narrowly, adv.
(ˈnærəʊlɪ)
Forms: 1 nearo-, næro-, nearu-, 2 nearwelice, 3 neruhlic(h)e, narruliche; 5–6 naroly, (5 Sc. narro-, 6 -lye), narowly, (6 -lye, -lie, narrouly, -lie), 6–7 narrowlie, 5– narrowly, (6 -owe-).
[OE. nearol{iacu}ce, f. nearo narrow a. + -l{iacu}ce, -ly2, but in later use a new formation on the adj.]
1. Carefully, closely, with close attention.
| c 897 K. ælfred tr. Gregory's Past. C. xxi. 153 Maneᵹu diᵹlu ðing sindon nearolice to smeaᵹeanne. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1085 Swa swyðe nearwelice he hit lett ut aspyrian, þæt næs an ælpiᵹ hide..þæt næs ᵹesæt on his ᵹewrite. a 1225 Ancr. R. 334 He seið, þet he nule nout so neruhliche demen ase ȝe siggeð. 1529 S. Fish Supplic. Beggars (1871) 2 They loke so narowly vppon theyre proufittes, that the poore wyues must be countable to theym of euery tenth eg. 1581 Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 43, I..more narrowly will examine his parts. 1617 Moryson Itin. i. 186 Thinking that I had never a penny left, whom he had seen so narrowly searched. 1688 Holme Armoury iii. 348/1 If they be but narrowly looked into,..there will be but little difference found. 1709 Addison & Steele Tatler No. 103 ¶11, I watched him narrowly for Six and Thirty Years. 1745 P. Thomas Jrnl. Anson's Voy 120 You must search narrowly to discover it. 1806 A. Duncan Nelson 123 For the purpose of observing the enemy's motions more narrowly. 1885 Manch. Exam. 21 May 5/3 We are not concerned to inquire too narrowly which of the two parties is to blame. |
† b. Deeply, firmly. Obs. rare—1.
| 1494 Fabyan Chron. vi. cxcv 200 Enprynted so naroly [are] thyse verses in y⊇ boke of theyr conscyence. |
2. In a contracted or confined manner.
| c 1000 ælfric Gen. Prol. (Gr.) 24 Nu ys seo foresæde boc on maneᵹum stowum swiðe nærolice ᵹesett & þeah swiðe deoplice. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 940 To reduce narowly, coartér. 1563 Winȝet tr. Vincent. Lirin. Wks. (S.T.S.) II. 45 Thai thingis..for strenthin of oure memorie, lat ws schortliar and mair narroulie reherse. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 20 Rush do the winds forward through perst chinck narrolye whizling. 1847 W. E. Steele Field Bot. 197 Leaves narrowly linear. 1887 W. Phillips Brit. Discomyc. 140 Sporidia..narrowly fusiform or linear. |
† 3. Sparingly, parsimoniously. Obs. rare.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 414 Heo schal libben bi elmesse ase neruhliche ase heo euer mei. a 1275 Prov. ælfred 519 in O.E. Misc. 133 Ne þeng þu neuere þi lif to narruliche leden. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. vi. §409 He gave over any pursuit in Court, and liv'd narrowly in the Country. |
† 4. Barely, scarcely. Obs. rare.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints i. (Peter) 480 Narowly cuth he purchase Audience till he had sad his will. Ibid. xlvi. (Anastas.) 36 Publy strat kepyn til hir mad, Sa þat narroly fud scho had. a 1400–50 Alexander 1370 Þat he fiches & firmes sa fast to þe wall, So nere vnethes at ane eld [= a needle] miȝt narowly betwene. |
b. Only by a (very) little; only just.
| 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 185 [He] escaped drowning verye narrowely. 1639 Fuller Holy War i. vi. (1840) 9 Tyrius mentioneth one memorable massacre, which they narrowly escaped. 1687 A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. i. 75 They very narrowly missed being taken by the Christians. 1726 Swift Gulliver i. ii, One [arrow] very narrowly missed my left eye. 1774 Misc. Ess. in Ann. Reg. 159/2 She..very narrowly escaped being drowned. 1837 De Quincey Coleridge Wks. 1862 II. 111 He will see how narrowly Dr. Watson missed this elevation. 1884 Law Times Rep. L. 113/2 He narrowly escaped falling into one of the ditches. 1885 Manch. Exam. 13 July 5/5 The match in the end was very narrowly won by Harrow. |
† 5. Closely, straitly. Obs.
| 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 132 b, Nowe was the citie on every syde so narrowly and straightlye besieged. 1584 D. Powel Lloyd's Cambria 86 The Northwales men..pursued Run so narrowlie, that all his Scottish shifts could not saue his life. 1642 Rogers Naaman 31 The prodigall..was faine to be pursued so narrowly by the hand of God. 1707 Lond. Gaz. No. 4295/2 Which Place is..narrowly beset by the Troops. |
6. Illiberally; strictly.
| 1708 Swift Sent. Ch. Eng. Man ii. Wks. 1751 II. 83 He does not think the Church of England so narrowly calculated, that it cannot fall in with any regular species of Government. 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. VI. lviii. 483 The narrowly selfish colonial policy. 1885 Law Times LXXX. 113/1 The Court held that the language of the Act is not to be read so narrowly. |