fruitfulnessn.
/ˈfruːtf(ᵿ)lnəs/, U.S. /ˈfrutf(ə)lnəs/ The quality, fact, or state of being fruitful, in senses of the adjective.concrete.1649 F. Roberts Clavis Bibliorum (ed. 2) 80 And plentifully he did eate The fruitfulnesses of the field.
1. Fertility in crops; exuberant production.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by good growth > [noun] > fruitfulness
fruitfulnessa1398
uberty?a1412
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. lxi. 949 The fige tree hatte ficus and [haþ] þat name of fruytfulnesse, for he is most fruytful þan oþre trees.
1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. (1634) i. xvi. 85 As though the fruitfulnesse of one yeare were not the singular blessing of God.
1601 J. Weever Mirror of Martyrs sig. Bij A ground Which thrice a yeere her fruitfulnes did show.
1695 Ld. Preston tr. Boethius Of Consol. Philos. i. 18 (note) Named Felix..famous for its Fruitfulness and Number of Cities.
1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians 184 The vine was..a symbol of fruitfulness.
1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) I. 245 Some idea of its [banana's] fruitfulness may be gathered from the statement [etc.].
2. Fertility in offspring; fecundity.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > biological processes > procreation or reproduction > [noun] > quality or capacity of
feracityc1420
fecundity1447
fertility1490
virility1598
fruitfulness1624
Priapus1637
procreativeness1655
breedingness1674
prolificness1678
prolificalness1699
polytoky1702
breediness1753
prolificacy1756
philoprogenitiveness1842
propagability1853
teemfulness1855
teeming1856
progenitiveness1868
fecundability1926
1624 T. Gataker Discuss. Transubstant. 138 By that blessing hee bestowed fruitfulnesse upon them.
1647 T. Fuller Good Thoughts in Worse Times iii. xii. 125 That water..proved like the Spaw unto her, so famous for causing fruitfulness.
a1719 J. Addison Dialogues Medals in Wks. (1721) I. ii. 491 The Cornu-copiæ in her hand is a type of her fruitfulness.
1837 J. R. McCulloch Statist. Acct. Brit. Empire I. ii. 418 The increase..must..be attributed to an increased fruitfulness of the female sex.
3. Productiveness in general:
a. of material things. ? Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > productiveness > [noun] > of material things
fecundity1555
fruitfulness1630
1630 tr. G. Botero Relations Famous Kingdomes World (rev. ed.) 237 The fruitfulnesse of the Mines is no whit diminished.
1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper ii. 103 The milkie fruitfulnesse of the Cow.
b. of immaterial things. Also, profitableness, utility; occasionally †liberality.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > productiveness > [noun]
plenteoustea1382
fatnessc1420
feracityc1420
fruitfulheadc1450
fruitfulness1509
exuberancy1649
unbarrenness1656
efficience1669
teemingness1674
prolificity1718
generativeness1727
productiveness1727
prolificacy1756
productivity1818
fructuousness1855
teeming1856
plenteousness1864
populousness1881
fruition1885
the world > action or operation > advantage > [noun] > advantageous or beneficial quality
profitablenessa1398
profitabilitya1500
fruitfulness1509
beneficialness1587
propitiousness1593
gainfulness1646
advantageousness?1649
favourableness1775
the mind > possession > giving > liberal giving > [noun] > liberality
freedomOE
custinessOE
largesse?c1225
freeshipa1250
franchisec1325
largitya1382
largenessa1387
liberalityc1390
bountya1400
honestya1400
freenessc1400
largec1400
liberalnessc1410
munificencec1425
plentyc1425
bounteousnessc1440
magnificencec1450
bountifulness1489
bountines1512
royalty1548
magnificency?c1550
munificency?c1550
free-heartedness1583
profuseness1584
bountihead1590
lavishness1590
frankness1591
ingenuousness1611
fruitfulnessa1616
generosity1634
open-handednessa1640
large-heartedness1640
communicativeness1653
unsparingness1818
free-handedness1860
big-heartedness1872
ungrudgingness1885
two-handedness1891
outgivingness1968
1509 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure xi. xxxvii He shal attaste the well of frutefulness Which Vyrgyl claryfied.
1551 Bible (Matthew's) Psalms xxxvi. (note) The fertilitie and fruitfulnes of the holy Ghoste.
1576 A. Fleming tr. Hippocrates in Panoplie Epist. 266 To heale that up by the fruitfulnesse of physicke.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) iii. iv. 38 This argues fruitfulnesse and liberall heart. View more context for this quotation
a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Somerset 18 It [sc. woad] giveth them [sc. colours] truth and fruithfulnesse.
a1719 J. Addison Dialogues Medals in Wks. (1721) I. ii. 462 Shows at the same time the great fruitfulness of the Poet's fancy.
1833 C. Lamb Barrenness Imaginative Faculty in Last Ess. Elia 180 To the lowest subjects..the Great Masters gave loftiness and fruitfulness.
1881 J. R. Illingworth Serm. Coll. Chapel 150 The fruitfulness of the fragmentary lives of old.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.a1398