Volume 2

A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed, a history of the language, and an English grammar / by Samuel Johnson.

Samuel Johnson

Date:: 1755

Credit: A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed, a history of the language, and an English grammar / by Samuel Johnson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

1162/1176

$Others in frantick mood Run howling through the ftreets; their hideous y^/A Rend the dark welkin. Philips. YE'LLOW. (idj. [yealepe, Saxon; gheleuwe, Dutch; giallo, Italian.] Being of a bright glaring colour, as gold. Only they that come to fee a fellow In a long mottley coat, guarded with yellow. Will be deceiv’d. Shakefp. Henry VIII. Prologue. He brought the green ear and the yellow fheaf. Milton. After a lively orange, followed an intenfe bright and copious yellow, which was alfo the bell of all the yellows. Newton. Negligent of food, Scarce feen, he wades among the yellow broom. Tbomfon. Yk llowboy. n.f. A gold coin. A very low word. John did not ftarve the caufe; there wanted not yellowboys to tee council. Arbuthnct's John Bull. Ye'llowhammeR. n.f. A bird. Ye/llowish. adj. [from ysllow.] Approaching to yellow. Although amber be commonly of a yellowijh colour, yet there is found of it alfo black, white, brown, green, blue, and purple. Woodward's Natural Rijlory. Ye'llgwishness. n. f. [from yellowijh.] The quality of ap¬ proaching to yellow. Bruiled madder, being drenched with the like alcalizate fo- lution, exchanged its yellowi/hnefs for a rednefs. Beyle. YeYlowness. n.f [from yellow.] j. I he quality of being yellow; Apples, covered in lime and afhes, were well matured; as appeared in the yellownejs and fweetnefs. Bacon s Natural Hijl. Yellovonefs of the fkin and eyes, and a faffron-coloured urine, are figns of an inflammatory difpofition of the liver. Arbuthn. 2. It is uled in Shakefpeare for jealoufy. lord I will pofiefs with yellownejs. Shakefpeare. Ye'llows. n.J. A difeafe in horfes. It owes its original to ob- flrudtions in the gall-pipe, which are caufed by flimy or gritty matter; or to the ftoppage of the roots of thofe little du£ts opening into that pipe, by the like matter; or to a compref- fion of them' by a fulnefs and plenitude of the blood-veflels that lie near them. When the gall-pipe, or the roots rather of the common duels of that pipe, are any wife flopped up, that matter which fhould be turned into gall is taken up by the vein, and carried back again into the mafs of blood, and tinc¬ tures it yellow; fo that the eyes, inhde of the lips, flaver, and all the parts of the horfe, that are capable of fhewing the colour, appear yellow. Farrier s Diff. His horfe fped with fpavins, and raied with the yellows. Shakefpeare's Faming of the Shrew. To Yelp. v. n. [jaalpan, Saxon.] To bark as a beagle-hound after his prey. A little herd of England’s tim’rous deer. Maz’d with a yelping kennel of French curs. Shak H. VI. YE'OMAN. 7i. f [Of this word the original is much doubted : the true etymology feems to be that of Junius, who derives it from geman, Frifick, a villager.] 1. A man of a fmall cflate in land; a farmer; a gentleman farmer. Gentlemen fhould ufe their children as the honeft farmers and fubflantial yeomen do theirs. Locke. He that has a fpaniel by his fide is a ye'.man of about one hundred pounds a year, an honeft man; he is juft qualified to kill an hare. Addfon. 2. It feems to have been anciently a kind of ceremonious title given to foldiers’: whence we have f\\\\ yeomen of the guard. Tall yeomen feemed they, and of great might. And were enranged ready ftill for fight. Fairy Jfucen. You, good yeomen, Whofe limbs were made in England, fliew us here The mettle of your pafture. Shakejp. Henry V. He inftituted, for the fecurity of his perfon, a band of fifty archers, under a captain, to attend him, by the name of yeo¬ men of his guard. Bacon's Henry VII. Th’ appointment for th’ enfuing night he heard ; And therefore in the cavern had prepar’d Two brawny yeomen of his trufty guard. Dryden At Windfor St. John whifpers me i’ th’ear; T he waiters ftand in ranks, the yeomen cry Make way for the dean, as if a duke pafs’d by. Swift. 3* It was probably a freeholder not advanced to the rank of a gentleman. Lis grandfather was Lyonel duke of Clarence, Third fon to the third Edward king of England : Spring creftlefs yeomen from fo deep a root ? Shak. H. VI. 4- It feems to have had likewife the notion of a genticuuu fervant. A jolly yeoman, marfhal of the hall, Whofe name was appetite, he did beftow Both guefts and meats. Spenfer. Ye'omanry. n.f [from yeoman.] The collective body of yeomen. This did amortize a great part of the lands of the kingdom unto the hold and occupation of the yeomanry, or middle people, ©f a condition between gentlemen and cottagers. Bacon, 1 / 1 o Yerk. v. a. [Of unknown etymology.] To throw out or move with a fpring. A leaping horfe is faid to yerk, or ftrike out his hind legs, when he flings and kicks with his whole hind quarters, ftrctch- ing out the two hinder legs near together, and even, to their full extent. _ . Farrier's Difl. Their wounded fteeds Fret fetlock deep in gore, and with wild rage Tirk out their armed heels at their dead mafters. Shakefp. Yerk. n.f. [from the verb.] A quick motion. I'o Yern. v. a. See Yearn. I am not covetous of' gold ; It yerns me not, if men my garments wear. Shak. H. V. V es. adv. [jiye, Saxon.] A term of affirmation; the affirma¬ tive particle oppofed to no. This were a fit fpeech for a general in the head of an army, when going to battle: yes, and it is no lefs fit fpeech in the head of a council, upon a deliberation of entrance into a War’ -v r -r ■> Bacon. Fes, you defpife the man to books confin’d. Who from his ftudy rails at human kind, Though what he learns he fpeaks. Pope. o _ r- uyc. i e ster. adj. [ghijhr, Dutch; hejlernus, Latin.] Being next before the prefent day. It is not often ufed but in compofition with another word, as day or night. Love might as well be fow’d upon our fandsr. As in a breaft fo barren : I o love an enemy, the only one Remaining too, whom yejler fun beheld Muft’ring her charms. Dryden's Don SelaJlian. Yesterday, n.f. [giytanbaeg, Saxon.] The day laft paft j. the day next before to-day. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow. Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, T o the laft fyllable of recorded time; And all our yejler days have lighted fools The way to dufty death. Shakef. Macbeth, We are but of yejler day, and know nothing, becaufe our days upon earth are a fhadow. Job viii. 9. You are both fluid, chang’d fince yejlerday; Next day repairs but ill laft day’s decay ; Nor are, although the river keep the name, Yejlerday s waters and to-day’s the fame. Donne, If yejlerday could be recall’d again, Ev’n now would I conclude my happy reign. Dryden^ Yeflerday was fet apart as a day of publick thankfgiving for the late extraordinary fuccefles. Addifon. Mrs. Simper fends complaint in your yejlerday s Spectator. Acldifon's Sped] at or. Naked from the womb We yejlerday came forth; and in the tomb Naked again we muft to-morrow lie ; Born to lament, to labour, and to die. Prior. Yesterday, adv. On the day laft paft. Martius gave us yejlerday a reprefentation of the empire of the Turks, with no fmall vigour of words. Bacon. Ye sternight, n.f. The night before this night. Ye'ster night, adv. On the night laft paft. Eleven hours I’vefpent to write it over; For yejler night by Catefby was it fent me. Shakefp. R. IlJr. The diftribution of this conference was made by Eupolis jefler night. Bacon. Vet. conjunct, [gyr, get, gepa, Saxon.] Neverthelefs; not? withftanding; however. They had a king was more than him before; Buty*tf aking, where they were nought the more. Daniel. ,1 hough fuch men have lived never fo much upon the re- ferve ; yet if they be obferved to have a particular fondnefs for perfons noted for any fin, it is ten to one but there was a com¬ munication in the fin, before there was fo in affection. South. The heathens would never fuffer their gods to be reviled; which yet were no gods; and Ihall it be allowed to any man to make a mock of him that made heaven and earth? Fillotf. He is fomewhat arrogant at his firfl entrance, and is too in- quifitive through the whole tragedy; yet thefe imperfections being balanced by great virtues, they hinder not our compaf- fion for his miferies. Dryden s Dufrcjnoy. Let virtuofo’s in five years be writ. Yet not one thought accufe thy toil of wit. Dryden. Yet. adv. 1. Befide; over and above. I his furnilhes us wither/ one morereafon, why our Saviour lavs fuch a particular ftrefs on ails of mercy. Aiterbury. 2. Still; the ftate ftill remaining the fame. They atteft faCts they had heard while they were yet hea¬ thens ; and had they not found reafon to believe them, they would ftill have continued heathens, and made no mention ot them in their writings. Addifon. 3. Once again. Yet, yet a moment, one dim ray of light, .Indulge, dread chaos and eternal night. Pope's Dunciad. 4. At$