corpulency
(ˈkɔːpjʊlənsɪ)
Also 6–7 -cie.
[ad. L. corpulentia: see prec. and -ency.]
† 1. Bigness of body; size, bulk. Obs.
| 1545 T. Raynalde Byrth Mankynde (1564) 19 b, Of equal corpulencie or bygnesse. 1594 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 597 The soule of a great man is not greater then the soule of a little man, in regard of corpulency. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 121 The dogge..for the keeping of the Farme, must be of grosse and great corpulencie. |
2. = corpulence 2.
| 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 896 The Drones..by reason of unwieldinesse, or corpulency of their bodies. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iv. x. 204 They are generally fat..and ranck of the savours which attend upon sluttish corpulency. 1791 Boswell Johnson 28 Apr. an. 1783, Talking of a man who was grown very fat, so as to be incommoded with corpulency. 1858 Froude Hist. Eng. III. 257 The king's health was growing visibly weaker; his corpulency was increasing. |
† b. concr. Obs.
| 1641 Milton Animadv. (1851) 246 Wipe your fat corpulencies out of our light. |
† 3. Material quality or substance, density. Obs.
| 1594 Carew Huarte's Exam. Wits (1616) 191 This meat [Manna] had no corpulencie to fatten them. 1643 Hammond Serm. vii. Wks. 1684 IV. 516 Men..phansie God µεθ' ὕλης, with matter and corpulency. 1644 Digby Nat. Bodies viii. (1658) 67 Flame..being mixed with smoke and other corpulency. 1691 Ray Creation i. (1701) 169 The heaviness and corpulency of the Water. |