compassement

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French compassement. By surface analysis, compasser (“to compass”) +‎ -ment.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.pas.mɑ̃/, /kɔ̃.pɑs.mɑ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

compassement m (plural compassements)

1. exact measurement or regulation

Further reading

• “compassement”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• compasement, cumpassement, compacement, compacement

Etymology

From Old French compassement; equivalent to compas +‎ -ment.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kumpas(ə)ˈmɛnt/, /kumˈpas(ə)mɛnt/, /ˈkumpas(ə)mɛnt/

Noun

compassement (plural compassamentz)

1. Guile, craft, or plotting; the practice of sleight-of hand.
2. A scheme or plan formulated in secrecy and with malicious intent.
3. (rare) The utilisation or application of knowledge.
   • 1357, John Mandeville, The Travels of Sir John Mandeville‎^[1], modernized spelling edition:

     And men may well prove by experience and subtle compassment of wit, that if a man found passages by ships that would go to search the world, men might go by ship all about the world and above and beneath.

References

• “cǒmpassement, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-01-22.