notion
(ˈnəʊʃən)
[ad. L. nōtiōn-em, f. nōt-, ppl. stem of nōscĕre to know: see -tion. Hence also F. notion (1653), It. nozione, Sp. nocion, Pg. no{cced}ao.]
I. 1. a. A general concept under which a particular thing or person is comprehended or classed; a term expressive of such a concept. Chiefly with under.
| 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 8 b, We haue beene occasioned, and shall be hereafter to vse it as the generaltie or notion of the name and stock in these kindes. 1641–2 in Clarendon Hist. Reb. v. §99 Neither House had Presented them [the Malignant Party] to his Majesty, under such a Notion, as he might well understand, whom they intended. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. 192 No Spaniard setting foot on English ground, under other notion then a prisoner. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. 324 One and the same Deity, was worshipped under Several Names and Notions, according to its Several Powers and Vertues. |
| 1864 Bowen Logic v. 138 When we bring an object under a notion, that is, when we predicate of it that it belongs to such a class. |
b. under the notion of, under the concept, category, designation, or name
of something.
| 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. 52 These opposite parties,..concurring in doctrine, under the generall notion of Protestants. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. (1848) 61 The consideration of the pruning of Trees, under the Notion of that which wounds them. 1704 Swift T. Tub Apol. §3 Under the Notion of Prejudices, he knew to what dangerous Heights some Men have proceeded. 1764 Mem. G. Psalmanazar 147, I travelled several hundred leagues..under the notion of a Japanese converted to Christianity. 1836 J. Gilbert Chr. Atonem. i. (1852) 17 It must be some other than the rule of perfection itself under the notion of law. |
† c. A character, relation, form, etc., in which anything is conceived, mentioned, or exists.
Obs.| a 1631 Donne Six Serm. (1634) i. 26 He is received by me in the severall notions of Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost. 1650 Fuller Pisgah ii. ii. 75 A fair City, whereof frequent mention in Scripture, but in no other notion, but only as the Eastern boundary of Canaan. Ibid. xiii. 274 Angels in the shape of men, Christ in the notion of an angel. 1651 Baxter Inf. Bapt. 47 It is the same thing in another notion. |
† 2. The connotation or meaning
of a term.
Obs.| a 1643 Ld. Falkland Infallib. (1646) 59 Probable being more than credible in the ordinary notion of the words. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacræ ii. v. §5 This being then the chief notion of a Prophet. 1713 Bentley Freethinking i. §31. 152 For pray, what is the Notion of the word Canon? |
† 3. A phrase or term.
Obs. rare.
The Winchester use of
notion may be a survival of this.
| 1655 Vaughan Silex Scint. i. Pref. (1858) 3 This Kingdom hath abounded with those ingenious persons which in the late notion are termed Wits. 1657 Trapp Comm. Ps. iii. 2 [Selah] The Greek maketh it only a Musical Notion. |
II. 4. An idea or concept.
a. In philosophical use.
first notion and
second notions (see
quots. 1852 and 1864).
general notion (see
general a. 5 c).
| 1605 B. Jonson Volpone ii. i, I haue some generall notions; I do loue To note, and to obserue. 1615 Crooke Body of Man 502 This..alone maketh the differences of Images as wee call them or Abstracted Notions. 1690 Locke Hum. Und. iii. v. §12 Essences of the Species of mix'd Modes are by a more particular Name call'd Notions. 1725 Watts Logic 246 It is very useful to have some general principles of truth settled in the mind... These may be called first notions, or fundamental principles. 1785 Reid Intell. Powers v. v. Wks. (1846) 403 The words notion and conception, in their proper and most common sense, signify the act and operation of the mind in conceiving an object. 1852 Sir W. Hamilton Discuss. 139 note, A first notion is the concept of a thing as it exists of itself... A second notion is the concept, not of an object as it is in reality, but of the mode under which it is thought by the mind. 1864 Bowen Logic iv. 70 A second intention or notion is a Concept which denotes first intentions in their relation, not to the things denoted, but to each other. |
b. In general use. Freq.
const. of.
| 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. ii. §1 Charity, without which Faith is a meer notion, and of no existence. c 1680 Beveridge Serm. (1729) I. 279 That you may be able to form such an idea or notion of it. 1760 Johnson Idler No. 100 ¶8 Her notion of a joke is not very delicate. 1781 Cowper Truth 424 His books well trimm'd..teach him notions splendid as themselves. 1821 Scott Kenilw. xi, Wayland Smith..had a good notion of horse diseases. 1837 Dickens Pickw. li, ‘Not a bad notion that, Sam’, said Mr. Bob Sawyer approvingly. 1873 Black Pr. Thule xx. 330 The notion of my marrying her is absurd. |
c. With a negative, or virtual negative.
| 1704–5 Pennsylv. Hist. Soc. Mem. IX. 365, I never had the least notion of thy mortgaging the quit-rents. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 106 He has no more Notion of Navigation than an African of Snow. 1719 De Foe Crusoe ii. (Globe) 346 He had no Thoughts, no Notion of its being me. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. iii. 221 Little notion, indeed, could the bishops have possessed of the position in which they were standing. 1878 Masque of Poets 181 How he first Learned of the complication, I've no notion. |
d. notion-writing = ideography.
| 1863 Summers Hdbk. Chinese Introd. p. xviii, Notion-writing..is independent of any given language and conveys its meaning to the understanding immediately through the eye. |
5. † a. Understanding, mind, intellect.
Obs.| 1605 Shakes. Lear i. iv. 245 Either his Notion weakens, his Discernings Are Lethargied. 1605 ― Macb. iii. i. 83 All things else, that might To halfe a Soule, and to a Notion craz'd, Say, Thus did Banquo. 1649 J. Taylor Gt. Exemp. Sect. vii. §5 Whether it were..by increase of notion or experience, it is certain the promotions of the holy Child were great. 1667 Milton P.L. vii. 179 The Acts of God..Cannot without process of speech be told, So told as earthly notion can receave. |
† b. Conception, imagination, fancy.
Obs.| 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. Advt. (1739) p. iii, Ambition hath done much..to bring forth Absolute Monarchy out of the Womb of Notion. 1671 Glanvill Further Disc. Stubbe 11, I spake of the Natural Philosophers, and their Methods, which were made up of Notion, and ministred to everlasting Disputes. |
6. An idea, view, opinion, theory, or belief, held by one or more persons.
| 1603 Holland Plutarch 1087 See how these Philosophers mainteine ordinary custome, and teach according to common notions. 1628 Doughty Serm. Schismes 23 Agrippa among others his foppish notions perswades vs [etc.]. 1697 [C. Leslie] Snake in Grass (ed. 2) 12 It will be very hard..to make Sense of the Quaker Notion of the Light within. 1710 Norris Chr. Prud. viii. 372 That Notion of the Schools, of Sins being an Aversion from God. 1777 Brand Pop. Antiq. Gen. Pref. p. vii, Seemingly trivial Reasons assigned for the beginning..of this or that Notion or Ceremony. 1857 Maurice Ep. St. John ix. 135 It is not a new notion..that the history of the world is divided into certain great periods. 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) IV. xviii. 134 It is further remarkable as showing that the notion of succession through females was already beginning to be entertained. |
| Comb. 1873 M. Arnold Lit. & Dogma (1876) 333 A piece of metaphysical notion-building. Ibid. 360 To read between the lines of a notion-work is absurd, for it is of the essence of a notion-work not to need it. |
7. a. An inclination, disposition, or desire, to do something specified; a fancy for something. Usu.
const. of with gerund, or
to with inf.
| 1746 H. Walpole Lett. (1857) II. 33, I have no notion of going to anybody's house, and have the servants look on the arms of the chaise to find out one's name. 1774 D. Jones Jrnl. (1865) 100 It would have been otherwise, if I had come last fall, while they were in the notion of it. 1776 J. Verrieul Let. 17 Apr. in F. Chase Hist. Dartmouth Coll. (1891) I. vi. 347 Ther was Ten Regt ordert to march for Newyoark, and I toock a notion to go with them. 1807 Gass Jrnl. 225 The Indian..said he had a notion to cross the mountains with us. 1825 Cobbett Rur. Rides 436 The Gloucestershire people have no notion of dying with hunger. 1891 C. Roberts Adrift Amer. 207 After being here for a week, I took a notion to leave, and accordingly did so. |
b. north. and
Sc. A fancy or affection for one of the other sex.
| 1789 Shepherd's Wedding 14 (E.D.D.), I hae lang, altho' I didna tell, Had a strang notion o' the lass mysel'. 1824 Mactaggart Gallovid. Encycl. 226 In the regular routine of a matrimonial transaction; first, taking the notion; secondly, courting. 1864 Tennyson Aylmer's F. 271 The boy might get a notion into him; The girl might be entangled ere she knew. |
8. A product of invention.
rare.
| a 1700 Evelyn Diary (1872) I. 211 Machines for flying in the air, and other wonderful notions. a 1765 Young (Cent.), And robes, and notions framed in foreign looms. |
9. U.S. a. pl. Articles or wares of various kinds forming a miscellaneous cargo.
| 1805 Southey in Ann. Rev. III. 31 The Americans.., finding no longer a market there for their lumber cargoes, or notions, as they call them. 1834 Marryat P. Simple (1863) 325 Her cargo consisted of what the Americans called notions; that is, in English, an assorted cargo. 1840 R. H. Dana Bef. Mast xxxv. 133 A cargo of fresh provisions, mules, tin bake-pans and other notions. |
b. pl. Small wares,
esp. cheap useful articles of some ingenious design. Now
spec. in haberdashery.
Also
freq. Yankee notions: see
Yankee a.
| 1803 F. Asbury Jrnl. (1821) III. 106 How would it tell to the South, that priests were among the notions of Yankee traffick? 1830 Galt Lawrie T. iii. xiv. (1849) 130 Mr. Hoskins and his wife with a great cargo of wares and other notions in their wagons, arrived. 1842 Mrs. Clavers Forest Life II. 166 Can I suit ye to-day, ma'am? I've all sorts o' notions. 1876 C. D. Warner Winter Nile xii. 157 The artisans work up ostrich feathers into a variety of ‘notions’. 1913 F. H. Burnett T. Tembaron xx. 264 The young lady from the notion counter (those wonderful shops!). 1964 McCall's Sewing ii. 22 While making a list of the fabrics and trims needed, check the ‘Notions’ section to see what notions are needed. Ibid. 30/2 Notions, all dressmaking supplies that are used in the construction of a garment: thread, zippers, tape, buttons, etc. 1965 ‘L. Egan’ Detective's Due (1966) iv. 39 Varallo and Katz were led past Notions, Gift Cards and Cameras, to a counter in the center of the store. |
c. attrib., as
notion-counter,
notion-peddler (or
notion-pedlar),
notion-peddling,
notion-seller,
notion-store,
notion-vessel.
| 1894 S. Fiske Holiday Stories (1900) 152, I went to the store..and recognised her..at the *notion counter. |
| 1932 L. C. Douglas Forgive our Trespasses (1937) i. 1 The steel-bowed spectacles that had been her mother's, had of a *notion peddler for two dozen eggs & a pound of butter. |
| 1809 ‘D. Knickerbocker’ Hist. N.Y. I. iv. iii. 214 He swore that he would have nothing more to do with such a squatting, bundling, guessing,..*notion-peddling crew. |
| 1839 Chemung (N.Y.) Democrat 17 Apr. (Th.), A ‘*notion seller’ was offering Yankee clocks, &c. |
| 1830 Galt Lawrie T. iii. x. (1849) 116 A small seed and *notion store. 1861 Macm. Mag. Feb. 273 A Yankee grocery or a Yankee ‘notion store’ is an epitome of almost every thing. |
| 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. 501 A *notion-vessel on the west coast of America is a perfect bazaar. |
Hence
ˈnotion v., to divide into several notions.
| 1641 J. Jackson True Evang. T. i. 8, I have therefore notioned and cast the Text according to the number of the verses, into three plain and conspicuous members. |