Venetian. World English Historical Dictionary

Venetian. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1928, rev. 2024. Venetian sb. and a. Forms: α. 5 Venycyen, Venecien, 6 Venesien. β. 5–6 Venecian, 6 -ycian, -esyan, -etyan, 7– Venetian; 5 Venicyan, 7, 9 Venitian. γ. 6 Venytyon, Venyscyon, Venecyon, Venesion, 8 Venition. [ad. med.L. Venetiān-us, f. Venetia Venice: cf. It. and Pg. Veneziano, Sp. Veneciano. In early use also a. OF. Venicien, -esien, etc. (mod.F. Vénitien).]

1   A.  sb. 1. A native or inhabitant of mediæval or modern Venice; a member of the mediæval republic of Venice; more rarely, one of the ancient Veneti inhabiting the district of Venetia.

2 1432.  Lydg., Minor Poems (Percy Soc.), 4. Other alyens:… Florentyns, and Venycyens.

3 c. 1436.  Libel Eng. Policy, in Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 172. The commodites … of Venicyans and Florentynes. Ibid., 175. These seyde Veneciance.

4 1528.  in Ellis, Orig. Lett. (1824), I. 294. His Highnes also liketh wel the Frenche Kings Lettres to the Venecians for Ravenna and Servia.

5 1547.  Boorde, Introd. Knowl., xxiiii. (1870), 181. I am a Venesien both sober and sage. Ibid., 185. The Venyscions hath great prouision of warre.

6 1621.  in Foster, Eng. Factories Ind. (1906), I. 257. Two gentlemen, Venetians, who are not unknowne to you.

7 1695.  Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), III. 447. The Venetians, we hear, have taken several French ships.

8 a. 1715.  Burnet, Own Time, v. (1734), II. 129. The Venetians and the Great Duke had not thought fit to own the King till then.

9 1756–7.  trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), IV. 57. German bravery under the auspices of the Venetians.

10 1841.  W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., II. 164. There were other slaves besides Mohammedans in the service of the rich Venetians.

11 1876.  Bancroft, Hist. U.S., I. v. 129. The Venetians … purchased alike infidels and Christians.

12 1880.  Encycl. Brit., XIII. 446/1. The Gauls, the Ligurians, and the Veneti or Venetians.

13   † 2.  pl. Hose or breeches of a particular fashion originally introduced from Venice. Obs.

14 1582.  in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 350. vi paire of venetians of Russet gold tyncell.

15 1586.  Fermor Acc., in Archæol. Jrnl. (1851), VIII. 183. It. for an ell half of brod taffaty to make him a dublet and venytyons.

16 1598.  Florio, Brache, all maner of breeches, slops, hosen, breekes, gascoines, venetians.

17 1611.  Cotgr., Chausses à la gigotte, a fashion of very close Venitians; old fashioned Venitians.

18 a. 1612.  Harington, Epigr. (1618), I. xx. A Captaine … brought three yards of Veluet, & three quarters To make Venetians downe below the garters.

19   † b.  In sing. with the. Obs.–1

20 1592.  Greene, Def. Conny-catching, Wks. (Grosart), XI. 95. The venetian and the gallogascaine is stale, and trunke slop out of vse.

21   † 3.  A sequin of Venice, as current in India and adjacent countries. Obs.

22 1698.  Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 406. The Money which passes is a Golden Venetian, equivalent to our Angel.

23 1752.  in J. Long, Sel. Unpubl. Recs., 32 (Yule & B.). At this juncture a gold mohur is found to be worth 14 Arcot Rupees, and a Venetian 41/2 Arcot Rupees.

24 1835.  Burnes, Trav. Bokhara (ed. 2), I. 90. You are then to present a handsome bow, and each of you eleven gold Venetians.

25   4.  A closely woven cloth having a fine twilled surface, used as a suiting or dress material.

26 1710.  Lond. Gaz., No. 4706/4. For Sale…, Venitions,… Tabbies,… and other Stuffs.

27 1883.  Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Venetian, a fine twilled fabric of carded wool for gentlemen’s suits.

28 1899.  Daily News, 30 Oct., 2/6. The newest designs in coloured tweeds, serges, coverts, meltons,… Venetians, beavers, and cashmeres.

29   5.  ellipt. † a. A Venetian window. Obs.

30 1766.  Entick, London, IV. 376. The body of the church is enlightened by two ranges of windows, with a Venetian in the center.

31 1779.  Mirror, No. 61. His dusky Gothic windows have been contrasted to great advantage, with their Bows and Venetians.

32   b.  A Venetian blind.

33 1816.  ‘Quiz,’ Grand Master, VII. 167. They’re soon disturb’d—a sudden rap ’Gainst the Venetians spoil’d their nap.

34 1881.  Emma J. Worboise, Sissie, xvi. It was observed that no one, all through the day, proposed raising that side-venetian.

35   c.  pl. (See quot.)

36 1882.  Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 514/1. Venetians, a heavy kind of tape or braid, resembling double Londons. They are employed more especially for Venetian blinds, whence the name.

37   6.  = DOMINO 1.

38 1891.  Century Mag., June, 283. I then put off my sword, and put on my Venetian or domino, and entered the bal masqué.

39   B.  adj. 1. Of or pertaining to Venice.

40 1554.  in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Mary (1914), 166. A maske of viij patrons of galleis like venetian Senatours.

41 1593.  G. Harvey, New Lett., Wks. (Grosart), I. 264. Who honoureth not … the security of the Venetian state.

42 1642.  Howell, For. Trav. (Arb.), 53. There is in Italy the Toscan, the Roman, the Venetian, the Neapolitan [languages],… and all these have severall Dialects and Idiomes of Speech.

43 1648.  Hexham, II. De Venetiaensche Zee, the Venetian Sea, or, the Gulfe of Venice.

44 1756–7.  trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), III. 378. It is now some centuries since Padua has been brought under the Venetian yoke.

45 1841.  W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., III. 37. The republic at first embraced … the Venetian provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, and La Polesina.

46 1893.  W. G. Collingwood, Life Ruskin, I. II. iv. 147. The treatment … of Venetian matters had to be indefinitely postponed.

47   b.  Venetian School, (a) a school of painting, distinguished by its mastery of coloring, which originated in the 15th century and reached its climax in the 16th; (b) a school of Italian architecture originating in the early part of the 16th century.

48   (a)  1748.  Melmoth, Fitzosborne Lett., lxi. (1749), II. 116. On the contrary, the Venetian school is said to have neglected design a little too much.

49 1859.  Ruskin, Two Paths, I. § 20. The Venetian school proposed to itself the representation of the effect of colour and shade on all things.

50   (b)  1842.  Gwilt, Archit., § 349. The Venetian School is characterised by its lightness and elegance; by the convenient distribution it displays; and by the abundant, perhaps exuberant, use of columns, pilasters, and arcades.

51   2.  In special collocations, denoting things characteristic of Venice, esp. articles actually produced there, or others made in imitation of these. (Cf. similar uses of VENICE.)

52   Venetian ball (see quots.). Venetian bar, in needlework, a bar formed by means of button-hole work on a thread or threads. Venetian blind, a window-blind composed of narrow horizontal slats so fixed on strong tapes as to admit of ready adjustment for the exclusion or admission of light and air. † Venetian breeches, = VENETIAN sb. 2. Venetian brown, a variety of brown used for coloring glass. Venetian carpet, a common make of carpet, usually striped, in which the warp alone is shown. Venetian chalk (see quots.). Venetian cloth, = VENETIAN sb. 4. Venetian dentil (see quot.). Venetian door (see quot. 1842). † Venetian earth, ? Venetian chalk. Venetian embroidery (see quot.). Venetian enamel, a hard enamel used for the dials of clocks and watches. Venetian filigree, a variety of colored glass. Venetian frame, a form of window-frame (see quot. 1833). Venetian glass, Venice glass. Venetian-Gothic adj. (see quot.). † Venetian hose, = VENETIAN sb. 2. Venetian mast, a tall pole ornamented with spiral bands of color, used in the decoration of streets or open spaces on special occasions. Venetian pearl, a solid artificial pearl. Venetian point, a variety of point-lace. Venetian red, satin (see quots.). Venetian shutter, a shutter constructed on the same principle as a Venetian blind; hence Venetian-shuttered adj. Venetian sole, stitch (see quots.). † Venetian sublimate (?). Venetian sumach, the southern European shrub Rhus Cotinus. Venetian swell, an organ-swell having the front constructed like a Venetian shutter. Venetian talc, a hydrous silicate of magnesia. † Venetian thyme (see quot.). Venetian turpentine, Venice turpentine. Venetian varnish (see quot.). Venetian vetch: see VETCH. Venetian white (see quot.). Venetian window (see quot. 1842). Venetian window-blind, = Venetian blind. Also Venetian bead, † dollar, lace.

53 1851–4.  Tomlinson’s Cycl. Usef. Arts (1866), I. 783/2. The *Venetian ball consists of a number of pieces of filigree glass packed into a pocket of transparent colourless glass.

54 1875.  Knight, Dict. Mech., 2702/2. Venetian ball, an ornamental form of glass for paper-weights, etc.

55 1882.  Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 511/2. *Venetian bar … is used in modern Point Lace.

56 1660.  F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 195. Some bracelets made of *Venetian Beads of several colours.

57 1791.  in Harper’s Mag., March, (1885), 535/2. Surcharge for *Venetian blinds.

58 1794.  W. Felton, Carriages, I. 148. The Venetian blind … [is] frequently used as a substitute for the common shutter and spring curtain.

59 1840.  Dickens, Old C. Shop, xiv. It was easy to hear through the Venetian blinds all that passed inside.

60 1882.  Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 514/1. Another kind of braid or tape is made for Venetian blinds.

61 1587.  Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1354. Walton … rent his *venecian breeches of crimsin taffata, and distributed the same peecemeale.

62 c. 1792.  Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), VII. 774/2. *Venetian brown, with gold spangles, commonly called the philosopher’s stone.

63 1845.  G. Dodd, Brit. Manuf., IV. 95. *‘Venetian’ carpets were never, it has been asserted, made at Venice at all.

64 1868.  Rep. U.S. Commissioner Agric. (1869), 51. Carpets, treble ingrain, three-ply, and worsted chain Venetian.

65 1839.  Ure, Dict. Arts, 1271. *Venetian chalk is Steatite.

66 1883.  Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Venetian chalk, a white compact talc or steatite, used for marking on cloth.

67 c. 1790.  Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), VI. 404/2. A new suit of French and *Venetian cloths.

68 1900.  Daily News, 6 Jan., 6/6. Venetian cloth is, next to panne, still the favourite material for dresses.

69 1881.  Archit. Dict., *Venetian dentil, a molding consisting of a fillet with its sides cut alternately into notches, which reach the middle of the face, and produce the effect of a double row of dentils.

70 1626.  in Foster, Eng. Factories India (1909), III. 156. The *Venetian doller will yeald 5 mahmudis if full weight.

71 1731.  Pope, Ep. Burlington, 36. Imitating-Fools Who … [are] Proud to catch cold at a *Venetian door. Ibid. (a. 1744), Hor. Sat., II. vi. 191. Palladian walls, Venetian doors, Grotesco roofs, and Stucco floors.

72 1842.  Gwilt, Archit., 1050. Venetian door, a door having side lights on each side for lighting an entrance hall.

73 1660.  J. H[arding], Basil. Valent. Chariot Antimony, 123. Mix one part of this Salt with three parts of *Venetian Earth.

74 1882.  Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 512/1. *Venetian embroidery … is work resembling Roman Work and Strasbourg Embroidery, but is lighter than either in effect.

75 1837.  Hebert, Engin. & Mech. Encycl., I. 468. [In] hard enamelling … the *Venetian enamels are chiefly employed.

76 1851–4.  Tomlinson’s Cycl. Usef. Arts (1866), I. 783/2. The *Venetian filigree consists of plain and coloured enamel.

77 1833.  Loudon, Encycl. Archit., § 1585. Fix a large solid *Venetian frame (a frame in three divisions, the two side divisions being narrower than the centre one).

78 1842.  Gwilt, Archit., 639. Venetian deal cased frames.

79 1845.  Encycl. Metrop., Index 139/2. *Venetian Glass.

80 1875.  Knight, Dict. Mech., 2703/1. The Venetian-glass ball [see Venetian ball, quot. 1851–4].

81 1867.  Chambers’s Encycl., IX. 748/1. *‘Venetian-Gothic’ [style of architecture] indicates the peculiar phase of that style so common in Venice and the north of Italy.

82 1583.  Stubbes, Anat. Abus., E 3. The *Venetian-hosen, they reach beneath the knee to the gartering place of the Leg.

83 1882.  Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 513/1. In 1654 Colbert prohibited the exportation of the *Venetian Laces into France.

84 1883.  Harper’s Mag., Jan., 311/2. The Strand being one blaze of colour with *Venetian masts, and streamers overhead.

85 1886.  Besant, Childr. Gibeon, II. xxxiii. There should have been joy-bells and … Venetian masts with streamers and flags.

86 1864.  Chambers’s Encycl., VI. 5/1. *Venetian-point,… Maltese-point: in all these the pattern is flatter than in the Rose-point.

87 1877.  W. S. Gilbert, Foggerty’s Fairy, I. Look at the lace! It’s Venetian point.

88 1884.  Mag. of Art, VII. Dec., 66/2. Richard III. wore Venetian point at his coronation.

89 1753.  Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl., Veneta bolus, a fine red earth used in painting, and called in the colour-shops *Venetian red.

90 1823.  P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 413. Venetian-Red is a native ochre, rather inclining to scarlet.

91 1849–50.  Weale, Dict. Terms, Venetian-red:… the colours sold under this name are prepared artificially from sulphate of iron, or its residuum in the manufacturing of acids.

92 1867.  Bloxam, Chem., 322. Red oxide of iron has been already … referred to as occurring in commerce under the names of colcothar, jeweller’s rouge, and Venetian red.

93 1786.  Sixth Rep. Dep. Kpr. Public Rec., App. II. 175. A method … of manufacturing Silk and Mohair,… with materials which have never before been combined or manufactured together [as wood, reed, cane, straw, etc.], and which is called (by the Specifier) *‘Venetian Sattin.’

94 1844.  H. Stephens, Bk. Farm, I. 142. *Venetian shutters, which may be opened more or less at pleasure.

95 1892.  Photogr. Ann., II. p. cxxxiii. The Plate, after exposure, goes into back chamber, a Venetian shutter being opened and closed.

96 1897.  Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 86. An infinity of flies going into the venetian shuttered window.

97 1803.  Shaw, Gen. Zool., IV. II. 304. *Venetian Sole, Pleuronectes Linguatula.

98 1882.  Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 514/1. *Venetian stitch, a term sometimes applied to close rows of Buttonholes as Fillings in Needlepoint Laces.

99 1725.  Fam. Dict., s.v. Ulcer, A Solution of *Venetian Sublimate.

100 1755.  Dict. Arts & Sci., IV. s.v. Sumach, *Venetian Sumach, cotinus, in botany.

101 1846.  Lindley, Veg. Kingd., 467. R[hus] Cotinus,… Venetian Sumach of the English, has wood called Young Fustick.

102 1882.  Garden, 19 Aug., 163/3. When lit up by the rays of the setting sun there are few more striking objects than a large bush of the Venetian Sumach.

103 1852.  Seidel, Organ, 27. The *Venetian Swell … is the only sort used in England.

104 1881.  C. A. Edwards, Organs, 121. It is to Green that we owe the Venetian swell, which took its name from the resemblance it bears to the Venetian shutter.

105 a. 1728.  Woodward, Fossils, I. 62. This very much resembles what is sold in the Shops for *Venetian Talc.

106 1836.  T. Thomson, Min., Geol., etc. I. 186. This mineral … was formerly carried to Venice as an article of commerce, being employed in medicine. Hence the name Venetian talc.

107 1548.  Turner, Names Herbes (E.D.S.), 78. The greate kynde of thyme, wherof Dioscorides maketh mention of in Epithymo, is called nowe *Venetian thyme.

108 1597.  A. M., trans. Guillemeau’s Fr. Chirurg., 42 b/2. *Venetiane Terebentine.

109 1857.  Miller, Elem. Chem., Org., 505. 48 parts of shell-lac, 12 of Venetian turpentine.

110 1755.  Dict. Arts & Sci., s.v. Varnish, White varnish, called also *venetian varnish, made of oil of turpentine, fine turpentine, and mastic.

111 1867.  Ure’s Dict. Arts (ed. 6), III. 984. *Venetian white, a carefully prepared carbonate of lead.

112 1779.  Shaw, Hist. Moray (1882), I. 347. It is lighted, besides several windows in the side-walls, by a *Venetian window … in the western gavel.

113 1837.  Lockhart, Scott, IV. v. 148. A square small room…. It had but a single Venetian window.

114 1842.  Francis, Dict. Arts, Venetian window, a window in three separate apertures, the two side ones being narrow, and separated from the centre by timber only.

115 1769.  Public Advertiser, 25 May, 3/2. *Venetian Window Blinds made by Edward Bevan.

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