▪ I. large, a., adv., and n.
(lɑːdʒ)
Forms: 4–7 larg, 6 largue, Sc. lairg, lairge, lerge, 6–7 lardg(e, 2– large.
[a. F. large, now chiefly in the sense ‘broad, wide’:—L. larga, fem. of largus abundant, copious, bountiful, profuse. The masc. largus gave OF. larc, larg (whence ME. larg, largue), but these forms were ultimately supplanted by the fem. form large; though in nautical senses mod.F. has largue masc. and fem., adopted from southern dialects. Cf. Pr. larg, largue, broad, Sp., Pg. largo long, It. largo wide.]
A. adj. † I. 1. Liberal in giving; generous; bountiful, munificent; open-handed. Also, liberal in expenditure, prodigal, lavish. (Cf. fool-large.) Const. of, in. Obs.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 143 Þe large Men and þe milde Men..sculen beon icleoped on þe fader riht halue. a 1225 Ancr. R. 430 Se uorð ase ȝe muwen of drunch and of mete and of cloð,..beoð large touward ham [servants], þauh ȝe þe neruwure beon and te herdure to ou suluen. 13.. Guy Warw. (A.) 1265 He was large, curteys, and fre. 1375 Barbour Bruce xi. 148 The landis of Scotland delt he then Of othir mennis landis large wes he. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶391 To be liberal, that is to seyn, large by mesure. a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1393 She [Fortune] lovethe yonge folk and large of despence. c 1450 Merlin 150 Yef euer ye haue be large of yeftes here before, loke now that ye be larger hensforth. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vii. vii, Syre knyghte thou art ful large of my hors and my harneys, I lete the wete it coste the noughte. c 1500 Lancelot 1765 Beith larg and iffis frely of thi thing. 1530 Palsgr. 317/1 Large in expence, prodigue. 1553 N. Grimalde Cicero's Offices ii. (1558) 99 That other kinde of largegiuing whiche proceedes of liberalitie. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, i. i. 11 The poore King Reignier, whose large style Agrees not with the leannesse of his purse. 1664 J. Wilson Cheats v. iii. Dram. Wks. (1874) 93 Indeed I won't! You have been large to me already. [Jolly would press money upon him.] 1688 Dryden Britannia Rediv. 86 Large of his treasures. |
| absol. 13.. K. Alis. 2054 Theo large geveth; the nythyng lourith. 1484 Caxton Fables of æsop v. xii. (1889) 170 And therefore more despendeth the nygard than the large. |
II. Ample, wide, great.
† 2. Ample in quantity; copious, abundant.
Obs.; merged in sense 8.
The early instances referring to gifts or alms may belong to sense 1.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 168 Noble men & wummen makieð large relef. a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 187 Hwet deþ þenne þi blod isched on þe rode, hwet deþ þenne þe large broc of þi softe side. a 1300 Cursor M. 3964 Iacob þan sent him of his aght Giftes large. a 1400–50 Alexander 602 Large lyons lockis þat lange ere and scharpe. c 1425 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 2067 That to dyscerne I purpose nat to deele So large by my wyll hit longeth nat to me. 1552 Huloet, Large, aboundaunt or plentyfull, affluens. 1578 Timme Calvin on Gen. 161 This..offereth unto us, large matter of bewailing our misery. 1582 N. T. (Rhem.) Mark. xii. 40 These shall receive larger judgement [Vulg. prolixius judicium; 1611 greater damnation]. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. i. 31 The kings of France and England gaue large money towards the maintenance of the army. 1635 R. N. Camden's Hist. Eliz. i. an. 9. 67 She gave them large thanks. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 558 And we have yet large day, for scarce the Sun Hath finisht half his journey. |
3. † a. Ample in spatial extent; allowing plenty of room; spacious, roomy, capacious.
Obs.; merged in sense 8.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 18 Makieð on ower muþe mit te þume a creoiz, & et ‘Deus in adjutorium’, a large creoiz mit þe þreo vingres vrom abuue þe vorheaued dun to þe breoste. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) I. 144 Large er þo landes, þat his eldres wonnen. 1382 Wyclif Heb. ix. 11 Forsoth Crist beynge a bischop of goodis to comynge [entride] bi a larger and perfiter tabernacle [L. amplius et perfectius]. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 27 He seeth her front is large and pleine Withoute frounce of any greine. c 1400 Destr. Troy 10389 Olofte for to lenge in his large sete. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 2 b, The byrde in a cage, be the cage..neuer so large and hye, can not be contented or quyete. 1530 Palsgr. 237/2 Large grounde, covrtil. Ibid. 317/1 Large wyde and brode, spacieux, ample. 1604 E. G[rimstone] D' Acosta's Hist. Indies v. xvii. 373 They retired themselves into a large place, where there were many lights. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 531 Two Golden Horns on his large Front he wears. |
† b. Const.
of.
| c 1340 Cursor M. 22322 (Fairf.) A mikil man of stature heye & large of face. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) v. 43 So is the Contree large of Lengthe. 1535 Coverdale Neh. vii. 4 As for y⊇ cite, it was large of rowme, and greate. |
c. fig. Of the ‘heart’: Capacious.
Cf. 6.
In the earliest instances the expression is a literal translation from the
Heb., where ‘heart’ means intellect.
| 1535 Coverdale 1 Kings iv. 29 God gaue Salomon maruelous greate wyszdome and vnderstondinge, and a large hert. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 444 That uxorius King, whose heart though large, Beguil'd by fair Idolatresses, fell To Idols foul. 1686 Waller H.R.H. Mother to Pr. Orange Poems 244 Tho streighter Bounds your Fortune did confine, In your large Heart was found a wealthy Mine. 1876 Blackie Songs Relig. & Life 228 The brain by knowledge grows, the heart Is larger made by loving. |
† 4. Extensive in transverse dimension;
= broad a. 1, 1 b. [The usual sense in
mod.Fr.] Often in phrase
long and large, for which
wide and large sometimes occurs.
Obs.| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xviii. 45 Bothe as longe and as large bi loft and by grounde. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) v. 16 It es nere hand a c. cubites large. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxii. 49 Ane croce that was baith large and lang, To beir thai gaif that blessit Lord. 1578 Lyte Dodoens i. viii. 15 The great Clote hath leaves very large and long. 1599 Abp. Abbot Descr. World (1634) 281 The Spaniards..entered Florida..and there conquered a thousand miles wide and large. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xxxviii. 152 Three hundred ladders made, very strong, and so large, that three men might easily mount up on them a front. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 195 His other Parts..extended long and large Lay floating many a rood. Ibid. iv. 223 Southward through Eden went a River large. 1709 Blair in Phil. Trans. XXVII. 141 Two Tusks 2½ Spans large, and 8 foot long. 1715 Leoni Palladio's Archit. (1742) I. 78 The Ways ought to be..so large, that Carriages and Horses be no hindrance to each other when they meet. |
† 5. a. With definite measures of space and time, indicating the full or rather more than the full quantity:
= good A. 20.
Obs.| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. x. 162 Leue him on thi left halue a large myle or more. 1529 Malory's Arthur x. lxiv, They fought..two large houres and neuer brethed them. 1678 Lond. Gaz. No. 1315/1 At Bucken, a large League from Friburg. 1707 Ibid. 4336/7 As to the Breadth of the Chanel, it is a large half Mile. 1737 tr. Le Comte's Mem. & Rem. China iii. 79 The steps..being almost all 10 large inches high. |
† b. Of the time of day: Fully come, full.
Obs.| c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 352 They slepen til that it was pryme large. c 1470 Henry Wallace iv. 223 Thir men went furth as it was large mydnycht. |
6. a. Of immaterial things: Wide in range or capacity; comprehensive, extensive, capacious.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 93 Mater fynd ȝe large and brade? 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3915 Bot alle þis dett may þar be qwytt Thurgh large pardon, wha-swa has itt. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 8 A feiþful curat owiþ to notify to his sugets, were is pardoun, sikirar, largar, & for les price, to be bout to his sogets. 1500 Galway Arch. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 391 In as ampull and lardg manner as we grauntid to anny other ffreman. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. IV 15 b, Exhortyng them with large promisses and flatteryng wordes. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 239 b, I wyll sende Ambassadours to the assemblye with large commission. 1595 Shakes. John i. i. 88 Doe you not read some tokens of my sonne In the large composition of this man? 1606 ― Tr. & Cr. i. iii. 223 Fair leaue and large security. 1667 Milton P.L. xii. 305 From imposition of strict Laws, to free Acceptance of large Grace. 1704 Swift Mechan. Operat. Spir. Misc. (1711) 296 A large Memory, plentifully fraught with Theological Polysyllables. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1724) I. 179 It was resolved, that whatever should be granted..should go in so large a manner, that Papists should be comprehended within it. 1730–46 Thomson Autumn 280 Vernal suns and showers Diffuse their warmest, largest influence. 1738 Wesley Ps. cxvi. v, How good Thou art, How large thy Grace! 1778 Sir J. Reynolds Disc. viii. (1876) 450 Notions large, liberal and complete. 1779–81 Johnson L.P., Smith, His memory was large and tenacious. 1784 Cowper Task iii. 423 No portion left That may disgrace his art, or disappoint Large expectation. 1793 Burke Policy Allies Wks. VII. 176, I speak of policy too in a large light; in which large light, policy too is a sacred thing. 1842 Tennyson Locksley Hall 111 Yearning for the large excitement that the coming years would yield. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. i. I. 106 A good reason for giving large powers to a trustworthy magistrate. a 1859 Ibid. xxiii. (1861) V. 91 The English Government..had been willing to make large allowance for Berwick's peculiar position. 1885 Sir N. Lindley in Law Times Rep. LII. 319/2, I think the language is large enough to include them. 1886 Law Times LXXXI. 172/1 The court had a large discretion as to the joinder of parties. |
b. Of persons, with reference to some specified attribute or action. Const.
in,
of.
Cf. sense 1.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints, Theodera 220 Þu art larg of cheryte. 1574 Hellowes Gueuara's Fam. Ep. (1577) 63 It is not a iust thing to be large in sinning, and short in praying. 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus iii. 1 When Paul would be large in commending the Church of the Romanes, he affirmeth they were full of goodnesse. 1672 Wilkins Nat. Relig. 326 To be generous and large in their well-wishing and their well-doing. 1883 F. M. Peard Contrad. xxvi, He was large in his offers of friendship towards a young nephew of Mr. Pritchard's. |
c. With reference to artistic treatment: Broad.
| 1782 Sir J. Reynolds Disc. xi. (1876) 28 In his colouring he was large and general. |
7. a. Of discourse, narrative, or literary treatment: Ample, copious, lengthy. Now
rare.
| 1477 Marg. Paston in P. Lett. No. 799 III. 193 The large comunycacyon that dyvers tymes hathe ben had towchyng the maryage of my cosyn Margery..and my son Iohn. 1526 Tindale Acts xx. 2 When he had gone over those parties, and geven them large exhortacions. 1577 Frampton Joyful News ii. (1596) 80 Of many others which shoulde bee verie large to speake of. 1622 R. Hawkins Voy. S. Sea 131 It were large to recount the voyages and worthy enterprises overthrowne by this pollicie. 1655 Stanley Hist. Philos. ii. (1701) 65/1 Plutarch, hath this large Discourse upon it. 1675 Temple Let. to Chas. II Wks. 1731 II. 344 Since the Prince's Return, I have had two large Discourses with his Highness. 1685 Wood Life 13 Apr., Mr. Wyatt spake a large speech by hart. 1705 Hearne Collect. 23 July (O.H.S.) I. 13 Mr. Milles writ a large reply. 1756–82 J. Warton Ess. Pope (ed. 4) I. ii. 49 These observations on Thomson..would not have been so large if there had been already any considerable criticism on his Character. 1860 Motley Netherl. (1868) I. v. 273 He fell into large and particular discourse with the deputies. |
† b. Of persons: Copious in writing or speech; diffuse, lengthy, prolix.
Obs.| 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. xviii. §8 (1873) 181 Antitheta are theses argued pro et contra; wherein men may be more large and laborious. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 108 My intent is to bee largest in relation of those things which are not in the Scriptures. 1618 Bolton Florus (1636) Ded., He held it more honorable to be..the first among briefe writers than one among few in the large ones. 1668 Temple Let. to Ld. Arlington Wks. 1731 II. 82 The Marquis is large in arguing to me, that our Interest lies in a joint War. 1679 Penn Addr. Prot. ii. App. (1692) 240, I could be very large upon this point. 1711 Hearne Collect. (O.H.S.) III. 136, I am afraid he will be much too large, tho' 'tis certain w{supt} he shall do will be very curious and learned. 1737 Whiston Josephus, Antiq. xii. vi. §3 He was very large in his encomiums upon the young man. 1763 J. Brown Poetry & Mus. vi. 111 Homer is equal, large, flowing and harmonious; Eschylus is uneven, concise, abrupt and rugged. 1788 Priestley Lect. Hist. iv. xxiii. 179 His work is an epitome of the Roman History to his own times, upon which he is more large. |
8. In
mod.Eng., a general designation for considerable magnitude, used instead of
great when it is not intended to convey the emotional implication now belonging to that word. (See
great a. 6.) The more colloquial or less refined synonym is
big.
a. Of material objects. Also in phrases like
large of limb = ‘having large limbs’.
Not ordinarily said of persons; the occasional use of expressions like ‘a large man’ is somewhat playful, the notion being ‘taking up a great deal of room’. To say ‘the larger (
= ‘bigger’) children’ is admissible, if
perh. somewhat unusual, but the positive (and, indeed, the comparative in the singular) could not be similarly used.
In the earlier examples there may be some notion of the sense ‘ample’.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 288/1 Large, hey, longe, and semely, procerus. 1526 Tindale Gal. vi. 11 Beholde how large a letter I have written vnto you with myne awne honde. c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) ii. 135 Thow art moir lerge of lyth and lym Nor I am, be sic thre. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. iv. i. 4 While I..kisse thy faire large eares. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 46 In this toune is the Kingis castel baith lairge and stark. 1611 Bible Mark xiv. 15 He will shew you a large [Gr. µέγα : earlier versions ‘great’] vpper roome furnished. 1667 Milton P.L. x. 529 Now Dragon grown, larger than whom the Sun Ingenderd in the Pythian Vale on slime. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 805 A large Cluster of black Grapes. ― æneid x. 432 Great Theron, large of Limb, of Gyant height. 1751 Affect. Narr. Wager 89 One of us killed a large Seal..Such Hits as these were but rare, and very far from affording Supplies. 1791 W. Bartram Carolina 10 These swamps are daily clearing and improving into large fruitful rice plantations. 1803 H. Repton Landsc. Gard. (1805) 21 We generally pronounce that object large, the whole of which the eye cannot at once comprehend. 1816 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art I. 14 The large vice must be firmly fixed to the side of the work-bench. 1837 Dickens Pickw. ii, A large lady in blue satin. 1837 Mrs. Sherwood H. Milner iii. xvi. 323 An infant, and three or four larger children. 1840 Marryat Poor Jack i, He was a very large man, standing six feet high. 1868 Lockyer Elem. Astron. iii. §16 (1879) 91 At rising or setting, the Moon sometimes appears to be larger than it does when high up in the sky. 1870 Dickens E. Drood vi, ‘Is he a large man, Ma?’ ‘I should call him a large man, my dear..but that his voice is so much larger’. 1895 Bookman Oct. 26/2 Plans..should not be large folded sheets, but single page plans of small districts..with a key-map. 1896 Law Times Rep. LXXIII. 615/1 There were two gates, one large one for carriages and the other a small one for foot passengers. |
| absol. 1595 Shakes. John ii. i. 101 This little abstract doth containe that large, Which died in Geffrey. |
b. Used in the specific names of objects,
esp. plants and animals, to distinguish a kind or variety of greater size than the ordinary; also used similarly (chiefly
pred.) as the trade term for a size of clothing, packet, etc.
Large Black (pig), a pig belonging to the variety so called, developed late in the 19th century and formerly called the Devonshire Black;
large-paper, a size of paper used for a special or limited edition of a book, having wider margins than that of the ordinary edition; also
attrib.;
Large White (pig), a heavy bacon pig of the variety so called, first introduced in Yorkshire about 1850 and formerly called the Yorkshire pig.
The compar.
larger and
superl. largest are also used in specific names, as
larger cabinet beetle,
larger red-crested woodpecker,
largest red oak.
| 1714 Lond. Gaz. No. 5225/3 The Price of the few large Paper that are printed [will be] 40s. per Book in Sheets. 1727 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Minion, The large Minion, or one of the largest size, has its bore 31/4 inch diameter, and is 1000 pounds weight. 1787 W. Sargent in Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts & Sci. (1793) II. 159 Large Laurel. 1802 Dibdin Introd. Classics 11 note, The large paper edition of this work is chiefly sought after. 1810 F. A. Michaux Hist. Arbres Forestiers de l' Amérique Septentrionale I. 39 American large aspen..nom donné par moi. 1813 H. Muhlenberg Catal. Plant. 92 Large aspen (Populus trepida or grandidentata). 1832 D. J. Browne Sylva Amer. 255 As it surpasses the aspen in height, we have given it the name of Large Aspen. 1832 J. Rennie Conspectus Butterflies & Moths Brit. 259/1 Large Blue..Large Copper. 1832 T. Brown Bk. Butterflies, Sphinxes & Moths I. 18 (heading) The large white cabbage butterfly. 1837 Macgillivray Withering's Brit. Plants (ed. 4) 334 Large White Helleborine. 1837 Southern Lit. Messenger III. 660 There are for sale hats, boots and shoes, India rubber articles,..large bread,..everything on earth. 1845 C. M. Kirkland Western Clearings 154 ‘You'd ought to begin with large-hand, Joshuay,’ said Master Horner to this youth [instructing him in penmanship]. 1857 H. T. Stainton Man. Brit. Butterflies & Moths I. 11 The Swallow-tail and the Large Copper are only to be obtained in the fens of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire. 1859 H. T. Stainton Brit. Butterflies & Moths II. 34 Geometra papilionaria (Large Emerald). 1859 Bagehot Coll. Works (1965) II. 190 A large-hand copy of life. 1862 E. Newman Brit. Moths (1869) 299 The Large Nutmeg (Mamestra anceps). 1867 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. III. 633 Some of the classes, the large white breed and those not qualified for the specified classes were only scantily filled. 1876 H. E. Scudder Dwellers in Five-Sisters Court i. 7 There was a large-bread bakery at Skōlas. 1878 Print. Trades Jrnl. xxv. 20 Large post folio size. 1883 Wallem Fish. Supply Norway 16 (Fish. Exhib. Publ.) ‘Large’ or North-herring. 1896 W. J. Malden Pig Keeping for Profit i. 12 The Large White started with a strong frame. 1896 Allbutt's Syst. Med. I. 192 Fatty changes in the kidneys..Large white, and small white kidneys. 1897 Sears, Roebuck Catal. (1968) 29/1 Bromo-Caffeine, large. a 1902 Mod. The second edition of the book is a large octavo. 1906 J. Long Bk. Pig (ed. 2) xii. 156 The Large Blacks are regarded as being of gentle disposition... The chief counties in which the Large Black pig is bred are Cornwall and Devon. 1909 T. Eaton & Co. Catal. Fall & Winter 84/2 Men's heavy ribbed red wool undershirt..sizes small, medium and large. 1947 J. Stevenson-Hamilton Wild Life S. Afr. xxv. 205 The large grey mongoose (Herpestes caffer).—Colour, grizzled grey, limbs darker. A black brush at the end of the tail. Length over all, about 45 inches. This animal is spread throughout the Ethiopian region. 1961 J. Fitzhugh Pig Breeding xiv. 160 The National Pig Breeders' Association caters for the Large Blacks, Large Whites, [etc.]. 1966 [see economy-size s.v. economy 9.] 1966 E. Palmer Plains of Camdeboo x. 181 The large grey mongoose is nocturnal and rarely seen. 1970 Times 19 Aug. 9/7 There are five or six species (e.g. the Large Blue or Glanville Fritillary) which ought to be protected. 1971 Farmers Weekly (Extra) 19 Mar. 37/2 The Farnsworths fatten all progeny from a herd of 60 Welsh sows, put to the Large White boar. 1973 T. G. Howarth South's Brit. Butterflies 51 The tiny parasitic wasp, Apanteles glomeratus Linnaeus..normally acts as a control to the common Large White caterpillar. 1974 Times 26 Apr. 7/7 The tights..are in three sizes—Petite, Medium or Large... The large size will not be ready until July. 1985 R. Lourie First Loyalty xiv. 92 ‘How about the size?’ ‘Size?’ ‘Sweater size. Small, medium, large.’ |
c. Of collective unities, quantities, dimensions, or any immaterial entity of which extensive as distinct from intensive magnitude can be predicated.
| 1526 Tindale Rev. xxi. 16 The length was as large as the bredth of hitt. 1679 Penn Addr. Prot. ii. v. (1692) 135 [It] is..in a large Degree true among us. 1751 C. Labelye Westm. Br. 72 At the Commissioners Desire, and before a very large Board, I had the Honour of explaining..my Method. 1823 De Quincey Lett. Educ. ii. Wks. (1860) XIV. 26 Forty years are not too large a period for such a work. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. iii. I. 325 It is certainly now more than seven times as great as the larger of these two sums. Ibid. vii. II. 216 That party was not large; but the..virtues of those who belonged to it made it respectable. 1881 Jowett Thucyd. I. 224 The simplicity which is so large an element in a noble nature was laughed to scorn and disappeared. 1895 R. L. Douglas in Bookman Oct. 22/2 Louis [XIV] was in a large measure responsible for the horrors of the Revolution. Mod. He made large profits on some articles, but his business did not pay on the whole. |
d. Of a movement, pace, etc.: Covering a good extent of ground at a step. (
Cf. B. 6.)
| c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 117 He, þat yn goynge, hauys his paas large and latly, welfare shall folwe him yn all his werkys. 1719 De Foe Crusoe i. xx. (1840) 358 As fast as we could make our horses go, which..was only a good large trot. 17.. in ‘J. Larwood’ (L. R. Sadler) Bk. Cleric. Anecd. (1871) 229 [A contemporary journalist describes Orator Henley as entering like a harlequin by a door behind the pulpit, and] at one large leap jumping into it, and falling to work. |
† e. rarely of actions or processes, with reference to degree.
| 1660–1 Marvell Corr. xviii. Wks. 1872–5 II. 50 As I shall haue more busynesse or more news, I shall giue you a larger trouble. 1748 Anson's Voy. ii. xiii. 276 They..found every where so large a surf, that there was not the least possibility of their landing. |
f. Of a meal: Heavy, abundant (
cf. 2). ?
rare.
| 1748 Anson's Voy. iii. ii. 313 Having..made a large beef breakfast. 1890 Kipling Light that failed vi, After a large lunch they went down to the beach. |
g. Of sounds heard in auscultation: Full, sonorous. Also of the pulse: Full.
| 1822–34 Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) I. 544 note, If a pulse be both hard and large, it is a strong pulse also. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 10 To the first [class] belong the large or sonorous, the small or sibilant, and the intermediate or subsibilant rhonchi. Ibid. 142 The large, coarse, toneless rattles produced by mucus and air in the trachea and larger bronchi. |
h. With an agent-noun or its equivalent: That is engaged in the occupation or business implied on a large scale.
| 1883 Manch. Exam. 29 Oct. 5/4 The largest calico printer in the world. 1891 J. G. Paton Autobiog. 4 Large farmers and small farmers. 1892 Law Times XCII. 177/2 A very large oyster planter. |
i. law of large numbers [
tr. F.
loi des grands nombres (S. D. Poisson 1835, in
Compt. Rend. I. 478)]: a statistical law which states that if a series of independent trials or observations is made, in each of which there is the same probability of a particular outcome, then as the number of trials is made larger the chance that the observed proportion of such outcomes differs from the probability by less than any given number, however small, approaches a certainty (or, in stronger terms, the observed proportion approaches the probability).
| [1921 J. M. Keynes Treat. Probability xxviii. 336 The ‘Law of Great Numbers’ is not at all a good name for the principle which underlies Statistical Induction. The ‘Stability of Statistical Frequencies’ would be a much better name for it. The former suggests, as perhaps Poisson intended.., what is certainly false, that every class of event shows statistical regularity of occurrence if only one takes a sufficient number of instances of it. It..encourages the method..by which it is thought legitimate to take an observed degree of frequency or association, which is shown in a fairly numerous set of statistics, and to assume..that, because the statistics are numerous, the observed degree of frequency is therefore stable.] 1937 J. V. Uspensky Introd. Math. Probability x. 182 A far reaching generalization of Bernoulli's theorem, known under the name of the ‘law of large numbers’. 1949 W. Kneale Probability & Induction iii. 139 Many people who have heard of it under the name of the law of large numbers..suppose it to be a mysterious law of nature which guarantees that in a sufficiently large number of trials a probability will be ‘realized as a frequency’. Ibid. 141 As an illustration of the importance of the law of large numbers in practical affairs it will be sufficient to mention the business of insurance... The greater the number of persons insuring with the company, the greater the probability that the company's finances will remain sound. 1960 S. Goldberg Probability iv. 227 The law of large numbers can be used to supply a theoretical counterpart to our intuitive feeling that if an event A occurs f times in n identical trials and if n is large, then f/n, the proportion of times A occurs, should be near the probability P(A) of the event A. |
j. larger-than-life attrib. phr. Cf. life n. 7 a.
| 1950 New Yorker 23 Dec. 42 Inviting Mr. Churchill..as the living, larger-than-life embodiment of the British people's opposition to appeasement. 1967 Sunday Times 23 Apr. 49 The larger-than-life political figures thunder their dogmas through the act. 1972 D. Francis Smokescreen ii. 27, I had very little in common with the sort of larger-than-life action man I played in film after film. 1972 Jazz & Blues Oct. 22/1 For many years Mezzrow was an almost larger than life personality. |
9. Of speech or manner: Pompous, imposing, assuming airs of grandeur, ‘big’.
| 1605 Shakes. Lear i. i. 187 Your large speeches, may your deeds approue. 1818 Hallam Mid. Ages (1872) III. 153 The prerogative was always named in large and pompous expressions. 1894 Hall Caine Manxman iii. xx. 192 Cæsar made a prolonged A-hm! and said in a large way, ‘Has the carriage arrived?’ |
III. Not rigorous or restricted: lax, free. [Developed from sense 3.]
† 10. Indulgent, lax; not strict or rigorous.
Obs.| c 1440 Jacob's Well xvi. 108 Takyng non hede of þi wycked suspectys..ne of þi consentyng to euyll, ne of þi large conscyence. 1594 Mirr. Policy (1599) N ij, Kings..ought..to be carefull, that they put not couetous men & such as haue a large conscience in publick offices & authority. 1604 Parsons 3rd Pt. Three Convers. Eng. 374 The King, vpon his first breach with the Pope, was somewhat carelesse & large towards the protestants. 1609 Bible (Douay) 1 Sam. xxiv. Comm., A large conscience sticketh at nothing. 1694 Strype Mem. Cranmer iii. xxxvi. 456 When King Henry was large towards the Protestants, Cranmer was so also. 1733 Neal Hist. Purit. II. 245 If the Puritans were too strict in keeping Holy the Sabbath, his Grace [Laud] was too large in his indulgence. |
† 11. a. Having few or no restrictions or limitations; allowing considerable freedom. Also said of persons with respect to their thought or action.
| c 1510 Lytell geste Robyn hode (W. de W.) vii. 108 Smyte on boldely sayd Robyn I gyue the large leue. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. IV 10 It was concluded, that kyng Richard should continew in a large prisone. 1635 R. N. Camden's Hist. Eliz. iii. an. 27. 267 Shee besought that she might be kept in larger custody. 1671 Milton P.R. i. 365 Leaving my dolorous Prison I enjoy Large liberty to round this Globe of Earth. 1680 Connect. Col. Rec. (1859) III. 299 Our people in this Colony are, some strict Congregationall men, others more large Congregationall men, and some moderate Presbeterians. 1793 in Morse Amer. Geog. (1796) I. 274 General Baptists..who hold Large Communion. |
b. Liberated, free. Const.
of.
Obs. rare.
| 1600 Fairfax Tasso i. lxxxiv. 18 Of burdens all he set the Paynims large. |
c. Of ‘circumstances’: Easy.
Obs.| 1738 Neal Hist. Purit. IV. 404 Many families who the last week were in large circumstances, were now reduced to beggary. |
† 12. Of language: Used in a wide sense, loose, inaccurate.
Obs. rare.
| c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 305 Cauterium is seid in ij. maners, þat is to seie large & streit [L. cauterium dicitur duobus modis, large & stricte]. c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xix. 116 In thilk maner of vnpropre and large speche, in which it may thouȝ vnpropirli be seid that [etc.]. |
† 13. Of speech, etc.: Free, unrestrained; (in bad sense) lax, licentious, improper, gross.
Obs.| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus v. 804 Som men seyn he [Diomede] was of tunge large. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 73 Þei seien þat Baptist was to harde, and Cristis lyfe was to large, but þei have founden a good mene. c 1400 Rom. Rose 4144 On me he leyeth a pitous charge, Bicause his tunge was to large. c 1401 Lydg. Flour Curtesye 157 Dredful also of tonges that ben large. 1553 N. Grimalde Cicero's Offices i. (1558) 46 The very maner of our iesting muste not be to large nor unsober. 1599 Shakes. Much Ado ii. iii. 206 The man doth fear God, howsoeuer it seemes not in him, by some large ieasts hee will make. Ibid. iv. i. 53, I neuer tempted her with word too large. |
14. Naut. Said of a wind that crosses the line of the ship's course in a favourable direction,
esp. on the beam or quarter. (
Cf. F.
vent largue; also
free a. 13 b.)
| 1591 in Hakluyt's Voy. (1600) III. 491 When the wind came larger we waied anchor and set saile. 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. ix. 44 When a ship sailes with a large wind towards the land. 1669 Narborough in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. i. (1694) 8 As we got Southerly and the Wind grew large, we might alter our Course when we would. 1748 Anson's Voy. ii. vii. 215 As we had the wind large, we kept in a good depth of water. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780) K k 3 b, The ships..have the wind six points large, or more properly on the quarter; which is considered as the most favourable manner of sailing, because all the sails co-operate to increase the ship's velocity. 1851 in Kipping Sailmaking (ed. 2) 185. |
IV. 15. Comb. a. Parasynthetic combinations, unlimited in number, as
large-acred,
large-bayed,
large-berried,
large-billed,
large-bodied,
large-boned,
large-brained,
large-browed,
large-celled,
large-dugged,
large-featured,
large-finned,
large-flewed,
large-flowered,
large-framed,
large-fronded,
large-fruited,
large-grained,
large-headed,
large-ideaed,
large-leaved,
large-limbed,
large-looked,
large-lugged,
large-moulded,
large-mouthed,
large-natured,
large-quartered,
large-scaled,
large-sized,
large-souled,
large-spaced,
large-thoughted,
large-utteranced,
large-viewed,
large-wheeled adjs.; also
large-angle,
large-aperture,
large-bore,
large-calibre,
large-denomination,
large-scale,
large-signal,
large-size,
large-type adjs. b. Combinations with
pa. pples., in which
large is used as a complement, as
large-drawn,
large-grown,
large-made adjs. c. Special comb.:
large calorie = calorie a;
large-eyed a., having a large eye or large eyes; characterized by wide open eyes;
large-greaved a., the specific epithet of the S. American tortoise
Podocnemis expansa, having the legs protected by large greave-like plates;
large-lung a. Path. = large-lunged adj.;
large-lunged a. Path., characterized by enlargement of the lungs;
large-minded a., having a liberal or generous mind; marked by breadth of ideas; taking a large view of things; hence
large-mindedness (in recent Dicts.);
large-mouth (bass), a variety of the black bass,
Micropterus salmoides; also
large-mouthed bass;
† large-parted a., of great parts or talents;
large-scale a., drawn to a large scale, on a large scale, extensive, widespread, relating to large numbers; so
large-scale integration Electronics, the development or use of integrated circuits that each contain a large number of components. Also
large-handed,
large-hearted.
| 1737 Pope Hor. Epist. ii. ii. 240 Heathcote himself, and such *large-acred men. |
| 1956 Nature 3 Mar. 413/1 *Large-angle scatters of cosmic-ray particles. 1966 D. G. Brandon Mod. Techniques Metallogr. iii. 138 Few electrons are backscattered out of the target, and those which do escape do so principally by large-angle Rutherford collisions. |
| 1935 Discovery Jan. 25/1 The picture was taken on sensitised paper, probably with a small short-focus camera having a *large-aperture lens. 1966 D. G. Brandon Mod. Techniques Metallogr. i. 10 Using a large-aperture reflecting surface to give good resolution and a reflecting plate to project the reflected image into the microscope column. |
| 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. iii. 115 The *large-bay'd Barne. |
| 1785 G. Washington Diary 2 Mar. (1925) II. 346 Planted..all the *large berried thorns. |
| 1835 J. J. Audubon Ornith. Biogr. III. 599 The birds observed were *Large-billed Puffins. 1908 E. J. Banfield Confessions of Beachcomber i. iii. 123 Many of the birds are..named in accordance with their notes... ‘Piln-piln’ the large-billed shore plover. 1954 Fisher & Lockley Sea-Birds 294 Phaëtusa simplex, large-billed tern. |
| 1693 Dryden Persius (1697) 500 Such as were to pass for Germans:..*Large Body'd Men. 1702 Lond. Gaz. No. 3849/4 A roan Gelding,..large Body'd. 1854 H. Miller Sch. & Schm. (1858) 320 A tall, large-bodied, small-headed man. |
| 1741 Richardson Pamela (1824) I. 84 A giant of a man..*large-boned and scraggy. 1859 Geo. Eliot A. Bede i, A large-boned muscular man nearly six feet high. |
| 1898 Daily News 1 Mar. 5/4 The old *large bore pistols. |
| 1874 Carpenter Ment. Phys. i. ii. §88 (1879) 98 *Large-brained persons, of strong Intellectual and Volitional powers. |
| 1832 Tennyson Pal. Art xli, Plato the wise, and *large-brow'd Verulam. |
| 1897 Westm. Gaz. 28 Apr. 7/2 Nine *large-calibre cannon. |
| 1927 Haldane & Huxley Animal Biol. iii. 88 The kilocalorie of 1,000 calories is the unit of energy which is most useful in human physiology. It is sometimes called the ‘*Large calorie’. |
| 1875 Bennett & Dyer Sachs' Bot. 440 Smaller cells enclosing a *larger-celled tissue. |
| 1973 P. Evans Bodyguard Man ii. 19 A wallet thick with *large-denomination banknotes. 1974 J. Cleary Peter's Pence viii. 237 The large-denomination notes would be distributed by those banks. |
| 1844 Mrs. Browning Brown Rosary ii. 112 The great willow, her lattice before, *Large-drawn in the moon, lieth calm on the floor. |
| 1853 G. Johnston Nat. Hist. E. Bord. I. 105 The *large-dugged sow. |
| 1818 Shelley Homer's Hymn to Sun 4 Euryphaessa, *large-eyed nymph. 1861 J. Brent in Archæol. Cant. IV. 28 A large-eyed needle or bodkin. 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. II. xxix. 234 A large-eyed gravity. |
| 1847 Thoreau Let. 29 Dec. in Corr. (1958) 200 He is *large featured. 1963 J. Fountain in B. James Austral. Short Stories 269 His face, large-featured, serious and brown. |
| a 1661 B. Holyday Juvenal 91 The fair trout and *larg-fin'd barbel. |
| 1565 Golding Ovid's Met. iii. (1593) 62 Tone of them cald jolliboy a great And *largeflewd hound. |
| 1813 H. Muhlenberg Catal. Plant. 53 *Large-flowered Custard Apple. 1846 D. J. Browne Trees Amer. 2 The Large-flowered Magnolia is most remarkable. 1952 A. G. L. Hellyer Sanders' Encycl. Gardening (ed. 22) 142 There are many large-flowered hybrid strains [of cyclamen] in cultivation. 1971 J. Raven Botanist's Garden iv. 84 Our native large-flowered Geraniums..afford excellent illustrations..of the second type of plant distribution. |
| 1869 Rep. Comm. Agric. 1868 (U.S. Dept. Agric.) 438 *Large-framed, wide and straight-backed, and deep-bodied, short-horn cows. 1890 ‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Col. Reformer (1891) 311 Large-framed healthy wethers. |
| 1897 M. Kingsley W. Africa 570 The most exquisite dark-green, *large-fronded moss. |
| 1813 H. Muhlenberg Catal. Plant. 48 *Large fruited Hawthorn. Ibid. 88 Large-fruited Shellbark hickory. 1952 A. G. L. Hellyer Sanders' Encycl. Gardening (ed. 22) 198 Large-fruited varieties [of strawberry] now in cultivation are all hybrids. |
| 1772–84 Cook Voy. (1790) I. 15 Corn which is *large grained and fine. 1816 W. Phillips Min. 129 Of a large-grained and soft calcareous stone. 1858 Greener Gunnery 39 Large-grained gunpowder. |
| 1880 Cassell's Nat. Hist. IV. 255 These *Large Grieved Tortoises line the shallow water in great rows. |
| 1603 Drayton Barons Wars vi. xxviii. 131 The tree..Whose *large growne body doth repulse the wind. |
| 1828 Miss Mitford Village Ser. iii. 75 That stunted and *large-headed appearance which betokens a dwarf. |
| 1883 P. Brooks Serm. 279 *Large-idead, or small-idead, appreciative or unappreciative. |
| 1785 H. Marshall Arbustrum Americanum 93 *Large-leaved Virginian Mulberry Tree. 1832 D. J. Browne Sylva Amer. 212 We have given it the specific name of Large-Leaved Umbrella Tree. 1891 T. Hardy Tess xxvii, The large-leaved rhubarb and cabbage plants. 1957 M. Hadfield Brit. Trees 399 Large-leaved Lime-tree... This species varies a good deal, and has for long been extensively planted as an ornamental tree. 1974 Country Life 28 Nov. 1639/3 The large-leaved rhododendrons..will grow only on acid soils. |
| 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. v. 238 Where once the portly Oke, and *large-limb'd Popler stood. 1623 Milton Ps. cxxxvi. 69 Large-lim'd Og he did subdue. |
| 1647 Crashaw Poems 105 These curtained windows, this self-prison'd eye Out-stares the lids of *large-look'd tyranny. |
| 1661 K. W. Conf. Charac., Informer (1860) 47 A..*large lugg'd eagle ey'd hircocervus. |
| 1961 R. D. Baker Essent. Path. xv. 372 Hypertrophic, or ‘*large lung’ emphysema, is seen at autopsy as voluminous lungs which do not collapse when the pleural cavities are opened. |
| 1896 Allbutt's Syst. Med. I. 315 Emphysema, in the tense or *large-lunged form. |
| 1824 Miss Mitford Village Ser. i. 221 A *large-made though meagre woman. |
| 1725 Young Sat. iv. 11 *Large-minded men. 1833 J. H. Newman Arians iii. i. (1876) 247 A generous and large-minded prince. |
| 1847 Tennyson Princess v. 509 That *large-moulded man, His visage all agrin as at a wake. |
| 1884 G. B. Goode Fisheries U.S.: Nat. Hist. Aquatic Animals 401 The *Large-mouth is known in the Great Lake region..as the ‘Oswego Bass’. 1893 Outing (U.S.) XXII. 94/1 In the fresh pond above Nag's Head..are found the large-mouth black-bass [etc.]. 1897 Ibid. XXX. 219/2 Florida large-mouths weighing well up in the ‘teens’. 1973 Sat. Rev. World (U.S.) 4 Dec. 47/3 Fresh-water fishermen..can try for..large-mouth bass. |
| 1878 C. Hallock Sportsman's Gazetteer 679 *Large mouthed bass. 1883 ‘Mark Twain’ Life on Mississippi 264 Every detail of the pilot-house was familiar to me, with one exception—a large-mouthed tube under the breast-board. 1883 Century Mag. July 376/2 There are but two well-defined species, the large-mouthed bass and the small-mouthed bass. 1919 E. Pound Quia Pauper Amavi 39 Oh august Pierides! Now for a large-mouthed product. 1956 Nature 3 Mar. 413/2 The fish is related to the freshwater large-mouthed bass of the eastern United States. |
| 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Char. Wks. (Bohn) II. 57 They are *large-natured, and not so easily amused as the southerners. |
| a 1659 Bp. Browning Serm. (1674) II. xviii. 234 Quick and *large-parted men. |
| 1689 Lond. Gaz. No. 2432/4 A *large Quartered brown Gelding. |
| 1887 *Large scale [see scale n.3 11 a]. 1897 Westm. Gaz. 14 Apr. 1/3 The large-scale maps of Essex and Norfolk. 1907 Daily Chron. 9 Dec. 3/3 Schumann is a minor poet among musicians. We remember his lesser things..and remain cold to his large-scale pieces. 1920 T. P. Nunn Education ix. 114 This large-scale experiment. 1934 Discovery Oct. 303/2 We do not all realise that the first large-scale (6-inch) survey of these islands was made in Ireland. a 1942 B. Malinowski Sci. Theory of Culture (1944) vii. 72 Every army must get along on its stomach and..also most large-scale organizations. 1952 V. A. Demant Relig. & the Decline of Capitalism i. 21 A period which preceded the appearance of large-scale manufacturing industry. 1957 L. F. R. Williams State of Israel 33 The Security Council's action brought large-scale fighting in Palestine to an end. 1966 AFIPS Conference Proceedings XXIX. (1966 Fall Jt. Computer Conf.) 65/1 We are now entering another phase of the expansion of materials technology, in which complete equipment components will be processed on slices of semiconductor... This phase has already been given several names, some of which are ‘large-scale integration’ (LSI), ‘computer on a slice’, and ‘array technology’. The term ‘large-scale integration’ is close to being the most descriptive, although at times the syntax is awkward. A somewhat more precise term is ‘large-scale integrated electronics’. We will use LSI to abbreviate both ‘large-scale integrated electronics’ and ‘large-scale integration’. 1967 Proc. IEEE LV. 1988/2 Large scale integration (LSI) presents an opportunity to exploit many of the concepts of design automation. 1968 Times 24 Oct. 7/7 The permissible number of large-scale accidents in nuclear reactors should be about one every 100 million years. 1970 Sci. Amer. Feb. 22/1 The technology that produces such high-density electronic circuits is called large-scale integration, or LSI. Although the term has no precise definition, it is usually reserved for integrated circuits that comprise 100 or more ‘gates’, or individual circuit functions, laid down with a density of 50,000 to 100,000 components per square inch. 1973 A. Behrend Samarai Affair iii. 30 The large-scale model which occupied the centre of the big oval table..was made of painted wood and represented the approaches to the Port of Liverpool. |
| 1869 *Large-scaled [see brown-banded snake]. 1936 J. T. Jenkins Fishes Brit. Isles (ed. 2) 157 The Hake is a large-scaled member of the cod family. |
| 1955 Coblenz & Owens Transistors xi. 146 No truly *large-signal theory for transistors exists today that can be applied directly by the design engineer. 1962 Simpson & Richards Physical Princ. Junction Transistors vii. 139 Other applications in which transistors are used to a considerable extent include the following: 1. Large-signal steady-state amplification. [Etc.] |
| 1904 Westm. Gaz. 30 Mar. 2/1 A reason for utilising the gas-engine as a *large-size power unit for central engine work. 1960 E. Delavenay Introd. Machine Transl. 93 A large-size dictionary. |
| a 1678 Marvell Poems, Appleton Ho., When *larger-sized men did stoop To enter at a narrow loop. 1765 A. Dickson Treat. Agric. ii. (ed. 2) 256 The largest-sized cattle should be placed next the plough. 1853 Sir H. Douglas Milit. Bridges (ed. 3) 271 Two or three large-sized pickaxes. |
| 1715 Tickell Iliad 10 The *Large-soul'd Greeks consent. 1856 R. A. Vaughan Mystics (1860) I. 108 How much we owe still to that large-souled Augustine. |
| 1866 Geo. Eliot F. Holt Introd., The *large-spaced, slow-moving life of homesteads and far-away cottages. |
| 1871 E. F. Burr Ad Fidem viii. 139 *Large-thoughted policy. |
| 1899 Westm. Gaz. 2 Feb. 2/3 The *large-type letters. |
| 1870 Lowell Among my Bks. Ser. i. (1873) 153 His *large-utteranced genius. |
| 1892 Fortn. Rev. LI. 741 A clear-headed and *large-viewed student of architecture. |
| 1860 W. G. Clark in Vac. Tour 49 A *large-wheeled single-horse vehicle. |
B. adv. † 1. Amply; fully, quite, by a great deal; abundantly. Chiefly
north. and
Sc. Obs.| a 1300 Cursor M. 8812 (Cott.) It wanted large an eln on lenght. c 1340 Ibid. 7332 (Fairf.) Saul..was heyer þen any man large bi a meten span. c 1470 Henry Wallace v. 204 Xv fute large he lap out of that in. 1530 Palsgr. 317/2 Large open, patent. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1327/1 Garded with such a sufficient companie as might expresse the honor of iustice the larger in that behalfe. 1637–50 Row Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.) 281 It is a question if papatus politicus be not large worse nor papatus ecclesiasticus. 1666 J. Livingstone in Life (1845) I. 163 There was large more of that sort the year before. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 728 A Vessel of huge bulk..and in the side a dore Contriv'd, and of provisions laid in large For Man and Beast. |
† 2. Liberally, generously.
Obs.| 1477 Marg. Paston in P. Lett. No. 801 III. 197 That I dele not evenly with theym to geve Iohn Paston so large, and theym so lytyll. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 63 Mair bountiful and large thay lyue, than evin thair. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 317 Well we may afford Our givers thir own gifts, and large bestow From large bestowd. |
3. Freely, unrestrainedly, boldly.
| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 1784 Ȝone kynge..karpes fulle large Be-cause he killyd this kene. c 1440 York Myst. xx. 118 But ȝitt, sone, schulde þou lette Here for to speke ouere large. [Cf. in large, C. 8 a.] c 1500 Notbrowne Maid 167 in Hazl. E.P.P. II. 279 Theirs be the charge That speke so large In hurting of my name. 1834 S. Smith Sel. Lett. J. Downing 149 Other folks may talk larger and bluster more. 1872 in A. W. Tourgée Fool's Errand (1880) ii. v. 411 He had just talked large about the Ku-Klux. |
† 4. Of speech and writing: At length, fully.
Obs.| 1501 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 154 As for all other causes, this bringer can shew to you by mouth, as larg as I can wryte. 1554 Latimer in Foxe A. & M. (1563) 982, I cannot speake Latin, so longe and so large. 1633 T. Stafford Pac. Hib. i. xv. (1810) 172 As I need not larger to expresse it. c 1645 Milton Sonn., On the new forcers of Conscience 20 New Presbyter is but Old Priest writ Large. 1676 I. Mather K. Philip's War (1862) 83, I thought to have written some⁓what more large with respect to Reformation. |
† 5. ? Far and wide.
Obs.| c 1400 Destr. Troy 741 Þow loket not large, for lust þat þe blyndit. |
† 6. With big steps; with ample gait.
Obs.| 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. iv. iv. 254 Quick and large-striding minds loving to walk together. 1695 Lond. Gaz. No. 3065/4 A black Gelding, above 14 hands,..Trotts large. |
7. Naut. a. With a ‘large’ wind; with the wind on the quarter or abaft the beam; ‘with the wind free when studding sails will draw’ (Smyth); off the wind: chiefly in
to sail, go large. (
Cf. free adv. c.)
| [1513 Douglas æneis vi. i. 1 Thus wepand said, and leit his flot go large (L. classique immittit habenas).] 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. xii. 57 If you weather him,..he will laske, or goe large. a 1688 Dk. Buckhm. Cabin-Boy Wks. 1705 II. 101 He could Sail a Yatcht both nigh and large. 1748 Anson's Voy. iii. v. 342 The proas..lying much nearer the wind than any other vessel..have an advantage, which no vessels that go large can ever pretend to. 1789 Trans. Soc. Arts VII. 210 It can only operate to steer a ship large (and that but very wildly). 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §159 Two points behind the beam (or large). 1794 Rigging & Seamanship II. 265 The ship runs..large. a 1845 Hood Pain in Pleasure-Boat 16 Nothing, Ma'am, but a little slop! go large, Bill! keep her full! |
b. by and large: see
by and large adv. † Also
fig. In one direction and another, all ways.
| 1669 [see by and large adv.]. 1706 [Ward] Wooden World Diss. (1708) 35 Tho' he tries every Way, both by and large, to keep up with his Leader. Ibid. 106 Take this same plain blunt Sea-Animal, by and large,..and you'll find him of more intrinsick Value. |
c. ? Wide of a particular course, whether one's own or another's.
| 1670 Lond. Gaz. No. 519/2 The Sally man got large from him. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World 232 She kept away large, and at too great a distance to perceive any thing of us. 1816 ‘Quiz’ Grand Master i. 15 Why are you blind? d―n you, steer large, You'll get aboard of that coal barge. |
d. Naut. and
Mil. to go large or
lead large: in a manœuvre, to break off at a particular point from the course marked out, and proceed straight ahead.
| 1749 Capt. Innes in Naval Chron. III. 93 Did not the Strafford..obey the Signal for leading large. 1797 Nelson in Nicolas Disp. (1845) II. 341 Perceiving the Spanish Ships all to bear up before the Wind,..evidently with an intention of forming their Line going large, joining their separated Division,..or flying from us—to prevent either of their schemes from taking effect, I ordered the ship to be wore. 1833 Regul. Instr. Cavalry i. plate 1, 3 Leading File circle. 4 Go large. |
C. n. I. The simple word.
† 1. Liberality, bounty; ? also
= largess 2 c.
Obs.| a 1300 Cursor M. 27861 Frenes of hert and large of gift. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xix. 43 It bicometh to a kynge to kepe and to defende, And conquerour of conquest his lawes and his large. 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 451 To be Conservyd ffro dampnacion vnder the large off thy Charyte. 1537 in Strype Eccl. Mem. II. i. 3 When the prince was christened..Garter..proclaimed his name in the form following ‘God..grant good life and long to the..Prince Edward..Large, Large’. |
† 2. Extent, size.
Obs.| c 1470 Golagros & Gaw. 241 The land wes likand in large and lufsum to call. |
† 3. ? Freedom.
Obs. (
Cf. 6, 9 below.)
| 1526 Skelton Magnyf. 182 So that welthe with measure shalbe conbyned, And lyberte his large with measure shall make. |
4. Mus. The longest note recognized in the early notation, equivalent to two or three ‘longs’, according to the rhythm employed; also, the character by which it was denoted,
viz. {duplong1} or {duplong2}.
| a 1547 Prov. in Antiq. Rep. (1809) IV. 406 He may not make his brevys to short, nor his largs to longe. 1594 Barnfield Sheph. Cont. iii, My Prick-Song's alwayes full of Largues and Longs. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. 9. 1603 J. Davies Microcosm. (1878) 81 O let the longest Largs be shortest Briefes In this discordant Note. 1609 Douland Ornith. Microl. 39 A Large is a figure, whose length is thrise as much as his breadth, hauing on the part toward your right hand a small tayle. 1706 A. Bedford Temple Mus. xi. 227 In Process of Time, they added a longer Note,..which they called a Large. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Note. 1876 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms. |
II. Phrases.
5. at large.
a. At liberty, free, without restraint.
† at more large: at greater liberty.
| 1399 Pol. Poems (Rolls) I. 396 He..lete him go at large to lepe where he wolde. a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 277 Hy tyme it is to..walke at large out of þi prisoun. 1470–85 Malory Arthur v. lx, I wille slee the and euer I maye gete the at large. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cccxxxix. 533 Thare king determyned to departe, and go and lye in garysons, to be at more large. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. May 40 Letting their sheepe runne at large. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 213 Left him at large to his own dark designs. Ibid. iii. 430 Here walk'd the Fiend at large in spacious field. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 154 ¶2, I always kept Company with those who lived most at large. 1724 De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 196 The enemy..lived a little at large, too much for good soldiers, about Cirencester. 1727 Pope, etc. Art of Sinking 76 Small beer, which is indeed vapid and insipid, if left at large and let abroad. 1833 H. Martineau Briery Creek iv. 93 Whether appropriated, or left at large because they cannot be appropriated. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. vii. i, The King is conquered; going at large on his parole. 1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 353 They felt also that Hannibal was still at large, and it might not be well to drive him to despair. |
b. In an unsettled or unfixed state; not limited or confined one way or another. ?
Obs.| 1611 Speed Theat. Gt. Brit. i. (1614) 1/2 Which as a matter merely conjecturall..I leave at large. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1724) I. 183 Another point was fixed by the Act of Uniformity, which was more at large formerly. 1782 Cowper Friendship 136 On points which God has left at large, How fiercely will they meet and charge! 1833 I. Taylor Fanat. vi. 169 The tremendous doctrine of eternal perdition..will remain at large..to be drawn on this side or that as may best subserve the purposes of intimidation. |
c. Of speech or writing: At length, in full, fully.
| 1472–3 Rot. Parl. 12 & 13 Edw. IV §36 As in the said your Letters Patentes therof is conteyned more at large. 1587 L. Mascall Govt. Cattle (1627) 158 There he shall finde written all things more at lardge. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 8, I..will explicat mair at lairge quhilkes to Scotland ar proper. 1628 Earle Microcosm., Yng. Raw Preacher (Arb.) 22 His prayer is conceited, and no man remembers his Colledge more at large. 1660 Trial Regic. 23 If you plead Not guilty; you shall be heard at large. 1668 Dryden Evening's Love ii. i. Wks. 1883 III. 287 I'll wait on you some other time, to discourse more at large of astrology. 1719 De Foe Crusoe ii. xi. (1840) 237, I..told him the story at large. 1845 Stephen Comm. Laws Eng. (1874) II. 295 As was explained at large in a former chapter. 1890 Spectator 1 Nov. 590/2 The Oxford speech, which Mr. Froude quotes at large. |
† d. In full size: said
e.g. in contrast with the smaller scale of a model or abridgement. (
Cf. 8 b.)
| 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. iv. iv. 175 A land it selfe at large, a potent Dukedome. 1606 ― Tr. & Cr. i. iii. 346 There is seene The baby figure of the Gyant-masse Of things to come at large. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §128 The design for the Lighthouse..was subject to some change in entering on the detail of the work at large. 1799 H. More Fem. Educ. (ed. 4) I. 181 Abridgments..are put..into the hands of youth, who have, or ought to have, leisure for the works at large. |
e. As a whole, as a body; in general; (taken) altogether.
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. i. i. 156 So to the Lawes at large I write my name. 1645 Fuller Good Th. in Bad T. (1841) 14 Not only of the commission at large but so of the quorum. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xx, I now therefore was left once more upon the world at large. 1790 Burke Fr. Rev. Wks. V. 179 All punishments are for example towards the conservation of the people at large. 1833 H. Martineau Brooke Farm viii. 102 He would be serving me and society at large. 1862 H. Spencer First Princ. ii. i. §36 (1875) 130 Moral Philosophy and Political Philosophy, agree with Philosophy at large in the comprehensiveness of their reasonings and conclusions. 1868 Pref. to Digby's Voy. Medit. 36 The credit which they obtained him with the people at large. 1874 Green Short Hist. vii. §7. 415 In his own day he was the poet of England at large. |
f. In a general way; in a general sense; without particularizing.
gentleman-at-large: see
gentleman 2 c. Now
rare.
| 1625 Bacon Ess., Stud. (Arb.) 9 And Studies themselues doe giue forth Directions too much at Large, except they be bounded in by experience. 1640 Fuller Joseph's Coat vi. (1867) 165 And be not only their acquaintance at large, but in ordinary. 1667 Milton P.L. viii. 191 Not to know at large of things remote From use,..but to know That which before us lies in daily life. 1670 R. Montagu in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 485 Promises made at large. 1718 Atterbury Serm. (1734) I. 181 Whether these were of the Number of the Eleven, or only Disciples at large. 1896 Law Q. Rev. July 199 The Official Receiver must find fraud, not at large, but against the particular examinee. |
† g. To the open; away, off.
Obs.| 1546 J. Heywood Prov. (1867) 35 If this nightes lodgeyng and bordyng Maie ease the,..Then welcome, or els get the streight at large. |
h. In the open sea.
rare.
| 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. i. §3 Who had rather venture at large their decayed bottome then bring her in to be new trim'd in the dock. |
† i. Over a large surface or area; abroad.
Obs.| 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Oct. 44 There may thy Muse display her fluttryng wing, And stretch her selfe at large from East to West. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 300 The first thing hee doth is to stretch out his handes at large. 1675 Lond. Gaz. No. 1029/3 We hear that he has quartered his Cavalry at large, for their better refreshment in several neighbouring Villages. 1715 Leoni Palladio's Archit. (1742) I. 101 Seeing that the..legions were so close and crouded, he commanded them to set themselves more at large..so they might have room to handle their Weapons. 1722 De Foe Plague (1756) 229 They would by their living so much at large, be much better prepared..than if the same Number of People lived close together. |
j. Naut. = ‘going large’ (see B. 7 a).
| 1757 Capt. Randall in Naval Chron. XIV. 98 We..tried them before the Wind—then at large. |
k. Law. (See
quot.)
verdict at large: see
verdict n. 1 c.
| 1767 Blackstone Comm. II. iii. 34 Common in gross or at large, is such as is neither appendant nor appurtenant to land, but is annexed to a man's person; being granted to him and to his heirs by deed; or [etc.]. |
l. U.S. Said of electors or elected who represent the whole of a State and not merely a district of it.
| 1741 B. Lynde Diary (1880) 161, I was again chose a Counsellor in ye 1st 18, and my Coz. Wm. Browne chose a Counsellor at Large. 1864 Webster s.v., Electors at large, electors chosen to represent the whole of a State, in distinction from those chosen to represent one of the districts in a State. 1888 Bryce Amer. Commw. I. xiii. 166 The additional member or members are elected by the voters of the whole State on a general ticket, and are called ‘representatives at large’. |
m. Without definite aim or specific application.
| 1863 H. Cox Instit. ii. xi. 569 The pleadings are at large..and do not tend to definite issues. 1891 Edin. Rev. July (Tales R. Kipling), He knows that a single stroke well aimed returns a better result than a score which are delivered at large. |
† 6. at one's large: at liberty.
Obs.| c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame ii. 237 While eche of hem is at his large, Lyght thinge vpwarde and downwarde charge. a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1455 It sore me agaste To bynde me, where I was at my large. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 1176 Þan myght we leue all at oure large. 1479 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 34, I will that ye suffer him to be at his larg without longer enpresonment. 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 114 Thei..may..at ther large and libartie..goo and come. |
† 7. at the large: at the utmost.
Obs.| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 447 Seuene dayes to Sandewyche, I sette at the large, Sexty myle on a daye. |
8. in large.
† a. In a free, unrestrained, or bold manner.
Obs.| c 1460 Towneley Myst. xviii. 90 Neuer the les, son, yit shuld thou lett her for to speke in large. [Cf. York Myst. xx. 118 Here for to speke ouere large.] |
b. On a large scale: opposed to
in little.
in the large:
= in large; also, in general, as a whole.
| 1614 Sylvester Little Bartas 12 To do, in Little, what in Large was done. 1662 J. Bargrave Pope Alex. VII (1867) 138 The copies of which [picture] in large I gave, one to his Ma{supt}{supi}⊇..another..to my patron. 1712 J. James tr. Le Blond's Gardening 36 The..Plates represent, in large, the same Designs..as those described in little. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §219 note, I have made trial of this method, both in small and in large. 1840 Arnold Let. in Life & Corr. (1844) II. ix. 200 Viewed in the large, as they are seen in India. 1855 Browning Old Pictures in Florence xxi, Where the strong and the weak, this world's congeries, Repeat in large what they practised in small. 1943 Sun (Baltimore) 24 Aug. 2/6 In the large, there is something else to be said for this recent destruction of more than one hundred of the enemy's fighter planes. 1961 A. J. Deutsch in ‘E. Crispin’ Best SF Four 75 The missing persons did not return. In the large, they were no longer missed. 1968 Times 15 Oct. 16/7 Much of the information needed to produce a uniformly precise map therefore will be missing. However, it is only the picture in the large that will suffer. |
† 9. to the (or one's) large: to or into a state of freedom.
Obs.| 13.. Evang. Nicoa. 1032 in Archiv. Stud. neu. Spr. LIII. 410 How þat he wan o way ffro presoune vn to þe large. c 1400 Destr. Troy 10996 Philmen the fre kyng..He lete to þe large. c 1500 Melusine xxxvi. 255 He was out of the lane & came to his large. |
† 10. with the largest: in the most liberal fashion.
Obs.| 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. cxviii. [cxiv.] 339 They..payed euery thynge with the largeste [Fr. bien & large⁓ment], so that euery man was contente. |
Add:
[A.] [IV.] [15.] [c.] large-minded: also
large-mindedly adv.;
large-mindedness n.| 1885 Harper's Mag. July 863/2, I know that your largemindedness will receive it very differently from most people. 1895 T. Hardy Jude the Obscure iv. v. 298, I do feel I like his large-mindedness and respect him more than ever. 1907 Daily Chron. 19 Mar. 6/7 The matter ought to be dealt with, broadly and *large-mindedly, by a body representing both travellers and carriers. 1977 ‘E. Crispin’ Glimpses of Moon vii. 115 ‘So it's fair enough, really,’ said Ling large-mindedly. |
large print, a larger typeface than is usual,
esp. one designed to enhance readability for partially-sighted people;
freq. attrib.| 1923 C. Matson (title) Books for tired eyes: a list of books in *large print. 1968 ALA Bull. LXII. 738/1 Reader reponse..would seem to indicate strong interest in large-print book library service. 1988 English for Ages 5 to 11 (Dept. Educ. & Sci.) 60/1 They may need special large-print books. |
large-yield a. = high-yield s.v. high a. 21.
| 1958 N.Y. Times 25 Oct. 4/6 The Atomic Energy Commission announced today that the Soviet Union had set off another ‘*large yield’ nuclear test detonation. 1987 Sci. Amer. Jan. 24/2 Because of the TTBT [sc. Threshold Test Ban Treaty], neither country has been able to test these large-yield warheads at full yield for more than 11 years. |
▸
B. adv. a. U.S. slang (now
esp. among African-Americans).
to live large: to live in an extravagant manner; (hence) to be very successful, popular, or wealthy,
esp. ostentatiously so.
| 1834 W. G. Simms Guy Rivers I. viii. 102 He did have a power of money.., but they did say he was going behind hand, for he didn't know how to keep what he had. He was always buying, and living large—but that can't last for ever. 1975 D. Pendleton St. Louis Showdown 32 If that's what you call living large, Sergeant Bolan, then it's been nothing but small for me. 1988 S. Lee Do Right Thing (1989) (film script) 237 Buggin' Out. How you be? Radio Raheem. I be. I'm living large. 2002 J. Weyland Answer is Never xviii. 299, I was full of delusional expectations. I foresaw a new car and living large in a downtown loft while my photographs racked up..accolades. |
b. Brit. slang (
esp. among young people).
to give it large (a) (also
to have it large) to live it up, to have a good time,
esp. at a nightclub; to throw oneself into enjoying a night out (often implying the consumption of recreational drugs or large amounts of alcohol);
cf. to large it (up) at
large v. Additions;
(b) to speak loudly, boastfully, or in an opiniated manner; to make a lot of noise.
| 1993 Times 18 Dec. (Mag.) 19/4 A comic is warming up the élite night-lifers, exhorting them to ‘give it large’, ‘make your nipples really stand out’ and ‘please, after the River Phoenix tribute, bit of respect for a few seconds, 'cos he snuffed it, right?’ 1995 Time Out 9–16 Aug. 55/3 The wild and crazy caperers are havin it large on Oxford Street as DJs..cut loose in search of chunky, underground US grooves. 1997 Mirror (Nexis) 25 Sept. 3 If you want to go round giving it large with a big bottle of champagne and three blondes wrapped round you, then you're going to get a lot of trouble. 2000 R. Topping Kevin & Perry go Large xiii. 120 Talk about 'avin it large! 2002 Independent 8 Mar. (Friday Rev.) 1/4 With 400 or 500 West Ham all at the back of Chelsea's end, we couldn't help but give it large, singing, ‘C'mon, get your end back.’ |
▸
A. adj. a. U.S. slang (now
esp. in African-American usage). Impressive, important, significant. Also: popular, successful.
In later use, influenced by
to live large at Additions a.
| 1883 Life 8 Feb. 80 He had four ten Speck-ers all the time, and guessed they were tol-er-ab-ly Large. 1896 G. Ade Artie 7 He was..puttin' up the large, juicy con talk. 1946 Progress (Clearfield, Pennsylvania) 23 Sept. 5/1 There was a lot of large talk, right after the discovery of DDT, about how man's battle against the bugs was won at last. 1960 H. Wentworth & S. B. Flexner Dict. Amer. Slang 312/2 Large.., Well accepted; famous; popular; successful... Usu. said of performers. Orig. theatre and jazz use c1945; now common. A modern, hip variant of ‘big’. 1992 Vibe Fall (Preview Issue) 58/3 B-boy culture is about being large—being known in your world as the best, be it a local drug dealer or a hip-hop artist. 2002 Denver Post (Nexis) 20 Oct. f1 If we hire this dude, he'll probably give us a song. It's gonna be large. |
b. slang (
orig. and chiefly
U.S.). Enjoyable, exciting, thrilling (
esp. of a period of time); excellent.
In later
Brit. use, influenced by
to give it large at Additions b and
to large it at
large v. Additions
| [1874 C. W. Chesnutt Jrnl. (1993) 46, I suppose they had a ‘large-sized’ time.] 1895 Dial. Notes 1 420 ‘A large evening’, a fine evening. 1945 L. F. McHugh Chicago Murders 187 The good doctor has had himself a large evening. 1997N. Blincoe in S. Champion Disco Biscuits 7 ‘How was last night?’ ‘Fucking large, mate. We went to Fonzo Buller's place then up to Blackburn.’ 2004 Houston Chron. (Nexis) 15 Jan. 11 The show area was packed and everybody—sea lions, included—seemed to be having a large time. |
▪ II. large, v. (
lɑːdʒ)
[f. large a. Cf. OF. largir and (with sense 3) F. larguer.] † 1. trans. To enlarge, increase, widen.
Obs.| a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxlii[i]. 6, I largid my willys and my werkis. Ibid. Cant. 499 Largid is my mouth abouen my enmys. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 248 For his propre or pryvy avauntage shulde not man lette to large þis love. 1382 ― 1 Chron. xviii. 3 Whanne he wente for to largen his empyre vnto the flode of Eufraten. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 288/1 Largyn, or make large, amplio, amplifico. 1647 H. More Song of Soul ii. i. i. viii, To large their spirit By vaster cups of Bacchus. |
† b. intr. ? To increase (
in something).
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 341 Þus we largen in sacramentis, for iche good sensible dede þat we don, or þat springith of mannes charite, may be called a sacrament. |
† 2. intr. To get or keep away
from or wide (of).
| 1506 Sir R. Guylforde Pilgr. (Camden) 60 With mervayllous dyffycultie we larged frome the shore. |
3. Naut. Of the wind: To become ‘large’.
| 1622 R. Hawkins Voy. S. Sea (1847) 116 Thwart Cape Froward, the wind larged with us. 1633 T. James Voy. 18 The winde larged, and wee stowed away S.S.W. 1890 Hall Caine Bondman xxiv. III. 4 Suddenly the wind larged again. |
▸
trans. Brit. slang (
esp. among young people).
to large it (up):
= to give it large (a) at
large adj. and
adv. and
n. Additions b.
| 1995 (title of posting) in uk.music.rave (Usenet newsgroup) 11 Nov. Largin' it in North Yorkshire! 1996 Independent on Sunday 24 Mar. (Real Lives Suppl.) 3/6 In Leeds currently someone especially enjoying themselves might be said to be ‘large salad’ or ‘larging it up’. 1999 S. Stewart Sharking iii. 47 Sometimes I'd try to large it, chipping to a club and reckoning I was cool. 2001 In at Deep End: Cherwell Fresher's Guide 3/1 Largin' it up big style. |