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slenderly, adv.

SECOND EDITION 1989

(slndl)  Also 5-6 sklenderly, 6 -lye, -lie, -urly, sclenderly; 6 slenderlye, 6-7 -lie. [f. SLENDER a. + -LY².] 

    1. In a slight degree; to a slight or small extent; scantily, meagrely, poorly.

a1513 FABYAN Chron. VII. (1811) 614 The whiche persone..shewyd to hym that the castell of Coruyle was but sklenderly manned. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 274 We haue touched the vertues and the exercyse of y^e same but diminutely, breuely and sclenderly. 1577 B. GOOGE Heresbach's Husb. I. (1586) 36 Couer it how sclenderly you wyll, it careth not.

1558 WARDE tr. Alexis' Secr. 44b, Take..sixe cloues lightly or slenderlye beaten. 1587 TURBERV. Trag. Tales (1837) 111 He to mercy movde, To see the poore diseasde soule so slenderly belovde. 1620 VENNER Via Recta vii. 108 That..which is but slenderly perceiued of the gustatiue sense. 1674 BOYLE Excell. Theol. II. iv. 174 How many others we are but slenderly acquainted with. 1707 MORTIMER Husb. (1721) II. 118 It is better to water a Plant seldom and thoroughly, than often and slenderly. 1748 Anson's Voy. III. viii. 382 The prisoners..observed how slenderly she was manned. 1821 LAMB Elia I. Grace before Meat, The slender, but not slenderly acknowledged, refection of the poor and humble man. 1855 THACKERAY Newcomes xlvii, My brothers and sisters will be but slenderly portioned. 1867 F. FRANCIS Angling x. (1880) 355 The flies are..slenderly dressed.

    2.    a. Feebly, ineffectively. Obs.

a1533 FRITH Disput. Purg. Bijb, I wyll declare vnto you what solucyons he maketh to these seauen weake reasons,..for he auoydeth them so slenderlye, that [etc.]. 1577 HANMER Anc. Eccl. Hist., Socrat. II. x. (1619) 257 He maintained their opinion very slenderly.

    b. Slackly, perfunctorily. Obs.

1545 BRINKLOW Compl. 5b, This [praying] must be done ernestly,..not slenderly. 1560 J. DAUS tr. Sleidane's Comm. 370 The request of Duke Moris was coldlye and slenderlye preferred unto them. 1603 KNOLLES Hist. Turkes (1621) 781 To see him deale so slenderly in a matter of so great importance.

    c. Ungraciously, coldly; slightingly. Obs.

1598 YONG Diana 66 If by chaunce he sent her anie thing by any of his other seruants, it was so slenderly accepted, that he thought it best to send none vnto her but my selfe. 1624 CAPT. SMITH Virginia Wks. (Arb.) II. 587 Seeing..how slenderly heretofore both had beene regarded.

    d. Easily; for little return. Obs.¹

1677 GILPIN Demonol. (1867) 375 We must learn this skill, not too easily to give up our hopes, or to be prodigal of our interest in Christ, so as to part with it slenderly.

    3. In a slender or slim fashion; delicately.

1591 SPENSER Virgil's Gnat 3 We.., like a cobweb weauing slenderly, Haue onely playde. 1844 HOOD Bridge of Sighs ii, Fashion'd so slenderly, Young, and so fair! 1885 Cent. Mag. Nov. 60 He was a youngish, slenderly made man, with a distinctly good bearing. 1894 H. NISBET Bush Girl's Rom. 28 A slenderly-built, red-nosed and dyspeptic patrician he was.

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