industriousadj.

c1487 J. Skelton tr. Diodorus Siculus Bibliotheca Historica v. 346 Thurgh his moche industryous reson he fonde first the vsual drynke of wyne, and the iconomy otherwise callyd husbondrye.

1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour i. xxiii. sig. Lvi They that be called Industrious, do moste craftily and depely vnderstande in all affaires what is expedient, and by what meanes & wayes they maye sonest exploite them. And those thinges, in whome other men trauayle, a person industrious lightly and with facilitie spedeth, and fyndeth newe wayes and meanes to bring to effecte that he desireth.

c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) 5 Be that industreus martial act, he renforsit the toune vitht victualis.

1555 R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde f. 338^v The industrious & subtyle art of partyng gold from new syluer.

1594 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. II. 411 Are there many creatures although greater in substance, that yet haue such industrious & ingenious natures, as these litle beasts [sc. bees] haue?

1601 R. Johnson tr. G. Botero Trauellers Breuiat 116 Aduersitie ripeneth the looser, and maketh him warie and industrious.

a1616 W. Shakespeare King John (1623) ii. i. 376 They gape and point At your industrious Scenes and acts of death. View more context for this quotation

1657 W. Rand tr. P. Gassendi Mirrour of Nobility iv. 76 That the Ancients were so industrious, that they made no Vessel, which did not contain a set measure, and a certain weight.

1679 G. Rose tr. P. Boaistuau Theatre of World ii. 308 Another composed a compleat Ship..so industrious that a Bee might hide or cover it under his Wings.

1687 J. Dryden Hind & Panther ii. 64 Industrious of the needle and the chart They run full sail to their Japponian Mart.

a1731 J. Hughes Misc. in Verse & Prose (1737) 115 When vilely from his Faith he [sc. Man] fell, And dar'd, Allegiance to depose; Supplanted by th'industrious Wiles of Hell.

1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour i. i. sig. A5 The slouthfull or idell persone, do nat participate with hym that is industrious, and taketh payne.

1548 W. Patten Exped. Scotl. sig. O.v^v But y^t I haue written in y^e storie before w^t what forward hardines Sir George haward did bear y^e kings maiestie standerd in y^e battail, & thear also of y^e industrious peyn of sir Iames Wilford.

1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 i. 62 Here is deere, a true industrious friend, Sir Walter Blunt new lighted from his horse. View more context for this quotation

a1599 E. Spenser View State Ireland 29 in J. Ware Two Hist. Ireland (1633) Industrious to seeke out the truth of all things.

1608 T. Middleton Trick to catch Old-one ii. sig. D^v His Vncle [is] very industrious to beguile the widdow and make vp the match.

1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 51 More industrious in humane inventions, then religious devotions.

1644 J. Milton Of Educ. 2 Those people who have at any time been most industrious after wisdom.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 116 His thoughts were low; To vice industrious, but to Nobler deeds Timorous and slothful. View more context for this quotation

1693 G. Stepney tr. Juvenal in J. Dryden et al. tr. Juvenal Satires viii. 170 He was Industrious to be esteem'd the best Musitian of his Age.

1699 R. Bentley Diss. Epist. Phalaris (new ed.) Pref. p. xi Considering with what industrious Malice the false Story had been spread all over England.

1700 J. Dryden To my Kinsman J. Driden in Fables 95 Industrious of the Common Good.

1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey II. viii. 82 Before his eyes the purple vest he drew, Industrious to conceal the falling dew.

1741 C. Middleton Hist. Life Cicero II. viii. 176 Very industrious in recommending it.

1794 E. Gunning Packet IV. vii. 130 His heart palpitating at every sound, for which he was industrious to account by supposing her to be fainting, in hysterics, or some such misfortune.

1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd I. viii. 58 I soon, however, perceived that she preferred my company..to that of my brother, and it made me the more industrious to repay her partiality.

1917 G. K. Chesterton Utopia of Usurers 182 I, for my part, am quite satisfied, and do not doubt that Mr. MacDonald will be as industrious in damping down democracy in this form as in every other.

1994 World Weekly News 5 Apr. 18/1 If you look around most offices about 5 p.m., you will find that the women are extremely industrious in wrapping up so they can leave on time.

1591 E. Spenser Muiopotmos in Complaints sig. V Who being..more industrious, gathered more store Of the fields honour, than the others best.

1611 Bible (King James) 1 Kings xi. 28 Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious [marg., Heb. did worke] . View more context for this quotation

1683 T. Robinson in J. Ray Corr. (1848) 132 We have been very industrious since our coming to Paris.

1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World ii. 92 Soil well cultivated by the poor industrious Chilians.

1764 O. Goldsmith Traveller 16 Industrious habits in each breast obtain.

1782 W. Cowper Heroism 69 Yet man, laborious man, by slow degrees..Plies all the sinews of industrious toil.

1864 J. Walker Faithf. Ministry 207 The most pious man ought to be the most industrious.

1892 J. Brown Serm. 207 Industrious poverty becomes a nobler thing than idle wealth.

1916 Moberly (Missouri) Daily Index 21 Sept. 2/1 There are many redeemed criminals living useful and industrious lives in the society that they had wronged.

1976 Islander (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 5 Sept. 10/1 Known as ‘mountain beaver’, these industrious creatures spend their time excavating burrows.

2007 Stuff July 55/3 Receiving emails anywhere, almost as soon as they're sent, turned otherwise ordinary workers into industrious workaholics.

a1628 N. Carpenter Achitophel (1629) 8 It was the part of a shamelesse Cham to bee an industrious spectator of his fathers nakednesse.

1652 J. Wright tr. J.-P. Camus Nature's Paradox 290 By industrious excuses (purposely invented) hee had sharpen'd the desire of his Auditours.

1655 H. L'Estrange Reign King Charles 183 Some there are suspect this mistake to have been not involuntary but industrious in him.

1668 H. More Divine Dialogues i. 27 The industrious perforation of the tendons of the second joints of fingers and toes, draw the tendons of the third joints through.

1691 T. Hale Acct. New Inventions 90 An industrious Omission..of the Principal Point of Care.

a1738 A. Batty 26 Serm. Var. Subj. (1739) I. ix. 201 Every Omission of vindicating injured Characters, every industrious With-holding of due Commendation.

1845 G. S. Faber Eight Diss. I. iii. v. 269 His [sc. Elijah's] industrious affectation of the wilderness.

1935 Calif. Law Rev. 23 339 The legislature has, by industrious omission, altered the section so that the clause ‘upon causes of action which might have been joined’ no longer appears.

1825 J. R. McCulloch Princ. Polit. Econ. Introd. 45 Those who are engaged in industrious undertakings.

1845 J. R. McCulloch Treat. Taxation ii. v. 199 Such improvements..in the arts as will enable industrious undertakings to be carried on with a much less expenditure of fuel.

1873 H. Wedgwood Hist. Working Classes p. xi In a knowledge of the manufacturing and industrious arts, the lower classes of this land were second to none in Europe on the score of ignorance.