Here - Norm's Book Club

VEBBAGE.
be a verb
'.
yfr. 1730 FiF.l.DiNG /va/€ upon Rn/>c\\. v win
active, and you shall be a verb passive.
b, ait rib. and Comb.j as verb-formation ^
-grinder^ -root, -stem.
1809 Malkin' Gil Blass. i. P 3 The verb-grinder engendered
in his noddle a most ingenious device. 1865 Tvlor Early
Hist. Man. iv. 63 The reference of substantives to a verbroot
in the Aryan languages. 1884 Philot. Soc. Trans. 557
A more systematic consideration of the verb-format ions.
1904 Bradley Making English 124 Prefixing an adverb to
* a verb-stem, such as outbreak, outfit '.
t2. Principal verb^ the chief or most important
thing. Obs.
1616 J. Lane Contn. Sqr's T. vir. ' 582 Sirrah,' Cambuscan
lowrd, ' all yee haue loste Your principale verbe (credite)
which yee boste '. 164* Remonstr. Lords ff Conim. in Fart.
26 May 20 That therefore which is the principle Verbe in
this Statute, is the serving of the King for the time being.
1670 in C- N". Robinson Brit. Fleet (1894) 122 The Quality
of the Commodity is not considered, but the gratuity to the
officer is the principal Verb. 1718 North Mew. Music
(1846) 80 The violin was scarce knowne tho' now the principal!
verb.
1 3. A word, Obs. rare.
rt 1716 South Serm. {1744) IX. 125 That so it might
appear, that the assistance of the spirit promised to the
church was not a vain thing, or a mere verb.
Verbage, variant of Verbiage. rare~^.
1787 Poi-wHELE En^t. Orator in. 770 As the flippant
Phrase Glides from his hollow Tongue, tho' oft debas'd By
tow commercial Verbage,
Verbal (v5-jbal), a. and sb. Also 6-7 verbale,
-allCo. [a. OF. (also mod.F.) verbal { = ^^. and
Pg. verbaly It. verbale)^ or ad. L, verbalis consisting
of words, pertaimng to verbs, f. verbum word,
Verb,]
A. adj. 1. Of persons; a. Dealing in or with
words, esp. with mere words in contrast to things
or realities.
1484 Caxtos Curtail 4 We be verbal or ful of wordes and
desyre more the wordes than the thynges. 1613 Purchas
Pilgrimage {161^) ^Z Henoch himselfe is made, not a veiball
but a reall Preacher. 1648 Milton Ten. Kings (1650) 58
While they are onely verbal against the punishing of
Tyrants, all the Scripture they bring is direct to inferr it
altogether lawful. 1677 in Hubbard Indian IVars (186^)
II. 275, I am perswaded if Mars and Minerva go Hand in
Hand, they will effect more Good in an Hour than those
verbal Mercurians in their Lives. 1770 Beattie Ess. on
Truth Introd. (1776) 4 A verbal disputant \ what claim can
he have to the title of Philosopher?
fb. Usingmany words; talkative, verbose. Obs,
1611 Shaks. Cymb. IT. iii, iii, I am much sorry (Sir) You
put me to forget a Ladies manners By being so verball. i6so
MiDDLETOM Chaste Maid I. i. He's growne too verball, this
Learning is a great Witch. 1647 Lilly Chr. Astral, i. xiii.
78 A meer verball fellow, frothy,, .constant in nothing but
idle words and bragging.
C. Interested in, attending to, the mere words of
a literary composition.
1709 Pope Ess. Crit. 264 Neglect the rules each verbal
critic lays. For not to know some trifles, is a praise. 178a
V. Knox E^^s. xxxiii. (1819) I. 180 It is from the labours
of verbal critics, that our language will receive the only
excellencies it wanted. 1855 Palev Mschylus Pref. (1861)
p. xxviii, Hermann, the leader of the verbal-critics.
2. Consisting or composed of words; also, of or
pertaining to, manifested in, words.
Verbal inspiration', see Isspiratios 3 a.
1530 Palsgr. 327/2 Verball, full of wordes, -verbal^ verballe.
158^ Cooper Adnion. 60 As he and other of his crewe
babbling in their verbale sermons vse to doe. I59« Shaks.
Veit.ff Ad.Zii All the neighbour caves, as seeming troubled,
Make verba! repetition of her moans. x6>o W. Folkisoham
Brachi^raphy 1, Short-writing is either of the bare Letter,
or of Words composed of Letters. '1 hat I call Literal! or
Elementall, this Dictionall or Verball. x66s Hibbert Body
Divinity i. 253 There is a threefold lie... i. Verbal, when a
man tells a false tale. 16^ Goz