embodyimbodyv.
/ɛmˈbɒdi//ɪmˈbɒdi/ 1. transitive. To put into a body; to invest or clothe (a spirit) with a body.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > existence > substantiality or concreteness > give substance to [verb (transitive)] > embody
corporatea1398
bodyc1449
embody1548
incorporate1623
substantiate1645
bodify1685
to body forth1759
to body out1826
encarnalize1847
insubstantiate1865
α.
β. 1599 T. Heywood 1st Pt. King Edward IV sig. D Such haughtie stomacks..Imbodyed in the breasts of Cittizens.1610 J. Healey tr. St. Augustine Citie of God xv. xxiii. 561 Deuills beeing imbodyed in ayre..can..mooue it.1619 M. Drayton Legend Pierce Gaueston in Poems (new ed.) 354 Whilst here my Soule inbodyed did abide.1548 E. Gest Treat. againste Masse sig. Ciii No more then the sayd holy ghost is adjudged enbodied or enharted.
a1699 J. Bonnell in W. Hamilton Life & Char. Bonnell (1703) ii. 134 My Saviour Impregnated the Consecrated Elements, and in a manner Embody'd himself there.
1727 D. Defoe Ess. Hist. Apparitions iv. 25 Whether are there any Spirits inhabiting the visible World, which have never yet been embodied.
1729 T. Cooke Tales 44 Would She embody'd to thy Arms return?
1858 N. Hawthorne Fr. & Ital. Jrnls. II. 10 A pale, small person, scarcely embodied at all.
1869 J. Martineau Ess. Philos. & Theol. 2nd Ser. 291 In him the old scholastic spirit seems embodied again.
2. To impart a material, corporeal, or sensual character to. rare. †Also intransitive for reflexive.
ΚΠ
1637 J. Milton Comus 16 The soule..Imbodies, and imbrutes, till she quite loose The divine propertie of her first being.
1652 Bp. S. Patrick Funeral Serm. in J. Smith Sel. Disc. 555 Do not imbody and enervate your souls by idleness and base neglect.
1833 Fraser's Mag. 575 Spirituality of mind enables them to conceive those mysteries with a pure devotion, without the danger of embodying and imbruting them.
3.
a. To give a concrete form to (what is abstract or ideal); to express (principles, thoughts, intentions) in an institution, work of art, action, definite form of words, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > representation > physical representation of abstraction > represent physically [verb (transitive)]
representc1400
picturea1530
form1590
embody1741
to body forth1800–24
effigy1815
thing1883
vehiculate1928
α.
β. 1741 S. Richardson Pamela IV. xvi. 111 What Words shall be found to imbody Air?1846 N. Hawthorne Mosses i. v. 110 One century imbodied it in marble.1859 J. G. Holland Gold Foil v. 74 When this conception is imbodied in an object of worship.1750 S. Johnson Rambler No. 168. ⁋5 Poetry, that force..which embodies sentiment.
1815 Duke of Wellington Dispatches (1838) XII. 455 I have not yet been able to embody in a treaty the principles of this arrangement.
1846 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) i. 3 The blue coat and stiff white cravat, which..embodied her idea of a father.
1849 G. Grote Hist. Greece VI. ii. xlviii. 192 The custom having been embodied in law.
1866 J. E. T. Rogers Hist. Agric. & Prices I. xxiv. 615 A popular notion, embodied in a rhyming couplet.
b. Of institutions, works of art, actions, forms of words, etc.: To be an embodiment or expression of (an idea, principle, etc.).
ΚΠ
1876 M. E. Braddon Joshua Haggard's Daughter II. 64 This house..was to embody her idea of home.
4. † b. intransitive for reflexive. Obsolete.
a. To cause to become part of a body; to unite into one body; to incorporate (a thing) in a mass of material, (particular elements) in a system or complex unity.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > incorporation or inclusion > incorporate or include [verb (transitive)] > cause to be included
incorporate1495
contain1548
couch1548
embodya1616
work1711
a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) v. iii. 175 For I by vow am so embodied yours. View more context for this quotation
1695 J. Woodward Ess. Nat. Hist. Earth 174 We shall meet with the same Metall or Mineral embodied in Stone.
1724 A. Collins Disc. Grounds Christian Relig. 190 The apostate Jews, among whom..some of the Samaritans..became embody'd.
1799 J. Mackintosh Study Law Nature & Nations in Wks. (1846) I. 385 Yet so much of these treaties has been embodied into the general law of Europe.
ΚΠ
1692 tr. Sallust Wks. 8 Incredible it is to think how easily they [different tribes] embody'd.
c. transitive. Of a complex unity: To include, comprise (such or such elements).
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > incorporation or inclusion > incorporate or include [verb (transitive)]
beclipc1230
beshut1340
contain1340
comprehendc1374
continue1377
begripe1393
close1393
incorpor1398
conceive?c1400
includec1475
engrossa1500
complect1523
conclude?1523
employ1528
to take in1534
retain1577
surmise1578
imprehend1590
immerse1605
comprise1651
involve1651
complexa1657
embrace1697
incorporate1824
embody1847
cover1868
1847 T. Medwin Life Shelley I. 29 Blue books..embodied stories of haunted castles, bandits, murderers.
1869 Daily News 18 Dec. The measure embodies of course the six points of the League's educational charter.
1876 J. H. Newman Hist. Sketches I. i. iv. 198 Mahometanism certainly..embodies in it some ancient and momentous truths.
a. transitive. To form into one body. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > chemical admixture or isolation > fix in combination [verb (transitive)] > embody
embody1660
1660 R. Boyle New Exper. Physico-mechanicall xxxv. 264 The Bubbles..imbodyed themselves.. into one.
1710 T. Fuller Pharmacopœia Extemporanea 27 Heating the Oils a little..adding the oil of Vitriol..and stirring 'till all are embodied together.
b. intransitive for reflexive. To coalesce, draw together, solidify. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > chemical admixture or isolation > combine chemically [verb (intransitive)] > embody
embody1662
1662 H. Stubbe Indian Nectar iii. 26 These Corpuscles did never embody into greater quantities.
c1682 J. Collins Salt & Fishery 54 It will naturally Embody in the Sun, and become a substance like Salt.
1686 W. Harris tr. N. Lémery Course Chym. (ed. 2) i. xvi. 304 The spirit of Wine being a sulphur does unite and imbody with those that remain.
1709 Brit. Apollo 4–6 May An Alimentary Liquor..doth embody with the Blood.
6.
a. transitive. To form into a body or company for military or other purposes; to organize.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a company or body of persons > form into company [verb (transitive)]
embody1651
regiment1718
gang1848
embrigade1884
1651 N. Bacon Contin. Hist. Disc. Govt. xi. 107 The Army is ever imbodied within the Kingdom.
1656 R. Vines Treat. Lords-supper (1677) 265 Holy persons might..embody themselves into a Church.
1779 T. Jefferson Corr. in Wks. (1859) I. 218 The troops were never before so healthy since they were embodied.
1838–42 T. Arnold Hist. Rome III. xliv. 201 Livius..embodied the population of the town.
1870 J. H. Burton Hist. Scotl. to 1688 VI. lxx. 473 The forces..may now be considered as embodied against each other.
b. intransitive for reflexive. To form or join a body or company for military or other purposes.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a company or body of persons > form into company [verb (intransitive)]
embody1648
1648 O. Cromwell Let. 20 Aug. (Carlyle) I have..ordered Colonel Scroop with five troops of horse and two troops of dragoons, with two regiments of foot, to embody with them.
1661 Lond. Allarum 3 They had secretly entred into a Combination..to meet and imbody at their appointed Rendevouz.
1681 Moores Baffled 16 [He] commanded the Horse to Embody within the Lines.
1770 E. Burke Thoughts Present Discontents 28 Firmly to embody against this Court party.
1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) I. 669 The tories..embodied in armed parties.
7. transitive. To impart ‘body’ to (painting); to paint with a full body of colour.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > art of colouring > colour [verb (transitive)] > lay on a colour > thickly > paint by laying on thick colour
impaste1728
embodya1806
a1806 J. Barry in R. N. Wornum Lect. on Painting (1848) 223 His [sc. Vandyck's] lights are..well embodied with colour.
Derivatives
emˈbodying n. and adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > incorporation or inclusion > [noun]
incorporation1398
corporation1439
inclusiona1500
comprehension1541
incorporature1570
incorporating1579
including1598
incision1601
insition1601
comprising1603
assumption1617
inlaying1674
embodying1677
society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a company or body of persons > [noun] > formation of
embodying1677
the world > existence and causation > existence > substantiality or concreteness > [adjective] > concrete > making concrete or embodying
substantiating1656
embodying1791
concretizing1884
society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > painting and drawing > painting > art of colouring > [noun] > laying on of colour
limningc1485
washinga1650
embodying1791
1677 Earl of Orrery Treat. Art of War 182 To prevent all considerable Imbodyings to resist him.
a1698 W. Row Suppl. in R. Blair Life (1848) (modernized text) xi. 291 The embodying of Scotland into one commonwealth with England.
1791 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 81 179 Water is the embodying principle of all elastic fluids.
a1806 J. Barry in R. N. Wornum Lect. on Painting (1848) 223 All that..embodying of colour..may be given as you go on.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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