evagation
(iːvəˈgeɪʃən)
Also 5 evagacion, -cyon.
[First introduced in the fig. sense 2; a. F. évagation, L. ēvagātiōn-em, n. of action f. ēvagārī, f. ē out + vagārī to wander.]
1. The action of wandering away, or departing from a specified locality, prescribed course, etc.; rambling, roving; an instance of the same.
| 1691 Ray Creation (1714) 220 Long ridges..of mountains serve to stop the Evagation of the Vapours. 1713 Derham Phys.-Theol. (1727) 118 To Bridle the Evagation of the Sound. 1714 ― Astro-Theol. vi. iii. (1769) 154 The preventing the evagation of the Planets. 1785 Landen Rot. Motion in Phil. Trans. LXXV. 328 That evagation is caused by the motive forces urging the body to turn about AB, AC, AD, conjunctly. 1802 Paley Nat. Theol. xxii. (1819) 355 If the prevailing law had transgressed the limits above assigned, every evagation [of a planet] would have been fatal. |
b. In speech or discussion: A digression.
| a 1656 Hales Gold. Rem. (1688) 571 They have held their Synod with delays, stays and evagations. 1887 Blackw. Mag. Oct. 504 Leading us, even though by very tedious evagations, up to a noble climax. |
† 2. Wandering of the mind, thoughts, spirit, etc. (Mentioned as one of the ‘branches’ of Accidia or Sloth, one of the seven mortal sins.)
| c 1425 tr. T. à Kempis' Consol. iii. xxvii, Restreyne all euel evagacions & all miȝty temptacions. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) ii. vii. 102 Euagacyon of thought is to gyue & occupye himselfe with talkynge in folysshe and vayne langage. 1503 Sheph. Kalender vii. (ed. Paris) 51 Heyr..followys the branchys of sweyrnes, qwych ar ewylthoght, enwy of good..ewagacyon [1508 Euagacyon], etc. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 94 b, Euagacyon of mynde..is y⊇ doughter of slouth. 1607 Schol. Disc. agst. Antichr. i. iii. 161 That euagation of the soule..is not ex fragilitate. 1677 Gale Crt. Gentiles II. iii. 63 The soul is..moved..even unto an ecstasie or divine evagation. |
† 3. A diversion. b. A departure from propriety, an extravagance. Obs.
| 1638 Walton in Reliq. Wotton. (1672) 579 You married men are deprived of these evagations. 1649 J. Hall Motion to Parl. 8 Neither subject to these wilde evagations, nor savage rudenesses. |