▪ I. postilion, postillion
(pəʊˈstɪljən, pɒ-)
Also 6–7 postillon, 7 postilian.
[a. F. postillon (1538 in Godef.), ad. It. postiglione ‘a postilion, a postes guide, a forerunner’ (Florio), f. It. posta post n.2 + -iglione, compound suffix (cf. vermilion); so Sp. postillon, Pg. postilhão.]
† 1. a. (See quots.) Obs.
| 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Postillon, a postillon, a guide for a post, dux praecursoris. 1611 Cotgr., Postillon, a Postillon, Guide, Postes boy. 1658 Phillips, Postillon, (French) a Post's guide, or fore-runner. |
† b. fig. A forerunner. Obs.
| a 1586 Sidney Arcadia iii. (1891) 318 But when he strake,..his arme seemed still a postillion of death. 1647 Fanshawe tr. Pastor Fido i. i. 11 Seest thou yon Star of such excelling hew, The Suns Postillion? |
† 2. One who rides a post-horse, a post-boy; a swift messenger. Obs.
| 1616 Bullokar Eng. Expos., Postilion, a speedy poste or messenger. 1678 Lond. Gaz. No. 1281/4 It is now four days since any Vessel, Post or Postillion came from Ghent to Bruges. 1708 Ibid. No. 4464/6 The Postillion of Ghent is just now arrived, with Letters to Mr. de Caris. |
| fig. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1650) I. To Rdr., Those wing'd Postillions that can fly, From the Antartic to the Artic sky. Ibid. I. viii. 14 Those swift Postillions my thoughts find you out daily. 1685 Gracian's Courtiers Orac. 160 These are the Postillions of life, who to the swift motion of time, add the rapidity of their own minds. |
3. One who rides the near horse of the leaders (or formerly sometimes, each of the riders of the near horses) when four or more are used in a carriage or post-chaise; esp. one who rides the near horse when one pair only is used and there is no driver on the box.
| 1623–33 Fletcher & Shirley Night-Walker ii. iii, Thou shalt have horses six, and a postilion. 1632 Massinger City Madam ii. ii, Drawn by six Flanders mares, my coachman, grooms, Postillion, and footmen. 1771 N. Nicholls Corr. w. Gray (1843) 118 The Yarmouth coach, when it has gone at all, has gone with eight horses and four postilions. 1811 Wellington in Gurw. Desp. VIII. 286 The account of the rations issued to the post horses and mules, and postillions. 1881 Besant & Rice Chapl. of Fleet III. 173 They called aloud to the postilions to stop the horses. |
| fig. 1656 Cowley Pindar. Odes, Muse i, Let the Postilion Nature mount, and let The Coachman Art be set. |
4. (transf. from 3.) See quot.
| 1888 Goode Amer. Fishes 8 The use of supplementary floats, or ‘postillions’,..to keep the line from sinking. |
5. = postilion-basque: see 6.
6. attrib. and Comb., as postilion harness, postilion saddle, postilion whip; postilion-wise adv.; in recent use applied to female costume imitating that of a postilion, as postilion-basque, postilion-belt, postilion-tab, etc.
| 1676 W. Perwich Despatches (Camden) 311 They..tore all his cloaths off, and with two postilion whips scurged him..severely. 1689 Lond. Gaz. No. 2475/4 A Postilion Saddle of black Leather. 1794 W. Felton Carriages (1801) II. 153 A postillion..harness is the same expence as either the postillion or wheel harness of the other sort. 1840 Dickens Barn. Rudge lix, One of them..sat postillion-wise upon the near horse. 1872 Young Englishwoman Dec. 651/2 A dress of olive-brown..had a basque bodice with a postilion back. 1890 Cent. Dict., Postilion-basque, a woman's basque having its skirt cut at the back into short square tabs or coat-tails, after the fashion of a postilion's coat. Postilion-belt, a leather belt with a large buckle, worn by ladies about 1860. 1904 Daily Chron. 2 Jan. 8/4 The postilion tabs at the back of the bodice. Ibid. 28 May 8/4 The corslet belt, with postillion back. |
Hence poˈstilioned, postill- (-jənd) a., provided with or ridden by a postilion; poˈstil(l)ioness, a female postilion; poˈstilionize v. trans., to provide with a postilion, or to ride as a postilion.
| 1809 in Spirit Pub. Jrnls. XIII. 165 Then spank away drives I,..with my six greys (postilionized) against all England! 1858 B. Taylor North. Trav. xxxv. 378 At Vik..we parted with the postillioness and with our host of Kettbo. 1879 Daily News 25 Nov. 5/6 Lord Rosebery,..driving down in an open barouche drawn by four magnificent horses, daintily postillioned. |
▪ II. poˈstil(l)ion, v. slang.
[f. the n.]
trans. To insert and manipulate a finger in the anus of (a sexual partner) as a means of sexual excitement. Hence poˈstil(l)ioning vbl. n.
| 1888 tr. Tableaux Vivants xi. 95 The fair houri was postillioning me. 1969 G. Legman Oragenitalism i. 90 Postillioning can best be done by the middle finger. |