largess

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English[edit]

Noun[edit]

largess (usually uncountable, plural largesses)

  1. Alternative spelling of largesse
    • 1659, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “[Book XXIV]”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Romane Historie [], London: [] W. Hunt, for George Sawbridge, [], →OCLC, page 422:
      [T]here vvas good hope that the ſouldiers ſhould have a largeſs dealt amongſt them out of the Kings Treaſure, and be under the command of Captains of better quality, []
    • 1666 January 4 (Gregorian calendar); first published 1698, Robert South, “Jesus of Nazareth Proved the True, and Onely Promised Messiah. In a Sermon Preached at St Mary’s, Oxon. before the University, on Christmas-Day, 1665.”, in Twelve Sermons upon Several Subjects and Occasions, volume III, London: [] Tho[mas] Warren for Thomas Bennet [], →OCLC, page 378:
      But vvhere the Plea of the Receivers is equal, and yet the Diſpenſation of the Benefits vaſtly unequal, there Men are taught that the thing received is Grace; and that they have no claim to it, but the courteſy of the Diſpenſer, and the largeſs of Heaven; vvhich cannot be queſtion'd, []
    • 1725, [Daniel Defoe], “Part I”, in A New Voyage Round the World, by a Course Never Sailed before. [], London: [] A[rthur] Bettesworth, []; and W. Mears, [], →OCLC, page 187:
      [] I vvould give them three Days, provided, they vvere vvilling to give the Men a Largeſs, as I had done, in Proportion to their Gain.
    • 1782, William Cowper, “Hope”, in Poems, London: [] J[oseph] Johnson, [], →OCLC, page 157:
      Yet half mankind maintain a churliſh ſtrife / VVith him, the donor of eternal life, / Becauſe the deed by vvhich his love confirms / The largeſs he beſtovvs, preſcribes the terms.
    • 1785, William Cowper, “The Needless Alarm. A Tale.”, in Poems [], London: [] [F]or J[oseph] Johnson, [] by T[homas] Bensley, [], published 1806, →OCLC, page 570:
      The man to ſolitude accuſtomed long, / Perceives in every thing that lives a tongue; / [] / After long drouht, vvhen rains abundant fall, / He hears the herbs and flovvers rejoicing all: / Knovvs vvhat the freſhneſs of their hue implies, / Hovv glad they catch the largeſs of the skies; []
    • 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “To ——”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, [], →OCLC, stanza I, page 2:
      I have not lacked thy mild reproof, / Nor golden largess of thy praise, / But life is full of weary days.
    • 1873 January 23, Robert Browning, “Part IV”, in Red Cotton Night-Cap Country: Or Turf and Towers, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., [], →OCLC, page 256:
      In such case, certainly I would accept / Your bounty: better I than alien hearts / Should execute your planned benevolence / To man, your proposed largess to the Church.
    • 2020 February 11, Norimitsu Onishi, “A pedophile writer is on trial. So are the French elites.”, in The New York Times[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-03-30:
      He [Gabriel Matzneff] was invited to the Élysée Palace by President François Mitterrand and socialized with the far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. He benefited from the largess of the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, the business tycoon Pierre Bergé.

Anagrams[edit]