This new print publication provides a unique resource for scholars researching linguistic and literary history, the history of the language, social history, and more. Read more and see a sample page.
(
k
l
(r)) Forms: see the n. [ME. coloure(n, etc. a. OF. couloure-r, colore-r:
L. col
r
re, f. color COLOUR.]
1. trans. To give colour to; to imbue, charge, or mark with colour or hue; to paint, stain, dye. Const. also with over.
c1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 456
e rauen..watz colored as
e cole.
c1381 CHAUCER Parl. Foules 443 As the fressh rede rose newe Ayene the somer sonne coloured ys.
c1400 Destr. Troy 3052 Corvyn by crafte, colourd with honde.
c1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 47 Color hit with safroune.
1527 R. T
HORNE in
Hakluyt Voy. (1589) 254 The coastes..I have coloured with yellow.
1663 GERBIER Counsel (1664) Giij, The Painters are to colour over their windows thrice.
1784 COWPER Task II. 13 A skin Not coloured like his own.
1805 WORDSW. Waggoner I. 92 Coloured all by his own hand.
b. absol.
1599 HAKLUYT Voy. II.
I. 163 Such things as colour blew.
1662 MERRETT tr.
Neri's Art of Glass xcv, Sometimes the powders colour more and sometimes less.
c. fig.
1637 R. HUMFREY tr. St. Ambrose I. 104 The use..of ancients..doth colour and beautifie the manners of young men. 1888 ALMA TADEMA in Pall Mall G. 9 Apr. 3/1 As the sun colours flowers, so art colours life.
2. To embellish, set off in rhetorical colours.
c1300 K. Alis 2201 This batail destuted is, In the French..Therefore Y haue, hit to colour, Borowed of the Latyn autour.
3. To represent in fair colours (what is of the opposite character); to give a specious aspect to; to gloss, cloak, disguise, excuse; to render specious or plausible. Const. out, over.
1377 LANGL. P. Pl. B.
XIX. 455 Eche man sotileth a sleight synne forto hyde, And coloureth it for a kunnynge and a clene lyuynge.
c1400 Destr. Troy 7852
ai colowrne hom coyntly with a cause febill.
c1460 FORTESCUE Abs & Lim. Mon. (1714) 29 Whych thyng, though it be colowryd
per Jus Regale, yet it is Tyrannye.
1548 UDALL, etc.
Erasm. Par. John 99b, They shall colour out their wickednesse with pretense of godlynesse.
1574 tr.
Marlorat's Apocalips 36 They coloured theyr cursed filthye vncleannesse wyth the name of Nicolas the Deacon.
1606 G. W[OODCOCKE] tr.
Hist. Ivstine Gg4b, The which Salonina [a harlot] he colord vnder marriage.
1741 MIDDLETON Cicero (1742) I.
V. 367 Howsoever this may color, it cannot justify Cato's conduct.
1862 MERIVALE Rom. Emp. VII. lix. 206 Armed bands who had coloured their brigandage under the name of patriotism.
b. To exhibit in a false light; to put an unfair or untrue construction upon; to misrepresent.
1393 GOWER Conf. III. 139 They speken pleine after the lawe But he the wordes of his sawe Coloureth in an other wey.
1529 MORE Heresyes IV. Wks. 267/2 This is your verye doctrine, how so euer ye colour it.
a1592 GREENE &
LODGE Looking Glasse Wks (1861) 121 It was your device that, to colour the statute.
1786 J. J
AY in Sparks
Corr. Amer. Rev (1835) IV. 135 The facts are inaccurately stated, and improperly colored.
1860 DICKENS Lett. (1880) II. 112 The evidence has been suppressed and coloured.
4. To lend one's name to; represent or deal with as one's own. to colour strangers' goods: to enter a foreign merchant's goods at the custom-house under a freeman's name, for the purpose of evading additional duties. Obs.
a1502 in
Arnolde's Chron. (1811) 88 The Cowpers of this cite haue vsed and dayly vse to colour straungers goodis.
1622 MALYNES Anc. Law-Merch. 114 If a Factor or Merchant, doe colour the goods of Merchant Strangers in paying but English Customes..he runneth into a
Præmunire.
1625 BACON Ess. Usury (Arb.) 546 Then they will be hardly able to Colour other Mens Moneyes in the Country.
a1655 B
P. G. G
OODMAN Crt. Jas. I, I. 351 Their [ambassadors'] servants did colour and transport other mens goods.
1726 in
Dict. Rust. (ed. 3) s.v.
5. To imbue with its own tone or character.
[
1580 LYLY Euphues (Arb.) 340 Wher cunning must worke, the whole body must be coloured.]
1835 LYTTON Rienzi VIII. iii, Those emotions..coloured his whole soul.
1838-9 HALLAM Hist. Lit. IV.
IV. vii. 320 His predominating good sense colours the whole.
1882 W. BALLANTINE Exper. xii 123 In all these cases it is the motive that colours the act.
6. intr. to colour with: to harmonize with.
a1625 FLETCHER Rollo IV. i, Your counsels colour not with reason of state.
1648 J. GOODWIN Right & Might 32 Nor doth the Act of the Army..colour, or shadow (in the least) with the act of the King.
7. To take on colour, to change colour, to become coloured; spec. said of grapes or other fruit, in acquiring the colour of ripeness.
1667 H. STUBBE in
Phil. Trans. II. 497 The Sea coloureth from green to darkish, and so to blue.
1882 Garden 3 June 389/1 A marvel to me that..Grapes colour so well as they do.
Ibid., A prime necessity as regards colouring grapes.
Mod. This meerschaum won't colour.
8. spec. To turn red in the face, to blush. Also colour up.
1721-1800 in
BAILEY.
1755 JOHNSON,
To colour, to blush. A low word, only used in conversation.
1787 Mirror 80 The poor woman coloured.
1801 M. EDGEWORTH Gd. Fr. Governess (1832) 182, I used to colour every minute, as Miss Matilda does.
1836 MARRYAT Japhet xxxiv, Her ladyship coloured up with rage.
1876 HOLLAND Sev. Oaks xii. 162 He colored as if he had been detected in a crime.
b. trans. nonce-use.
1824 S. E. FERRIER Inher. xiv, [She] only coloured a reply. [Cf.
to smile, nod, blush a reply.]
This message is confidential. You should not copy it or disclose its contents to anyone. You may use and apply the information for the intended purpose only. OUP does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message. Any views or opinions presented are those of the author only and not of OUP. If this email has come to you in error, please delete it, along with any attachments. Please note that OUP may intercept incoming and outgoing email communications.
No comments:
Post a Comment