attendance
(əˈtɛndəns)
Also 4–6 attendaunce, 5 atendans, -ance, 6 attendans.
[a. OF. atendance, f. atendre: see attend v. and -ance.]
† 1. The action or condition of applying one's mind or observant faculties to something; = attention 1. Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 339 No thing askith so grete attendaunces, As doth your lay. c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iii. 1306 My lugges anon gyffe a-tendans. 1533 Bellendene Livy v. (1822) 453 The Gaulis gaif sic attendance to him, that he wes notit and knawin to all thare armye. 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus ii. 6 Men generally think that..attendance vnto the word, is for old age. 1790 C. M. Graham Lett. Educ. 56, I would advise the tutor..not to press his young pupil to give attendance, when he is eagerly engaged with some other favourite pursuit. |
† 2. The action or condition of turning one's energies to; assiduous effort;
= attention 2.
Obs.| c 1400 Mandeville xxii. 232 Every man ȝeveth..so gode attendance to his servyse. 1533 Bellendene Livy iv. (1822) 447 And tuke mare attendance and care to ordoure thame. 1674 Owen Holy Spirit (1693) 103 Commands for our Attendance unto such Duties. |
3. The action or condition of waiting upon, accompanying, or escorting a person, to do him service; ministration, assiduous service.
in attendance: waiting upon, attending.
| c 1386 Chaucer Wife's T. 77 A man shall winne us best with flaterie; And with attendance..Ben we ylimed. c 1400 Epiph. (Turnb. 1843) 114 Or wer ther any ladees hur abowte..Or maydons doyng any attendaunce. 1598 R. T[ofte] in Shaks. C. Praise 25 Giving attendance on my froward Dame. 1605 Shakes. Lear ii. iv. 246 Why might not you, my lord, receiue attendance From those that she cals Seruants. 1745 De Foe Eng. Tradesm. I. xxii. 208 Reputation for..good attendance on his customers. 1855 Prescott Philip II, i. iii. (1857) 54 The lords and ladies in attendance gathered round the queen. 1860 Dickens Uncomm. Trav. vi, Your waiter reproachfully reminds you that ‘attendance is not charged for a single meal.’ |
| fig. 1833 I. Taylor Fanat. iv. 75 The malign emotions are found in close attendance. |
4. The action or condition of an inferior in waiting the leisure, convenience, or decision of a superior.
| c 1461 Paston Lett. 423 II. 67 He wole gef a tendance unto you for to have summe letter from you. 1542 Brinklow Complaynt xviii. (1874) 42 How long shal men wayte and geue attendance vpon rulers, before thei can come to the spech of them! 1750 Johnson Rambl. No. 108 ¶10 Compelled by want to attendance and solicitation. 1821 Combe (Dr. Syntax) Wife i. 264 The poor are neuer seen to wait In vain attendance at their gate. |
5. In senses 3, 4 the phrases
to wait attendance (
obs.),
to dance attendance, occur
= ‘to attend’; the latter usually with some shade of sarcasm or
contempt.| 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 166 He daunceth attendance. 1590 Marlowe Edw. II, i. iv, Nobles..That wait attendance for a gracious look. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. iii. ii. ii. iv, Shut him out of doors once or twice, let him dance attendance. a 1704 T. Brown Com. View Wks. 1730 I. 164 Why should the loadstone complain of the iron for not dancing attendance after it. 1850 Thackeray Pendennis lvi. 477 What was he about dancing attendance here? |
6. The action of coming or fact of being present, in answer to a summons, or to take part in public business, entertainment, instruction, worship, etc.
| c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714) 112 Nedyn not to have grete Wag[e]s for their Attendaunce to this Conceile. 1658 Whole Duty Man xi. §12 (1683) 90 The many attendances the creditor is put to in pursuit of it. 1725 Pope Odyss. viii. 12 The King in council your attendance waits. 1855 Prescott Philip II, i. i. 5 Charles..sent to require his son's attendance at Brussels. 1876 Green Short Hist. vii. §6 (1882) 401 The Catholics withdrew from attendance at the national worship. Mod. The number of attendances recorded in the School Register. |
† 7. Waiting, delay.
Obs.| 1614 Raleigh Hist. World iv. iii. §v. 492 Compelled..to put the matter in hazard without further attendance. 1664 Evelyn Sylva 71 Spring-woods..have been let rest till..thirty years, and have prov'd highly worth the attendance. |
† 8. Waiting for, expectation.
Obs.| a 1600 Hooker (J.) That which causeth bitterness in death, is the languishing attendance and expectation thereof. a 1641 Sir J. Finett Philoxenis (1656) 164 Resting..in attendance of their Lords Plate, not yet come. |
† 9. A body of attendants, train of servants, retinue.
Obs.| 1607 Hieron Wks. I. 228 Two or three of her attendance looked out. 1696 Luttrell Brief Rel. IV. 44 The Venetian ambassadors, with an attendance of about 40 noblemen. 1779 Johnson L.P., Pope (1787) IV. 91 So many wants, that a numerous attendance was scarcely able to supply them. |
10. The body or number of persons present to take part in any proceedings.
| 1835 J. Wilson in Life (1878) iii. 89 The attendance at the stated services of the mission is greater than..ever. 1882 Daily Tel. 17 May, Greatly increased interest in the match should be represented..by a greatly increased attendance. |
11. Comb., as
attendance allowance, a social security benefit (superseding the
constant attendance allowance s.v. constant a. 6 d) payable to (those who care for) any severely disabled person who needs constant attendance at home;
attendance centre, a non-residential institution run by a local authority which a young offender may be required by a court to attend for a prescribed number of hours (see
quot. 1982);
attendance-officer, one whose duty it is to see that children attend school.
| 1969 Hansard Commons (Written Answers) 7 July 165 The Government's proposals to introduce a new *attendance allowance for the very severely disabled, including housewives. 1972 Whitaker's Almanack 1973 498/2 The Act of 1970..provides for the payment of a tax-free attendance allowance to the severely disabled... The full rate..is paid to those in need of a great deal of attention or supervision both by day and by night. 1986 Times 2 Apr. 11/3 I'm a carer. I get a {pstlg}20-a-week attendance allowance. |
| 1948 Act 11 & 12 Geo. VI c. 58 §19(1) Where a court..has power..to impose imprisonment on a person who is not less than twelve but under twenty-one..the court may, if it has been notified..that an *attendance centre is available..order him to attend at such a centre..for such number of hours..as may be..specified. 1965 Listener 27 May 793/2 The suggestion is that ‘treatment’ may be carried out..by an improved Probation Service, attendance centres, or out-patients departments of mental hospitals. 1979 Daily Tel. 2 Nov. 10 Experiments with mixed attendance centres for offenders aged 14 to 16, are planned by the Government. 1982 Criminal Justice Act c. 48 §16(2) In this Act ‘attendance centre’ means a place at which offenders under 21 years of age may be required to attend and be given under supervision appropriate occupation or instruction. |
| 1884 Pall Mall G. 17 June 1/1 A blind eye..should be an indispensable qualification in an *attendance officer. |