opposit

English

Etymology

Middle English opposit, from Latin oppositus, perfect passive participle of oppōnō (“I oppose”).

Adjective

opposit (not comparable)

1. Archaic form of opposite.
   • 1906, Egbert P. Watson, “XXV—Elementary Principles of Alternating Currents”, in The Engineer: With Which Is Incorporated Steam Engineer, volume 43‎^[1] (Engineering), published 2011, page 680:

     … direction of the surface of the wire, and in the opposit direction at the axis.

   • 1920, George Starr White, Think; Side Lights, What Others Say, Clinical Cases, Etc‎^[2], Digitized edition, published 2007:

     If a person has lost one tooth, the tooth opposit is of no use in mastication ...

   • 1931, Joseph Bowden, Elements of the Theory of Intergers‎^[3], Digitized edition, published 2010, page 65:

     Since every primary number represents some integer (§ 160), every primary number has its opposit.

   • 1996, David F. Task, quoting William Clark, 1804, The War with Spain in 1898‎^[4] (Military History), U of Nebraska Press, →ISBN, page 402:

     … passed the mouth of Papillion or Butter fly Creek 3 miles on the L. S. a large Sand bar opposit on that Side ...

Noun

opposit (plural opposits)

1. Archaic form of opposite.

Verb

opposit (third-person singular simple present opposits, present participle oppositing, simple past and past participle opposited)

1. to posit or assume as a contradictory; negative or deny

References

• Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia, volume V, page 4131, opposit
• Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia Supplement, volume XII, page 0902, opposit

Middle English

Alternative forms

• opposyt

Adjective

opposit

1. contrary or opposed in location or direction; on the opposite side from
   • c. 1392, Equatorie of the Planets:

     Procede in the same litel cercle to ward lettere E opposit to D.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Noun

opposit (plural opposits)

1. a position of 180˚ away
   • c. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, Treatise on the Astrolabe:

     The opposit of the south lyne is the north.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)