 1523 Fitzherb. Surv. xli. (1539) 61 [Though] the aduantage..come nat anone, it will come at length. 1611 Bible Matt. xiii. 20 He that heareth the word, & anon with ioy receiueth it. 1862 Trench Miracles xvii. 281 The toiling rowers are anon at the haven where they would be. |
† b. anon so or anon as: once that, immediately as, as soon as ever (Fr. aussitôt que). Obs.
| c 1175 Cotton Hom. 241 ælc cristen mán ánon se stepð up of þe funte..he maceð him þri ifon. 1205 Lay. 6369 Anan [1250 wane] se he wes wrað wið eni mon. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xix. 18 Kneolen and bowen, Anon as men nempned · þe name of god Ihesu. c 1400 Sowdone 1836 Ye shall be hanged..Anoon as I have eten I-nowe. a 1520 Myrr. Our Ladye 178 Ioye to aungels anone as they were made. 1553–62 Foxe A. & M. I. 588/2 Anon as the word of the Sacrament is said. |
† c. anon after, after anon: directly or immediately after. Obs.
| c 1220 Leg. Kath. 1600 An se swiðe swote smal com anan þrefter. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xi. 45 Coueityse-of-eyghes conforted me anon after. c 1400 Destr. Troy i. 287 All entred into Argon after anon. 1473 J. Warkworth Chron. 6 Anone aftere that..there was a grete insurreccyon. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xlvii. 65 Whan they were all assembled, anone after Easter. 1574 tr. Marlorat's Apocalips 4 He myght shew..what was to come anone after. |
† d. soon anon: immediately, quickly. Obs.
| c 1220 Leg. Kath. 1899 Þis meiden sone anan onswerede. a 1300 Cursor M. 1435 Ful sone onane [v.r. an-nane, anoon], His saule it was til hell tane. a 1325 Metr. Hom. 124 He undid it sone on an. |
5. Gradually misused (like presently, immediately, by and by, directly, in a moment) to express: Soon, in a short time, in a little while. (Cf. d above.) till anon (obs.): until by and by, for a little.
| 1526 Tindale Rev. xi. 14 The seconde woo is past, and beholde the thyrd woo wyll come anon [Wycl. soone; Rhem., 1611, quickly]. 1598 Stow Surv. (1603) xlix. 557 As it shall better appeare anone. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. ii. vii. 45 Forbeare me till anon. 1610 ― Temp. ii. ii. 84 Thou do'st me yet but little hurt; thou wilt anon. 1656 Cowley Mistress Wks. 1710 I. 124 Leading them still insensibly on By the strange Witchcraft of Anon. 1661 Boyle Spring of Air i. ii. (1682) 3 The answering of this we shall suspend until anon. 1661 Pepys Diary 15 Sept., To put things in order against anon for the buriall. 1719 D'Urfey Pills (1872) IV. 352 Take not the first Refusal ill, Tho' now she wont, anon she will. 1858 Sears Athan. vii. 59 We dream now, we shall wake anon. |
6. Now again. a. Now at this time, in contrast to at that time, presently again; here again.
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. iv. ii. 6 Who now hangeth like a Iewell in the eare of Celo the skie..and anon falleth like a Crab on the face of Terra. 1670 G. H. Hist. Cardinals iii. ii. 204 Contriving new designs, now for this Cardinal, anon for another. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. II. 369 Now it is a people with hats; anon with turbans. 1833 I. Taylor Fanat. viii. 347 Sometimes..the sacred writers say too little; and anon too much! 1860 Tyndall Glac. i §2. 11 The avalanche rushed, hidden at intervals, and anon shooting forth. |
b. ever and anon: ever and again, every now and then; continually at intervals.
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 102 Ever and anon they made a doubt. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler 7 They are sure to be hunted ever and anon. 1703 Rowe Fair Penit. i. i. 232 Then ever and anon she wrings her hands. 1820 Scott Monast. xi. 69 Looking ever and anon to Edward for assistance. |
7. A response by a servant etc. called: ‘Immediately! presently! coming!’; whence extended to an expression of attention, ‘At your service! awaiting your orders!’; and finally implying that the auditor has failed to catch the speaker's words or meaning, and asks him to repeat = ‘Beg your pardon! what did you say? eh?’ See anan.
† 8. Comb. anon-right, also (later) right anon: straightway, forthwith, right off, immediately. Obs.
| c 1175 Cotton Hom. 265 Hwer se eauer þe gast wule, þe bodi is anan riht. c 1200 Ormin 2571 Allswa birrþ himm forrþrihht anan. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame 132, I sawgh anoon [v.r. anon(e, a non] ryght hir figure. c 1386 ― Sqr.'s T. 391 Right anon she wiste what they mente. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas i. v. 8 To make a mariage, after anon right. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. l. 34 He lete slee hem euerychone anon right. |
† b. With adverbial genitive -es, -s. Obs.
| c 1230 Ancr. R. 248 Herdi bileaue bringeð þene deouel a vlihte anon-rihtes. c 1300 K. Alis. 824 After mete, anon ryghtis, Theo kyng clepith gentil knyghtis. c 1460 Launfal 658 Syxty ladyes and fyf..went hem doun anoon ryghtes. |
▪ II. anon
(əˈnɒn)
Also anon. (with full point), Anon.
Abbrev. of anonymous a. Hence as n., a person (esp. a writer or composer) whose name is unknown or not given.
| 1736 Pope Works IV. 235 A compleat Key to the What d'ye call it. Anon. By Griffin a Player, supervis'd by Mr. Th―. 1815 Gentl. Mag. LXXXV. ii. 539/2 Besides the great composers..the Author has drawn his materials from the following: Anon, Baillot, Borri, [etc.]. 1902 J. M. Barrie Little White Bird v. 55 She had sworn to hunt Mr. Anon down. 1947 Punch 5 Feb. 135 To-day I brought off a first-class scoop, An interview with Anon., The most prolific poet of us all. 1951 V. H. Galbraith Hist. Research in Med. Eng. 10 The medieval historians are dim figures. The vast majority would be classed in modern anthologies as ‘anon’. |