enhance, v.
(ɛnˈhɑːns, -ˈhæns)
Forms: α. 4–7 enhaunce, 4–8 enhaunse, enhanse, (4 enhawse, enhawnse, 5 henhawnes, 7 enhaunch), 5– enhance. β. 5–6 inhaunse, 6–8 inhaunce, inhanse, inhance.
[a. AF. enhaunce-r, prob. a mere corruption of OF. enhaucer = It. innalzare:—late L. *inaltiāre, f. in- (see in-) + alt-us high. Cf. enhaulse.
Formally, the AF. enhauncer might correspond to Pr. enansar to advance, enhance, repr. late L. type *inantiāre, f. phrase in ante before (cf. advance v.); but this word is not known to have existed in OF.]
† 1. a. trans. To lift, raise, set up; also, to raise the level of (ground). Obs.
By lawyers of 17th c. used spec. in the sense ‘to raise (a weir in a river) to an (excessive) height’, after AF. enhancer in certain statutes. See enhancer, enhancing vbl. n.
| 1388 Wyclif Ps. lxxiv. 5 Nyle ȝe enhaunce the horn. c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. ii. §26 Wher as the pol is enhawsed vp on the orisonte. c 1400 Mandeville viii. (1839) 95 Thei [the Walles] han ben so filled agen, & the ground enhaunced. a 1400–50 Alexander 5068, I, Alexander þe athill..þine pilars en-haunsid. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas i. xv. 31 Cruelly he gan enhaunce his honde With his sweorde to yeue her a wounde. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 206 It was a stone..the whyche was enhaunced vpryght. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. John xvi. 100 b, The cause why..was to enhaunce you to heauen. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 78 But father Anchises his palms from strond plat inhauncing. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. i. 17 Who, nought agast, his mightie hand enhaunst. 16.. tr. Act 1 Hen. IV, xii, Them [Weares] that they finde too much enhanced or straited [orig. trop enhancez ou estretiez] to correct, pull downe, and amend. |
b. Her. To put (a bend, etc.) in a higher position in the field.
| 1864 Boutell Heraldry Hist. & Pop. xxi. 359 Three bendlets enhanced arg. |
† c. transf. To ‘lift up’ (the voice, a prayer).
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 33/2 Thirdly it [the church] is halowed by cause that the orysons be enhaunsed there. Ibid. 441/2 The preest enhauncyng hys voys sayth, etc. |
¶ d. ? Misused for: To surpass in height.
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. v. 191 Their circle-spred tops, do kisse or enhance the lower clouds. |
† 2. In various
fig. or immaterial senses, with personal
obj.:
a. To exalt in dignity, rank, estimation, or wealth.
b. To elevate spiritually or morally.
c. To lift up with pride;
refl. to exalt oneself, assume superiority.
d. To praise, extol.
| a. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iv. iii, Oonly bounte and prowesse may enhawnse euery man ouer oþer men. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xii. 58 So is pruyde en-hansed In religion and al þe reame, among ryche and poure. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys (1835) 112 To wurshyp I wyl enhaunsen the. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. iv. xv. 276 Fortune enhaunceth men att her owne plaisire. 1595 Spenser Col. Clout. 359 The Shepheard of the Ocean Unto that Goddesse grace me first enhanced. 1643 Prynne Sov. Power Parl. 29 He enhaunsed men of low birth to great honours. a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Wks. 40 To inhaunce with favours this thy reign. |
| b. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 42 Þis haþ maad ȝou pore in þingis & enhaunsed ȝou in vertues. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 7 Praiers to God makithe man and woman to be enhaunsed. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. 12 This gyfte..enhaunceth or lyfteth vp the mynde of man to goostlynes and heuenly meditacyons. |
| c. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 396 Freris falsely enhansen homself abofe Crist and his apostils. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶540 Flaterie makith a man to enhaunsen his hert and his countenaunce. c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xii. 63 That noon of ȝou..enhaunce ȝou silf aboue alle othere Cristen. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. v. 47 There also was king Crœsus, that enhaunst His hart too high. 1642 Rogers Naaman 170 So content to enlarge Grace, that therewith she will enhaunse her selfe. |
| d. a 1400–50 Alexander 2498 Þe mare I spek him dispite..Þe hiȝere I here him enhansed. 1485 Caxton Paris & V. 71 That the name of our lord Ihesu cryst were more sayntefyed and enhaunced. 1450–1530 Myrr. Our Ladye 289 Erthe mote blesse the lorde..and enhaunce hym on wythouten ende. 1627 Drayton Nymphidia, Those [poets] more ancient do inhance Alcides in his fury. |
3. a. To raise in degree, heighten, intensify (qualities, states, powers, etc.).
| 1559 Mirr. Mag., Dk. Suffolk v. 7 My lucky spede mine honor did enhaunce. 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. xxxv. 209 Such a shameful thanklesnesse as inhaunceth their rebelliousnesse a hundredfold. 1691 Ray Creation ii. 450 That which enhanses this Injury, is that it is irreparable. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. II. xxxi. 201 These delights were enhanced by the memory of past hardships. 1853 C. Brontë Villette xxi. (1876) 223 This dusky wrapper..enhancing by contrast the fairness of her skin. 1872 Yeats Hist. Comm. 94 Strawberries, bilberries, and currants, enhance their flavour in this zone to an excellence unknown in England. 1873 Burton Hist. Scot. VI. lxxi. 245 They had what greatly enhanced their effective force—four brass field pieces. |
b. To magnify subjectively, make to appear greater; to heighten, exaggerate.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 7248 And where is more wode folye Than to enhaunce chyvalrie. 1529 More Suppl. Soulys 315/1 Enhauncyng the merite and goodnes of Christs passion. 1669 Gale Crt. Gentiles I. Introd. 5 How much wil their Divine Majestie..be enhansed thereby? 1738 Glover Leonidas ii. 275 Beyond the reach of fiction to inhance. 1788 Burke Sp. agst. W. Hastings Wks. 1842 II. 211 He did, in the libel aforesaid, enhance his services. 1832 G. Downes Lett. Cont. Countries I. 438 The satirist wished to enhance the infirmity of Philip. |
4. a. To raise (prices, value); to increase (charges, etc.).
| 1542–3 Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII, c. 7 To mittigate, and enhaunce the price of wynes..as..occasion shall require. 1587 Harrison England ii. v. (1877) i. 135 Their freends are brought unto pouertie by their rents inhanced. 1616 R. C. Times' Whis. i. 694 Enhaunce The faire revennewes of the English crowne. 1632 Quarles Div. Fancies i. lviii. 25 Why could not hungery Esau strive t' enhaunce His price a little? a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Irene Wks. 173 Taxes and customs daily enhansed. 1697 Evelyn Numism. i. 6 The Value of the Denarius was inhaunced from..ten Asses to that of Sixteen. 1712 Hearne Coll. III. 430 The Price should be rather inhanc'd than lessen'd. 1866 Rogers Agric. & Pr. I. xx. 511 The price was considerably enhanced by the charge of conveyance. |
b. intr. † Of prices: To rise.
Obs. In more recent use, (of property, etc.) to increase in value or price.
| 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 463 Corne the yere folowynge was scant, whereof the pryce this yere began to enhaunce. 1671 F. Philipps Reg. Necess. 235 Upon complaint of enhancing. |
| 1889 Cent. Dict. s.v., A debt enhances rapidly by compound interest. [Rare.] 1892 Pall Mall Gaz. 15 Nov. 3/2 Until the property enhanced sufficiently to sell. 1904 N.Y. Even. Post 31 Mar. 2 With stationary or diminishing incomes, their living expenses are constantly enhancing. |
5. a. To raise or increase
in price, value, importance, attractiveness, etc.
† b. Formerly used
simply,
= ‘to increase in price or value’;
esp. to raise the intrinsic value of (coin). Also (
rarely)
= ‘to increase in attractiveness,’ to beautify, improve.
| 1526 Wriothesley Chron. (ed. 1875) I. 15 This yeare, in November, the Kinge enhaunsed his coyne. 1542 Brinklow Compl. ii. A vij, They neuer inhaunsed theyr landes, nor toke so cruell fynes. 1598 Stow Surv. vii. (1603) 57 The Angell was enhaunced to vii.s. vi.d. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler 76, I honour them..more, that study wisely and soberly to inhance their native language. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxiv. 130 Base Mony, may easily be enhansed, or abased. 1699 Wafer Voyage (1729) 263 Thereby..to enhaunce a part of the mines. 1718 Pope Iliad xii. 376 Our feasts enhanced with music's sprightly sound. 1836 Hor. Smith Tin Trump. (1876) 250 The Poet enhances By beautiful fancies The strain. 1862 Burton Bk. Hunter 44 The book has been..greatly enhanced in value by the profuse edging of manuscript notes. |