strongadj.

Brit.

/strɒŋ/, U.S.

/strɔŋ/,

/strɑŋ/

Forms:

α. early Old English stran (Kentish, probably transmission error), Old English–Middle English (1800s– English regional (northern)) strang, late Old English stræng (Kentish), late Old English strancg, early Middle English stranng ( Ormulum), early Middle English stranȝe, Middle English stang (transmission error), Middle English staunge (transmission error), Middle English strange, Middle English strangge, Middle English straunge, Middle English (1800s Irish English (Wexford)) straung; Scottish pre-1700 strange, pre-1700 straunge, pre-1700 1700s– strang.

β. early Old English strongg- (inflected form), Old English– strong, early Middle English stroge (transmission error), early Middle English stron (probably transmission error), early Middle English stronȝ, early Middle English strotige (transmission error), Middle English stronc, Middle English strongge, Middle English strongue, Middle English stronke, Middle English stroong, Middle English stroonge, Middle English–1500s stronge, 1500s stronkg, 1500s–1600s strounge, 1600s stronk, 1600s stroung, 1800s– strung (English regional); Scottish pre-1700 stronge, pre-1700 1700s– strong.

See also strenger adj. and adv., strengest adj.

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with West Frisian strang strict, serious, intense, tight, Old Dutch strank mighty, powerful, intense (Middle Dutch stranc , strang- mighty, powerful, impressive, large, unyielding, tight, intense, violent, Dutch regional strang tight, oppressive, hard, cruel, powerful, mighty, (of liquids) strong-tasting), Old Saxon strang mighty, powerful, violent (Middle Low German (rare) stranc , strang powerful, violent), Old High German strang mighty, powerful (Middle High German strang , stranc , strange mighty, powerful, brave, severe, strict, stern), Old Icelandic strangr powerful, severe, hard, probably < the same Germanic base as string n.Form history. The modern β. forms largely reflect late Old English lengthening of a before ng , southern rounding of ā to open ō in Middle English, and subsequent shortening to o in late Middle English (compare forms of long adj.¹). On spellings with o in Old English (reflected also by some early Middle English instances) see discussion at O n.¹ Comparative and superlative forms. In Old English the stem vowel frequently shows i-mutation in comparative and superlative forms (see strenger adj., strengest adj.), probably partly due to the variant forms of the respective suffixes in Germanic (see discussion at -er suffix³, -est suffix), and partly reflecting comparative and superlative forms of the (rare) cognate strenge (see below). Reflexes of the Old English comparative and superlative with i-mutation are frequent in Middle English, with the comparative strenger still occasionally attested in the 16th cent. Unmutated forms (stronger , strongest ) occur from the Old English period onwards, and eventually supersede mutated forms. (Examples of the comparative strenger and superlative strengest are included at this entry only where important for the history of a particular use; for fuller coverage of these forms see strenger adj., strengest adj.) An Old English cognate with i-mutation and its possible later reflexes. Old English strenge (with i-mutation caused by the j -suffix) is attested only once, probably in sense ‘violent’, modifying an otherwise unattested noun of uncertain meaning:OE Genesis A (1931) 60 He..his torn gewræc on gesacum swiðe selfes mihtum strengum stiepe.The negative form unstrenge ‘weak’ is also (rarely) attested. The forms streng , strenge are also occasionally attested in Middle English (also strengh in an isolated attestation in Older Scots) in senses of the present word (earliest in bynames, as William Strengfellow (1286), Joh. the Strengfelagh (1308), etc.). However, several instances appear to show alteration of strong by association with strenger adj. or strengest adj., rather than reflexes of Old English strenge ; compare similarly strengly adv. (beside strengerly adv. at strenger adj. and adv. Derivatives). Old English strenge is cognate with Middle Dutch strenge powerful, brave, energetic, strict, stern, unyielding, great (Dutch streng severe, strict), Middle Low German strenge powerful, mighty, violent, unbending, hard, intense, Old High German strengi powerful, hard, unyielding, mighty (Middle High German strenge powerful, brave, severe, strict, difficult, German streng strict, severe, rigorous), and further with (probably immediately < Middle Low German) Old Swedish stränger (Swedish sträng ), Old Danish strænghæ (Danish streng ), all with i-mutation caused by a form of the Germanic base with j -suffix. It has been suggested that the existence of these forms beside unmutated forms of the adjective in various Germanic languages may reflect their common derivation from the o -grade of a Germanic Class III strong verb (perhaps compare Norwegian regional strungen having a hard stomach). Specific senses. With senses 1a(b) and 5a(b) compare early use as byname and surname, as Richard Stronge (1185), Ralph le Esstrang (1228), Johannes le Stronge (1248), etc. With use in reference to vital organs (see sense 2c) compare Old English gestrangian (see strong v.) in sense ‘to strengthen (the stomach or the liver)’. With use in sense ‘having substantial financial resources’ (see sense 5e) compare Old English feohstrang rich ( < fee n.¹ + strong adj.). In use in grammar to designate inflectional classes of Germanic verbs, nouns, and adjectives (see sense 26), after use in this sense of German stark (as opposed to schwach weak) in J. Grimm Deutsche Grammatik I. (1819). Grimm's nomenclature reflects his belief that Germanic words that express grammatical information (tense, number, etc.) by ablaut of the root vowel (an inherited process) could be conceptualized as ‘stronger’ than words that rely instead on the addition of suffixes (which he viewed as a more recent development).

a. Of living beings, the body, or limbs: physically powerful; able to exert great muscular force; able to perform physically demanding or laborious tasks.

(a) In general contexts.arm-strong: see the first element. as strong as a horse, an ox: see horse n. 25a, ox n. 1b. the stronger sex: see sex n.¹ Phrases 1c. See also strongman n., strongwoman n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective]

mightyeOE

strongOE

bigc1300

boldc1300

fort13..

steer13..

steevec1300

valiant1303

stalwortha1340

fortin1340

strengthfula1382

stout1390

pithya1400

tora1400

mighteda1470

strengthyc1485

forcy1488

nervy1598

nervous1616

whipcordy1856

Tarzanesque1933

Tarzan-like1943

OE Beowulf (2008) 2684 Him þæt gifeðe ne wæs þæt him irenna ecge mihton helpan æt hilde; wæs sio hond to strong.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 3574 Forr crist wass strang wiþþ hannd inoh To werrpenn dun þe deofell.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1771 Ich bi-tæche þe anne hængest godna & strongna.

a1350 Maximian (Harl.) l. 238 in K. Böddeker Altengl. Dichtungen (1878) 252 Mi body þat wes strong..ybroht hit is to grounde.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 4298 Hert of stele and bodi of bras, Stranger þan euer samson was.

c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xii. l. 161 Take two stronge men and in themese caste hem.

a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 69 Thinking to grip ws in his clowis strang.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms cxliii. 14 That oure oxen maye be stronge to laboure.

1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry iii. f. 119^v It must be sene to, that they [sc. the horses in a team] be euen matched, least the stronger spoyle the weaker.

1648 J. Taylor Brown Dozen of Drunkards 2 A Tospottalian of a stronger bulk and braine then..any of his fellowes.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 1059 So rose the Danite strong..and wak'd Shorn of his strength.

1726 Gentleman Angler 92 They will feed very generously, and divert the Angler, for they struggle hard, and are very strong.

1756 P. Browne Civil & Nat. Hist. Jamaica ii. iii. 446 The jaws [of this fish] thick and strong, resembling the beak of a parrot.

1782 W. Cowper John Gilpin 154 So like an arrow swift he flew, Shot by an archer strong.

1815 W. Scott Lord of Isles v. xx. 201 Strong are mine arms, and little care A weight so slight as thine to bear.

1864 Ld. Tennyson Grandmother iv, in Enoch Arden, etc. 116 Strong of his hands, and strong on his legs, but still of his tongue!

1884 tr. Princess Alice Let. in Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse 170 I am so afraid they will be too rough with her, for..Ella is very strong, and by no means gentle.

1908 Catholic World Apr. 94 She ain't strong enough in the arms to turn the bed now.

1956 Observer 10 June 14/6 A tall, tough, strong and workmanlike horse with good limbs.

2001 B. K. Das tr. P. Ray Primal Land xli. 126 He looked so strong, so young!

(b) the Strong: used postpositively with personal names of historical, mythological, or legendary figures.Sometimes merging with sense 5a(b).

ΚΠ

OE Ælfric Old Test. Summary: Judges (Laud) xvi. 4 in S. J. Crawford Old Eng. Version of Heptateuch (1922) 412 Ða hæðenan Philistei beheton hira [read hire] sceattas, wið þam þe heo beswice Samson þone strangan.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) 13849 He com a þan ende þer fæht Kinard þe stronge.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 181 Samson þe stronge.

c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 7704 And Sampson also, þe stronge [a1425 Linc. Inn þeo fort].

1581 A. Hall tr. Homer 10 Bks. Iliades iii. 52 It is Aiax the strong, Who is best hope, defence and wall, that to the Greeks belong.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis x, in tr. Virgil Wks. 529 Orses the strong to greater Strength must yield.

1761 ‘Euthelius’ Relig. represented in True Light 181 Sampson the strong, and Solomon the wise, Warn us nor Strength nor Wisdom t'o'erprize.

1892 E. E. Hale & S. Hale Story of Spain x. 144 On the scroll the king read that the man was Hercules the Strong.

1917 A. Cahan Rise of David Levinsky i. iv. 22 When you are a man you will be strong as Samson the Strong.

1969 J. B. Beer Blake's Visionary Universe ii. 44 Both his greatest sons, Paris the beautiful and Hector the strong, were to fail more disastrously.

2005 T. Severin Viking: Sworn Brother 165 Did you really think that you could defeat Grettir the Strong?

(c) Having great staying power in a physical activity; able to perform the specified action well and powerfully. Chiefly attributive. Also figurative.Recorded earliest in the Old English compound rynestrang strong in running (compare rune n.¹).Quot. a1425 may simply represent sense 1a(a).

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > player or sportsperson > [adjective] > by ability

strongOE

scrub1867

all-star1889

stiff1890

first string1892

plus1906

match-winning1908

all-time1910

seeded1922

front line1939

sharpshooting1948

world-class1950

uncapped1955

storming1961

OE Riddle 19 7 Widlast ferede rynestrong on rade rofne cofoah [runic mirror-script for haofoc].

a1425 (a1382) Prefatory Epist. St. Jerome in Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) (1850) 70 Abacuc, a strong wristeler [a1425 L.V. wrastelere] and a sharp, stondith vpon his waard.

1575 G. Gascoigne Noble Arte Venerie xvi. 41 When the Hartes passe the great ryuers..,..knowing which of them is strongest and best swimmer, they make him go formost.

1595 E. Spenser Astrophel in Colin Clouts come Home Againe sig. F^v In wrestling nimble, and in renning swift, In shooting steddie, and in swimming strong.

1741 W. Newton Hist. & Antiq. Maidstone xiii. 142 He [sc. Ball]..was the Premeditator of his pestiferous Invention, the strong Cutter-asunder or Divider of Ecclesiastical Unity.

1819 Ld. Byron Don Juan ii. liii. 145 At intervals there gush'd..the bubbling cry Of some strong swimmer in his agony.

1854 Poultry Chron. 2 183 They are light on the wing, but not strong flyers.

1863 A. W. Kinglake Invasion of Crimea (ed. 3) I. iii. 38 Imagination, transcendent and strong of flight.

1883 Sat. Rev. 24 Nov. 665/2 Too Good [sc. a racehorse] took up the running and made it very strong to the Canal.

1886 J. Ruskin Præterita I. xi. 379 He ran no risk but of a sound ducking, being, of course, a strong swimmer.

1922 Harvard Alumni Bull. 16 June 865/2 This year he has been a strong player in both the singles and doubles on the university lawn tennis team.

1964 U. Lanham Insects iv. 54 It is also possible that the first gliding insects were strong jumpers.

2010 B. Jenkinson Baseball's Ultimate Power vi. 129/2 Ramirez is a great clutch hitter as well as a very strong batsman.

b. Of an action: performed with great muscular strength.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective] > characterized by use of strength

strong?c1225

valiant1531

Herculean1596

Samsonistic1849

Samsonian1861

powerhouse1928

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 275 Wresten aȝein wið strong wraggunge.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. liv. 271 It [sc. the foot of a lion, etc.] is long, pleyne, and holouȝ..and distingwid with toon for his strong holdynge.

?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Recuyell Hist. Troye (1894) I. lf. 37^v His strokes myght not be susteyned of men, they were so strong and puyssant.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. xi. sig. L [He] with strong flight did forcibly diuyde The yielding ayre.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) v. i. 149 Anon I wot not, by what strong escape He broke from those that had the guard of him.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis ix, in tr. Virgil Wks. 495 He joints the Neck: And with a stroke so strong The Helm flies off.

1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey II. viii. 104 None in the leap spring with so strong a bound.

1787 T. Best Conc. Treat. Angling (ed. 2) 45 Angling for the pike at the snap is to let him run a little, and then to strike him, the contrary way from whence he runs, with two strong jerks.

1816 Ld. Byron Prisoner of Chillon viii. 47 I burst my chain with one strong bound.

1896 W. E. Norris Clarissa Furiosa xxxv. 355 He..placed his foot under her arm-pit, and with one strong tug..restored the dislocated shoulder to its position.

1952 R. Hackforth tr. Plato Phaedrus xv. 104 The driver..jerks back the bit in the mouth of the wanton horse with an even stronger pull.

1998 B. M. Baglio Dolphin in Deep 126 Bing was swimming, pushing through the foam with strong strokes.

c. Astrology. Esp. of a sign: associated with physical strength. Cf. sense 5c.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the universe > heavenly body > as influence on mankind > [adjective] > planet > dignity

stronga1398

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. viii. ix. 464 Þise þat beþ in strengþe of kynde, and beþe [MS boþe] igendred vndir a stronge signe, male, ascendent and arisinge, and vndir a strong planete wiþ good aspect þerinne, beþ of stronge and good disposicioun in here kynde, and aȝenwarde.

1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata xxii. 82 There are also weak signs and strong; weak signs are, Aries, Sagittary and Capricorn: strong are, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquaries.

1792 ‘C. Heydon Jr.’ Astrology 6 Signs..Weak..♈ ♐ ♑..Strong..♌ ♏ ♒.

1819 J. Wilson Compl. Dict. Astrol. Strong signs, ♌, ♏, and ♒, because they are said to give strong athletic bodies.

1918 M. Heindel & A. F. Heindel Message of Stars (ed. 3) xx. 440 It is a good indication of health when a strong sign rises with Jupiter or Venus close to the Ascendant and well aspected.

2003 J. R. Lewis Astrology Bk. 630 In traditional astrology, Scorpio and Aquarius were referred to as the strong signs, presumably because of their fixed natures.

2. Physically vigorous or robust; not readily affected by disease or adverse conditions; healthy.

a. Of a person or animal, or the physical constitution of a person or animal. In later use often (predicatively): having regained normal health and vigour after illness.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > [adjective] > of health: good > resistant to disease, etc.

strongeOE

stalworthc1175

starka1250

stiff1297

stalworthyc1300

vigorousc1330

stoura1350

lustyc1374

marrowya1382

sturdyc1386

crank1398

robust1490

vigorious1502

stalwart1508

hardy1548

robustious1548

of force1577

rustical1583

marrowed1612

rustic1620

robustic1652

solid1741

refractory1843

salted1864

resistant1876

saulteda1879

the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective] > robust

strongeOE

hardOE

stalworthc1175

starka1250

stiff1297

steel to the (very) backa1300

stalworthyc1300

wightc1300

stable13..

valiant1303

stithc1325

toughc1330

wrast1338

stoura1350

sadc1384

wighty14..

derfc1440

substantialc1460

well-jointed1483

felon1487

robust1490

stalwart1508

stoutya1529

robustous?1531

rankc1540

hardy1548

robustious1548

stout1576

rustical1583

rustic1620

iron1638

robustic1652

swankinga1704

strapping1707

rugged1731

solid1741

vaudy1793

flaithulach1829

ironbark1833

swankie1838

tough as (old) boots or leather1843

skookum1847

hard (also tough, sharp) as nails1862

hard-assed1954

nails1974

eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. xxxii. 234 Gif se mon sie geong & strang læt him blod of innanearme.

lOE tr. Vindicta Salvatoris (Vesp.) in B. Assmann Angelsächsische Homilien u. Heiligenleben (1889) 194 He wæs sone hal þurh rihten geleafe..and swa strang, swa he wæs þa, þa he wæs þrittig wintre.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 4 Forþi mot þeos riwle changin hire misliche efter vchanes manere & efter hire euene. for sum is strong. sum vn strong.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 32 (MED) Þou art yong and strang, þou sselt libbe long.

a1425 Rule St. Benet (Lansd.) (1902) 22 Þa þat ere strang and hale.

a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 239 Men wyche haue the complexcion hote and stronge.

1588 T. Kyd tr. T. Tasso Housholders Philos. f. 1 A youth of eighteene or twenty yeeres of age,..tough sinewed, and of a strong constitution.

1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso i. lxxvii. 161 He was a man full of years, but of so fresh and strong a complexion, as he seemed likely to live yet many ages.

1698 E. Tipper Pilgrim's Viaticum 81 The Patients strong do grow and Pains survive.

1785 W. Cowper Task ii. 705 His head..Bespoke him past the bounds of freakish youth, But strong for service still, and unimpair'd.

1785 in Jrnl. Friends Hist. Soc. (1918) 75 I find myself growing stronger. My cough is better.

1806 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 15 26 A gentleman..who had always enjoyed good health, being of a strong and robust constitution.

1840 F. Marryat Poor Jack xxi. 151 Old Nanny..was now quite strong again.

1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms xxiii Starlight was none too strong... He wanted good keep and rest for a month.

1928 C. S. Churchill Let. 13 Apr. in W. S. Churchill & C. S. Churchill Speaking for Themselves (1999) xiii. 321 I am really beginning a pick up—These last 2 days I feel stronger & I am so thankful.

1976 K. Reddick Horses 114 The Orlov is basically a powerful, thickset animal with a strong constitution.

2003 T. Morrison Love 101 I..spread aloe gum and honey on the wound, hoping she was too strong for lockjaw.

b. Of a plant or a part of a plant.Quot. OE (showing predicative use of strengest adj.) included here as earliest evidence of the sense.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by good growth > [adjective] > strong, vigorous, or plump

strongOE

thriftyc1440

well-brawneda1450

valiant1542

pubble1566

stout1573

corroborate1581

bunting1584

lusty1600

plump1600

vegetous1610

blought1611

boisterous1622

stocky1622

robust1627

steera1642

vegete1655

jollya1661

vigorous1706

well-to-do1852

OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) clviii. 200 Heo [sc. iris Illyrica] on Illyrico þam lande swiðost & strengost wexeþ.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 8684 Treon græte & longe þat beon swiðe stronge.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Isa. xl. 20 The stronge tree, and the vnable to roten [L. imputribile] ches the wise craftes man.

tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) i. l. 88 The treen..Not crokid, lene, or seek, but hool & stronge.

1556 M. Huggarde Displaying of Protestantes (new ed.) f. 60 If they be suffered to growe till the good corne haue a stronge roote, then the cockle growing vp therwith, may be easely discerned.

1592 R. Dallington tr. F. Colonna Hypnerotomachia f. 2^v Strong Okes..and browne Hasils..with the greene couerture of their innumerable leaues.

a1678 T. Hanmer Garden Bk. (1933) 29 Narcissus Fertius Mathioli, that is Mathiolus his third Narcissus, a very fine plant, having very large strong leaves.

1719 G. London & H. Wise J. de la Quintinie's Compl. Gard'ner (ed. 7) viii. 118 In speaking of a strong Tree, is meant a vigorous Tree.

1765 Museum Rusticum 4 354 He has the same hundred and twenty acres in wheat as heretofore, and strong and hopeful.

1780 W. Cowper Progress of Error 359 Plants rais'd with tenderness are seldom strong.

1822 P. B. Shelley Zucca ix And light revived the plant, and from it grew Strong leaves and tendrils.

1864 E. B. Pusey Daniel viii. 485 From the hewn stump, which has vitality, a strong tree will shoot forth.

1900 Garden 21 July 42/3 All the Alba Roses seem to appreciate a free hand to cut away worn-out growths, and to provide a liberal allowance of strong young shoots to bear flowers.

1962 L. P. Hudson Bones of Plenty ii. 214 The stems and leaves..were remarkably strong.

1999 BBC Gardeners' World Apr. 123 (advt.) Your plants... will be pot-ready with strong established roots.

c. Of the vital organs and their functions, the nerves, brain, †‘spirits’, etc. Also: not easily disturbed, upset, or affected.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective] > robust > of vital organs or functions

stronga1398

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. xlvi. 259 In wintir is grete appetite and strong digestioun.

c1425 tr. J. Arderne Treat. Fistula (Sloane 6) (1910) 59 (MED) In euery þing þat goþ out of þe body bene 3 comon causez..If it be for vertue, þan it is for vertue retentyue is feble, and vertu expulsyue strong.

1541 T. Elyot Castel of Helthe (new ed.) 9 b Thynges makynge the stomake stronge: Mirabolanes: Nutmygges: Organum.

1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §738 The Leafe Tobacco; And the Teare of Poppy,..doe all Condense the Spirits, and make them Strong.

1680 W. Temple Ess. Orig. & Nature Govt. in Wks. (1731) I. 97 In more temperate Regions the Spirits are stronger, and more active, whereby Men become bolder in the Defence or Recovery of their Liberties.

1711 G. Cary Physician's Phylactic 329 It is nauseous to the strongest Stomach to have the Crambe bisconcocted so often drest up.

1779 B. Dominiceti To Royal Soc. & College of Physicians 5 The cases..were performed only on persons of strong nerves, and robust habits of body.

1833 J. Forbes et al. Cycl. Pract. Med. I. 578/2 Persons, even with strong stomachs, are frequently under the necessity of taking some stimulant to assist its digestion.

1863 M. E. Braddon J. Marchmont viii Mary Marchmont's story of a marriage arose out of the weakness of a brain, never too strong, and at that time very much enfeebled by the effect of a fever.

1910 H. W. Collingwood et al. Bus. Hen (Latest Hatch) ix. 97 Strong digestion and assimilation are shown in the appetite and ability to handle food.

1941 E. Mittelholzer Corentyne Thunder xxxiii. 193 An' years ago a doctor once tell 'e say dat 'e heart not too strong.

2011 National Trust Mag. Summer 79/2 The reek of curing herrings demanded a strong stomach when the season was on.

3. Of a person, or a person's heart, mind, or character: having the emotional or mental qualities necessary for dealing with difficult or distressing situations; capable of moral courage, rigour, or endurance; firm in will or purpose; able to resist temptation; brave, resolute, steadfast.self-strong: see the first element. See also strong silent man n., strong silent type n. at Compounds 3.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > courage > moral courage > [adjective]

strongeOE

fortitudinous1752

moral1834

the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > [adjective] > capable of moral effort or endurance

strongeOE

dreicha1200

stable13..

wilfulc1330

toughc1400

durable1541

strong-minded1544

unbending1796

cast iron1829

backboned1940

the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > certain prospect or possession > [adjective]

strongeOE

fasteOE

sure1418

cocksure?a1534

in the bag1900

gold-plated1913

eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) lxv. 465 Ic wende ðæt ic wære swiðe strong [L. fortem] on manegum cræftum.

OE Guthlac A 293 Gearo wæs Guðlac, hine god fremede on ondsware ond on elne strong.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 13326 Symon..All harrd & strang. & stedefasst..To stanndenn ȝæn þe laþe gast.

a1200 (?OE) MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 185 Beoð stronge on fihte and fihteð wið þe ealde neddre and ges [read gef] [gie] ben strengere þane hie, gie shulle fon to mede þat endeles kineriche.

c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham Poems (1902) 13 He þat ine saule is strang, Þat he wiþ-stent hi alle.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. iii. 176 Ȝif he is a greet wakere and strong of mynde [L. memoria tenax], þat tokeneþ drye brayne.

a1425 Rule St. Benet (Lansd.) (1902) 43 Sisters þat er strang and of gude lyuyng.

a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 226 Tho men wyche haue ouer lytill kneis they bene stronge of corage.

1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection i. sig. Ei^v Lyke as god conforted the chyldren of Israel,..and bad them to be strong and nat to drede.

1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iv. i. 122 Be strong and prosperous In this resolue.

1631 tr. St. John of Avila Certain Epist. 388 In this tryall, which God sendes to you, you must resolue to make yourself strong.

a1670 J. Hacket Scrinia Reserata (1693) ii. 3 He was once high in Fortune: but always strong in Courage, and great in Worth.

1719 Occas. Paper 3 29 That must be a strong Mind indeed, that shall break through the Censures and Opposition of the World.

1783 W. Cowper Valediction 61 [He] Should be..Prepar'd for martyrdom, and strong to prove A thousand ways the force of genuine love.

1795 T. Bellamy Life Mr. W. Parsons, Comedian 35 A life..supported and rendered interesting by strong character and moral rectitude.

1833 W. Wordsworth Warning 160 Be strong in faith, bid anxious thoughts lie still.

1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. xiii. 252 His face was quiet, but full of confidence... Tom felt calmer and stronger, as he met his eye.

1920 Daily Independent (Monessen, Pa.) 3 Aug. 4/1 A man of strong character..must have some..keen, bracing opposition.

1959 J. M. Dorsey & W. H. Seegers Living Consciously Prol. 2 Only a hard life can develop a strong mind.

1989 P. Dally Elizabeth Barrett Browning ix. 109 Robert might not be a strong enough man to cope with the strain of caring for her.

2002 M. Figgis Coll. Screenplays 1 Introd. p. xxvii Nick was very submissive and intimidated by these strong women.

a. Arising from or indicative of the emotional or mental resilience needed to deal with difficult or distressing situations; showing resolution or strength of character.

(a) Of actions, qualities, words, etc.Not always clearly distinguishable from sense 9a.

ΚΠ

OE Hymns (Julius A.vi) cxix.1 in H. Gneuss Hymnar u. Hymnen im englischen Mittelalter (1968) 395 Pangamus inclyta gaudia fortiaque gesta sanctorum martyrum meritis : utan yppan þa æþelan gefean & ða strangan dæda ðæra haligra cyðera be geearnungum.

OE tr. Felix St. Guthlac (Vesp.) (1909) ii. 108 Þa gemunde he þa strangan dæda þara unmanna [read iumanna] and þara woruldfrumena [L. valida priscorum heroum facta].

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 7896 Forr cnape child bitacneþþ uss Strang mahht i gode dedess.

1490 W. Caxton tr. Boke yf Eneydos i. sig. Bi^v A grete multytude of noble companye full of yougthe & of stronge corage.

a1550 (c1477) T. Norton Ordinal of Alchemy (Sloane 1873) (1975) l. 2566 It gretelye retardith age When it is endid by stronge corage.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) v. ii. 25 I haue labour'd With all my wits, my paines, and strong endeuors, To bring [etc.] .

1623 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Henry VIII ii. i. 145 This Secret is so weighty, 'twill require A strong faith to conceale it.

1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd i. 160 E're I send him forth To conquer Sin and Death..By Humiliation and strong Sufferance.

a1754 E. Erskine Assurance of Faith (1759) vi. 121 The world we live in requires a strong faith.

a1822 P. B. Shelley Masque of Anarchy (1832) xlvi. 24 'Tis to be a slave in soul, And to hold no strong contrul [sic] Over your own wills.

1840 Ladies' Cabinet 3 61 Strong resolve is in his heart.

1905 ‘G. Thorne’ Lost Cause ix The magistrates of London are quite ready to take a strong stand.

2009 M. B. Paraison Bk. for Whole World vi. 89 The few times my husband prayed..were because of my strong persistence.

(b) Of looks, voice, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > resolution or determination > [adjective] > of utterances or demeanour

stout1390

strong1580

settleda1586

tight-lipped1876

1580 A. Saker Narbonus 38 The dreadfull deathes, and the terrible torments, woulde mollifie the strongest eyes to shead bitter teares.

1593 T. Kelway tr. A. Ferrier Learned Astron. Disc. Natiuities i. ii. 33 Leo..signifieth fayre men, straight, the nose broade and little,..with a little strong looke,..couragious and of great heart.

1619 H. Ainsworth Annot. Fifth Bk. Moses called Deuteronomie sig. Bb2/2 A nation, of a strong face: which will not regard the face, of the old nor shew grace, to the yong.

1700 J. Elsum Epigrams Paintings Eminent Masters clviii. 122 A Countenance so strong, and so severe, Tho but a Shadow, raises Awe and Fear.

1814 R. Southey Roderick xxi. 260 For he was troubled while he gazed On the strong countenance and thoughtful eye Before him.

1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ Valerie's Fate ii Attracted by something kindly and strong in the tone of his voice.

1891 C. T. C. James Romantic Rigmarole vii The lady with the strong face, and the piercing grey eyes.

1921 F. Hutchins & C. Hutchins Sword of Liberty iv. 42 Beneath a strong forehead, penetrating blue-gray eyes looked out..; the nose, strong and straight, was a little too heavy, though that was scarcely noticed in the general strength of the face.

1999 C. Newland Society Within (2000) 207 ‘All righty den,’ Shannon said, her voice regaining its usual strong tone. ‘I suppose I'll see you about.’

b. Able to convey authority; powerful through strength of will and character.Not always clearly distinguishable from sense 5a.

ΚΠ

a1770 M. Akenside Poems (1772) 312 With that strong master of our frame, The inexorable judge within, What can be done?

1838 Law Mag. 20 8 The learned judge then sums up, and if not a strong judge, and dreading the consequences imposed on him by a conviction, often contents himself with carefully reading the evidence, and..telling the jury that..it was a crime against the laws of God and Nature.

1892 Daily News 10 May 3/3 He was emphatically what is called a strong Judge, and the mental force which he wielded impressed those who saw and heard him at his work.

1919 Public 22 Mar. 286/1 The times call for a strong statesman in England,—a man who will set aside all precedents and who will do something definite and radical.

1961 J. Carew Last Barbarian 219 The moment Joe opened his mouth he had reverted to the old relationship of a strong father with a spineless son.

2001 C. Rose in T. O'Brien & P. Garner Untold Stories x. 78 A strong headteacher and senior teachers were needed to show a direction for the school.

a. Having great controlling power over people and things, by reason of the possession of authority, resources, or inherent qualities; able to enforce one's will.

(a) In general contexts.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > [adjective] > able to enforce will

strongeOE

society > authority > power > [adjective]

mightyeOE

craftyeOE

richeOE

strongeOE

wieldeOE

mainstrongOE

mightOE

keena1000

mightfullOE

mainfulc1225

reighc1225

starkc1275

boldc1300

fort13..

mightandc1350

strengthya1382

mightifula1400

bigc1400

powerfulc1450

puissant?c1450

mananta1500

mighteousa1500

potenta1500

potential?c1500

vailing1508

forcible1555

potentate1556

swingeing1567

powerable1580

strong-handed1598

strengthful1604

hogen mogen1648

powerlike1657

pollent1660

hogana1672

swayful1767

reverend1826

oomphy1955

kick-ass1977

eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) iii. vii. 61 Philippus þa he cniht wæs, wæs Thebanum to gisle geseald, Paminunde, þæm strongan cyninge [L. strenuissimum imperatorem] & þæm gelæredestan philosophe.

eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) iv. ii. 258 Wæron her stronge [L. fortissimos] cyningas & wel cristne ond eallum ellreordum cynnum ut in miclum ege.

a1225 (?OE) MS Vesp. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 231 Hit ȝelamp þat an rice king wes, strang and mihti.

c1225 (?c1200) St. Margaret (Royal) (1934) 29 Þah þu strong were, he wes muchele strengre me to witene.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1846 Ðe strong god of ysrael.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 14404 God..liuerd þaim fra pharaon, Fra pharaon þat was sa strang þat þam in seruage held lang.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. x. sig. Y5 In the Realme ere long they [sc. Hengist and Horsus] stronger arre, Then they which sought at first their helping hand.

1599 A. Hume Epist. to G. Montcrieff in Hymnes sig. H3^v The pure quhome strang oppressors dois oppres.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iii. i. 446 What King so strong, Can tie the gall vp in the slanderous tong?

a1677 T. Manton Serm. (1693) IV. xviii. 149 I find the Scripture speaking of this; he pardoneth as a strong God.

1714 G. Lockhart Mem. Affairs Scotl. 179 The Revolution Party only employ'd him..out of Fear; and as soon as they found themselves strong enough without him, they kicked him out of Doors.

1793 C. F. Greville Brit. India Analyzed III. xix. 878 The opinion of both parties coincided in the necessity of a strong responsible government.

1840 F. E. Paget Tales of Village viii. 145 The Church of England, strong in the aid of antiquity, tradition, and apostolicity.

1889 F. Cowper Capt. of Wight vi As his appointment vested in his person the supreme civil as well as military command, his influence and authority were wide reaching—in other words, he was a ‘strong’ Captain.

1911 W. H. Wilson Church of Open Country 210 Do you believe that one strong church can do more for a community than several weak ones?

1967 G. Batho in J. Thirsk Agrarian Hist. Eng. & Wales IV. v. 264 The absence of a strong minister led to laxity in administration.

2011 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 27 Mar. (Week in Review section) 11/2 The crisis..may yet mark the end of the ancient paradigm of the Arab ruler, the wise strong sheik, el Rais, the Boss.

(b) the Strong: used postpositively with personal names of historical, mythological, or legendary figures.Sometimes merging with sense 1a(b).

ΚΠ

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 10414 Swa wes Childriche þan strongen [c1300 Otho strange] & þan riche.

c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 2381 And for Strasagirs þe strang he of his strenth priued.

1567 Triall of Treasure sig. D Recorde of Dionisius, a king of much fame, Of the valiaunt Alexander, and Caesar the strong.

1700 J. Astry tr. D. de Saavedra Fajardo Royal Politician I. xlix. 355 Don Lopez de Haro being disgusted by King Sancho the Strong, reveng'd himself in the Treaties of Peace between that King, and Peter III. King of Arragon.

1818 London Lit. Gaz. 12 Sept. 591/2 During the assembly of the diet in Dresden, Augustus the Strong invited several of the principal members to an entertainment.

1843 tr. A. L. L. de Custine Empire of Czar II. xix. 144 Peter the Great, whom I should prefer to call Peter the Strong,..thus crushed the spirit of feudalism.

1903 H. E. Legge Short Hist. Anc. Greek Sculptors iii. 31 She was there worshipped as Athena the Strong.

1978 R. Anderson Getting up & going Home xxxi. 273 She was Catherine the strong, whose ancestors had beaten across the plains with handcarts.

1996 B. M. Mitchell & R. E. Salsbury Multicultural Educ. xxxviii. 308 Charles XII (known as Charles the Strong) embarked on a number of military ventures during the early 1800s.

b. figurative and in figurative contexts, sometimes involving personification.Sometimes coinciding with senses not in a wider metaphor.

ΚΠ

OE tr. Defensor Liber Scintillarum (1969) iii. 32 Ualida est ut mors dilectio : strang ys swa deað lufu.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 205 Þach ha [humility] hire Makie swa smel & swa meoc. hais þinge stroggest [read strongest].

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Song of Sol. viii. 6 For strong is as deth looue.

c1500 (?a1437) Kingis Quair (1939) cxlix (MED) Fortune is most and strangest evermore Quhare leste foreknawing or intelligence Is in the man.

1598 G. Chapman tr. Homer Achilles Shield 2 Thetis hath a strong command Of all my powers.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) i. iii. 42 The strong necessity of Time, commands Our Seruicies [printed Seruicles] a-while.

a1656 J. Hales Serm. at Eton (1673) iii. 48 Now humane Authority at the strongest is but weak, but the multitude is the weakest part of humane Authority.

1706 M. Prior Ode to Queen ix Misguided Prince!..Confess the Force of Marlbrô's stronger Star.

1789 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) I. 490 Ye ken, Ye ken, That strang Necessity supreme is.

1793 W. Cowper Beau's Reply 7 'Twas nature, Sir, whose strong behest Impell'd me to the deed.

1865 H. Kingsley Hillyars & Burtons xlix The old Adam was too strong for her.

1899 C. E. Banks & G. C. Cook In Hampton Roads xviii. 256 ‘The iron dragon's dead,’ mused Von Benzinger, ‘but still my star is strong.’

a1924 J. Conrad Suspense (1925) i. i. 7 Luck is better than courage. Surer than wisdom and stronger than justice.

2005 J. M. Coetzee Slow Man xvi. 121 Is horror after all stronger than love?

c. Astrology. Of a planet: exerting a powerful influence (see quot. 1819) Cf. sense 1c.Quot. a1398 for strenger (see strenger adj.) included here as earliest evidence of the sense.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the universe > heavenly body > as influence on mankind > [adjective] > planet > dignity

stronga1398

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. viii. ix. 461 Among þise triplicitees of houses þilke þat beþ in þe est beþ strengere in here worchinge..þan þe westrene.

?c1450 (a1388) tr. Richard of Wallingford Exafrenon (Digby) in J. D. North Wks. Richard of Wallingford (1976) I. 213 (MED) When a planete is in the auge of his difference, he is strongere than when he is in the opposite.

?1558 H. Baker tr. O. Fine Rules Vse of Almanackes (new ed.) sig. F.ii^v Those [planets] whiche do occupie the middeste of heauen, or the ascendant, shall be better and more stronger then they whiche shall be in the angle of the 7 or 4 house.

1658 E. Phillips New World Eng. Words Joyes of the Planets, are when they are in those houses where they are most powerful and strong, as Saturn joyeth in Scorpio.

1682 J. Holwell Catastrophe Mundi xii. 76 On December the 22th day, Saturn and Jupiter make their first Sextile, Jupiter being in Sagitarius strong, and Saturn in Libra weak.

1721 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. Almuten, the Lord of Figure, or strongest Planet in a Nativity.

1819 J. Wilson Compl. Dict. Astrol. 380 Planets are generally supposed to be strong when dignified either by house, exaltation, term, triplicity, or face, or by any accidental dignity.

1869 E. C. Steadman Blameless Prince 35 Men's lives, like oceans, change In shifting tides, and ebb from either shore Till the strong planet draws them on once more.

1906 A. Leo & H. S. Green Horoscope in Detail (ed. 2) xii. 85 When such a strong planet exists it may determine the occupation, influence marriage, and give the prevailing tone to the mind.

1967 R. Cavendish Black Arts v. 197 Venus is strong in Taurus, exalted in Pisces but weak in Virgo, which seems logical.

2008 D. George Astrol. & Authentic Self x. 200 Jupiter in the fourth house is the strongest planet in this configuration, because it is placed in its own sign of rulership, Pisces.

†d. strong of friends (also friendship): having powerful friends. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adjective] > having friends > possessed of powerful friends

strong of friends (also friendship)c1405

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Physician's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 135 Hym thoughte he was nat able for to speede For she was strong of freendes.

1445–6 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Feb. 1445 §43. m. 6 Suytz, triables in forein shires, where thei be stronge of frendship.

1577 R. Holinshed Chron. II. 1728/1 To make hir selfe more stronger of frends in the citie,..she came to the Guilde hall.

1821 R. Freeman Kentish Poets 90 Sir E. Waterhouse says, he considers the little Earl of Essex to be the strongest of friends of any man in England.

e. Having substantial financial resources, wealthy, rich; often more fully strong in (the) purse (also pocket). Also (by metonymy) of a purse or pocket. Now somewhat rare.See also strong farmer n. at Compounds 3.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > wealth > [adjective]

richeOE

eadyOE

richfulc1300

plenteousc1350

wealthyc1380

wealthfula1400

wlouȝa1400

wellc1405

biga1425

goldedc1450

substantious1490

able1516

opulent?1518

substantive1543

strong1581

fat1611

juicy1627

fortuned1632

affluent1652

rhinocerical1688

rough1721

rowthy1792

golden1797

strong-handed1817

well-to-do1831

wealth-encumbered1844

nabobish1857

rhinoceral1860

ingoted1864

tinny1871

pocket-filled1886

oofy1896

nawabi1955

brewstered2001

1581 R. Mulcaster Positions xxxix. 215 Young gentlemen in purse strong, in yeares weake..be also subiect to all the same perills.

1622 F. Bacon Hist. Raigne Henry VII 161 The Merchant-Aduenturers likewise, (beeing a strong Companie at that time, and well vnderset with rich Men, and good order,) did hold out brauely.

1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew Squirish, foolish; also one that pretends to Pay all Reckonings, and is not strong enough in the Pocket.

1716 Pharmacopœia Radcliffeana (ed. 2) 51 May not a well-turn'd Head, and a strong Pocket, serve the Turn as well?

1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. ii. vi. 113 He then desired to know..Whether, a Stranger with a strong Purse might not influence the vulgar Voters.

1754 A. Berthelson Eng. & Danish Dict. at Strong To be strong in the purse.

1820 G. Belzoni Narr. Egypt & Nubia ii. 260 I should have..prepared the way for others stronger than myself in purse.

1823 Mirror of Lit. 3 May 432/2 I am not..sufficiently strong in pocket to stem the torrent of ignorance..against the profession.

1841 J. James Hist. & Topogr. Bradford 122 In the days of Elizabeth and Charles, there was no need for that unwieldy balista, which none but strong pockets can move—a bill in the Duchy Court—to enforce suit and service from the lower class to the soke mills.

1852 Brit. Farmer's Mag. 22 541/1 With a view of assisting industrious occupiers,..and also of benefiting those who, although stronger in pocket, have still many difficulties to overcome.

1885 Times 3 Sept. 7/4 There must be a good deal of the article in the hands of ‘strong people’—that is, people who can wait..for a rise.

1887 Mech. Engineer 5 Nov. 102/3 An ‘Electric Trust’ arrangement, where the longest purse and the strongest pocket prevails.

1907 Insurance Monitor Sept. 320/2 His backers are few in number and strong in pocket.

a1917 B. C. Browne Sel. Papers Social & Econ. Questions (1918) xxii. 192 A man, strong in purse and in character, says, ‘This is all nonsense,..there is nothing seriously wrong with the Company.’

1930 Times 25 Mar. 24/7 Cash in hand and at bank is £110,575... We are stronger in the pocket by £20,000.

1992 Courier Mail (Queensland) (Nexis) 22 Feb. The size of the losses has daunted the strongest purse.

a. Of people individually: powerful or formidable as a combatant. Occasionally also of an animal set to fight or under attack.In later use simply a contextual use of sense 1a.

ΚΠ

OE Wulfstan Sermo ad Anglos (Nero) (1957) 271 Wæs here & hete on gewelhwilcan ende oft & gelome, & Engle nu lange eal sigelease.., & flotmen swa strange þurh Godes þafunge þæt oft on gefeohte an feseð tyne.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1313 Cnihtes he hæfde gode, stronge & wode.

c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) l. 5434 Þe xii Drians of þe forest sauage A strong kniȝt of heiȝe parage.

a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 566 I have promysed a day isette nerehonde to do batayle wyth a stronge knyght.

a1500 (?a1400) Morte Arthur (1903) l. 1860 Was non so stronge that hym with-stode.

1553 T. Paynell tr. Dares Faythfull & True Storye Destr. Troye sig. Ej Agamemnon consideryng that his moste strongest and moste valiaunt men were slayne, retired.

1563 N. Winȝet Certain Tractates (1888) I. 62 [God] sall steir wp in his contrare strangar kempis..than I am.

1651 R. Wittie tr. J. Primrose Pop. Errours iii. viii. 159 Hazled cocks, which are quick for motion,..strong to fight.

1749 Virtue in Distress 5 The surrounding croud will not suffer the strongest combatant to strike the other when he has brought him down.

1792 Bee 28 Nov. 118 The former..displayed such an astonishing agility and force in wrestling and boxing, that they presently knocked or threw down the strongest and most expert of the English sailors.

1864 Ld. Tennyson Aylmer's Field in Enoch Arden, etc. 70 Where two fight The strongest wins.

1909 M. V. O'Shea Social Devel. & Educ. 460 In a prize fight, are the sympathies of the crowd with the weak or the strong combatant?

1999 N.Y. Times 2 Sept. d3/2 Quartey is a very strong fighter. He's a very solid fighter. He can box and he can counterpunch.

2012 N. Bilyeau Crown xxvii. 194 It felt like a bear baiting, with all of us surrounding a strong, crazed, enraged animal.

b. Formidable as a fighting force by reason of numbers, equipment, position, etc.; powerful in warfare; (also) having a formidable fighting force or advantageous military position. Also with in (arms, etc.), passing into a contextual use of sense 6d.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > war > [adjective] > powerful in war

strongOE

armipotentc1405

bellipotent1635

OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Tiber. B.iv) anno 975 Næs [se] flota swa rang, ne se here swa strang, þæt on Angelcynne æs him gefætte, þa hwile þe se æþela cyning cynestol gerehte.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 7218 Heo uareð in þine londe mid hære swiðe stronge.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 354 Þo was þe compaynie strong & strengore þan it was er.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 15438 Þai armed þam þan al priueli, for to ma þam strang.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) v. l. 23 A hundreth men chargit in armes strang.

1535 W. Stewart tr. H. Boethius Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) I. 627 So strang power, sen weiris first began, Wes neuir sene ȝit with na levand man.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. x. sig. X8^v An army strong she leau'd, To war on those, which him had of his realme bereau'd.

1601 in F. Moryson Itinerary (1617) ii. 126 Wee resolved to leave the Northerne Garrisons very strong in foote and horse.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) i. iv. 36 Pompey is strong at Sea.

1638 in Hamilton Papers (1880) 45 Your Ma^tti should prouyd for itt by furnising of Beruick and Cayrlyll uith good and strong garnisones.

1738 J. Ogilvie tr. R. Menteith Hist. Troubles Great Brit. (ed. 2) v. 206 Bailly,..was in all Haste advancing towards the Spey with his Army strong in Horse.

1761 D. Hume Hist. Eng. to Henry VII I. ii. 49 Receiving in the spring a strong reinforcement of their countrymen.

a1774 O. Goldsmith Pref. & Introd. Seven Years' War in Misc. Wks. (1837) I. 520 They will find England strong at sea.

1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward ii. viii. 146 Louis XI. had himself assembled a strong force near Saint Maxence.

1861 N.Y. Herald 20 July 1/1 Advancing up the road to Bulls Run..sight was caught of a strong body of the enemy.

1915 Open Court June 376 Nippon is few in numbers, but strong in arms.

1958 H. H. Peckham War for Independence v. 84 The army was stronger in the spring simply because it received some sensible training.

1993 R. Lamb War in Italy, 1943–1945 (1996) x. 177 A strong garrison at Bologna faced by tanks and armoured cars did not fight.

c. Performed or prosecuted with a formidable fighting force. Also in figurative contexts.In some contexts (such as c1300), difficult to distinguish from sense 8d.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military operations > [adjective] > other types of operation

strongc1300

air–land1915

suicide1923

air-to-ground1935

triphibious1941

amphibious1943

black?1945

air-to-surface1954

search and destroy1964

c1300 All Souls (Laud) 351 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 430 Þe kyng Charles his Ost aday to strongue batayle gan lede.

c1400 J. Gower Eng. Wks. (1901) II. 484 Thei that whilom the stronge werres made, Wher be thei now?

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. xxxvij Who lamentably complaining of the Turkes great crueltie, desyred stronge & continual aide.

1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 88 The French king made strong warre in Normandy.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene iii. iii. sig. Ee5^v King Vther now doth make Strong warre vpon the Paynim brethren.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) iii. iii. 22 Oh beate away the busie medling Fiend, That layes strong siege vnto this wretches soule.

1690 E. Littleton Managem. Present War against France 27 If the Rhine must be cleared, a strong Invasion of France might have been the readiest way to do it.

1760 Scots Mag. June 324/1 I had intended a strong sortie, to have penetrated into the enemy's camp.

1793 Times 22 May 3/3 A strong cannonade and platoon fire was kept up from the eminences of Hechtheim and the Holy Cross.

1817 J. Mill Hist. Brit. India II. v. iv. 440 The enemy made a strong sally.

1870 Pall Mall Gaz. 23 Sept. 8/1 The enemy opened strong fire on us.

1915 F. L. Huidekoper Mil. Unpreparedness U.S. (1916) ii. 26 Congress was apparently blind to the desolation entailed by a strong invasion of the Southern States.

2001 P. K. Davis Besieged (2003) 126/1 The 600 troops defending the village were saved by a strong sally from Osaka Castle.

d. With in, †of, and later also on. Abundantly supplied with; having many or much of.Sometimes with overtones of great capacity, power, or influence.

(a) With mass noun.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > supply > [adjective] > provided or supplied with something > well-provided or supplied > with, in, or for something

richc1175

repletec1384

strongc1450

ripe1579

wealthy1608

well off1775

rife1787

plus1808

well to pass1809

long on1929

c1450 ( J. Walton tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Linc. Cathedral 103) 28 (MED) A paleys strong of apparaile Where þat þese fooles may not vp attayne.

1621 in W. Foster Eng. Factories India 1618–21 (1906) 337 Beinge thus strong in cash..wee have concluded the present dispeede.

1791 T. Hartley Let. 24 Sept. in G. Washington Papers (2000) Presidential Ser. IX. 6 They are already strong in property; their Buildings, Stock and Cattle all shew it.

1886 Manch. Examiner 3 Nov. 3/1 The Quarterly for October is exceptionally strong in literary interest.

1938 K. O'Brien Pray for Wanderer v. 178 What this man is chiefly strong in is sex appeal.

1976 F. Muir Frank Muir Bk. 96 The schools..were sending forth..superbly fit chaps, light on imagination but strong on team-spirit.

2002 Independent 15 May 18/3 Victorian and later paintings, strong in narrative interest, that had not been shown for many years.

2011 West Austral. (Perth) (Nexis) 8 Dec. 3 The cake is oh-so sweet and strong on spice.

(b) With count noun in plural.

ΚΠ

?1560 T. Norton Orations of Arsanes sig. D.iii^v He is riche of treasure, strong in men.

1712 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 16 Feb. (1948) II. 489 The H. of Lds is too strong in Whigs notwithstanding the new Creations.

1750 in tr. G. Greco Chess made Easy 184 When strong in Pawns take C and F.

1832 H. Cotton Five Bks. Maccabees v. xxiv. 338 Lythras the son of Cleopatra, having become strong in goods and in men, revolted from Cleopatra his mother.

1874 H. H. Cole Catal. Objects Indian Art S. Kensington Mus. App. 320 The India [Office] Museum..is specially strong in arms and textile fabrics.

1885 Truth 28 May 848/2 Landscapes..in which this year's Academy is unusually strong.

1922 M. W. Gaines Art of Investm. (1924) iii. 37 The company, after distributing part of its oil property holdings, is still strong in possessions outside of the railroad proper.

1989 A. Aird 1990 Good Pub Guide 127 Good wines—the extensive list is carefully thought out and strong on bin-ends.

1994 Toronto Life Aug. 59/1 Blackboard prix fixe ($14.95), plus a card strong in salads and grills.

2009 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 21 May f4/2 Mr. McClendon's collection was strong on the large, fat-cat bottles.

e. Made up of many people or things; numerous. Also more explicitly strong in numbers.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > number > plurality > great number, numerousness > [adjective] > abundant, numerous > of individuals, people

mickleeOE

numerous?a1475

strong1533

populous1548

multitudinous1603

1533 T. More 2nd Pt. Confut. Tyndals Answere vii. f. ccclxxxix The nomber of open vnbyleuers professynge theyre vnbelyefe, neuer were so many at one tyme, but that the trew byleuers were yet the stronger parte.

1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 290 A strang spoyl thay bring with thame.

1598 R. Grenewey tr. Tacitus Annales 218 The souldiers sent to go forward with the enterprises, being neither strong in number, nor in courage stout.

1618 J. Chamberlain Let. 31 Jan. in R. F. Williams Birch's Court & Times James I (1848) (modernized text) II. 62 Our East Indian fleet is setting out,..They go stronger and more than ever heretofore.

1656 S. Holland Don Zara ii. iv. 101 But behold Shakespear and Fletcher (bringing with them a strong party) appeared.

1776 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall I. xii. 347 The legions, however strong in numbers..were dismayed by the most abject superstition.

1816 W. Scott Old Mortality viii, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser. IV. 153 The Cameronians continued a sect strong in numbers and vehement in their political opinions.

1848 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair lxvii. 624 A very strong party of excellent people consider her to be a most injured woman.

1855 Poultry Chron. 3 302 Keep the stocks strong in numbers.

1897 H. M. Jenkins Hist. Coll. relating to Gwynedd (ed. 2) ix. 78 At the time of establishing the monthly meeting, in 1714, Gwynedd must have become a strong meeting. The Friends at Plymouth were not so numerous.

1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 780/1 Amana was the strongest in numbers of the few sectarian communities in America which outlived the 19th century.

1997 F. P. Quin in B. B. Singh et al. Adv. Cowpea Res. Introd. p. xiii All regions of sub-Saharan Africa were represented, with..the strongest attendance from national program scientists from West and Central Africa.

f. With preceding numeral.

(a) Powerful as a fighting force to the extent of the specified number of soldiers, ships, etc. Hence gen.: made up of the specified number.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > arrangement or fact of being arranged > state of being gathered together > an assemblage or collection > [adjective] > of a specific number

strong?1535

society > authority > [adjective] > specifically of persons

magisterial1635

stronga1878

?1535 Trewe Nyew Tydynges Rebaptisers of Munster sig. a.iv Thei..drewe op the oether vpon the wael of the cite tyl they ware two honderd and fyfty strong.

1581 W. Raleigh Let. 1 May (1999) 8 Wee were nevere less then fore hundred stronge.

1589 R. Greene Menaphon sig. K^v He dispatched letters to the Nobilitie..with straight charge that they should bee in that place within three dayes with tenne thousand strong.

?1592 Trag. Solyman & Perseda iii. i. 48 Their fleete is weake; Their horse, I deeme them fiftie thousand strong.

?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xvi. 250 Of no fitte counsaile, should be brought to fight,Two men, 'gainst th'able faction of a throng... No twice ten strong These wooers are: but more by much.

1629 tr. S. Pelegromius Descr. S'hertogenbosh 34 The Enemies came..150 ships strong.

1702 London Gaz. No. 3831/2 The Body of French Forces.., being about 8000 strong.

1778 J. Sullivan Let. 1 May in J. Sparks Corr. Amer. Revol. (1853) II. 113 They are three thousand six hundred strong, of British and Hessians, besides a small regiment of Greencoats.

1836 W. Irving Astoria I. 253 A war party, three hundred strong, were prowling in the neighbourhood.

1860 C. Dickens Uncommerc. Traveller in All Year Round 5 May 86/2 As a congregation, we are fourteen strong.

a1878 B. Taylor Stud. German Lit. (1879) 104 The Burgundians..settled, eighty thousand men strong, between Geneva and Lyons.

1939 T. Dixon Flaming Sword xlv. 428 The strikers are marching on us again. A hundred strong, every one of them armed.

1970 Daily Tel. 17 Apr. 2 Their 10-man executive committee would be calling a mass meeting of the 2,000-strong student body.

2007 Time Out N.Y. 21 June 113/3 The..Knickerbocker Sailing Association..founded by a handful of men in 1994 and now 150 members strong.

†(b) Used with reference to a debt or fortune of the specified number of pounds. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) iii. ii. 53 I haue beene deere to him lad, some two thousand strong, or so.

1719 T. D'Urfey Wit & Mirth I. 356 A Wife that's Fair and Young..and Forty Thousand strong.

1730 H. Fielding Rape upon Rape iii. vi. 36 The Lady and her Fortune are both gone together; she went into the other World Forescore Thousand strong.

†(c) figurative. Having the strength of the specified number of people. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1661 M. Nedham Short Hist. Eng. Rebellion 17 Full forty thousand Scots, by Vote, Must visit us e're long: Brave Army sure! when ev'ry Scot Is forty thousand strong!

1667 R. Wild Death of Mr Calamy (single sheet) How have we known him captivate a throng, And made a Sermon twenty thousand strong.

1692 J. Dryden Cleomenes 34 With his own Soul and Sword, a Thousand strong.

1700 W. Walsh Dialogue concerning Women sig. A3^r It puts me in mind of what was said of Mr. Waller,..upon the sight of his first Verses by the Wits of the last Age, that he came out into the World Forty Thousand strong, before they had heard of him.

7. Powerful in operative effect.

a. Of a medicine, food or drink, poison, chemical reagent, etc.Of alcoholic drinks usually coinciding with sense 11a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > efficacy > [adjective] > greatly

mightyeOE

strongeOE

virtuous1340

rich?c1450

prevalent?a1475

energical1565

powerful?1567

powerable1580

magnipotent1599

virulent1599

validous1603

Herculanean1604

multipotent1609

energetical1610

prevailent1623

energetic1642

valid1656

energic1663

drastic1808

the world > action or operation > advantage > efficacy > [adjective] > greatly > producing great effect

strongeOE

violenta1393

lusty1576

powerful1588

home-thrusting1604

potent1609

home-thrust1738

telling1819

eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) lxi. 455 Ongean swelce met[t]rymnesse mon beðorfte stronges læcedomes [L. adiutoriis fortibus].

eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) i. iv. 48 Þæt biþ strang sealf & god.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 3457 (MED) Hii enuenimed..Þe welle..Þat þet water þat þer of com poyson was wel strong.

c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 1034 (MED) Þe clay þat clenges þerby arn corsyes strong, As alum and alkaran.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 539 The poyson is so strong and violent.

a1450 Rule St. Benet (Vesp.) (1902) l. 1607 (MED) Wyne þat es myghty & strang.

1580 T. Newton Approoued Med. f. 67 That kynde [of water-lily] which hath the white roote is more stronger.

1594 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 iii. iii. 18 Fetch me the strong poison.

1600 R. Surflet tr. C. Estienne & J. Liébault Maison Rustique v. xxiii. 725 They renewe the force and strength of the yeast or leuen euerie hower with beere already made, so long as till the said leuen or yeast become strong inough of it selfe.

1644 J. Milton Areopagitica 10 Such books are..usefull drugs..wherewith to temper and compose effective and strong med'cins, which mans life cannot want.

1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) Sublimate Corrosive or White Mercury, a strong Corrosive Powder..us'd by Surgeons to eat away Corrupt or Proud Flesh.

1797 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 307/1 They [sc. skins] are put into a pit of water impregnated with pigeon dung..forming a strong alkaline ley.

1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 667 The seeds..are sown upon a strong hotbed.

1821 W. Scott Kenilworth I. v. 103 I hate him like strong poison.

1843 R. J. Graves Syst. Clin. Med. xx. 233 I often diminish supersecretion from the lung by strong hydragogue cathartics.

1876 W. de W. Abney Instr. Photogr. (ed. 3) 38 Always have a weak and a strong developer in the field.

1922 W. Scott Indexed Syst. Vet. Treatm. 264 Each ulcer must be touched with a strong astringent lotion.

1963 E. H. Schafer Golden Peaches of Samarkand Introd. 2 A cockatoo from Celebes,..a strong drug from Champapura—each took hold of the Chinese imagination in a different way.

1997 L. Grinspoon & J. B. Bakalar in R. Coomber Control Drugs & Drug Users (2000) xi. 206 Psychoactive drugs, like most strong medicine, could also be powerfully poisonous.

b. Of a process, physical phenomenon, etc.See also senses 7e, 7g.Sometimes passing into sense 13.

ΚΠ

c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 479 (MED) Þat ilk niȝth Neptenabus Made so stronge sorcery.

a1500 (?c1450) Merlin iv. 60 And Merlyn, that full of stronge arte was,..shewed hym the voyde place.

1533 tr. Erasmus Enchiridion Militis Christiani xxxviii. sig. S.v^v It shal be a remedy of moche greater vertue & of stronge operacyon.

1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §45 Scotch Skinck, (which is a Pottage of strong Nourishment).

1697 J. Dryden Ded. Æneis in tr. Virgil Wks. sig. a2^v Acute Distempers require Medicines of a strong and speedy operation.

1749 Philos. Trans. 1748 (Royal Soc.) 45 197 The strong Attraction between the electrical Effluvia and Water.

1789 Lady's Mag. Apr. 207/1 Her talents might have raised her from that profession to which, from the strong operation of idleness,..she was greatly averse.

1834 Good's Bk. Nature (ed. 3) I. 93 The heterogeneous attraction, or that between the two different substances, is stronger than the common force of gravity.

1895 Jrnl. Soc. Chem. Industry 30 Apr. 366/2 A cement..hardened perfectly without blowing when tested alone, but on the addition of gypsum exhibited strong expansion.

1928 A. S. Eddington Stars & Atoms App. B. 130 The strong solar radiation excites the atoms many thousands of times per second.

1961 Life 2 June 121/1 Strong magic is needed. At these times Judy, the woman, must force herself to become the abject handmaiden of Judy, the insomniac singer.

2009 L. Black Evid. of Murder xi. 132 The particles appeared, under strong magnification, as irregular chunks of dark and bloodstained matter.

c. Of a mechanical agent.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > physics > energy or power of doing work > [adjective] > having high power or powerful in effect

strong1584

high-powered1829

high-power1849

1584 E. Paget tr. J. Calvin Harmonie vpon Three Euangelists 747 Dayly vse doth shew how strong an engine it is to shake the weake with, when they see themselues assaulted of a great multitude.

1655 T. Stanley Hist. Philos. I. ii. 11 The Starres are impelled by the condensation of the aire about the Poles, which the Sun makes more strong by compressing.

1675 J. Smith Horol. Dialogues 78 The spring is always strongest when first wound up.

1680 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. x. 185 If the Pole prove too strong for their..Work, they will weaken it by cutting away..part of the substance.

1712 R. Blackmore Creation i. 17 They must Obedient to Mechanic Laws Assemble, where the stronger Magnet draws.

1824 P. Hawker Instr. Young Sportsmen (ed. 3) 42 The solid cock..will admit of mainsprings as strong as you please.

1881 Daily News 24 Feb. The opinion has now set in favour of the separate traction engine strong enough to pull two large cars.

1935 C. J. Smith Intermediate Physics (ed. 2) v. xxxix. 655 When an electric current is passed through a coil of wire wound round an iron core the iron becomes a very strong magnet.

1999 BBC Top Gear Mag. June 99/3 The engine pulls so cleanly, the brakes are so strong..that I'm tempted to have a go at every corner.

d. Chemistry. (Of an acid or base) having a powerful ability to dissolve or corrode other substances; displaying acidic or basic properties to a high degree, esp. (in more recent technical use) in being substantially dissociated in solution forming high concentrations of hydrogen ions or hydroxide ions respectively. Cf. acid n. 1a, base n.¹ 14a.For the use of the word in relation to other chemicals, see sense 7a, e.g. quots. 1706, 1797, 1876 there. Cf. also sense 11b.

ΚΠ

1675 N. Grew Disc. conc. Mixture v. 110 The Acid Spirit of Nitre..will coagulate Oyl-Olive, and render it consistent. Whence it might be thought, That any other strong Acid will do the like.

1754 Philos. Trans. 1753 (Royal Soc.) 48 183 This experiment shew'd, that the water contain'd a strong acid, with a solution of the substance precipitated.

1855 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 145 391 Even oxide of lead is a sufficiently strong base to cause rubian to undergo this process of decomposition.

1889 Science 27 Dec. 431/2 These compressors..are much used for elevating liquids, such as strong acids.

1922 T. M. Lowry Inorg. Chem. xviii. 204 A strong acid or a strong base is therefore one which has a high coefficient of ionisation in aqueous solution.

1954 I. Asimov Chemicals of Life iii. 35 When small pieces of copper are dropped into a strong acid known as nitric acid, there is a fast chemical reaction.

2000 M. Clugston & R. Flemming Adv. Chem. xii. 197 The pH of a strong base depends only on its concentration because a strong base is fully ionized.

e. Of a lens: having great magnifying or corrective power. Hence: having such a lens or lenses.See also quot. 2009 at sense 7b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > optical instruments > lens > [adjective] > types of lenses

convex?a1560

planoconvex1665

concavo-convex1677

convexo-concave1693

strong1732

aplanatic1799

periscopic1803

omphaloptic1819

polyzonal1823

shallow1837

first-order1846

periscopical1846

orthoscopic1853

rectilinear1874

overcorrected1875

sphero-cylindrical1881

wide-aperture1882

afocal1887

apochromatic1887

anastigmatic1890

telecentric1892

photovisual1899

aspherical1922

aspheric1923

multifocal1928

plano1944

demagnifying1959

1732 tr. H. Boerhaave Elements Chymistry I. ii. 36 If by a strong Lens the fire were encreased, then would it [sc. the Iron] expand more.

1808 D. Turner Fuci I. 142 (footnote) Towards the end of some of the branches is observable, with the highest powers of the microscope, a thin whitish midrib, but this is not to be seen in all the shoots, and never without the assistance of very strong glasses.

1848 Punch 15 125/1 Looking at the thief through your strong spectacles.

1887 Proc. Zool. Soc. 80 The punctuation much more distinctly visible anteriorly than posteriorly, where only traces of it can be seen under a strong lens.

1900 C. H. May Man. Dis. Eye xxiii. 314 Many myopes wear strong lenses, representing the full correction, constantly and with absolute comfort.

1964 S. Duke-Elder Parsons' Dis. Eye (ed. 14) v. 51 A lens with a focal length of half a metre will be twice as strong as one with a focal length of 1 metre.

2011 D. Dickinson Death in Scarlet Coat ii. viii. 117 The bank manager today is a little tubby man with very strong glasses.

f. Physics. Of a field of force: that exerts a powerful force on objects susceptible to it.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > area of influence > [adjective]

strong1849

the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > magnetism > [adjective] > of field: powerful

strong1849

the world > matter > physics > quantum theory > quantum mechanics > quantum electrodynamics > [adjective] > of force: powerful

strong1849

1849 M. Faraday in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 139 12 Some bismuth..was fuzed in a glass tube and held in a fixed position in the strong magnetic field until it had become solid.

1886 Proc. Royal Soc. 40 340 The first experiment was made in order to see whether ozone could be formed by placing oxygen in a very strong electric field.

1889 G. M. Hopkins Exper. Sci. (1893) xviii.434 It consists essentially of a rectangular coil of fine wire suspended on strained torsional wires in a strong magnetic field.

1946 Amazing Stories Sept. 41/2 I saw that there were indeed wonders on this little planet, which had quite a strong gravity.

1964 L. H. Van Vlack Elements Materials Sci. (ed. 2) viii. 220 A very strong electric field can be sufficient to disrupt the induced dipoles in the insulator.

2010 D. A. Rothery Planets: Very Short Introd. iii. 79 Each of the giant planets has a strong magnetic field.

g. Physics. Originally: descriptive of a force postulated to exist between nucleons in an atomic nucleus; (in later use) epithet of the strongest of the four known kinds of force between particles, which acts between nucleons and other hadrons when they are closer than about 10⁻¹⁵ m, and which conserves strangeness, parity, and isospin. Also: involving or relating to this force. Frequently in strong force, strong interaction.A consequence of the strong force is that protons in an atomic nucleus remain bound together despite the repulsive force arising from their similar electric charge.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > physics > atomic physics > particle physics > weak or strong force > [adjective] > relating to strong force

strong1933

1933 J. Chadwick in Proc. Royal Soc. A. 142 20 If the neutron consists of a proton and an electron another kind of interaction between the proton and the neutron is possible... This interaction is analogous to that between a hydrogen atom and a proton. In effect it introduces a strong repulsive field and a strong attractive field, both of very small radius of action.

1938 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 166 503 By making the former interaction strong and the latter weak it is possible to explain the large magnitude of nuclear forces and the weakness of the β-decay.

1940 Rep. Progress Physics 7 89 The strong interaction between the constituents of a nucleus.

1954 Progress Theoret. Physics 12 107/2 v-charge is defined only for such particles that have strong nuclear interactions and its conservation is violated by the weak interactions responsible for decays.

1969 R. E. Marshak et al. Theory Weak Interactions Particle Physics i. 7 Of greatest importance is the presence of the strong interaction for the meson and baryon classes but not for the lepton class.

2004 B. Greene Fabric of Cosmos (2005) iii. ix. 256 The particles of the strong force are called gluons and those of the weak force are called W and Z particles.

8. Severe, burdensome, oppressive.

†a. Of a person or a person's heart: harsh, hard, severe, uncompromising. Obsolete.In quot. OE¹: of death personified.

ΚΠ

OE Guthlac B 1140 Deað nealæcte, stop stalgongum, strong ond hreðe sohte sawelhus.

OE Christ & Satan 246 Þa ðæs ofþuhte þæt se þeoden wæs strang and stiðmod.

OE Paris Psalter (1932) lxvii. 5 Þa þe wydewum syn wraðe æt dome oþþe steopcildum wesen strange fæderas.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1591 He maked him stið & strong.

c1450 W. Lichefeld Complaint of God (Lamb. 853) l. 585 in F. J. Furnivall Polit., Relig., & Love Poems (1903) 226 (MED) If þou be of herte so strong, And on no wise forȝeue þou wilt, [etc.].

1509 J. Fisher Serm. Henry VIJ (de Worde) sig. B.j^v But perauenture his fader is harde and straunge and wyll not be moued.

a1542 T. Wyatt Poet. Wks. (1831) 111 And is thy heart so strong As for to leave me thus?

1611 J. Cartwright Preachers Trav. 74 It would haue pittied any strong heart, to haue seene the noble Gentlewomen..with their beautifull children..become the..miserable bondslaues of..contemptible rascals.

b. Of laws, punishments, suffering, condition of life, etc.: hard to bear, onerous; rigorous, harsh.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > strictness > [adjective] > strict or severe (of rules, judgement, or discipline)

strongeOE

starkc1175

sharpa1340

strait1390

unrelaxed1508

exacta1538

severe1562

strict1578

weightya1616

stringent1846

ramrod1850

medieval1917

tough1961

the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > severity > [adjective]

heavyc825

grimc900

strongeOE

hardeOE

drearyOE

eileOE

sweerOE

deara1000

bitterOE

tartc1000

smartOE

unridec1175

sharp?c1225

straitc1275

grievousc1290

fellc1330

shrewda1387

snella1400

unsterna1400

vilea1400

importunea1425

ungainc1425

thrallc1430

peisant1483

sore?a1513

weighty1540

heinous?1541

urgent?1542

asperous?1567

dure1567

spiny1586

searching1590

hoara1600

vengible1601

flinty1613

tugging1642

atrocious1733

uncannya1774

severe1774

stern1830

punishing1833

hefty1867

solid1916

eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) v. xii. 128 Ealle þa gesetnessa þe þær to stronge wæron & to hearde he hie ealle gydyde [read gedyde] leohtran & liþran.

OE Blickling Homilies 79 Wæs þæt wite swa strang, swa Godes geþeld ær mycel wæs.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 267 Folc to laimet & to toren wið strong liflade & wið hard.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 2629 For heom comen stronge [c1300 Otho strong] tidinge from Belin þon kinge.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 2933 Hii smite harde & made moni an strange wounde.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3416 (MED) Wit-outen child his wijf was lang, And þat thoght ysaac ful strang.

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) i. 3293 Stronge it were for our Cite to be destroyed & alle þe cuntre.

?c1500 Mary Magdalene (Digby) l. 1002 Yt ys In-tollerabyll to se or to tell, for ony creature, þat stronkg tourmentry.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) 2 Kings xxv. 3 On y^e nyenth daye of the fourth moneth was the honger so stronge in the cite, that the people of the londe had nothinge to eate.

1656 A. Cowley Davideis iii. 96 in Poems Thy fall to man shall heavens strong justice shew.

1799 Parl. Reg. 1797–1802 IX. 63 Those who entered into conspiracies against the state..must..be opposed by strong punishments.

1815 Examiner 9 July 433/1 Some strong suffering, of body or mind, he must have had upon him.

1861 Fraser's Mag. Jan. 126/2 The members of courts-martial could not be induced to pass a strong sentence.

1902 A. M. Shaw Coast of Freedom xxx. 422 Nicolas Verring and Alison..scourged their souls in the strong misery of their credence of the tales.

1959 Payments in Lieu of Taxes: Hearings before U.S. Senate Govt. Operations Comm. (86th U. S. Congr., 1st Session) 34 The fact that the Federal Governments [sic.] pays no taxes or assessments works a particularly strong hardship on property owners.

2000 M. E. Wiesner-Hanks Christianity & Sexuality Early Mod. World (2005) vi. 227 Excommunication..was the strongest punishment the church could impose.

c. Of disease: acute, severe. Of pain, bodily convulsions, etc.: intense, violent, wrenching.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > characteristics > [adjective] > violent or severe

grimc900

strongeOE

grievousc1290

burning1393

acutea1398

maliciousa1398

peracutea1398

sorea1400

wicked14..

malign?a1425

vehement?a1425

malignousc1475

angrya1500

cacoethe?1541

eager?1543

virulent1563

malignant1568

raging1590

roaring1590

furious1597

grassant1601

hearty1601

sharp1607

main1627

generous1632

perperacute1647

serious1655

ferine1666

bad1705

severe1725

unfavourable1782

grave1888

the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > disorders affecting muscles > [adjective] > convulsions

stronga1616

convulsific1634

post-convulsive1907

the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of nervous system > [noun] > disorders of brain > apoplexy

apoplexyc1386

poplexyc1410

apoplex?1537

sudden stroke1543

catarrh1554

strong apoplexy1583

strong1820

eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. xxix. 226 Oft strang fefer becymð on þa men þe þa adle habbað.

?a1200 (?OE) Peri Didaxeon (1896) 33 Ȝif þu ne dest, hit cym hym to mucele and stranga adle.

c1225 (?c1200) Hali Meiðhad (Bodl.) (1940) 525 Þenne þer to kimeð þet sore sorhfule angoise, þet stronge & stinkinde stiche.

1389 in J. T. Smith & L. T. Smith Eng. Gilds (1870) 30 No man schal ben excusyd of absence.., but it be for ye kyngges seruise, er for stronge sekenesse.

1539 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes sig. A.iiij^v A strong disease requyreth a stronge medecine.

1567 Gude & Godlie Ball. 44 He said, I thrist, with all my micht, To saif mankynde fra panis strang.

1587 Sir P. Sidney & A. Golding tr. P. de Mornay Trewnesse Christian Relig. xv.263 Lucrece..[was] surely more mad when he thought himselfe wysest, than when the fits of his phrensie were strongest vppon him.

1592 N. Gyer Eng. Phlebotomy xv. 154 When soeuer a strong ague, or great inflammation, shall possesse such a patient, presently he must be let bloud.

a1616 W. Shakespeare King John (1623) iii. iv. 112 Before the curing of a strong disease, Euen in the instant of repaire and health, The fit is strongest.

1696 H. Hill Dialogue Timotheus & Judas 24 What a strong Palpitation of Heart the Clergy's desire of Precedency caused in your Friend the Author.

1739 J. Wesley Jrnl. 22 June in Wks. (1872) I. 206 One indeed continued an hour in strong pain.

1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison V. iii. 21 Lady Clementina's absences [sc. attacks of delirium] were stronger, but less frequent than before.

1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering III. xvi. 298 A strong shuddering convulsed his iron frame for an instant.

1820 J. Cooke Treat. Nerv. Dis. I. i. 168 (note) In the strong paroxysm, persons are said to lie entirely deprived of sensation and motion.

1874 Edinb. Med. Jrnl. 19 ii. 1002 A strong pain was induced, but was scarcely felt by the patient.

1907 Jrnl. Mental Sci. 53 11 Her fits were strong and frequent.

1964 J. Krahl China Missions in Crisis ii. iii. 136 He was consumed by a strong fever.

2011 D. Nathan Sybil Exposed (2012) iv. 45 Shots of Metrazol produced immediate, strong convulsions.

d. Of a battle, fight, debate: fierce, hotly contested.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > [adjective]

retheeOE

hotOE

strongOE

woodlyc1000

un-i-rideOE

stoura1122

brathc1175

unridec1175

unrudec1225

starklyc1275

toughc1275

wood1297

ragec1330

unrekena1350

biga1375

furialc1386

outrageousc1390

savagea1393

violenta1393

bremelya1400

snarta1400

wrothlya1400

fightingc1400

runishc1400

dour?a1425

derfc1440

churlousa1450

roida1450

fervent1465

churlish1477

orgulous1483

felona1500

brathfula1522

brathlya1525

fanatic1533

furious1535

boisterous1544

blusterous1548

ungentle1551

sore1563

full-mouthed1594

savage wild1595

Herculean1602

shrill1608

robustious1612

efferous1614

thundering1618

churly1620

ferocient1655

turbulent1656

efferate1684

knock-me-down1760

haggard-wild1786

ensanguined1806

rammish1807

fulminatory1820

riproarious1830

natural1832

survigrous1835

sabre-toothed1849

cataclysmal1861

thunderous1874

fierce1912

cataractal1926

the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > [adjective] > carried on violently

stithc1000

strongOE

starkOE

storlicc1275

stourc1275

sharpc1381

stalwartc1420

sturdya1450

sorea1500

vehement1531

shrewd1576

perperacute1647

furied1878

OE Beowulf (2008) 134 Wæs þæt gewin to strang, lað ond longsum.

c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) 5 Þat plait was stif & starc & strong.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 88 Wið Eneam he nom an feiht þat wes feondliche strong.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 554 (MED) Beye mid gret ost toward þe king wende & smite bataile strong inou.

c1400 Brut (Rawl. B. 171) 107 And þat batale was wonder strong, for meny a man was þere slayn.

a1500 (?a1400) Morte Arthur (1903) l. 1583 Saugh nevir no man A stronger fyght.

1553 T. Paynell tr. Dares Faythfull & True Storye Destr. Troye sig. Fv^v The whiche caused the war to be a great deale y^e stronger & greater.

1613 J. Hayward Liues III. Normans 8 Hee was ouerthrowne in a strong battaile.

1650 W. Sclater, Jr. in W. Sclater Expos. 4th Chapter Rom. Ep. Ded. sig. A2 Having now..had a strong dispute with my thoughts, whether [etc.].

1704 S. K. Knight Jrnl. in S. K. Knight & J. Buckingham Jrnls. (1825) 22 Some the of [sic] Town tope-ers [sic] in next Room..were entred into a strong debate concerning y^e Signifycation of the name of their Country.

1790 Ann. Agric. 14 3 Conversation is deemed frivolous and unentertaining, if it is not supported and animated by a warm dispute, and a strong contest.

1837 Waldie's Select Circulating Lib. 20 June 388/3 The officers refused to give them up,..and a strong dispute took place, at the end of which several shots were fired.

1875 Gentleman's Mag. Aug. 142 His face was not that of one who would go down without a strong fight.

1910 Michiganensian 310 Michigan kept the lead in a very strong debate until the last rebuttal speech.

1955 C. E. Schorske German Social Democracy, 1905–1917 ii. iv. 94 The party delegates were outnumbered by 150 to about 115, but they put up a strong fight.

2008 D. Roybal Taking on Giants xiii. 189 Chávez introduced his bills on the second day of the 1963 legislative session and braced for a strong battle.

e. Of a storm, the weather, cold, etc.: severe, violent, intense.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > bad weather > [adjective] > severe or violent (of weather or elements)

retheeOE

strongOE

stithc1100

snella1400

woodc1400

outrage?a1425

violentc1425

sternc1449

strainable1497

rigorous1513

stalwart1528

vehement1528

sore1535

sturdy1569

robustious1632

severe1676

beating1702

shaving1789

snorting1819

wroth1852

wrathy1872

snapping1876

vicious1882

OE tr. Medicina de Quadrupedibus (Vitell.) i. 234 Ðonne ne sceþþeð þe ne tungol ne hagol ne strang storm [L. tempestas].

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1115 Ðises geares wæs swa strang winter mid snawe & mid forste swa nan man þe þa lifode ær þan nan strengre ne gemunde.

c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) 524 Wane niȝtes cumeþ longe, & bringeþ forstes starke an stronge.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. lxxvi. 969 Herbes and gras..weloweþ wiþoute in strong colde.

c1450 (c1400) Emaré (1908) l. 665 Myȝth y onus gete lond, Of þe watur þat ys so stronge.

?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 1741 (MED) Þar felle a storme strange.

a1500 Eng. Conquest Ireland (Rawl.) (1896) 67 In this tyme was the weddyr so stronge, and the wynd so aweyward, that [etc.].

1565 T. Stapleton tr. Bede Hist. Church Eng. iv. iii. f. 116^v If any stronger storme or blustreing showre continewed long.., then would he go to churche.

1671 T. Hunt Abecedarium Scholasticum 9 Let thy garments be long, When the cold is strong.

1745 Polit. Cabinet Feb. 160 They had intended to take this Town by Scalado, on Occasion of the strong Frost.

1794 J. Troutbeck Surv. Scilly Isles 80 A heavy sea, at that time tumbling in, and a very strong storm.

1833 Lancet 10 Aug. 622/2 A young man,..after having exposed his feet to strong cold, felt spasmodical smartings in the muscles of the feet.

1865 G. F. Browne Ice-caves x. 172 In a strong winter there would be an average of 12 feet of snow on the ground here.

1910 Proc. 23rd Ann. Meeting Florida State Hort. Soc. 164/1 It is easily hurt by a strong freeze but soon recuperates.

1977 A. Yodfat & M. Abir In Direct. of Gulf i. 5 This is an area of strong frosts and permafrost ground.

2005 New Yorker 3 Jan. 14/2 Shil's depiction of the scrim that strong weather lays over natural scenery has a handsome, blowsy romanticism.

f. Of a crime, harmful quality, etc.: gross, flagrant.

ΘΚΠ

society > morality > moral evil > wickedness > [adjective] > extremely wicked > specifically of actions or qualities

strong?c1225

grievousa1300

flagitious1550

grossful1613

scarleta1643

atrocious1669

atrocea1734

purple1905

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 156 Nis þis strong monslacht of galnesse awakened.

c1390 Castle of Love (Vernon) (1967) l. 309 A þral..for his gult strong and gret Wiþ his lord was so ivet.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4426 Suilk es tresun of ille womman, In werld es stranger funden nan.

c1425 (c1400) Laud Troy-bk. l. 18638 And thus was Troye dryuen doun And y-lore thorow strong tresoun.

1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II v. iii. 57 O heynous, strong, and bould conspiracy.

1600 Abp. G. Abbot Expos. Prophet Ionah xii. 258 A suspicion of strong treason against her sister, being sought to be fastened on her.

1799 W. Burdon Exam. Merits & Tendency Pursuits Lit. I. 37 A strong violation of that plainness and simplicity of stile which the best writers have exemplified.

1806 W. Cruise Digest Laws Eng. Real Prop. VI. 535 The abuse is so strong, gross, and complete, that every man of common sense..must exclaim against it.

1866 A. C. Swinburne May Janet in Laus Veneris (1867) 313 Or I shall have her by sea, Or I shall have her by strong treason And no grace go with me.

1909 F. M. Hueffer ‘Half Moon’ ii. v. 187 ‘Have you never wronged a woman?’ she asked. ‘It is a very strong crime.’

1958 T. H. White Once & Future King iv. 631 He has done strong treason when he took the Queen.

1999 A. Sen Devel. as Freedom (2000) ix. 223 Denial of the opportunity to contest elections involves a strong violation of a basic democratic right.

g. Of a malefactor: flagrantly guilty; habitually offending. Chiefly in strong thief. Now archaic or historical.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > heinousness > [adjective]

awlyc1200

grievousa1300

grilla1300

uglya1300

strongc1300

outrageousa1325

heinousc1374

excessive1393

curseda1400

fella1400

misshapenc1400

rankc1400

monstruousc1425

enorm1481

prodigiousc1487

villainous1489

nefand1490

sceleratea1513

monstrous1531

funestal1538

enormious1545

facinorous1548

flagitious1550

dire1567

bonable1575

felonious1575

bomination1589

unvenial?1589

heathenish1592

enormous1593

villainous1598

nameless1611

pitchy1612

funest1636

funestous1641

scarleta1643

nefandous1649

aversable1663

atrocious1669

frightful1700

flagrant1706

atrocea1734

diabolical1750

unspeakable1831

the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > guilt > [adjective] > extremely

strongc1300

society > morality > moral evil > guilt > [adjective] > very

strongc1300

c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) 1229 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 141 So strong þeof nis non in engelonde.

c1475 Gregory's Chron. in J. Gairdner Hist. Coll. Citizen London (1876) 163 And that same yere there was a stronge thefe that was namyd Bolton was drawe, hanggyd, and i-quarteryde.

a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (BL Add. 9066) (1879) 390 She sayde, ‘oute on the, stronge strompette!’

1518 in I. S. Leadam Select Cases Star Chamber (1911) II. 137 John Powre..pykyd a quarell to hym..and Callyd hym strong thefe and extorcyoner.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) iv. i. 108 Bargulus the strong Illyrian Pyrate.

1699 Guide Juries 77 B. is a maintainer of Thieves, and a strong Thief himself; here the word strong signifying little or nothing, need not be proved spoken.

1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 123 Give a strong Thief a stark Name.

1827 H. Laurence London in Olden Time 2nd Ser. 12 That strong thief Norman..shall never take sanctuary again.

1890 W. Morris Story of Glittering Plain (1892) v. 36 I am in evil plight, in the hands of strong-thieves of the sea.

1976 R. Kirk in K. McCauley Frights 14 He feared and detested strong thieves..; to avoid them.., he steered clear of the cities.

2003 R. Boyd tr. R. Castel From Man. Workers to Wage Laborers i. ii. 83 The status of vagabond already makes him suspect and when he is arrested, this aggravates the verdict, labeling him a ‘strong thief’.

h. Of a payment, a charge: considerable in amount, heavy, stiff.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > monetary value > price > high price or rate > [adjective]

high1542

strong1599

rank1604

exorbitant1670

extravagant1707

stiff1824

sky-high1829

steep1856

stratospherical1936

1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iii. i. 189 But ile amerce you with so strong a fine, That you shall all repent the losse of mine.

1669 R. Montagu in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 459 Five hundred is a very strong pension as things stand in our Court.

1838 W. M. Thackeray Yellowplush Corr. ii, in Fraser's Mag. Jan. 43/2 Fourteen shillings a wick was a little too strong for two such rat~holes as he lived in.

2002 Congress. Rec. 14 June 10404/3 It is definitive on making the cloning of a human being illegal and subject to a 10-year prison sentence and strong fines.

i. Of a course of action, a measure to achieve something: extreme, drastic, high-handed.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > strictness > [adjective] > strict or severe (of measures)

extreme?1531

round1587

strong1733

1733 London Mag. Dec. 611/2 They..foresaw..the strong Measures they should be obliged to pursue, in order to overcome these Difficulties.

1764 Question on some Late Dismissions 48 This was a pretty strong measure, yet at that time not thought too strong for the occasion.

1838 T. Arnold Hist. Rome I. xvi. 320 The Roman constitution of 306 was as short-lived..as some of the strongest measures of the long parliament.

1880 Appletons' Ann. Cycl. 1879 317/1 By such a strong course of action Canada would be enabled to exact more favorable terms in her future commercial negotiations with the United States.

1910 J. Brown Eng. Puritans (1912) ii. 41 He felt he was taking a strong course of action and was not without misgiving.

2013 M. Boot Invisible Armies xxxiv. 245 Police measures were strong enough to alienate a substantial portion of the population.

j. Mathematics and Logic. Of axioms, imposed conditions, etc.: restrictive, stringent. Cf. sense 16c.

ΚΠ

1907 Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 8 92 The inversion formula..under sufficiently strong conditions is equivalent.

1937 Jrnl. Symbolic Logic 2 168 From the main theorem of this paper of von Neumann it results that the very strong axiom 2.2..can be replaced by two more plausible axioms.

2003 G. Tourlakis Lect. Logic & Set Theory II. ii. 102 Principle 1 is too strong. Omitting it does not affect the applicability of set theory to mathematics.

9. Of conditions or qualities: present to a high degree. Also: relating to such conditions or qualities.

a. Of feeling, conviction, belief: intense, passionate. Of views or principles: uncompromising, thoroughgoing.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > act of convincing, conviction > [adjective] > of belief, etc.: firm

strongeOE

surec1475

unshakeable1677

eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xxi. 165 Forðam nu ða recceras ætiewað sua strangne andan [L. fortem zelum] ðy hie wiellað ðæt hie hiene eft hæbben on ðæm ecan life betux him & hiera hieremonnum to isernum wealle.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 14461 Forr defless þewwess hafenn aȝȝ. Strang niþ ȝæn cristess þewwess.

a1325 (?c1300) Northern Passion (Cambr. Gg.1.1) l. 655 (MED) He stod in sorwe strong.

1448 in S. A. Moore Lett. & Papers J. Shillingford (1871) i. 48 (MED) What stronge chere was hadde of the meyny y pray yow to reporte.

1530 J. Thibaut Pronosticacyon (verso title page) Dyuers there be that by stronge opynyon holdeth this purpose.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. ii. sig. O4 But her two other sisters..Both her champions bad Pursew the end of their strong enmity.

a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) i. iii. 26 Is it possible on such a sodaine, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Roulands yongest sonne?

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) ii. i. 213 My strong imagination see's a Crowne Dropping vpon thy head.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 492 Hate stronger, under shew of Love well feign'd.

1762 S. Scott Descr. Millenium Hall 228 Her Father had a strong dislike to prematurity, and feared that communication with the world would too soon teach her art and disguise.

1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho III. viii. 248 That there should be light in this chamber, and at this hour, excited her strong surprise.

1839 W. M. Thackeray Fatal Boots Mar. The desire for the boots was so strong, that have them I must at any rate.

1850 Athenæum 7 Dec. 1282/1 We confess to a strong interest..in the proposed change.

1881 J. Morley Life R. Cobden II. xxix. 243 M. Rouher, who was then Minister of Commerce, professed strong Free-trade views.

1902 V. Jacob Sheep-stealers xii The sheep-stealer..was..a taciturn man with deep prejudices and strong loves and hates.

1937 S. T. Orton Reading, Writing & Speech Probl. in Children i. 49 Prejudice..is so strong as to amount to the belief that the left-hander is abnormal.

1960 W. S. Sayre & H. Kaufman Governing New York City i. ii. 64 The groups that have a strong commitment to participate actively and regularly in the political process.

2005 S. Lowe & A. McArthur Is it just me or is Everything Shit? (2006) 205 His [sc. a journalist's] office was made up wholly of former public schoolies. He did find they excelled at having a strong sense of personal entitlement.

b. Of the voice, a sound: not soft or muted; powerful, loud and firm.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > loudness > [adjective]

loud971

stithc1000

strongOE

greata1375

stiff1377

wrastc1400

boistousc1430

stourc1440

big1549

routing1567

thundering?1576

full-mouthed1594

thunderous1606

tonitruous1606

thundery1608

trump-like1609

full-mouth1624

voluminousa1635

rousing1640

altisonous1661

lusty1672

tonitrual1693

rending1719

trumpet-like1814

foudroyant1840

clarion1842

trumpeting1850

trumpet-toned1851

loudish1860

tonitruant1861

tonant1891

thunderful1898

high1923

wham-bam1960

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > quality of voice > [adjective] > loud or resonant

loud971

highlyOE

stithc1000

strongOE

steepc1275

stiff1377

strengthfula1382

gross1398

stentorious15..

open-mouthed?1533

wildc1550

preclare?1553

strainable1569

trolling1581

main1582

wide-mouthed1589

full-mouthed1594

wide-mouth?c1599

stentorian1606

trump-like1609

stentorophonic1678

strenuous1680

open-mouth1702

stentorial1754

stentoronic1762

full-throated1820

trumpety1822

Stentor1837

OE Genesis B 525 Þonne ic sigedrihten, mihtigne god, mæðlan gehyrde strangre stemne.

OE Paris Psalter (1932) cxli. 1 Min stefn to þe styrmeð, drihten, and ic mid strangere stefne swylce eam biddende bealde drihten.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Wisd. xvii. 18 The stronge vois of loowende bestes.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Nun's Priest's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 484 For to make his voys the moore strong.

a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 231 And a grete hey and stronge voice tokenyth a stronge and an hardy man.

a1500 (c1400) Vision of Tundale (Adv.) (1843) l. 1170 He hard a strong noyse of thonder.

1593 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie iv. iv. 176 The eares of the people they haue therfore filled with strong clamour.

1623 H. Cockeram Eng. Dict. ii A Voyce as strong as if it were the noise of 100 men.

1685 J. Jackson et al. Annot. Holy Bible II. (Heb. xiii. 17) sig. 5G4^v/2 How great..are..their Preachings, and Prayers with Tears, and strong Cries to God for their Souls?

1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey II. vi. 358 To the ear Floats a strong shout along the waves of air.

1764 in Reliquary (1860) July 63 A Clergyman..whose voice is strong, and pronunciation distinct.

1788 W. Cowper Dog & Water Lily 25 But with a chirrup [to the dog] clear and strong,..I thence withdrew.

1852 G. Dubourg Violin (ed. 4) ix. 353 His violoncellos..are of the finest quality of tone—not so strong and fiery as old Forster's, but, in sweetness and purity, excelling them.

1887 Overland Monthly Sept. 251/1 But what roar was this that met their ears.., a dull, strong roar as of the rushing of many waters?

a1916 H. James Middle Years (1917) iv. 46 Every sound was strong, whether rich and fine or only queer and coarse.

1935 C. Day Life with Father 27 When he walked, he hopped around on his other foot, uttering strong howls of fury.

1998 D. Danvers Circuit of Heaven 73 He liked the blues, and Rosalind had a strong, bluesy voice.

c. Of illumination, light, shadow, colour: vivid, intense, prominent. Also figurative and in figurative contexts.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > light > intensity of light > [adjective] > bright

shininga900

lighteOE

lightlyOE

sheenOE

torhtOE

shirea1000

steepa1000

shimmeringc1000

brightOE

strongOE

clear1297

fair?a1300

bright-shininga1387

merrya1393

skirea1400

lucident14..

shimc1400

staringc1400

luculentc1420

splendent1474

illuminousc1485

lucentc1500

bloominga1522

sheer1565

prelucent1568

faculent1575

splendant1578

lucid1591

neat1591

shine1596

translucent1596

well-lighted1606

nitid1615

lucible1623

dilucid1653

translucid1657

hard1660

the world > matter > colour > quality of colour > [adjective] > intense

strongOE

richc1330

finea1387

stark1547

deep1555

full1599

saturate1669

generous1710

lush1744

saturated1791

lushy1821

robust1826

raised1846

high-keyed1879

acid1916

OE Paris Psalter (1932) cxviii. 105 Þæt is fæle blacern fotum minum, þæt ic þin word, drihten, wel gehealde, and þæt ys þæt strange leoht stige minre.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvi. xiii. 835 Alabandina is a precious stoon... Þe colour þerof is liche to þe stoon calcidonius but it is more strong [L. rarior].

1555 R. Eden in tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde Contents sig. AAAAa.iv^v Of a stronge coloure made of the iuse of a certeyn apple.

1563 W. Fulke Goodle Gallerye Causes Meteors f. 37^v In the myddest [of the cloud] the beames as strong, perse throughe, but on the edges where they are weaker, they are reflected.

1658 W. Sanderson Graphice 66 In what places, you will have those strong and high lights, and reflections to fall.

1665 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 1 122 The Shaddows..seem to be stronger.

1704 I. Newton Opticks i. ii. 111 We are not to expect a strong and full white, such as is that of Paper, but some dusky obscure one.

1711 J. Swift Examiner No. 39. ⁋9 The Shame of having their Crimes expos'd to open View in the strongest Colours.

1769 W. Robertson Hist. Charles V II. iv. 241 He painted in the strongest colours the Emperor's want of discernment.

1782 W. Cowper Conversation in Poems 229 The southern sash admits too strong a light.

1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho III. viii. 228 The strong rays [of moonlight] enabled her, also, to perceive the ravages, which the siege had made.

1820 G. Belzoni Narr. Egypt & Nubia iii. 328 They [sc. fish] were of a strong blue silvered colour.

1833 J. Rush Philos. Human Voice (ed. 2) xxxi. 240 And this may serve to set the power of intonation in the strongest light.

1885 Athenæum 23 May 669/1 A foreground of whitish sun~blanched clay reflects the strong sungleam falling there.

1904 H. S. Williams Historians' Hist. World XVIII. xii. 443 The bishop painted in strong colours the vindictive disposition which it suited him to ascribe to the captive monarch.

1954 Househ. Guide & Almanac (News of World) 164/2 Linen should be dried out-of-doors in strong sunlight.

1991 P. Marshall Daughters (1992) i. i. 5 She's wearing a print blouse of strong yellows, reds, and a bright Caribbean blue.

d. Of sleep: deep, sound.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > sleep > [adjective] > type of sleep > deep or unbroken

fastOE

stronga1398

sada1425

deep1547

sound1548

unstarting1748

wakeless1824

profound1833

unawakening1846

unawaking1863

yawnless1881

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. iii. 177 Ȝif þe coolde passeþ with moisture, þanne comeþ strong sleepe.

1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) xvi. 370 They beganne all to fall in a stronge slepe.

1610 R. Tofte tr. N. de Montreux Honours Acad. 103 On greenish turffe she fell in slumber strong.

?1715 Miracle of Miracles 3 She fell into a Strong Sleep in the Middle of the Day.

1835 J. P. Kennedy Horse-shoe Robinson I. vi. 124 Horse-shoe grew motionless in a deep and strong sleep.

1963 S. N. Kramer Sumerians v. 194 Perhaps Huwawa had..sent a strong sleep against Gilgamesh.

2007 N. Danford Inheritance (2008) 87 He envied her strong sleep, the deep breaths.

e. Of a person.

(a) Firmly convinced, decided in opinion; (also strong for) zealous or uncompromising as a supporter of an idea, principle, policy, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > act of convincing, conviction > [adjective] > persuaded, convinced

surea1400

probate?1511

strong1526

satisfied1533

persuaded1538

convict1558

dogmatic1678

well-wrought1684

convinced1685

1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. ciiii In all maters, strong in their owne opinion.

1602 J. Marston Hist. Antonio & Mellida v. sig. H4^v I was mightie strong in thought we should haue shut vp night with an ould Comedie.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iv. vi. 26 Her Mother, (euen strong against that match And firme for Doctor Caius).

1625 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) 123 In choice of Committees for ripening Businesse, for the Counsell, it is better to choose Indifferent persons, then to make an Indifferency, by putting in those, that are strong, on both sides.

a1631 J. Donne Βιαθανατος (1647) i. i. §3 The second opinion..of which Calvin is a strong Authorizer, if not an Authour.

1679 Tryall R. Langhorn 26 L.C.J. Is Anthony a Papist? Mr. Buss. Yes, a very strong Papist.

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 126. ¶8 I find however that the Knight is a much stronger Tory in the Country than in Town.

1761 L. Scrafton Refl. Govt. Indostan iii. 121 Those who know what strong fatalists these eastern people are.

a1797 E. Burke Let. in Wks. (1812) V. 304 The old persecutors..whether Catholicks, Anglicans, or Calvinists, actually were..strong Dogmatists.

1828 G. Croly Salathiel I. xxvii. 226 A strong believer in the doctrine that..the unlucky have to thank only themselves.

1859 H. B. Stowe Minister's Wooing xxx Some folks say..that dreaming about white horses is a certain sign. Jinny Styles is very strong about that.

1882 J. Morley Life R. Cobden (new ed.) II. xxix. 255 The Emperor was strong for a commercial treaty with England.

1924 C. Connolly Let. 31 Oct. in Romantic Friendship (1975) 25 I am becoming rather a strong Platonist in the matter of ideals.

1955 Hansard Commons 8 Mar. 277 The reason why I may not be so strong about it is that [etc.].

1985 R. Davies What's bred in Bone 24 The McRorys were strong for education.

2008 E. M. Eisenberg First to cry down Injustice? iv. 118 Niebuhr..had become..a strong supporter of the ‘just war’ against fascism and Nazism.

(b) With on. Convinced of the importance of; emphatic, enthusiastic, or knowledgeable about; good at.

ΚΠ

1749 T. Smollett tr. A. R. Le Sage Gil Blas I. iii. iv. 211 He is equally strong on all subjects, from the most close and subtle logic down to the art of spelling.

1791 E. Burke Appeal New to Old Whigs 72 Sir Joseph Jekyl is so strong on this point, that he takes fire even at the insinuation of his being of such an opinion.

1840 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Dec. 778/1 Nash found himself so strong on the subject, that whenever any one entered the rooms in boots, he..would express his regret ‘that the gentleman had forgotten his horse’.

1883 M. E. Kennard Right Sort xxiv I doubt very much if Mary, who is so strong on the proprieties, will consider you and Mr. McGrath sufficient chaperones.

1921 C. M. Russell Rawhide Rawlins Stories 43 Those [cowpunchers] west of the Rockies..were generally strong on pretty, usin' plenty of hoss jewelry.

2008 A. Humez & N. Humez On Dot i. 8 The Romans were strong on divination, as were their Etruscan neighbors.

†f. Of a magnitude: great, unusual. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > largeness > [adjective] > exceptionally large of its kind

gurta1400

swappingc1440

swappit?a1513

strongc1540

thwacking1567

thumping1576

bouncing1579

swingeinga1592

whoppinga1625

rapping1657

spankinga1666

whisking1673

swagging1731

skelping?a1786

whacking1797

slapping1825

plumping1832

walloping1847

slashing1854

smacking1888

plonking1896

sollicking1946

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 27 The Stretis were streght & of a stronge brede.

10. Affecting the sense of taste or smell to a high degree.

a. Powerful in flavour or taste; distinctive and pungent; (now English regional) having a foul taste.strong as mustard: see mustard n. 3b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > taste and flavour > [adjective] > strong-tasting

strongeOE

stithc1000

violenta1398

tartc1405

froughc1420

high?c1430

lecherous1474

strong1588

brusque1601

valiant1607

pertish1635

haut-goût1645

full-flavoured1736

lively1770

gamey1820

ory1854

zestful?1855

robust1873

tangy1875

stewy1895

eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. xxix. 523 Þæt is forhwy se gooda læce selle þam halum men seftne drenc and swetne, and oðrum ha[lum] biterne and strangne [L. amara].

OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) xcii. 134 Genim þysse wyrte wos..mid strangon [?a1200 Harl. 6258B strange; L. austero] wine gemengced.

?a1425 (?1373) Lelamour Herbal (1938) f. 66^v (MED) Radich is an erbe that haþ a grete rote wonder strong in etynge.

a1500 (?a1425) tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 80 (MED) Þe redder wyn and thickere mor heuys þe blood; But whenne it ys stalworth and of a strong tast, þanne ys hit sayd þe firste blood.

1599 A. M. tr. O. Gaebelkhover Bk. Physicke 20/2 Nether vse any strong cibaryes, as Onions, Leecks, Spelte, or anye other Spices.

a1627 T. Middleton & W. Rowley Old Law (1656) ii. 19 Tis like a cheese too strong of the Runnet.

1644 K. Digby Two Treat. i. xvii. 149 They thought that paines well recompenced, by finding it in the tast to grow stronger and stronger.

1659 J. Howell Prov. Eng. Toung 18/2 in Παροιμιογραϕια As strong as Mustard.

1719 G. London & H. Wise J. de la Quintinie's Compl. Gard'ner (ed. 7) iv. 66 Its Pulp is very buttery,..and Taste agreeable; the only fault is, that 'tis a little strong towards the Core.

a1740 B. Lens New & Compleat Drawing-bk. (1751) 32 Boil it till it taste strong on the Tongue.

1804 ‘Ignotus’ Culina 150 Strong sauces that overpower the natural flavour of the fish.

1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxxi. 334 The cheese went a great way, for it was very strong.

1893 R. Lydekker Horns & Hoofs 116 The flesh of other buck ibex is so strong as to be quite uneatable.

1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert vii. 65 Commercial travellers..smoking the strongest of black cigars.

a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. xiii. 284 Even black ants..are relished by some who like strong flavours.

1974 W. Leeds Herefordshire Speech 97 Strong, having an offensive taste or smell; to be on the verge of going bad.

2013 G. Cooper Be your own Nutritionist iv. 89 The chilli and pepper that characterise strong curries..are too strong for our purposes.

b. Intense on the nose; having a powerful, and often unpleasant, smell.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > smell and odour > [adjective]

strongOE

savouringc1384

breatheda1398

flairinga1400

smellinga1400

odorifere?a1425

odorous?a1425

smellablec1449

odoranta1465

odoriferousc1487

odiferousa1500

odoureda1500

odiferant1509

redolent?a1513

reflairing1523

odoriferantc1550

scenting1577

odorable1589

breathful1593

fat1598

olent1607

smelled1617

odorific1685

tainted1704

odourful1889

osmic1912

OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) clxxvii. 222 Þa [sc. leaves] syndon stranges swæces [L. grave olentibus].

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 83 Of uuele þinges stenh..oðer strong breað iþe nase.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. xi. 909 Garleek hatte alleum... Þe smel þerof is strong.

a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) 6692 Þe fire þat bryn þam sal, Sal gyfe a stang [read strang] stynk with-alle.

a1505 R. Henryson Sum Pract. Med. 48 in Poems (1981) 181 With reid nettill seid in strang wesche to steip.

a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 199 That fulle dismemberit hes my meter And poysonid it with strang salpeter.

1567 Confessioun in R. Pitcairn Criminal Trials Scotl. (1833) I. ii. 500 The langer deirt is hydden, it is the stronger.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Coriolanus (1623) i. i. 58 They say poore Suters haue strong breaths.

1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §835 For those kinde of Smells, that we haue mentioned, are all Strong, and doe Pull and Vellicate the Sense.

1664 S. Butler Hudibras: Second Pt. ii. i. 54 Which makes him have so strong a breath, Each night he stinks a Queen to death.

1728 A. Pope Dunciad ii. 85 [He] from th' effluvia [of ordure] strong Imbibes new life.

?1770 Tom Gay's Comical Jester 12 An arch Fellow..takes up the Hat, and crops the Flower, leaving in the Room of it a Rose of a stronger Savour.

1839 H. Rogers in Edinb. Rev. 70 239 It is possible for perfumes to be as stiflingly strong as ill odours.

1882 E. A. Floyer Unexplored Baluchistan 151 Bushire..contains more filth and strong smells in proportion to its size than any other town.

1927 W. Cather Death comes for Archbishop iv. ii.129 He detected at once a fetid odour, not very strong but highly disagreeable.

1957 ‘Miss Read’ Village Diary 240 A strong smell of paraffin, mixed with the smoke from shag tobacco.

1991 O. Clarke Webster's Wine Guide 1992 13/1 Appley wines with a strong whiff of aniseed.

11. Having an intrinsic property or constituent to a high degree.

a. Of a drink: containing a (relatively) high proportion of spirit or alcohol. See also strong beer n. at Compounds 3, strong drink n., strong water n. 2, tears of strong wine at tear n.¹ 5.With regard to effects, typically coinciding with sense 7a; cf. also later more general sense 11b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > types or qualities of intoxicating liquor > [adjective] > strong

strongeOE

stalec1300

mainc1400

nappyc1460

starkc1485

nase?1536

huff-cap1599

nippitatum1600

intoxicating1604

inebriating1610

distempering1613–18

inebriative1615

toxing1635

hogen mogen1653

napping1654

humming1675

hard1700

inebriousa1704

ebrietating1711

bead-proof1753

steeve1801

high-proof1810

pithy1812

stiff1813

inebriant1828

reverent1837

a little more north1864

ebriating1872

rorty1950

eOE Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) iii. xii. 314 Ofgeot mid strangan beore oþþe mid strangum ealað.

lOE Ælfric Old Test. Summary: Judith (Corpus Cambr.) in B. Assmann Angelsächsische Homilien u. Heiligenleben (1889) 111 Þa wearð Holofernis wundorlice bliðe ealne þone dæg and fordræncte hine sylfne mid þam strangum wine ofer his gewunan.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 51 Ich habbe y-by nyeȝ dyad to niȝt. to strang wes þet wyn teue.

a1450 (?c1421) J. Lydgate Siege Thebes (Arun.) (1911) 110 Strong notty ale wol mak ȝou route.

1531 W. Tyndale Answere Mores Dialoge f. iij^v Ale and bere of y^e strongest.

1571 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Psalmes of Dauid with Comm. (lxxv. 9) Stronge wyne fuminge quickly and strongly into the brayne.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iii. v. 104 And then to be stopt in like a strong distillation with stinking Cloathes.

a1665 K. Digby Closet Opened (1669) 126 To twenty Gallons of the Strong-wort, he puts eight or ten pound..of honey.

1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 553 O madness, to think use of strongest wines And strongest drinks our chief support of health.

1763 I. Bickerstaff Love in Village iii. ix. 73 I tipsey brother!—I—that never touch a drop of any thing strong from year's end to year's end.

1780 Mirror No. 73 The swallowing of much strong liquor produces a temporary madness.

1803 W. Hunter Trav. through France, Turkey, & Hungary, to Vienna 1792 II. 374 Slibowitz..is a strong spirit, distilled from a small plum.

1843 J. Pereira Treat. Food & Diet 422 Wines which contain a comparatively small quantity of it [sc. alcohol] are denominated light wines;..while those which are rich in it are termed strong or generous wines.

a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) II. 1446 The liquor is fermented to make a strong spirit known as mescal.

1989 Japan Times 19 May 13/3 If your taste is for stronger stuff, ask for straight plum brandy.

2012 Church Times 27 Apr. 3/3 It is double-fermented to create a strong ale of seven-per-cent alcohol by volume.

b. Of an infusion, solution, etc.: having a high proportion of the solid ingredient or of the flavouring element; having little dilution, concentrated.Cf. earlier specific sense 11a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > chemistry > physical chemistry > solutions > [adjective] > concentration

stronga1325

concentrated1689

concentrate1758

concentric1772

a1325 Diuersa Cibaria in C. B. Hieatt & S. Butler Curye on Inglysch (1985) 56 (MED) Soþþen nim wyn & sucre & make me an stronge soupe.

c1560 J. Lacy Wyl Bucke his Test. (Copland) sig. B.i Caste him in a fayre pot, and caste therto faire stronge brothe.

1660 R. Boyle New Exper. Physico-mechanicall 189 As strong a solution of Salt of Tartar in fair Water as could be made.

1716 Lady M. W. Montagu Basset-table in Court Poems 9 The Tea's too strong.

1721 A. Ramsay Prospect of Plenty 161 They'll..stow them [sc. herrings] wi' strang brine.

a1777 in Jrnl. Friends' Hist. Soc. (1904) Oct. 187 To these 2 Quarts of strong Jelly you may put a Pinte of Rhenish.

1866 C. Reade Griffith Gaunt II. xii. 195 Make him soup as strong as strong.

1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VII. 583 Antral and attic cavities washed out with strong antiseptic solution.

1924 F. E. Lloyd Fluorescent Colors Plants 18 In strong glycerine or cane sugar the chloroplasts appear to suffer shrinkage.

1962 O. Manning Spoilt City iv. xxiv. 272 Go and make a good strong pot of tea for all of us.

2002 P. Thomas What works, what Doesn't x. 115 You can make a herbal bath..by making a strong infusion or decoction and adding this to your bath.

c. Chiefly Medieval History. Of coin: containing a high proportion of precious metal.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > [adjective] > containing much precious metal

strong1469

1469 in Archaeologia (1806) 15 168 Whanne the seid money be founde atte the assaye..to stronge or to feble all only in weght or all only in allaye.

1837 J. J. Sturz Rev., Financial, Statist. & Commerc. Empire Brazil 2 This difference in intrinsic value caused the superior coins to be called ‘strong money’; and those of the less intrinsic value were called ‘weak money’.

1967 Econ. Hist. Rev. 20 37 (footnote) Mintmasters assumed that the strong coins would compensate for the weak.

1988 P. Spufford Money & Use Medieval Europe (1989) xiii. 289 When a ruler returned to ‘strong’ money, he began to mint coins with a weight and fineness approximating to that before his debasements.

2014 J. Kaye Hist. Balance, 1250–1375 vii. 395 An ordonnance issued in December of that year [sc. 1360] noted the issue of a new ‘strong’ coin, the ‘franc’, at 96 percent silver and only 4 percent alloy.

d. Of a semi-liquid substance: thick, stiff, viscid.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > constitution of matter > density or solidity > viscosity > [adjective]

thickc888

toughc1000

cleavingc1350

gluey1382

gluish1382

gleiming1387

gummya1398

clammy1398

gleimy1398

viscosec1400

viscousc1400

emplastic?a1425

plastery?c1425

stiffc1430

clamc1440

engleimous?c1475

rawky1509

rich1535

clammish1543

limy1552

strong1560

glutinous1576

cloggy1587

emplastical1590

viscuous1603

plasterish1610

slaba1616

bound1635

viscid1635

lentous1646

spiscious1655

melleous1656

salivarious1656

glutining1658

syrupical1659

glairy1662

gummous1669

gummose1678

mellaginous1681

melligineous1684

pargety1684

sticky1688

sizy1691

dauby1697

syrupy1707

treacly?1734

glaireous1755

flabbyc1780

spissid1782

stodgy1823

waxy1835

teery1848

treacle-like1871

viscoid1877

slauming1904

gooey1906

gloopy1929

gunky1937

gungy1962

yucky1975

1560 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli 2nd Pt. Secretes Alexis of Piemont 114 It [sc. the second paste] is soner sodden, bicause it is softer..than the firste, whiche is muche stronger.

1608 H. Plat Floraes Paradise Beautified 29 Make gum water as strong as for Inke.

1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 314 If it be small Letter.., the Inck must be Strong..: But if it be great Letter.., he makes Soft Inck serve.

1762 Philos. Trans. 1761 (Royal Soc.) 52 150 I had it varnished over several times with strong varnish, or japan.

1839 A. Ure Dict. Arts 1266 [Article Varnish.] Keep it boiling until it feels strong and stringy between the fingers.

1880 Arthur's Home Mag. May 316/2 To preserve bright grates or fire-irons from rust, make a strong paste of fresh lime and water, [etc.].

1922 Bakers' Helper 15 May 993/1 Add 2½ pounds granulated sugar, stir it well into mixture, boil to a strong thread.

1996 K. McCloud Compl. Bk. Paint & Decorative Techniques ii. 94/1 Add a little water to the gesso pot throughout the day;..if strong gesso is laid over weak gesso, it will crack off and fail.

e. With of. Impregnated or flavoured with to a high degree; containing a large amount of. Also figurative.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > taste and flavour > [adjective] > strong-tasting

strongeOE

stithc1000

violenta1398

tartc1405

froughc1420

high?c1430

lecherous1474

strong1588

brusque1601

valiant1607

pertish1635

haut-goût1645

full-flavoured1736

lively1770

gamey1820

ory1854

zestful?1855

robust1873

tangy1875

stewy1895

the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > condition or state of being mixed or blended > [adjective] > mixed with something > impregnated > greatly

strong1588

1588 Good Hous-wiues Treasurie sig. Biij If you will haue it strong of the spice:..put into euery pinte so much spice and Suger as is written.

1617 F. Moryson Itinerary i. 26 These waters are so strong of brimstone, as the very smoake warmeth them that come neere.

a1665 K. Digby Closet Opened (1669) 162 Put as much Smallage as you buy for a peny, which maketh it strong of the Herb, and very green.

1709 T. Robinson Ess. Nat. Hist. Westmorland & Cumberland vii. 44 Upon the inside of this Fell, breaks out a Chalybiate Water, very strong of the Mineral.

1745 E. Young Complaint: Night the Eighth 15 Men, who think nought so strong of the Romance, So rank Knight-errant, as a Real Friend.

1769 E. Raffald Experienced Eng. House-keeper viii. 212 Pare, and core some green Pippins, and boil them 'till the water is strong of the Apple.

1846 C. Dickens Pictures from Italy 49 German sausages, strong of garlick.

1861 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. Sc. Life 2nd Ser. 124 ‘Oh, vera good, mem; it's just some strong o' the apple’ (a common country expression for beer which is rather tart or sharp).

1901 ‘A. Hope’ Tristram of Blent xxvi. 356 This situation was deliciously strong of the Tristrams.

1913 K. De Witt Private Duty Nursing (1917) ii. 22 I saw a whole tablefull..at a hospital refuse potato salad which was strong of onion.

2004 A. DesBrisay Capital Dining 110 Prosciutto rolled around bocconcini cheese and figs, warmed in an Alfredo sauce strong of garlic.

f. Mining. Of a vein: thick, massive. Of a vein, mine, or its deposits: likely to be very productive; prolific.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > minerals > mineral deposits > [adjective] > thick vein or coal seam

strong1684

three-quarter1708

the world > the earth > minerals > types of mineral > hydrocarbon minerals > [adjective] > coal > hard

strong1684

1684 T. Byfield Artific. Spaw iii. 22 The best Vitriol is most naturally brought forth in those Mines where Nature hath begot that Esurine Salt, corroding a strong Vein of Copper.

1789 J. Pilkington View Derbyshire I. iii. 53 I am informed, that no ore has been got in it, excepting in a strong vein..which crosses the High-Tor at Matlock.

1839 R. I. Murchison Silurian Syst. i. xiv. 177 In the same tract are strong courses of very pure concretionary limestone.

1877 R. W. Raymond Statistics Mines & Mining 159 The vein is very strong, and carries a very large proportion of quartz.

1922 Mining & Sci. Press 18 Mar. 382/1 This property is situated on the El Trigo ranch and is traversed by a strong vein of gold and silver.

1981 E. G. Holland Coniston Copper Mines v. 109 It may be easily followed, as a strong quartz vein, westwards along the rugged mountainside.

2010 P. L. Jones Pursuit & Capture of Hidden Treasure 110 The metal values in that part of the vein were not quite strong enough.

g. Of flour: containing a high proportion of gluten.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > flour > [adjective] > qualities of

wholemeal1795

strong1819

ergoted1841

self-rising1853

straight1859

whole-grain1870

weak1889

1819 Monthly Mag. Jan. 514/2 Strong and weak, used of the different kinds of flour, mean those which have more or less of the farina of wheat; grinded bran, and its needful (though infamous) concomitants, constituting weakness.

1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm II. 349 When wheat is translucent..it is best suited to the common baker, as affording what is called strong flour; that is, flour that rises boldly with yeast into a spongy dough.

1905 Westm. Gaz. 16 Sept. 7/1 But the bakers want a ‘strong’ flour—one that holds more water and makes more bread.

1981 Bon Appétit June 106/1 Unlike stronger hard wheat flours, soft wheats produce minimal gluten.

2008 BBC Good Food Sept. 44/3 To make your own dough, stir together 350g strong flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp fast-action yeast before adding your liquid.

h. Metallurgy. Of moulding sand: having the desirable properties of such a sand in abundance; strongly cohesive. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > sand > [adjective] > types of sand

strong1841

Leighton Buzzard1916

1841 Sat. Mag. 27 Nov. 206/2 The work is commenced at the bottom, by covering with strong sand such part as is intended to form one block of the shell.

1843 C. Holtzapffel Turning & Mech. Manip. I. 332 A small portion of the strong facing-sand is rubbed through a fine sieve.

1888 Lockwood's Dict. Mech. Engin. Strong Sand, tenacious foundry sand, containing a large proportion of loam and horse dung.

1900 U.S. Patent 656,021 1/2 Where strong sand is used the edge of the opening may be an inch or more from the pattern all around.

2007 R. J. Rajput Textbk. Manuf. Technol. ii. 59 Sands may be blended together. An open sand is added to a strong sand to make the resultant mixture more refractory or to increase its permeability.

i. Metallurgy. Of iron: casting well; of good quality. Now rare (chiefly historical).

ΚΠ

1850 F. Overman Manuf. Iron v. 388 It is unprofitable to weld weak iron to strong iron. It is a generally known fact that we can unite iron of the same texture, whether weak or strong, with the smallest possible loss.

1862 Soc. Engineers 1861 75 You have what is technically called strong iron. This iron is more or less siliceous, and casts solid with a convex face when cast in sand or ashes.

1888 Lockwood's Dict. Mech. Engin. Strong Iron, applied usually to mixtures of iron of various brands, together with scrap iron,..by which a definite grade of strength or toughness is obtained.

1911 Iron Trade Rev. 1 June 1056/1 The main feature of what is called strong iron is the low content of sulphur.

2001 R. B. Gordon Amer. Iron, 1607–1900 ix. 203 Because they did not discover that strong iron was usually brittle, they had little success finding the causes of failure of iron in boilers.

12.

a. Of people individually: eminently able or qualified to succeed in something; well skilled or versed in some particular branch of knowledge or practice.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [adjective] > expert, proficient, or versed > in an art, pursuit, or subject

strongOE

knowingc1436

experimented1477

well seen1528

well-studied1530

well-read1574

well beseen1576

curious1577

technical1617

OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 116 He wæs..strang foreþingere.

c1330 King of Tars (Auch.) 641 in Englische Studien (1889) 11 49 Þou hast assayed goddes þyn, Wolte þat ich asaye myn, Wheþer be better leche? And leoue sire, trouwe on þis, And leef on hym þat strengor is.

1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III i. iv. 147 I am strong in fraud, he cannot preuaile with me.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) v. i. 272 His Mother was a Witch, and one so strong That could controle the Moone; make flowes, and ebs [etc.] .

1693 J. Dryden Disc. conc. Satire in J. Dryden et al. tr. Juvenal Satires p. ii Yet I was stronger in Prophecy than I was in Criticism.

1694 W. Penn Brief Acct. Rise Quakers i. 24 They were very Diligent, Plain and Serious; strong in Scripture, and bold in Profession.

1766 T. Warton Let. 29 Nov. (1995) ii. 205 I think the Piece is one of Ashmole's chemical manuscripts. He was strong in the Rosicrusian System.

1817 P. B. Shelley Laon & Cythna xi. xxiv. 249 Genius is made strong to rear The monuments of man beneath the dome Of a new Heaven.

1833 Q. Rev. July 399 Conolly [sc. a jockey]..has a bad Irish seat, but he is very strong upon his horse.

1852 W. M. Thackeray Henry Esmond III. xi. 273 I am not very strong in spelling.

1885 Manch. Examiner 26 Aug. 3/2 We think Mr. Gough is much stronger as a raconteur than as a logician.

1889 W. H. Pollock et al. Fencing (Badminton Libr. of Sports & Pastimes) 105 A short man..should be strong in the parry and riposte.

1905 Athenæum 30 Sept. 417/3 (advt.) Wanted, Assistant Master [in a School of Art], strong in Design.

1971 P. Goodman Speaking & Lang. ii. viii. 153 Every strong writer molds a language that works primarily for himself.

2008 S. A. Montrul Incomplete Acquisition in Bilingualism v. 154 The older adolescents and young adults were stronger in English than in Spanish.

†b. to make oneself strong [Compare Middle French se faire fort (1356)] : (a) to undertake to do something; (b) to affirm that. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > statement > assertion or affirmation > [verb (transitive)]

vowc1330

anferme1340

affirma1382

willa1382

threapc1386

avow1393

to make oneself strongc1425

maintain?c1430

protest1440

traverse1491

assure1509

ferma1525

verc1540

profess1542

enforce1579

justify1579

aver1582

to take on1583

asserta1604

will1614

assevera1618

positive1656

autume1661

declare1709

obtesta1722

predicate1782

asseveratea1847

c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) ii. l. 2865 I holde foly lengere to abyde, But þat Parys..make him strong..for to venge our wrong.

1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 162 I wil make me strong so to do if it be youre plaisir.

c1500 Melusine (1895) 296 And also other sayen, & make them strong that she is a spyryte of the fayry.

c. Of a team, crew, etc.: having eminently capable or well-qualified members; formidable by virtue of the group.

ΚΠ

1773 H. Proctor Sportsman's Sure Guide 52 (table) The Odds against each Side winning Two Battles running... The Strong Side..The Weak Side.

1857 T. Hughes Tom Brown's School Days (ed. 3) ii. vii. 370 He could never play on the strongest side with any heart at foot-ball or cricket.

1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. xiii. 259 [Rowing races] Brazen-nose isn't so strong as usual. We sha'n't have much trouble there.

1907 Scroll of Phi Delta Theta June 576 A strong squad has been going through some hard spring training.

1945 Billboard 6 Oct. 57/1 Supporting the bands, a strong line-up of acts helped sell Carroll's Club Fiesta to fair patrons.

1972 Ebony Apr. 114 It was a total team effort with dazzling guards.., sharp-shooting forwards..and a strong reserve bench.

2007 V. J. Kennedy Hypomanic vi. 178 Eric had added a little extra incentive on his Typolinguistics 3 module. He offered £50 to the winning team. I joined up with Nath, Rory, Alan and Jahan. We were very strong and also had flair.

13. Of movement, activity, or something moving or active: having considerable force.

a. Of a current of air, water, or electricity, a wind, tide, stream, etc.: powerful, forceful.strong breeze: see Compounds 3. strong gale: see gale n.³ 1a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > current > [adjective] > strong

strongeOE

stiff streamed1632

racy1793

the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > wind > [adjective] > strong

strongeOE

stiffc1290

sternc1374

wrothc1400

vehement1483

strainable1497

freshc1515

stout1533

bloysterous?1570

ruffing1577

boisterous?1594

lofty1600

chafing1762

blustery1774

smacking1820

snoring1822

spanking1849

gale force1902

eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) lvii. 437 Swiðe lytle beoð ða dropan ðæs smalan renes, ac hi wyrceað ðeah swiðe micel flod & swiðe strongne stream.

OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Matt. xiv. 30 Uidens uero uentum ualidum : gesæh ec uel uutedlice wind strong.

a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 43 Hie swa stierde on ðe muchele wilde flode ðe ouerȝiede all middeneard, mang stronge windes and stormes.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. ii. 903 Þat tyme fruyt falliþ wiþ litil schakyng as wiþ a strong blast or a puf of wynd.

a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Exod. x. 19 The Lord..made a moost strong wynd to blowe fro the west.

c1440 (a1400) Awntyrs Arthure (Thornton) l. 55 By þe stremys so strange, þat swyftly swoghes.

1558 W. Bullein Govt. Healthe f. li^v The low shrubs..be euer in more sauegarde then the lusty highe florishyng trees.., whiche be subiect to euery strong wynde.

1594 T. Blundeville Exercises v. f. 270 Here is a very strong current of the sea, which runneth East & West, betwixt Madagascar and the Ile Romoros.

c1620 A. Hume Of Orthogr. Britan Tongue (1870) i. v. §4 Nether daer I, with al the oares of reason, row against so strang a tyde.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis v, in tr. Virgil Wks. 335 As when you stem'd the strong Malæan Flood.

1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. i. i. 5 The Wind was so strong, that we were driven directly upon it, and immediately split.

1757 T. Gray Ode I i. i, in Odes 5 Now the rich stream of music winds along Deep, majestic, smooth, and strong.

1800 Philos. Mag. 7 293 If the contact of the metals..only be sufficient to give a free passage to a moderately strong current of electricity, [etc.].

1815 W. Wordsworth Poems II. 147 The River was strong and the rocks were steep.

1841 C. Dickens Barnaby Rudge lviii. 271 A stone-floored room, where there was..a strong thorough draft of air.

1890 Freeborn County Standard (Albert Lea, Minnesota) 24 Sept. When venture-some rodents walk within a metallic cage, containing cheese, they are transfixed by a strong electric current.

1913 M. Roberts Salt of Sea x. 234 We ran on and on, faster and faster yet—for the tide was under her stronger and stronger, every minute.

1933 A. M. Lindbergh Let. 27 Nov. in Locked Rooms & Open Doors (1974) 158 There is a strong wind blowing—the trade wind.

1965 J. R. Dyer Applic. Absorption Spectroscopy Org. Compounds iv. 81 Aromatic nuclei contain large closed loops of π electrons in which strong diamagnetic currents are induced by the magnetic field.

2007 Dive Oct. 45/1 The Sound of Mull is an area of strong currents.

b. Of fire, heat, an internal process, etc.: intense, energetic, vigorously active.In quot. eOE with reference to heat as an internal state of the human body.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > [adjective] > of action: involving or requiring vigour > vigorous or intense in operation

strongeOE

smartc1300

steevec1300

keen1340

piercinga1400

perceantc1400

forta1513

incisive1528

vigorous1548

forcible1555

emphatical1581

searching1590

nervous1616

strenuous1632

arrowy1650

intent1650

urging1658

sinewous1663

emphatic1689

drastic1808

needling1839

shrewd1842

gimlet1894

the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > heat > burning > a fire > [adjective] > strong or brisk

sada1450

quick1604

rousing1654

strong1765

brisk1830

eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. xlvii. 260 Læcedomas þa þe þynnunge mægen hæbben & smalunge, þam lichoman þa ða hæto medmicle oþþe strange þrowian.

c1300 St. Christopher (Laud) 191 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 277 He let don þat oþur in strong fuyr.

a1475 Bk. Quinte Essence (1889) 13 (MED) Putte it to þe fier of flawme riȝt strong, and þe reed water schal ascende.

1576 T. Twyne Schoolemaster iii. sig. L Which of the twayne, those which haue a stronge heat or a weake, are able longest to abide hunger?

1609 W. Shakespeare Pericles ii. 46 A sparke, To which that sparke giues heate, and stronger Glowing.

1626 F. Bacon New Atlantis 37 in Sylua Syluarum A Weake Heate of the Stomach will turne them into good Chylus; As well as a Strong Heate would Meate otherwise prepared.

1666 R. Boyle Origine Formes & Qualities 172 If..you expose a Sphære or Bullet of Lead to a strong fire, it will [etc.].

1720 J. Quincy tr. S. Santorio Medicina Statica (ed. 2) 179 The Attractive Powers of its component Parts..are sometimes so great as to raise a strong Fermentation.

1765 Museum Rusticum 4 405 Red Colour for the use of Enamel Painters, which will bear repeated and sufficiently strong fires without change.

1826 D. Booth Art of Brewing (ed. 2) 60 By attenuating lower in summer, the beer does become..disposed to fretting and staleness—the result of too strong a fermentation.

1857 W. A. Miller Elements Chem. III. 144 By a stronger heat they are decomposed.

1874 W. Gregor Echo Olden Time N. Scotl. 111 If it [sc. the wort] fermented strongly, or, as it was expressed, if it was strong on the barm.

1903 J. T. Bealby tr. S. Hedin Central Asia & Tibet I. x. 181 The flames were strong and high.

1981 A. Perry Resurrection Row ix. 210 A remarkably comfortable room..with a strong fire burning in the grate.

2001 Your Garden Jan. 104/2 Avoid overwatering house plants and keep them away from draughts and strong heat.

c. Of the pulse: easily palpable, full; (also) difficult to compress (= hard adj. 6). Of breathing or respiration: characterized by effective movement of air; spec. produced by the action of the intercostal muscles in addition to that of the diaphragm.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > respiratory organs > breathing > [adjective] > intense

stronga1398

the world > life > the body > vascular system > circulation > pulsation > [adjective] > types of pulsation

slowa1398

stronga1398

throbbinga1450

systematical1658

long1671

natant1707

undose1707

vermiculose1707

exalted1742

salienta1791

inciduous1822

fluttering1834

sharp1843

sluggish1843

tricrotic1876

tricrotous1877

bounding1879

short1898

quadrigeminal1906

plateau1923

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. iii. xxiii. 124 Þis puls grete and strong [L. pulsus fortis & grossus] comeþ of þe strengþe of þe spirit.

1539 T. Elyot Castel of Helthe (new ed.) i. ii. f. 2v Pulse swyfte and stronge.

1571 T. Hill Contempl. Mankinde xxi. f. 89 The speech vttered verie quick: breathing strong, and thick togither.

1663 N. Culpeper & A. Cole tr. T. Bartholin Anat. (new ed.) ii. iii. 92/1 The former Respiration Galen terms gentle or small,..the other strong,..a third sublime, where the Diaphragma, intercostal or rib between muscles, and muscles of the Chest do act all together.

1730 Philos. Trans. 1729–30 (Royal Soc.) 36 188 I felt a small Palpitation, which presently increased to a stronger Pulse.

1785 W. Cowper Task iv. 348 While ev'ry breath, by respiration strong Forc'd downward, is consolidated soon Upon their jutting chests.

1827 J. Forbes tr. R. T. H. Laennec Treat. Dis. Chest (ed. 2) 115 The respiration was strong, and accompanied by a deep sonorous rattle.

1924 Lancet 1 Nov. 907/1 In most cases the heart continued to beat vigorously.., giving a strong radial pulse of 80–150 beats per minute.

1990 Jrnl. Voice 4 254/2 When strong respiration is required, the CT [= cricothyroid] muscle contracts strongly, primarily during inspiration.

2011 M. Holman Carpet of Sun 294 The doctor took his pulse. It was getting stronger.

d. Of effort, movement, pressure, etc.: forcible.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > [adjective] > characterized by unusual violence or force

ketea1290

worthyc1350

violenta1387

stronga1398

dreicha1400

forciblec1422

strainable1497

vehement1531

forceful1592

wieldy1592

virulent1607

forcive1634

ass-kicking1977

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. xi. ii. 570 Hit nediþ þat þere be ful strong schowvinge and puttynge, and þat a gret del of þe eir be iput and schuft longe tyme, ellis it is nat wynde.

1602 A. Munday tr. 3rd Pt. Palmerin of Eng. xlii. f. 206^v Such was the Fishes strong pressure vpon him, that..he swallowed him vp.

1672 H. Chamberlen tr. F. Mauriceau Dis. Women with Child 14 The membranes are broken by the strong impulsion of the waters, which incontinently flow away.

1722 B. Worster Compend. Acct. Princ. Nat. Philos. 44 If the Forces are unequal, the Body will move in the Direction of the strongest Force.

1739 C. Amyand in Philos. Trans. 1737–8 (Royal Soc.) 40 323 Nor was his Jaundice owing to..the strong Compression and total Obstruction of..almost all the Biliary Ducts.

1827 M. Faraday Chem. Manip. xix. 521 It is better to make it [sc. the pressure] rather stronger when the glass is returned, than when drawn towards the body.

1852 ‘E. Wetherell’ Queechy I. xx. 296 She added no more but a sympathetic strong squeeze of the hand she held.

1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VIII. 19 An architect..putting in the details of a design by means of strong pressure with a hard pencil.

1902 Sci. & Industry Nov. 584/1 The row of fibers at the very top of the beam are under the strongest compression.

1959 T. Kroeber Inland Whale 95 Laksis launched the canoe with a strong push.

2014 S. B. O'Sullivan & L. G. Portney in S. B. O'Sullivan et al. Physical Rehabilit. (ed. 6) i. v. 194/1 The patient is asked to increase levels of contraction progressively to a strong effort.

e. Of a rate of movement: maintained with vigour; consistently powerful; that does not slow or flag.

ΚΠ

1684 in A. Behn Poems Several Occasions sig. (b)3 That slow but strong Majestick pace Shews her the swiftest steed of all the chosen Race.

1766 tr. Count von Scherwin in H. Lloyd Hist. Late War Germany I. 45 They advanced with a strong pace against us.

1846 R. W. Emerson in Diadem 95 Sometimes their strong speed they slacken.

1876 Accts. & Papers (House of Commons) XXVI. 492/2 The flood tide..runs over the banks and through the cuts at a very strong rate, as much as 2 and 21/2 knots.

1922 Harper's Mag. Feb. 287/2 He..started off at a strong pace across the square.

2008 G. Rowlerson Moroccan Success 301 The speed was strong throughout with a 2:40.83 first km, followed by a 2:43.66 second km.

14.

a. Of a fortress, town, country, or military position: difficult to capture or invade; well able to withstand assault; having powerful artificial or natural defences. Also figurative and in figurative contexts. Cf. stronghold n., stronghouse n., strong point n. 1.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > defence > defensive work(s) > [adjective]

stithc1000

strongOE

fastenedOE

warneda1300

strengtheda1382

unpregnable1387

embattledc1400

enbanedc1400

warrayable14..

impregnable1430

inexpugnable1490

strengthy1513

bulwarkeda1533

unexpugnable1533

fortified1538

well-fortified1538

unwinnablec1540

forced1548

forted1566

unbatterable1576

fencible?1579

unforcible1611

impregnate1632

untakable1652

of (good) force1697

casemated1740

well-girt1756

embattled1765

strongish1821

unbreachable1866

society > armed hostility > defence > [adjective] > defended > having strong natural defences

strongOE

strengthy1513

OE Paris Psalter (1932) lx. 2 Þu..wære me se stranga tor stið wið feondum.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3186 Þer he gon bulde castel swiðe strongne [c1300 Otho stronge].

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 251 Þe stronge casteles þet byeþ þe herten of guode men.

?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 172 The kyng of Abcaz hath the more strong contree. And he allweys vigerously defendeth his contree.

c1425 Myrour to Lewde Men & Wymmen (Harl.) (1981) 100 (MED) Seint Poule bad his disciples þat þei schulde be sadly grounded as a strong tour.

Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 188 Garsone, stronge place, municipium.

a1500 (?c1450) Merlin xxii. 380 But litill thei founde in the contrey to take to, ffor all was turned from theire power into stronke fortresses.

a1500 Prayer (Titus C.xix) in Middle Eng. Dict. at Sheld Dere lady, be to me than a strong toure for my refute, and my schelde to kepe me.

1523 T. Wolsey in State Papers Henry VIII (1849) VI. 202 Bray was not, ne coude be, made in shorte space strong or tenyble.

1592 J. Stow Annales anno 1399 509 The king was in Wales, which was a Countrey strong by reason of the Mountaines.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost xi. 655 Others to a Citie strong Lay Siege.

1673 W. Temple Observ. United Provinces i. 44 This Countrey was strong by its nature and seat among the Waters that encompass and divide it.

1711 J. Swift Conduct of Allies 72 France was to deliver up several of their strongest Towns in a Month.

1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho IV. iii. 28 The situation of Udolpho rendered it too strong to be taken by open force.

1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward I. Introd. p. lii A subject which was strong ground to the Marquis.

1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. III. i. i. 15 Longwi, our first strong-place on the borders, is fallen.

1843 Ld. Brougham Polit. Philos. II. vii. 65 The hilly or strong country extended in those parts to no great distance from the towns.

1892 F. P. Verney et al. Mem. Verney Family Civil War I. 113 The king's position on the high ground was extremely strong.

1927 Princeton Alumni Weekly 14 Jan. 442/1 Sam Lloyd proved..the strong tower of defense to all who stood in need..of his compassionate kindness.

1968 B. O. Hehir Harmony from Discords iii. 58 Farnham Castle was not a strong fortress.

2009 S. Willis Fighting Temeraire iii. 77 Albemarle opted..for a traditional siege of El Morro, the strongest part of the defences.

b. Of a place of confinement, receptacle for valuables, etc.: difficult to escape from or break into. See also strongbox n., strongroom n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > closed or shut condition > [adjective] > closed or shut > securely

fastOE

strong?a1300

well-closed?a1425

thick-barred1753

society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restraint depriving of liberty > confinement > [adjective] > of or relating to place of confinement > difficult to escape from

strong?a1300

straitc1460

?a1300 Thrush & Nightingale (Digby) 128 in C. Brown Eng. Lyrics 13th Cent. (1932) 105 Hy shulen don þe in prisoun stronge.

c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) 431 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 119 And he him sente word a-ȝen þat he scholde..don him in strongue warde.

1437 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Jan. 1437 §15. m. 6 Putte hir in a stronge chaumbre.

a1513 W. Dunbar Flyting in Poems (1998) I. 205 Ane thowsand kiddis, wer thay in faldis full strang.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. vii. sig. S5^v Huge great yron chests and coffers strong, All bard with double bends.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 434 Our prison strong .

1720 J. Middleton For Good of Publick. A True Method, shewing how to purchase Estate 12 That a strong Chest be provided to keep the Company's Cash.

1795 W. Jackson New Newgate Cal. VI. 132 There was a strong cellar with a double door, and the window fortified with iron bars.

1819 P. B. Shelley Cenci i. i. 7 I rarely kill the body which preserves, Like a strong prison, the soul within my power.

1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxxii. 351 They could hear the shouts of the populace, who were witnessing the removal of the reverend Mr. Stiggins to strong lodgings for the night.

1915 Weekly Commerc. News 2 Jan. 3/2 Salvors have been working on the vessel and have recovered $140,000 in silver bullion that was in the strong chest.

1937 C. Roth Spanish Inquisition x. 225 He was taken back to prison and lodged in a specially strong cell.

2005 C. R. Lounsbury Courthouses Early Virginia v. 216 Norfolk City Council members voted to build a stronger prison in 1753.

15.

a. Of material things: capable of supporting strain or withstanding force, whether by cohesion of substance or by thickness; not easily broken, torn, damaged, or forced out of shape; well able to withstand rough work or treatment.

(a) Literally.bull-strong: see the first element. strong as iron: see iron n.¹ Phrases 2.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > constitution of matter > strength > [adjective]

hardeOE

strongOE

stithOE

starkc1275

sturdyc1374

brazena1382

mighty?1448

boisterous?1571

oaky1631

stout1765

pang1813

OE Riddle 40 78 Flinte ic eom heardre þe þis fyr drifeþ of þissum strongan style heardan.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 6199 Heo bi-gunnen feorlic. ane swiðe deope dich &..ænne strongne stanene wal.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) v. 6632 This proverbe is evere newe, That stronge lokes maken trewe Of hem that wolden stele and pyke.

a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 1726 He streight vp to his ere drough The stronge bowe.

c1480 (a1400) St. Matthias 278 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 230 [He] went furtht & hyme-self can hynge with a cord bath styth & strange.

1562 N. Winȝet Last Blast Trompet (verso title page) It war w^t certane strang chenis of Irne, that thay wyll not yit descend in thaim selfis to humilitie & pennance.

1590 Cobler of Caunterburie 3 His lims well set withall, Of a strong bone.

1590 J. Smythe Certain Disc. Weapons 3 b Strong short arming Swords.

1609 W. Shakespeare Sonnets lxv. sig. E2^v When rocks impregnable are not so stoute, Nor gates of steele so strong but time decayes.

1623 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Henry VIII v. iii. 7 Fetch me a dozen Crab-tree staues, and strong ones.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis ii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 254 Himself..with his Axe repeated Stroaks bestows On the strong Doors.

1728 A. Pope Dunciad i. 120 There Caxton slept, with Wynkin at his side, One clasp'd in wood, and one in strong cow-hide.

1765 Museum Rusticum 4 330 An elliptic is not equally strong as a semicircular arch.

1829 T. Castle Introd. Systematical & Physiol. Bot. 184 Plants..whose fruit is covered with a strong rind or hard woody shell.

1834 H. McMurtrie tr. G. Cuvier Animal Kingdom (abridged ed.) 57 Their hands are widened, armed with strong nails fitted to excavate the earth.

1886 J. Barrowman Gloss. Sc. Mining Terms 65 Strong, hard; not easily broken, e.g., strong coal.

1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 497 Sheets of strong blotting paper.

1941 E. J. Russell Eng. Farming 37 A plough consisting of a steel cylinder with a pointed end carried on a strong steel framework.

1996 A. Outwater Water 44 The Sitka spruce, pound for pound, is the strongest wood in the world.

2008 Esquire Feb. 130/1 Beta-titanium—an alloy that is both flexible and strong.

(b) figurative and in figurative contexts.

ΚΠ

OE Cynewulf Juliana 651 Weal sceal þy trumra strong wiþstondan storma scurum, leahtra gehygdum.

OE Riddle 47 5 Se wyrm forswealg wera gied sumes..þrymfæstne cwide ond þæs strangan staþol.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 168 Þet is a uirtue þet makeþ þe herte..ase a tour yzet ope ane stronge roche.

a1425 Rule St. Benet (Lansd.) (1902) 1 Þe ryght strang & doghty armur of obedience.

a1450 (c1435) J. Lydgate Life SS. Edmund & Fremund (Harl.) l. 1015 in C. Horstmann Altengl. Legenden (1881) 2nd Ser. 395 (MED) To holichirche he was so strong a wal.

1533 T. More 2nd Pt. Confut. Tyndals Answere vii. p. cclxxxv To thentent that his catholique chyrch may be to euery man..a stronge pyller of trouth.

1598 B. Yong tr. J. de Montemayor Diana 61 But this mischieuous absence doth violate and dissolue those things, which men thinke to be most strong and firme.

a1616 W. Shakespeare King Lear (1623) iv. v. 162 Place sinnes with Gold, and the strong Lance of Iustice, hurtlesse breakes.

a1680 T. Goodwin Wks. (1683) II. iv. 335 Our Hearts will need a most special strong fulchrum, support and susteiner.

1712 A. Pope To Young Lady in Misc. Poems 141 This binds in Ties more easie, yet more strong, The willing Heart.

a1754 H. Fielding Jrnl. Voy. Lisbon (1755) 204 A fisherman can break through the strongest meshes of an act of parliament.

1818 P. B. Shelley Julian & Maddalo 181 How strong the chains are which our spirit bind.

1821 W. Scott Kenilworth III. ii. 36 Doubting..whether Amy's hopes..rested on any thing stronger than a blinded attachment to Varney.

1882 L. S. Bevington Poems, Lyrics, & Sonnets i. 95 Strong noose of fate that holds all souls to life, despair, and sin.

1922 Methodist Rev. May 449 The greater part of Italian Catholics..did their duty toward their fatherland in peril, and felt themselves bound to it by strong chains of affection.

1967 F. J. Singer Epigrams at Large 17 The strongest shackles bind us to convention.

2012 B. Solis End Business as Usual xi. 131 Reciprocity is a strong pillar of community and relationships.

b. Of soil: firm or compact; (in later use also) able to sustain good plant growth, as through high nutrient content. Of land: consisting of such soil.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > earth or soil > soil qualities > [adjective] > firm

strongOE

tough1340–70

strongish1652

stout1764

OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) xxxvi. 82 Ðeos wyrt..bið cenned on fæstum landum & on strangum [L. locis solidis et fortibus].

1580 T. Tusser Fiue Hundred Pointes Good Husbandrie (new ed.) f. 21 It signifieth land, to be hartie and strong.

1591 G. Clayton Approoued Order Martiall Discipline i. 45 Aduertising..that the Pikemen..doe holde the great ende of their pikes fastned harde in stronge earth, to the ende the Pike may haue the greater force.

1602 E. Hayes in J. Brereton Briefe Relation Discouerie Virginia 16 The soile is exceeding strong, by reason it was neuer manured.

1693 J. Evelyn tr. J. de La Quintinie Compl. Gard'ner ii. vi. iv. 195 Grounds..that being colder and stronger or heavier, easily infect them [sc. lettuces] with slimy Snivel [= ‘a sort of rotting moisture, hanging about some plants’].

1721 J. Mortimer Whole Art Husbandry (ed. 5) I. 87 Peat-Marle or Delving-Marle, which is close, strong, and very fat.

1764 Museum Rusticum IV. 31 Seemingly-opposite soils, viz. one set, shallow, light, gravelly; and the other, deep, strong, and rich.

1792 J. Madison Let. 12 June in T. Jefferson Papers (1990) XXIV. 70 The wheat in weak land suffering; in the strong, not injured materially.

1837 W. Youatt Sheep xv. 498 Many a grazier has sustained considerable loss from having lambed his ewes thinly on strong land.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. iii. 314 The wheat, which was then cultivated only on the strongest clay.

1856 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. (new ed.) II. (Gloss.) 726/1 Strong land, in Devons., is not clayey, but rich.

1901 Agric. Gaz. New S. Wales Mar. 195 I certainly have seen barley grown upon a strong land, which gave a splendid yield.

1947 D. H. Robinson Leguminous Forage Plants (ed. 2) vii. 98 A mixture consisting of beans 1 bushel,..and Clemrotheray or Dun oats 2 bushels, has given heavy crops on strong land in the West Midlands.

1994 D. I. Stewart After Trees (1997) i. 7 Crops dominate on small farms with strong soils.

c. Of food: solid, hard to digest.See also strong meat n. at Compounds 3.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > qualities of food > [adjective] > indigestible

strong?a1425

indigestible1528

indigerable1599

undigestible1611

incocted1645

inconvertible1646

incoctible1684

dyspeptic1694

?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 76 Metez þat ar austere, i. felle, or stronge & viscose.

?1575 tr. H. Niclaes Epistolæ viii. i. 162 Many Stomacks are not accustomed vnto Bread, and for-that-cause growe soone offended, through the strong Foode of Bread.

1614 S. Latham Falconry ii. xii. 102 Abstaine from all kinde of hot meates, I meane such as bee hot and strong of disgestion.

1649 S. Rutherford Free Disputation 82 Babes who have not stomachs to beare stronger food.

1711 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 21 Apr. (1948) I. 248 I ate but little to-day, and of the gentlest meat. I refused ham and pigeons,..because they were too strong.

1836 A. Combe Physiol. Digestion (ed. 2) ii. iii. 276 Oppressing a weakened stomach by administering stronger food than it has the power of digesting.

1916 J. H. Tilden Food iii. 151 This is strong food and should not be eaten often—not even by those following an active life out in the open air.

2004 J. Grimsley Ordinary (2005) ii. 201 Fragrant smells drifted from more of those strong meats that were wreaking havoc with her digestion.

d. With reference to texture, opposed to fine.

(a) Of hair: thick in texture; coarse; stiff.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > hair > types of hair > [adjective] > coarse, bristling

cursed1565

strong1576

stubby1609

setose1661

setaceous1664

bristling1760

setous1822

wire hair1845

stubbly1849

abristle1891

toothbrushy1904

1576 T. Newton tr. L. Lemnie Touchstone of Complexions vii. 41 They that dwel in countryes temperate.., haue of hayre much stoare, stronge, somewhat blackishe, meanely thicke.

a1609 J. Dennys Secrets of Angling (1613) ii. xxii. sig. C6^v Marke what a line he hath,..Of Bucephall, or Bayards strongest hayre, Twisted with greene or watched silke among.

1696 T. Robinson New Observ. Nat. Hist. ii. iv. 120 Take a strong Horse-hair, and put it into the Water.

1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. ii. vi. 103 Through these Holes I wove the strongest Hairs I could pick out.

?1795 J. Mather Treat. on Nature & Preserv. of Hair 11 Dark hair is stronger, thicker, and grows to a greater length than other colours.

1813 J. C. Prichard Res. Physical Hist. Man vi. §6. 310 Their hair is strong, of a shining black.

1894 W. A. Jamieson Dis. Skin (ed. 4) xxix. 460 We see occasionally strong hairs round the margins of old ulcers.

1908 Arch. Roentgen Ray 12 46/1 Although the hair is strong over the rest of the head, there is yet a rather bald patch, where the hair is still very weak.

2008 P. Carey His Illegal Self iv. 24 His strong hair was now disguised, dyed black, cut like a hedge.

(b) Of wool: having a thick staple, coarse in fibre. Also: (of a breed of sheep) having such wool.

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > wool > [adjective] > coarse or containing coarse hairs

strong1600

kempy1805

stitchy-haired1839

1600 R. Surflet tr. C. Estienne & J. Liébault Maison Rustique i. 154 The Ramme..which hath..a thicke fleece, a broad forehead, and thicke set with haire, blacke eyes, and beset with strong Wooll.

1606 tr. D. Artemidorus Iudgem. of Dreames 58 In sommer a habit of linnen cloth and fine wooll, in winter a new garment, & of strong wool.

1786 G. Culley Observ. Live Stock 105 Why might not this variation happen in the Dorsetshire breed.., as well as the Lincolnshire have varied from their kind by attending to the growing of strong heavy wool?

1847 Farmer's Mag. July 147/2 Their [sc. Long-wooled Lincolns'] principal property was their long, strong wool, to protect them against the vicissitudes of the eastern winds.

1885 F. H. Bowman Struct. Wool Fibre 219 If..the fleece was of a superior quality,..it would make ‘fine’ matching..If, however, the fleece was a strong Lincoln or Gloucester, it would probably only be classed as ‘neat’ matching.

1900 A. Hawkesworth Austral. Sheep & Wool 65 The strong merinos of this colony [sc. Tasmania] are comparatively few.

1949 A. Fraser Sheep Husbandry iv. 210 In one type [of fleece] the wool is strong, coarse, heavy, almost trailing... Advocates of the ‘strong’ fleece claim that it is the ideal wind-proof and rain-proof protection to a sheep in the rigorous climate of the Highland mountains.

2012 P. Bates External Parasites Small Ruminants ix. 137/2 The maximum interval off-shear is 8 weeks for fine wool and 12 weeks for strong wool.

e. Difficult to dislodge or remove; tenacious. Chiefly in to take (also have) strong root: to become (or be) firmly anchored by means of roots; figurative to become (or be) firmly established; also to take (also have) (a) strong hold and similar uses.

ΚΠ

1577 Hill's Gardeners Labyrinth ii. vii. 71 Vntill they [sc. the plants] haue taken strong roote in the Earth.

?1609 J. Healey tr. Bp. J. Hall Discouery New World sig. A7 Your opinion and Senecaes presage are both ouer-throwne. Nay nay... This fit doubt of yours, giues mee the stronger foote-hold.

1676 W. Bates Considerations Existence of God v. 87 No violence can intirely choke this natural Principal, it has such deep and strong root in the Humane Spirit.

1715 R. South 12 Serm. IV. 517 Nothing has so strong and fast an Hold upon the Nature and Mind of Man, as that which delights it.

1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §239 (note) Every force exerted to drive the wad out..tends to make it take the stronger hold.

1821 W. Scott Kenilworth III. v. 68 His friend's unusual finery had taken a strong hold of his imagination.

1884 Cent. Mag. Jan. 394/1 Orleanist liberalism had a strong foot-hold there.

1929 Punch 10 Apr. 420 ‘Contract bridge’, which is superseding auction bridge on the Continent and in America, has taken a strong hold in Britain.

1940 J. A. Westrup Sharps & Flats 11 The charm of So-and-so's serenade or someone else's humoresque has no very strong hold on a formed taste.

1983 Times 30 July 13/1 Credit unions..have started to take strong root only since the passage of the Credit Unions Act 1979.

2010 Independent 17 Oct. 13/2 Sex has a strong hold on the young and can lead to obsession.

†f. Of deals, or wood in the form of deals: flexible (see quot. 1843). Obsolete.Not always clearly distinguishable from sense 15a.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > wood > wood in specific form > [adjective] > made of boards or planks > type of plank

strong1802

1802 W. Forsyth Treat. Fruit-trees xxv. 238 I would, therefore, recommend boxes made of strong deal.

1843 Civil Engineer & Architect's Jrnl. 6 406/1 When the saw has..reduced them to small dimensions, they warp and twist like a piece of whalebone. Deals of this character are termed by carpenters ‘strong’.

1921 Lumber Markets Spain & Portugal (U.S. Bureau Foreign & Domest. Commerce) 16 The weight of the tiles demands strong deals placed fairly close together.

g. Cryptography and Computing. Of encryption: particularly difficult to break; effectively impossible to break without the decryption key. Also: based on or involving such encryption.

ΚΠ

1973 Sci. Amer. May 21/2 Intuitive guides that he believed would lead to strong ciphers.

1981 IEEE Trans. Commun. 29 773/1 With any strong cryptographic algorithm..it is possible to devise protocols for authentication.

1998 Daily Tel. 17 Sept. (Connected section) 13 Restrictions on the export and use of strong cryptography.

2010 Nature 29 Apr. 1261/3 Do use strong passwords—or better, passphrases—that include both upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols.

16.

a. Of language, an expression, a word: emphatic, forceful, sometimes excessively so; not moderate; (also) full of significance. See also strong language at language n. 2a.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > vigour or force > [adjective] > strong or urgent

strongOE

round1591

OE Riddle 48 3 He hlude stefne ne cirmde, strongum wordum.

a1275 Body & Soul (Trin. Cambr. B.14.39) l. 97 in A. S. M. Clark Seint Maregrete & Body & Soul (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Michigan) (1972) 137 Muwe nouþer fitte [read flite] ne chide, ne hauen wordes stroge [read stronge].

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 2302 Heo seiden heom enne strongne ræd: ‘Nu ȝe beon alle dead.’

?a1300 (a1250) Harrowing of Hell (Digby) (1907) l. 133 Ich haue Iherd wordes stronge.

?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 3678 (MED) Fewe wordes he spak, bot strange þai ware, Of pees and mekenes trew.

c1500 Debate Carpenter's Tools in Rev. Eng. Stud. (1987) 38 459 Than bespake þe polyff With gret strong wordys and styffe.

1622 J. Mabbe tr. A. de Baros in tr. M. Alemán Rogue sig. A^v Whose merited and exemplary chastisemen[t] is expressed with Categoricall and strong tearmes.

1697 J. Dryden Ded. Æneis in tr. Virgil Wks. sig. a4 The work of Tragedy is on the Passions, and in Dialogue, both of them abhor strong Metaphors, in which the Epopee delights.

1773 J. Hawkesworth Acct. Voy. Southern Hemisphere II. i. iii. 44 Having tasted the liquor, they returned it, with strong expressions of disgust.

1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice II. i. 7 I must think your language too strong in speaking of both.

1836 W. Irving Astoria III. 245 He expressed his indignation in the strongest terms.

1846 W. M. Thackeray Notes Journey Cornhill to Cairo v. 72 The shabbiness of this place [sc. Greece] actually beats Ireland, and that is a strong word.

1884 E. Yates Recoll. & Experiences II. 330 Exercising my power, I struck out some strong expressions.

1900 Daily News 24 Sept. 2/4 Scandalous is a strong word, but weak people always use the strongest words.

1943 Times 29 July in ‘Times’ Fourth Leaders (1945) 72 ‘Our curate is naught; an ass-head, a dodipole; a lack-Latin’. The first two epithets are strong, but it is certain that the abuse rises to its climax with the third.

1971 I. Murdoch Accidental Man 11 I find him repulsive—no, that's too strong.

2003 N. Rush Mortals xxi. 283 Sha was a strong expression, meaning shame, and it was accompanied by a sharp wagging of the right hand.

b. Of a protest, recommendation, etc.: emphatic, strongly-worded, urgent, vehement.

ΚΠ

1653 Cloria & Narcissus 33 He brought with him the strong recommendation, of his mighty friend the King of Armenia.

1733 E. Budgell Bee No. 2. I. 71 The Prussian Minister made the strongest Instances in favour of these Officers, but to no Purpose.

1768 J. Boswell Acct. Corsica (ed. 2) ii. 94 The prince of Wirtemburg..sent an express to the emperour, with a very strong letter.

1830 Ld. Ellenborough Diary (1881) II. 372 Told Lord Cleveland I had transmitted his letter with a strong recommendation.

1846 H. H. Wilson Hist. Brit. India 1805–35 II. i. 15 Strong remonstrances were addressed to the Court of Khatmandu.

1912 Times 19 Oct. 8/2 Strong protests were made by several members against Mr. Harper's proposal.

1965 R. W. Logan Betrayal of Negro xi. 193 These objections could hardly have provoked..such strong abuse.

2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 26 Mar. c2/5 If the jury comes back deadlocked, he [sc. the judge] is likely to read a so-called Allen charge—a strong admonition of a jury's duty to try to reach a consensus—to break the impasse.

c. Mathematics and Logic. Of statements, laws, etc.: expressing more than others of its kind, as a result of being more generally applicable, conveying more information, etc. Cf. sense 8j.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > number > mathematics > [adjective] > of a concept

strong1823

weak1950

1823 B. H. Smart Pract. Logic 61 In order to enforce the truth, that a man ought to be forgiving towards his friends, we may adduce the stronger proposition that he ought to forgive even his enemies.

1906 Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 12 288 If p is restricted to be odd and m > 4, a stronger theorem is obtained.

1950 W. Feller Introd. Probability Theory I. viii. 156 We shall prove a much stronger statement.

1990 R. Morris Edges of Sci. iv. xi. 218 If the weak principle can be problematical, then the strong anthropic principle is even worse.

2010 S.-T. Yan & S. Nadis Shape Inner Space vii. 157 This was a stronger statement than the Dixon–Gepner one because it linked Calabi–Yau manifolds with different topologies.

17.

†a. gen. Requiring great effort, arduous, difficult. Chiefly with infinitive. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > types of difficulty > [adjective] > difficult or laborious

strongc1175

travailousa1382

laborousc1405

laboriousc1410

travailsome1549

laboursome1551

rigorousa1564

Herculean1594

surly1609

Augean1724

dreich1804

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6326 & tatt iss swiþe strang. & harrd To forþenn her onn eorþe.

a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 81 Þes oðer Mon..luueð his sunnen..; þes ilke Mon is strong to sermonen.

a1300 (?c1200) Prov. Alfred (Jesus Oxf.) (1955) 85 Strong [a1250 Maidstone sorwe] hit is to reowe a-yeyn þe see þat floweþ.

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) ii. 240 (MED) In Wales it is fulle strong to werre in Wynter tide.

1474 W. Caxton tr. Game & Playe of Chesse (1883) ii. iv. 49 Ther is no thynge so stronge, as for to mayntene loue vnto the deth.

a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 216 (MED) Stronge is to fynde and know condycones and good vertues and maneris of Pepil wythout longe Prewe.

1502 tr. Ordynarye of Crysten Men (de Worde) iv. xii. sig. dd.v^v If a woman maryed conceyue of an other than of her husbonde ye caas is stronge to remedye.

b. spec. (a) (Of country, †a road, etc.) difficult to travel, rugged; (b) thickly covered with undergrowth or trees.See also strong woods n. at Compounds 3.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > land > landscape > fertile land or place > land with vegetation > [adjective]

greeneOE

strongc1230

verdant1590

shrubby1598

shaggy1605

tufted1606

tufty1612

covered1632

vegetated1697

covert1707

verdurous1717

shagged1784

matted1791

vegetive1855

scrubbed1870

flourishing1883

c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 76 Eahte þinges..leaðieð us to wakien eauer i sum god..þis scheorte lif. þis stronge wei.

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 123 (MED) Idumea is a strong londe, hully and hoot.

a1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Digby) xxx. 94 [In] þe tyme þat þe heedes of þe hertes beth tendre..þei abyde amonge clere speyes and in hye wodes, for stronge cuntre shulde per auenture do hem harme to hir hedes.

c1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Vesp. B.xii) (1904) 26 (MED) They [sc. roes] haunten in strange hattes of wood or in strong hethys.

c1440 S. Scrope tr. C. de Pisan Epist. of Othea (St. John's Cambr.) (1970) 71 He was comen in-to streite passagis among hillis & greete mountaynes, where a ful strong cuntre was.

a1500 (c1435) J. Lydgate Daunce Machabree (Lansd.) (1931) l. 489 Bi many an hille & many a strong vale I have travailid.

1587 J. Polemon 2nd Pt. Bk. Battailes sig. B.iii^v The Cheiftaines Catholickes followed him.., but holding their waye thorough countries so strong and such couerts, that the Prince could not finde any possibilitie to encounter them, but with his disaduantage.

1653 H. Holcroft tr. Procopius Persian Wars i. 18 in tr. Procopius Hist. Warres Justinian If they met a Roman Army, [they] were beaten, but impossible to be taken, by reason of their strong Country.

1777 Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 574/2 Grant advancing with the right wing, the enemy's left gave way, and was pursued through a strong country.

1820 W. Hamilton Geogr., Statist., & Hist. Descr. Hindostan I. 490 To the south-east the land is much cut up with deep ravines and torrent courses, and is, altogether, a strong country and very difficult to march through.

1892 E. P. Elmhirst Fox-hound, Forest & Prairie 565 We..descended the valley, to find a strong country brought to a comfortable level by the felling of trees.

1903 T. F. Dale Fox-hunting in Shires iv. 111 He knew and trusted his horses, and they obeyed his hand, both very important matters in crossing a strong country.

1957 G. Heyer Sylvester iv. 40 It [sc. twelve stone] is the best weight for hunting over strong country.

18. Having a powerful effect on action or opinion.

a. Of motives, impulses, temptations, etc.: hard to resist or control.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > motivation > [adjective] > of motives: powerful

strong?c1225

motive1587

louda1616

?c1225 Ancrene Riwle (Cleo.: Scribe B) (1972) 27 Habbeð reowðe of þeo þet habbeð stronge fondunges.

a1450 (a1401) Chastising of God's Children (Bodl.) (1957) 104 (MED) Þei may not suffir stronge temptacions.

1567 Gude & Godlie Ball. 66 I am compassit round about, With sore and strang temptatioun.

1601 B. Jonson Every Man in his Humor i. iv. sig. D3 When such strong motiues muster, and make head Against her single peace.

a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) ii. vii. 118 Let gentlenesse my strong enforcement be.

1663 S. Patrick Parable of Pilgrim xii. 70 I know this touches you with a strong inclination to it.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 934 Inducement strong To us, as likely tasting to attaine Proportional ascent.

1692 F. Atterbury Serm. Whitehall 11 By the means of our Will, and that strong bent towards Gratitude, which the Authour of our Nature has fix'd there.

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 189. ¶7 It is one of the greatest Reflections upon Human Nature that Paternal Instinct should be a stronger Motive to Love than Filial Gratitude.

1773 H. Mackenzie Man of World I. vi. 86 From what motive soever Sindall began these visits, he soon discovered a very strong inducement to continue them.

1816 P. B. Shelley Alastor 19 A strong impulse urged His steps to the sea-shore.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 662 Both were impelled by the strongest pressure of hope and fear to criminate him.

1891 M. Roberts Land-travel & Sea-faring 57 In truth the nomadic instinct was always strong in me.

1958 Listener 7 Aug. 196/1 A poor devil who goes down the drain before a temptation that he finds too strong.

2000 D. Adebayo My Once upon Time (2001) ix. 184 I drove south a few blocks before surrendering to the strong inclination to revisit and linger by the hallowed ground.

b. Of argument, evidence, proof, etc.: likely to succeed because of sound reasoning or convincing evidence; hard to refute, ignore, or deny.pillar-strong: see the first element.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > testing > proof, demonstration > [adjective] > strong, convincing

strongc1405

substantial1419

pregnant?a1475

pregnablea1500

vehement1530

pungent1619

stringent1653

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Manciple's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 180 Be war of rakelnesse Ne trowe ye no thyng w^t outen strong witnesse.

c1456 R. Pecock Bk. Faith (Trin. Cambr.) (1909) 188 (MED) Confirmacioun ful strong and unbrekeable to this present argumentis, and into this same conclusioun, is the teching of Poul.

1565 R. Shacklock tr. S. Hozjusz Hatchet of Heresies 8 b Stronger obiections..then he was able to solute.

1579 E. K. in E. Spenser Shepheardes Cal. Gen. Argt. It is..stoutely mainteyned with stronge reasons of the learned, that the yeare beginneth in March.

1609 W. Shakespeare Pericles xvi. 33 Besides the sore tearmes we stand vpon with the gods, wilbe strong with vs for giuing ore.

a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) iv. ii. 60 My reasons are most strong .

1697 J. Vanbrugh Relapse ii. 27 You have many stronger Claims than that, Berinthia, whenever you think fit to plead your Title.

1743 S. Johnson Deb. Senate Lilliput in Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 636 Nor can any Argument be offered for the present Bill more strong than that.

1770 P. Luckombe Conc. Hist. Printing 13 The fact is strong, and..passes for certain evidence of the age of books.

1784 J. Hawkins Walton's Angler (ed. 4) 107 (note) The presumption therefore is very strong, that both were written by..Christopher Harvey.

1832 D. Brewster Lett. Nat. Magic v. 104 The shadow of the pin falling in the direction A B is a stronger proof to the eye that the light is coming from the right hand.

1861 F. A. Paley Æschylus' Supplices (ed. 2) 764 (note) There is a strong probability that they are right.

1892 Law Times Rep. 67 251/2 The evidence as to this is too strong to be discarded.

a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. xxi. 727 The probability is strong that our domestic cat originated in the caffre cat..of Egypt and Nubia.

1966 H. Kemelman Sat. Rabbi went Hungry xxiii. 114 It..consists of showing that if one argument applies, then a stronger argument of the same sort is even more applicable and can be considered proof.

2013 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 7 Feb. l. 6 The strongest evidence to date of an association between cannabis and stroke.

c. Of a case: well-supported by evidence or precedent.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > action of courts in claims or grievances > [adjective] > strong or clear (of case)

strong1641

clear1674

1641 Arguments Sir R. Hutton & Sir G. Croke i. 53 Because this Writ was grounded upon a suggestion against the Common Law, therefore the said Robert was discharged, which is a stronger Case then ours.

1698 in Sir H. Dalrymple Decis. (1792) 8 Which quadrates with the present case, which is yet stronger than it.

1737 Gentleman's Mag. May 297/2 The Case..mentioned in Coke 4. Inst. 228. is by no Means so strong.

1797 Answer to Bryan Edwards, Planter of Jamaica 27 A Man of Colour being prosecutor..must have made out a strong case indeed, if..he obtained the conviction of a White person.

1863 C. C. Clarke Shakespeare-characters xvi. 391 Shakespeare has made out a strong case for Shylock.

1885 Law Rep.: Queen's Bench Div. 15 320 This seems to me a much stronger case than Heaven v. Pender, where it was held that the defendant was liable.

1932 C. Darrow Story of my Life xxii. 189 The State had of course tried its strongest case first.

1965 Listener 2 Dec. 881/2 The positive case for inheritance taxation has become stronger.

2001 Estates Gaz. 30 June 161/2 They had a strong case for claiming a private right of way based upon prescription or the assertion of a way of necessity.

19.

a. Of the mind or mental faculties: eminently capable of thinking or understanding, powerful. Of the memory: retentive.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > high intelligence, genius > [adjective] > of mind, operations: broad, deep, strong

stronga1393

profounda1450

reachinga1500

ingenious1509

spacious1609

vast1610

vigorous1640

rugged1678

wide1717

broad1832

oceanica1834

in depth1959

the mind > mental capacity > memory > retention in the mind > [adjective]

fasta1398

retentivec1425

tenacious1640

strong1738

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iv. l. 951 Althogh mi wit ne be noght strong, It is noght on mi will along, For that is besi nyht and day To lerne al that he lerne may.

c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1905) II. 293 (MED) Þis hermett with a strong wytt removid his cell v myle ferrer fro þe watir.

?1553 tr. Pope Pius II Hist. Ladye Lucres & Eurialus sig. C.iii You menne are of more stronger mynde.

a1602 W. Perkins Treat. Duties Ministrie 7 in Exhort. to Repentance (1605) This man hath showne himselfe a proper scholler, of good learning, great reading, strong memory, and good deliuery.

1664 H. Power Exper. Philos. i. 80 A Person he was of those strong Parts and Hopes.

1738 J. Swift Compl. Coll. Genteel Conversat. p. xvi A strong Memory and constant Application..will be highly necessary.

1749 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 10 Jan. (1932) (modernized text) IV. 1293 A strong mind sees things in their true proportions; a weak one views them through a magnifying medium.

1781 W. Cowper Retirem. 698 Strong judgment lab'ring in the scripture mine.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. iv. 507 His writings and his life furnish abundant proofs that he was not a man of strong sense.

1902 Jrnl. Childhood & Adolescence Oct. 254 During the whole of school life the audio-visual memory is stronger than either the auditory or visual.

1957 New Scientist 4 July 31/3 Occasionally the strongest intellect will be panting with the pace and brilliance.

1996 J. Garwood Wedding viii. 155 She used to have a strong mind too, until Connor came along and turned her into a babbling half-wit.

b. Requiring or involving considerable mental exertion.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > attention > earnest attention, concentration > [adjective] > requiring serious attention

serious1531

severe1605

incumbent1651

strong1670

solid1700

1670 W. Marshall Answers upon Several Heads Philos. 98 There are some special points, offering even to view and sense a clear specimen.., without any such loud calling for the strong operations of the mind.

1759 S. Johnson Prince of Abissinia II. xxxviii. 90 The diversions of the women..were only childish play, by which the mind accustomed to stronger operations could not be kept busy.

1817 G. Ticknor Life, Lett. & Jrnls. I. vii. 152 With all these strong occupations [sc. business cares and scientific studies, etc.], and tastes, and high qualities, he is the chief magistrate of the canton.

1893 Hartford Seminary Rec. Oct. 93 There has been a liability to underestimate the amount of brave, arduous, and strong thinking which has been devoted to problems which we settle off-hand.

1960 Times Educ. Suppl. 30 Dec. 883/1 The traditional, currently unpopular features of the grammar school—strong study of a subject, intellectual vigour and the like.

2010 A. Genco & S. Sorce Pervasive Syst. & Ubiquitous Computing iii. 26 A fixed gaze can be a sign of a very strong mental activity due to data elaboration.

20. Having legal force.

a. Of dispositions, sanctions, etc.: binding; in effect.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > efficacy > [adjective] > specifically of sanctions, dispositions, etc.

strongc1405

sufficient1461

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Melibeus (Hengwrt) (2003) §797 We..been redy to come what day þ^t it like vn to youre noblesse..for to maken oure obligacion & boond as strong as it liketh vn to youre goodnesse.

c1460 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Oseney Abbey (1907) 30 (MED) All thynges with-inne the costis to yowr parisshe perteynyng..and owre we take, and with þese letters we make hit strong.

1528–30 tr. T. Littleton Tenures (new ed.) f. xxviiii^v Yf he receyue the payment in any other place, this is good ynoughe & as stronge for the feoffour as yf [etc.].

1659 J. Sergeant Vindic. Doctr. 53 If such Doctrines..should be again brought under doubt and disputation; surely no Iudgment or Sanction would remain firm and strong against any Errours.

1741 Cases Equity Time of Talbot 181 The Nature of the Provision is strong enough for this Purpose, without any express Words.

1765 Petition in Walker v. Spence 4 It would be quite inconsistent, that a right of hypothec should have stronger effects than a right of property.

1838 T. Arnold Hist. Rome I. xvi. 316 The old laws for the security of personal liberty were confirmed afresh, and received a stronger sanction.

1884 Justice of Peace 13 Dec. 788/2 If we find in an act of parliament a provision of that kind in words which cannot be interpreted otherwise, it is a very strong provision.

1918 Proc. 41st Ann. Meeting N.Y. State Bar Assoc. 179 There was introduced into the Constitution of 1894 a strong prohibition against public gambling.

1952 Jet 17 July 36 The custom [sc. segregation] no longer has the strong legal and community sanction it once had.

2010 K. Shoraka Human Rights & Minority Rights European Union ii. 57 It remains to be seen whether this provision is strong enough to prevent the ECJ [= European Court of Justice] from contradicting ECHR [= European Convention on Human Rights] rights.

†b. Of a document: executed in compliance with the law, valid. Also figurative and in figurative contexts. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > rule of law > [adjective] > legally valid

authentica1387

vailable1433

available1451

mightyc1460

stronga1475

very1475

authentical?1531

valid1571

validate1586

forcible1587

validous1603

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > foundation in fact, validity > [adjective]

goodOE

substantial1419

soundc1440

allowablec1443

stronga1475

stable1481

infallible1526

sore1530

sincere1536

acknowledged1548

of…validity1581

firm1600

acknowledgeable1630

valiant1632

infallid1635

valid1651

copper-bottomed1890

a1475 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery (1905) i. 145 Both partyes maade hit stronge by puttyng to þere seelys.

1608 W. Shakespeare Richard II iv. i. 225 There shouldst thou finde one haynous article,..cracking the strong warrant of an Oath.

1609 W. Shakespeare Sonnets lviii. sig. E Be where you list, your charter is so strong, That you your selfe may priuiledge your time To what you will.

1696 J. Harris City Bride Ep. Ded. sig. A2 I have a stronger Charter than Poetick Priviledge, 'tis my Gratitude that dictates to my Pen.

1794 C. Phillips Happy King vi. i. 107 Why is yet their charter strong, Deck'd with the Royal Stile? Efface it, saith the wise.

21.

a. Phonetics. Of a consonant: forcefully articulated; spec. = hard adj. 18.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > consonant > [adjective] > fortis

strong1582

fortis1909

1582 R. Mulcaster 1st Pt. Elementarie xvii. 121 K, serueth for the strong c, before e, and i, as in Kent, kitchin, kin, King.

1660 B. Farley in G. Fox et al. Battle-door for Teachers 60 After (:) mute, as..tiz-ke..not thizk-ke. It is strong, and doubles the letter after a short vowel in the midst of a word, and refers to two syllables at once.

1771 Encycl. Brit. II. 875/2 The strong consonants which terminated the words, and gave them life and boldness.

1800 W. Whiter Etymologicon Magnum 448 The first letter..in this word..was unquestionably often enunciated as a strong consonant sound.

1856 Faris El-Shidiac Pract. Gram. Arabic i. 3 ﺽ. The true sound of this letter must be learnt by the ear. It is like a strong d.

1927 J. J. Hogan Eng. Lang. in Ireland 75 R. This consonant is everywhere retained [in Irish]... A strong point-trill is heard in the South.

1955 H. G. Lunt Old Church Slavonic Gram. 30 A jer is strong only in a syllable directly before a weak jer.

2010 D. Carey & R. C. Carey Verbal Arts Workbk. i. 13 Using energy in your tongue-tip and breath, make a strong t and then a strong d. Using energy in the back of the tongue, the soft palate, and the breath, make a strong k sound and then a strong g.

b. Phonetics and Prosody. Of a stress or an accent: distinctly emphasized, prominent. Of a syllable: bearing stress or a prominent pitch.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > intonation, pitch, or stress > [adjective] > accent > stressed

stronga1646

stressed1824

stressy1880

society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > versification > rhythm > [adjective] > accentual > stressed

stronga1646

thetic1815

a1646 W. Raleigh Reliquiæ Raleighanæ (1679) 95 The Then here, was omitted in the division, but may not be so in our discourse; for there seems to be an Emphasis, a strong Accent on it.

1702 E. Bysshe Art Eng. Poetry i. 6 The Accent is as strong on Taught, as on the first Syllable of Flatter.

1751 S. Johnson Rambler No. 86. ⁋14 Here the third pair of syllables in the first..verse have their accents retrograde or inverted; the first syllable being strong or acute, and the second weak.

1774 W. Mitford Ess. Harmony Lang. 100 Feet often occur with the strong accent on both syllables.

1852 Proc. Philol. Soc. 5 153 A compound verse, composed of two parts, in each of which two dactyls..were followed by a long syllable, that is, a foot catalectic on the strong syllable, was alternated with the ancient epic verse.

1895 Lit. Digest 21 Sept. 611/1 He succeeded in imitating the Latin meter by a happy mixture of the soft and strong sounds of the Italian accentuation.

1919 R. G. Usher Story of Great War xxviii. 227 The plural is Bolsheviki, pronounced with a strong accent on the last syllable.

1960 A. O. Jaszi in S. Burnshaw Poem Itself 139/1 The three strong stresses that follow..dam up his feelings..almost painfully.

1995 A. Raymond Shakespeare's Sonnets (new ed.) 171 Now mark / above each strong syllable or beat.

2001 S. Wolosky Art Poetry 195 Usually there were four strong beats to a line.

c. Music. Of a beat: accented.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > duration of notes > proportion of notes or rhythm > [adjective] > beating time

strong?1775

stomped1946

?1775 W. Waring tr. J.-J. Rousseau Dict. Music 388 When the notes are equal,..all those which strike on the strong time bear the harmony.

1869 F. A. G. Ouseley Treat. Counterpoint iii. 12 Every bar contains two beats, one down-beat, and one up-beat; or, as Cherubini and others name them, a strong or accented time, and a weak or unaccented time.

1898 Music Apr. 746 Its rhythmic peculiarity consists in the falling of the beginning upon the strong beat of the bar.

1950 S. Thompson Old Time Dancing (1951) ii. 20 A bar is accepted as a length of time from the first strong accent to the second strong accent.

2003 M. Miller in C. Jisi Brave New Bass i. 8 I don't really hear those fast notes as part of the bass line; it's more like filling lighter ones in between the strong notes or accents.

22. Vividly perceptible, marked, definite.

a. Of resemblance, contrast: highly noticeable, marked.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > manifestation > manifestness > [adjective] > strikingly

notablea1398

staring?a1425

loud1535

gross1581

strong1583

signal1591

conspicuous1604

marked1620

remarked1623

ranka1640

signalized1652

bold1678

flaming1706

glaring1706

telegraphic1809

salient1841

howling1865

insistent1868

rampageous1889

1583 A. Marten tr. P. M. Vermigli Common Places 441/2 How strong the difference is, which he bringeth betweene the ministers of the old lawe, and also the ministers of the new lawe.

1646 J. Goodwin Modest & Humble Queries concerning Ordinance for Preventing of Growing of Heresies 10 That Government by Presbytery which the Parliament hath established, or that Government by Presbytery, which is so importunely desired and defended by the Ministers; because there is (it seems) a strong opposition, and vast difference between the one and the other.

1749 D. Hartley Observ. Man i. iv. §1. 426 Discords..sparingly introduced so as to make a strong Contrast.

1796 E. Inchbald Nature & Art I. xi. 61 A strong family resemblance appeared between the two youths.

1843 G. Borrow Bible in Spain II. xvi. 354 Nothing could exhibit a stronger contrast to the desolate tracts..through which we had lately passed, than [etc.].

1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 1/2 It will not be necessary to describe any other lathes..as there is a very strong family likeness amongst them.

1900 R. L. Douglas Fra Angelico (1902) iii. 62 The likeness is strong enough to suggest that Fra Angelico had actually seen the picture.

1956 S. Plath Jrnl. 4 Aug. (2000) 575 At the horizon-line the sea is dark Prussian blue, in strong contrast to the pale, distant sky.

2008 D. Thompson $12 Million Stuffed Shark 135 His two careers have strong similarities; the dress code is different, but you pray in both places.

b. Of mental impressions.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > [adjective] > capable of being perceived > clearly

cleara1398

strong1597

vivid1690

1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. lxxi. 202 The Iewes by reason of their long aboade in a place of continuall seruile toyle could not suddainely be wained and drawne vnto contrarie offices without some strong impression of terror.

1697 J. Addison Ess. Georgics in J. Dryden tr. Virgil Wks. sig. ¶¶1 We receive more strong and lively Ideas of things from his words, than we cou'd have done from the Objects themselves.

1749 W. Melmoth Lett. by Sir Thomas Fitzosborne II. lvii. 84 While the impression of that national belief remained strong upon their minds.

1796 tr. J.-M. Roland de La Platière Appeal to Impartial Posterity (ed. 2) II. iii. 180 Impressed with a strong sense of the rigour and sublimity of the duties of a wife.

1843 R. S. Surtees Handley Cross II. ix. 239 ‘We can't do with less’, replied the lady, with the cares of dinner strong upon her mind.

1897 ‘P. Warung’ Tales Old Regime 139 The circumstances..are still strong in my recollection.

1902 V. Jacob Sheep-stealers xiv ‘Ah, I was younger then,’ replied Harry, with all the wisdom of his twenty-five years strong upon him.

1953 J. R. R. Tolkien Let. 2 Dec. (1995) 173 The time I once spent on trying to learn Serbian and Russian have left me with no practical results, only a strong impression of the structure and word-aesthetic.

2003 L. Kaufman Fiddler's Tale ii. 19 Los Angeles produced the strongest impact on me.

c. Of a line: broad, thick, prominent.Cf. sense 9c.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > colour > state or mode of having colour > [adjective] > brightly coloured

brightOE

gay?c1225

paintedc1400

sheenc1400

staringc1400

freshc1405

wanton1583

splendid1634

amelled1651

vivid1686

strong1711

bloom-bright1832

flamboyant1851

technicolored1927

dazzle1931

Technicolora1940

fauve1967

the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > breadth or width > [adjective] > having great breadth or width > of a line

strong1711

1711 R. Blackmore Nature of Man ii. 51 Flocks, the Pencil's Creatures, fill Th'extended Valley.., While vital Fire in kindling Colours glows: Makes the strong Lines a living Aspect wear.

1731 Art of Drawing & Painting in Water-colours 4 If the Print or Picture is done by a good Master, see which Lines are strong, and which are tender and soft: Imitate them.

1799 Instr. & Regulations Cavalry (ed. 3) Pl. The strong Line denotes the Front.

1831 D. Brewster Treat. Optics x. 85 [Of Fraunhofer's lines] D is in the orange, and is a strong double line, easily seen..; E is in the green, and consists of several, the middle one being the strongest.

1864 E. Sang Treat. on Valuation Life Contingencies 12 I cause a quantity of stiff paper..to be ruled with spaces exactly equal to each other, distinguishing each fifth space by a stronger line.

1915 Photogr. Jrnl. Amer. June 311/2 Go over the lines carefully and firmly with a very soft, pointed lead-pencil, leaving a good strong line.

2006 D. Lee George Pemba 26 He uses thick brushstrokes and strong black lines around the figure.

d. Of the facial features: striking; rugged; formerly spec. coarse, ugly.Sometimes coinciding with sense 4a(b).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > lack of beauty > [adjective] > coarse or rough

rudec1440

crabbed1603

rougha1616

undeliciousa1618

strong1713

coarsishc1817

Gamp-like1844

1713 J. Addison in Guardian 22 July 1/1 The Features are strong and well furrow'd.

1732 W. King Toast ii. 78 My Breath, and my Features are vastly too strong; Full of Evil my Tongue, and three Inches too long.

1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho IV. xii. 237 Each was rendered more impressive by the grotesque habits and strong features of the guides and other attendants.

1817 J. Evans Excursion to Windsor 48 Heidegger once laid a wager..that..his lordship would not be able to produce so hideous a face in all London! A woman was found whose features, at first sight, were thought stronger than his.

1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward I. ii. 29 His strong features, sunk cheeks, and hollow eyes.

1904 Eclectic Mag. Aug. 182/2 He used to call himself ugly, for there was a certain ruggedness about his strong features which one finds among portraits of the Dutch masters.

1997 T. Alexander Substitute Bride ii. 40 He wasn't classically handsome. His face was too long, his nose a bit too large, his features too strong.

e. Of a person's accent: having many nonstandard features, broad.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > manner of speaking > accent > [adjective] > of particular accents

broad?1533

plum-in-the-mouth1553

strong1735

educated1838

Kensingtonian1902

Morningside1953

cut glass1962

lock-jawed1974

1735 Lives Most Remarkable Criminals I. 189 The Brogue being too strong upon his Tongue, for him to deny his Country.

1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian ix, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. II. 222 A tattered cadie..exclaimed in a strong north-country tone, ‘Ta deil ding out her Cameronian een.’

1842 Sir T. Martin in Fraser's Mag. Dec. 654/1 A strong Banffshire accent.

1859 Habits Good Society 64 The ballads of Moore may gain much from a strong Irish brogue, but [etc.].

1890 A. Conan Doyle White Company xxiv ‘I come,’ he shouted.., with a strong Breton accent.

1915 Pearson's Mag. Sept. 258/1 She curtsied prettily as she answered with a strong brogue, ‘Yis, mum.’

1965 P. St. Pierre Boss Namko Drive (1970) 13 Sometimes Frenchie's accent was very strong.

2000 Amer. Scholar Autumn 133/2 I can't talk the way Americans would like me to talk. I talk with a strong Indian accent.

f. Of an outline, relief, etc.: bold, not faint. Also figurative and in figurative contexts.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > visibility > [adjective] > clearly visible > sharp or distinct > by contrast

strong1747

plucky1885

1747 J. Whaley in H. Walpole Ædes Walpolianæ 112 What striking Attitudes! what strong Relief!.. Who cou'd such Pow'r of speaking Paint employ?

1785 London Mag. May 369/2 Very distinguishing beauties are scattered through the subject; but a strong outline on every feature, limb, and fold of drapery, diffuses a hard complexion over the piece.

1818 P. B. Shelley Julian & Maddalo 106 The broad sun sunk behind it [sc. a bell in a tower], and it tolled In strong and black relief.

1862 J. G. Whittier Astræa at the Capitol 63 On our ground of grief Rise day by day in strong relief The prophecies of better things.

1902 Overland Monthly Dec. 530/2 The lead is also a great factor in bringing out the design in strong contours or outlines.

1956 Pop. Mech. Aug. 182/1 If a strong silhouette is produced on the negative.., you have a very high-grade ore.

2012 S. A. Hickson Women, Art & Archit. Patronage Renaissance Mantua 3 These women stand out in strong relief against the background of a red curtain.

g. Photography. Of a negative: having a lot of contrast.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > photography > a photograph > qualities and effects > [adjective] > contrast, etc.

greyed1730

strong1841

intense1879

contrasty1891

low key1897

flat1901

posterized1936

1841 London, Edinb., & Dublin Philos. Mag. 19 166 The author [sc. H. F. Talbot] finds that one minute is amply sufficient in summer to impress a strong image upon the paper of any building upon which the sun is shining.

1892 A. Brothers Photogr. ii. 80 Strong, intense negatives are best printed by daylight.

1908 C. R. Gibson Romance Mod. Photogr. xi. 171 By making a second stronger negative from this one, and from this a third and a fourth, a good strong negative was finally obtained.

2009 Sci. Amer. (U.K. ed.) Sept. 74/1 The ferrocyanate produced a strong image.., and the image proved permanent after washing.

h. Of a person: being what is indicated to a high degree.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adjective] > that is such in a high degree

greatc1300

no smalla1450

spacious1600

immense1631

far gone1829

strong1897

1897 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 10 Apr. 901/2 According as the individuals in whom the lesions specified occur are ‘visuals’, or strong ‘auditives’.

1908 Public Health 21 92/1 In strong visuals it happens that they may still be able to read with understanding and even speak, although the auditory word centre be destroyed.

1953 W. O. Stevens Psychics & Common Sense xi. 163 She was evidently a powerful sensitive, and several of her partners at the board also were strong psychics.

2004 S. W. Martin Heavy Hitter Selling (2006) 142 Strong Kinesthetics tend to be more dramatic in their speech patterns and inflections.

23.

a. Of literary or artistic work: vigorous or forceful in style or execution; making a distinct impression on the mind; (also) likely to shock or cause offence, esp. by explicit portrayal of violence or sexual activity.In quot. 1629 for strong lines n. at Compounds 3 with reference to the fashionable metaphysical style.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > vigour or force > [adjective]

sensiblea1393

eloquent1393

rhetoricc1450

mightya1500

pithy1529

grave1541

pithful1548

weighty1560

sappy1563

emphatical1567

fasta1568

thwacking1567

forceful1571

enforceable1589

energetical1596

eloquious1599

sinewy1600

emphatic1602

sinewed1604

strong1604

tonitruous1606

nervose1645

nervous1663

energetic1674

energic1683

strong1685

cogent1718

lapidary1724

forcible1726

authoritative1749

terse1777

telling1819

vigorous1821

sturdy1822

tonitruant1861

meaty1874

vertebrate1882

energized1887

jawy1898

heavy1970

1604 T. Dekker Newes from Graues-end sig. C3r Till rich Heires meeting our strong verse May not shrinck back, before it pierce Their marble eye-balls.

1657 J. Harington Hist. Polindor & Flostella (ed. 3) ii. 77 Stronger portrait, like one from Heaven hurl'd To th' Hells Abiss... This is not He (they cry'd) Nor is this She.

1674 ‘R. Rimer’ in J. Strong Joanereidos sig. b3^v On Strong, and his more Stronger Poem.

1741 S. Richardson Let. 31 Aug. in Select Lett. (1964) 50 One kind Anonymous Gentleman..has pointed out in Milton..Passages full as strong if not stronger, because mine were mingled wth. Horror, and Censure against the lewd Attempter of Chastity.

1746 P. Francis tr. Horace Art of Poetry in P. Francis & W. Dunkin tr. Horace Epistles 293 Good Sense, that Fountain of the Muse's Art, Let the strong Page of Socrates impart.

1749 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 24 Nov. (1932) (modernized text) IV. 1443 I should prefer moderate matter, adorned with all the beauties and elegances of style, to the strongest matter in the world, ill-worded, and ill-delivered.

1819 Ld. Byron Lett. & Jrnls. 19 Jan. (1976) VI. 91 Is there anything in Don Juan so strong as in Ariosto?

1892 Nation (N.Y.) 4 Aug. 93/3 ‘La Débâcle’, maugre all faults, stands out as Zola's best and strongest work up to the present time.

1905 Daily Chron. 16 Aug. 3/2 What the publishers call a ‘strong’ book.

1913 J. Collier in 19th Cent. Mar. 603 He might have made a stronger picture, he could hardly have made a more beautiful one.

1944 H. Croome You've gone Astray i. 13 Heaven knew who would publish it. It would be Strong Stuff.

1976 Sc. Daily Express 24 Dec. 5/3 Equally strong scenes were shown during the series. Particularly the decapitation..of Claudius's wife.

2003 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 23 Nov. viii. 12/4 The windows facing the street are also largely slag glass with strong Arts & Crafts designs.

b. Of the style or execution of a literary or artistic work: vigorous, forceful.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > vigour or force > [adjective]

sensiblea1393

eloquent1393

rhetoricc1450

mightya1500

pithy1529

grave1541

pithful1548

weighty1560

sappy1563

emphatical1567

fasta1568

thwacking1567

forceful1571

enforceable1589

energetical1596

eloquious1599

sinewy1600

emphatic1602

sinewed1604

strong1604

tonitruous1606

nervose1645

nervous1663

energetic1674

energic1683

strong1685

cogent1718

lapidary1724

forcible1726

authoritative1749

terse1777

telling1819

vigorous1821

sturdy1822

tonitruant1861

meaty1874

vertebrate1882

energized1887

jawy1898

heavy1970

1685 W. Aglionby Painting Illustr. iii. 124 Paul Veronese had a most Rapid Genius,..an Admirable Colourer, but not an exact Designer, nor true Chooser of the best Forms for a Dark, Strong Manner.

1725 A. Blackwall Sacred Classics I. v. 263 We have in the sacred writers several instances of strong style sharpen'd with a just severity against bold blasphemers.

1771 A. Young Farmer's Tour E. Eng. I. vi. 298 Two landscapes... Very fine: Chaste, but strong execution.

1822 Q. Mus. Mag. 4 118 Mr. Horsley's [glee] is in his pure, strong, legitimate manner.

1865 J. Brown Spare Hours 53 This book has the great advantage of a clear, lively, and strong style.

1899 Phrenol. Mag. May 140/1 His love of art must manifest itself in a very strong manner in presenting his subjects.

1968 C. Gómez-Moreno Medieval Art from Private Coll. (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Catal. nos. 183, 184, 185 The style is free and strong in execution, and the design is distinctive.

1997 Mail on Sunday 10 Aug. (You Mag.) 65/2 I like a plain, strong style following the dictum of George Orwell, who said, ‘Good prose is like a windowpane.’

24. Cards. Of a hand: composed of high-value cards for the particular game being played. Of a player: holding cards (in a specified suit) that are of such high value. Of a card of a specific suit: of such high value. See also strong card n., strong suit n. at Compounds 3.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > [adjective] > attributes of player

flush1591

strong1626

high1846

trickless1927

short-suited1935

society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > card or cards > [adjective] > type of hand or suit

strong1626

high1742

lay-down1906

biddable1926

void1934

1626 H. Burton Plea to Appeale 5 What hee cannot doe by strong hand with Clubbs, hee hopes to play his part with the vndermining Spade. Onely he misseth the Ase of Hearts.

1633 W. Rowley All's Lost by Lust sig. C2^v The pander playing with the deuill robs the bawd To make his hand the stronger.

1742 E. Hoyle Short Treat. Game Whist i. 14 Tho' you are pretty strong in Trumps, be cautious how you trump out.

1755 G. Colman & B. Thornton Connoisseur No. 60. ⁋4 A leads a strong Club, which B refuses.

1830 R. Hardie Hoyle made Familiar 24 Never force your partner but when you are strong in trumps.

1864 W. Pole Theory Whist (1870) 18 A strong hand is difficult to define, further than as one likely to make many tricks; a weak one the contrary.

1900 ‘J. Doe’ Bridge Man. 32 If his Spades are fairly strong he should leave the declaration to his partner.

1949 Life 8 Aug. 104/3 (caption) Two fingers on card mean that the player is strong in diamonds.

2000 B. McNally How to play Poker & Win 62 A player who shows that he has a strong hand for the centre pot hinders the chance of a player who bets into a side pot.

25. Of markets, shares, commodities, currencies, prices, etc.: consistently high or rising in price or value; not fluctuating or depressed.See also to be a strong market at market n. 6c.

ΚΠ

1821 Ipswich Jrnl. 20 Jan. In consequence of the public being able to pay for their Stock, Money is exceedingly plentiful, and the Market is very strong.

1869 B. Pim & B. Seemann Dottings on Roadside xxiii. 379 The term ‘strong dollar’ may, perhaps, require some explanation. There are two sorts of dollars in use throughout the country [sc. Nicaragua], the strong and the weak; the former is the American silver dollar.

1870 Pall Mall Gaz. 23 Sept. 9/2 The Home Funds are, if anything, rather stronger in tone.

1890 Daily News 1 Sept. 2/5 Pig iron is strong at 43s. 6d. for cinder.

1922 Dun's Rev. 8 July 13/2 Offal is moving freely, with bellies for inner soles and counters well sold up and held at strong prices.

1964 Financial Times 3 Mar. 19/4 Gold shares were irregular, while Diamonds were strong.

1985 J. Randle & M. Watanabe Coping with Japan 61 The yen is a bit too strong for most tourists.

2013 Herald-Times (Bloomington, Indiana) 1 Feb. d4/2 G&S has developed a strong niche market in construction of higher-end homes.

26. Grammar. In various applications opposed to weak (see weak adj. 21). [See note in etymology section.]

a. Designating or belonging to the class of Germanic verbs that form the past tense and past participle by means of vowel gradation in the root syllable, as in English give/gave, break/broke(n). Hence occasionally used with reference to Celtic and other Indo-European languages.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > verb > [adjective] > forming past tense in specific ways

unaugmented1776

strong1833

weak1833

augmentless1879

1833 Philol. Museum 2 385 No weak verb ever in process of time became strong, while strong verbs do become weak.

1841 R. G. Latham Eng. Lang. 277 The German Grammarians call the Tenses formed by a change of vowel, the Strong Tenses, the Strong Verbs, the Strong Conjugation, or the Strong Order.

1871 J. Earle Philol. Eng. Tongue vi. 236 There is a manifest tendency in these strong verbs to merge themselves gradually into the more numerous class of the weak verbs.

1914 C. Harris German Gram. i. 106 The old strong verbs fall into six classes or gradation series.

1946 D. A. Binchy & O. Bergin tr. R. Thurneysen Gram. Old Irish 335 Two main classes of verbs can be distinguished, for which the terms ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ verbs are borrowed from the grammar of the Germanic languages. Strong verbs are without exception primary... Weak verbs are for the most part denominative.

1962 C. W. Watkins Indo-European Origins of Celtic Verb ii. 116 In the strong (non-derivative) verb..the present still exhibits numerous divergent formations.

1997 J. Hewson in J. Hewson & V. Bubenik Tense & Aspect in Indo-European Langs. ii. 29 What we might call the ‘strong’ verbs [in Ancient Greek], which are irregular verbs that still show the ancient morphology of Indo-European ablaut.

b. Designating or belonging to any of those declensions of Germanic nouns and adjectives in which the Germanic stem ended otherwise than in n. N.E.D. (1919) notes: ‘Some scholars, following the letter of Grimm's own definition, inconveniently restrict the term ‘strong’ to the vocalic stems, so that the stems ending in other consonants than n form a third class, neither ‘strong’ nor ‘weak’.’ (Compare discussion in etymology section.)

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > inflection > [adjective] > relating to declension > specific Germanic declensions

strong1833

weak1841

indefinite1874

1833 J. M. Kemble Anglo-Saxon Poems Gloss. 247 The word here is a sing. acc. of the first strong declension.

1874 C. J. Grece tr. E. A. F. Maetzner Eng. Gram. I. 242 The sign of the genitive s belongs originally to the singular of masculine and neuter strong substantive forms.

1914 C. Harris German Gram. i. 54 The adjective has strong inflection when not preceded by an article or a declined pronominal.

1970 C. M. Carlton Descriptive Syntax Old Eng. Charters vi. 80 Among the strong nouns only the feminine o-declension..has a unique form for the nominative singular.

2007 R. Born in M. Reinhart Early Mod. German Lit. 120 In the genitive case, unpreceded adjectives, which require the weak suffix -en in modern German, take the strong suffix -es in Schottelius.

c. Designating or belonging to the unreduced form of Sanskrit noun stems.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > inflection > [adjective] > relating to declension > specific Sanskrit declensions

strong1839

weak1863

1839 J. W. Donaldson New Cratylus ii. ii. 193 By the side of the strong form chatvâras we have a weaker form chaturas.

1863 T. Benfey Pract. Gram. Sanskrit §220 There are some nouns which have a strong and a weak form... Some have even three, a strong, a weak, and a weakest form.

1929 G. A. Grierson Torwali ii. 63 The final ū of šū shows that it is a strong form derived from *šutaka-, not from the bare šuta-.

1979 T. Burrow Probl. Schwa in Sanskrit 66 The root stem nās- f. ‘nostril, nose’ inflects with long vowel in the only strong case which occurs in the Veda.

2004 Bull. School Oriental & Afr. Stud. 67 246 Oberlies..lists this as an augmented non-preterite form, but it seems simpler to account for the initial a- as a discrepant strong stem.

d. Designating or belonging to modern English nouns that form plurals by means of a change in the root vowel, as man/men, mouse/mice. N.E.D. (1919) described this simply as ‘Incorrect use’.

ΚΠ

1853 M. Schele de Vere Outl. Compar. Philol. xli. 246 Whilom seems to be the only dative that has been saved. The strong nouns, as well as the strong verbs, have, from their nature, been more successfully preserved.

1860 G. P. Marsh Lect. Eng. Lang. 335 The strong inflections, or those consisting in a letter-change, as present run, past ran, singular man, plural men.

1908 M. H. Leonard Gram. & its Reasons xvi. 74 There are the strong plurals formed by an internal change, as teeth, mice.

2006 J. P. Blevins in B. Aarts & A. McMahon Handbk. Eng. Linguistics xxii. 512 The surviving strong plural forms are relatively stable, but there is some speaker variation regarding nouns such as roof.

Compounds

C1. Parasynthetic.

a. As strong-backed, strong-bodied, strong-jawed, etc.See also strong- boned adj. 1, docked adj.², faithed adj. 1, muscled adj. 1, nerved adj. 2; also strong-handed adj., strongheaded adj., and other headwords.

ΚΠ

a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 944 [Arrows] stronge peynted [read poynted] euerychoon.

c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. l. 1252 A rial chef cite..Strong wallid & toured rounde aboute.

a1529 J. Skelton Why come ye nat to Courte (?1545) sig. A.vii^v He calleth vs England men Stronge herted lyke an hen.

1532 G. Hervet tr. Xenophon Treat. House Holde f. 16^v Housbandry maketh a man stronge bodied.

1598 J. Marston Certaine Satyres in Metamorph. Pigmalions Image 72 Strong backt Hercules in one poore night..In strength of lust and Venus surquedry Rob'd fifty wenches of virginity.

1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost i. ii. 71 O wel knit Sampson, strong ioynted Sampson.

1606 J. Marston Parasitaster iii. sig. F^v O quick deuisefull strong braind Dulcime.

a1629 T. Goffe Trag. Orestes (1633) iv. vii. sig. G2^v See thy now yeelding soule, Made me burst ope my strong iawd sepulcher.

1656 A. Cowley Pindarique Odes 58 in Poems The houses and strong-body'ed Trees it broke.

1658 R. Allestree Pract. Christian Graces; or, Whole Duty of Man viii. §12. 188 Many of these stronger brained drinkers are guilty of..the setting themselves purposely to make others drunk.

1677 London Gaz. No. 1233/4 A bright bay Nag, very strong quartered.

1703 W. Dampier Voy. New Holland i. 10 Verdona is green, strong-bodied Wine.

1748 S. Richardson Clarissa VI. i. 5 Thy strong-muscled bony face was as much admired by thy mother, as if it had been the face of a Lovelace.

1761 London Chron. 1 Dec. 533/1 The thin-maned, high-headed, strong-hoofed, fleet, bounding son of the hill.

1785 G. Forster tr. A. Sparrman Voy. Cape Good Hope I. 55 The steward..presented me with a glass of a strong-bodied wine.

1786 R. Burns Poems 56 On the strong-wing'd Tempest flyin.

1822 C. Lamb in London Mag. July 34/1 To be strong-backed and neat-bound is the desideratum of a volume.

1857 J. Ruskin Polit. Econ. Art Add. 200 A great deal may..be done..by a nation strong-elbowed and strong-hearted as we are.

1858 I. S. Homans & I. S. Homans Cycl. Commerce & Commerc. Navigation 434/2 Fine, long, and strong-stapled cotton.

1863 Ld. Tennyson On Transl. Homer 1 These lame hexameters the strong-wing'd music of Homer!

1868 J. H. Blunt Reformation Church of Eng. I. 331 The stronger souled men betook themselves to preparation for violent deaths.

1893 S. O. Jewett Native of Winby 227 Father Ryan's strong-featured, good-humored face.

1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xv. [Circe] 503 He wrote pencilled messages offering his nuptial partner to all strongmembered males.

1922 D. H. Lawrence England my England 86 He looked so strong-blooded and healthy.

a1930 D. H. Lawrence Etruscan Places (1932) iii. 74 This sense of vigorous, strong-bodied liveliness is characteristic of the Etruscans.

1930 S. Spender 20 Poems 3 Weapons men use, stone, sling, and strong-thewed bow He will not know.

1931 R. Graves To Whom Else? 11 With their strong-gutted and capacious bellies Digested stones and glass like ostriches.

1944 E. Blunden Shells by Stream 31 Strong-elbowed and with wondrous beard, Whose statue's this?

1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day ii. 44 My father..[had] the expression of an actor playing the part of a strong-charactered, resolute, if moody, man.

1978 W. F. Buckley Stained Glass xvii. 169 He was strong-jawed, with a splotchy face that showed the ravages of frostbite.

1997 J. Updike Toward End of Time 147 In the crowded, stronger-gravitied universe, stars would be tearing dark matter away from one another.

2010 New Yorker 28 June 77/2 Eric Owens, as the death-dealing Nekrotzar, led a strong-voiced cast.

b. Formations interpretable as either on nouns or of the adverb and past participles, as strong-flavoured, strong-stressed, strong-tempered, etc.

ΚΠ

1589 R. Greene Ciceronis Amor 4 Arrowes headed with strong tempered steele that pierce deepe.

1658 R. Brathwait Age of Apes in Honest Ghost 218 Such is their strong-temperd resolution, They love no Judgement like to Execution.

1677 R. Plot Nat. Hist. Oxford-shire 305 Many other strong scented Animals..have follicular Repositories or Bags.

1751 Gentleman's Mag. June 262/1 A piece of fresh strong-flavoured scammony.., weighing 4 ounces.

1777 J. Mease Let. 12 May in G. Washington Papers (1999) Revolutionary War Ser. IX. 400 Tis a little too strong colourd.

1792 A. Hamilton Lett. to Dr William Osborn vi. 136 Let an artificial pelvis, of strong tempered steel, be constructed.

1805 R. Southey Madoc ii. xxv. 406 They..Lay down the keel, the stern-post rear, and fix The strong-curved timbers.

1850 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 11 i. 152 It [sc. cheese] is too strong-tasted.

1890 H. Sweet Primer Spoken Eng. 30 If three strong-stressed words come together, the stress of the middle one is often reduced.

1901 Brick Dec. 266/2 Strong tempered knives of wrought iron or steel.

1982 Times 28 June 24/5 The strong-scented privet flowers are opening.

2003 Decanter Aug. 71/3 A wine to savour..with Asiatic foods, strong-flavoured fish dishes, [etc.].

strong-willed adj.

ΚΠ

1697 J. Crook Way to Lasting Peace (single sheet) Who knows but the same God..may Bow many Strong-willed and Stout-hearted Ones of the World to give and yield up the Old Conquest?

1776 London Rev. Eng. & Foreign Lit. July 39 Those brethren must be either very weak-witted or very strong-willed who can oppose any thing violent to his proposition.

1851 N. Hawthorne House of Seven Gables xi. 186 There is no greater bugbear than a strong-willed relative.

1932 ‘B. Ross’ Trag. of X iii. x. 307 This man, choleric, strong-willed, of passionate temperament,..this man begging on his knees, as Bruno told me!

2002 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 3 Nov. ix. 6/1 He is more solitary than reclusive, more strong-willed than difficult.

C2. Complementary.Cf. strong adv. Compounds 1.

strong-looking adj.

ΚΠ

1768 J. Byron Narr. Patagonia 186 They were all stout, strong-looking men.

1864 London Soc. Sept. 275 We entered by a small, yet strong-looking door.

1905 Winslow (Indiana) Disp. 15 Dec. 1/4 The horse stood the operation fine and was strong looking after the operation as before.

2013 S. Wiggs Apple Orchard 90 She found herself focusing on his hands—large and strong-looking.

C3. See also strong barley water n., collider n. 1, head n.¹ 2c(a), language n. 2, medicine n.¹ 5a, reservationist n. 2, running n., weathering n. 1c.

strong AI n. (originally Philosophy) artificial intelligence in which a machine can think and has a mind (as opposed to only acting as if it does); (in later use) Computing a hypothetical form of artificial intelligence in which a machine can exhibit or simulate behaviour as intelligent as, or more intelligent than, that of a human being.

ΚΠ

1980 J. R. Searle in Behavioral & Brain Sci. 3 417/1 I find it useful to distinguish what I will call ‘strong AI’ from ‘weak’ or ‘cautious’ AI... According to strong AI, the computer is not merely a tool in the study of the mind; rather, the appropriately programmed computer really is a mind.

1991 RSA Jrnl. 139 507/2 Strong AI asserts that the brain's action is just that of a computer.

2012 io9 (Nexis) 13 Dec. If strong AI is developed, perhaps smarter than humans, why should we bother to upload humans?

strong aorist n. Ancient Greek Grammar conventional name for the thematic or second aorist (ἔλιπον), characterized by a thematic e/o vowel, in contrast with the sigmatic or weak aorist (ἔλειψα), formed with an -s(a) suffix.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > tense > [noun] > past > aorist > specific

strong aorist1861

root aorist1879

s-aorist1895

1861 Bibliotheca Sacra Oct. 787 In the popular language this particular form of the aorist (which we prefer to call the strong aorist, because it is certainly not formed by a composition with the substantive verb) seems to have generally prevailed.

1910 Princeton Theol. Rev. 8 71 Boeotian also is the κοινή tendency to carry the 3 pl. endings of the sigmatic aorist into the strong aorist.

1999 Glotta 75 206 The change of perfect second person singular -ας to -ες of the strong aorist probably reflects no more than instability of the paradigm in its origins.

† strong apoplexy n. [after post-classical Latin apoplexia fortis (1526 or earlier)] Medicine Obsolete a massive stroke (cerebral haemorrhage or infarction), esp. when causing loss of consciousness and paralysis.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of nervous system > [noun] > disorders of brain > apoplexy

apoplexyc1386

poplexyc1410

apoplex?1537

sudden stroke1543

catarrh1554

strong apoplexy1583

strong1820

1583 P. Barrough Methode of Phisicke i. xxi. 25 Often also it corrupteth the memorie, wherupon we maye conclude that remedies are not to be vsed, against a strong Apoplexie, for that it is of nature deadly.

1663 N. Culpeper & A. Cole tr. T. Bartholin Anat. (new ed.) ii. ix. 118/1 In a strong Apoplexy, the motion of the Lungs ceases, the Pulse being safe and the Heart unhurt.

1820 J. Cooke Treat. Nerv. Dis. I. i. 169 In the perfect, or strong apoplexy, the respiration of the patient is generally much impeded.

strong bark n. [ < strong adj. + bark n.¹, perhaps as a folk-etymological alteration of strongback n. (compare sense 1 at that entry)] a tree or shrub of the genus Bourreria (family Boraginaceae), found in the West Indies and tropical America.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > South American and West Indian trees or shrubs > [noun] > others

persea1601

mahoe1666

poison berry1672

white mangrove1683

maiden plum1696

angelin1704

garlic-pear1725

milkwood-tree1725

Jack-in-the-box1735

cherimoya1736

rattle bush1750

galapee1756

genip1756

lace bark1756

sunfruit1787

wild orange1802

hog-nut1814

mountain pride1814

savannah wattle1814

mora1825

rubber tree1826

mayflower1837

bastard manchineel1838

long john1838

seringa1847

sack tree1849

jumbie tree1860

jumbie bean1862

king-tree1863

gauze-tree1864

mountain green1864

snowdrop tree1864

strong bark1864

switch-sorrel1864

candle-tree1866

maypole1866

angelique1873

poisonwood1884

porkwood1884

1864 A. H. R. Grisebach Flora Brit. W. Indian Islands 788/1 Strong-bark.

1950 Ecol. Monogr. 20 347 (table) Bourreria ovata. Strong bark. Blackland.

2010 L. A. Newsom in L. A. Curet & L. M. Stringer Tibes v. 90 Capá or palo de vaca (Bourreria sp., Boraginaceae; also known as ‘strong back’, ‘strong bark’, or ‘doncella’) is the most abundant seed taxon in the assemblage.

strong beer n. beer with a relatively high alcohol content, esp. (now historical) as opposed to small beer n. 1.† to think strong beer of oneself: to have an unduly high opinion of oneself; cf. to think small beer of at small beer n. 2c.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > ale or beer > beer > [noun] > strong beer

strong beereOE

bub1672

stout1677

tangle-leg1860

exportc1898

eOE Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) iii. xii. 314 Ofgeot mid strangan beore oþþe mid strangum ealað.

1542 A. Borde Compend. Regyment Helth xxxvii. sig. N.i^v Let them drinke no wyne nor stronge ale, nor stronge beere, but moderat drynke.

1574 in N. S. B. Gras Evol. Eng. Corn Market (1915) 452 In malt 52000 quarters more in wheate to brewe stronge beare.

c1639 T. Dekker & J. Ford Sun's-darling (1656) v. 41 One that never drunk strong beer in's life but at festival times.

1707 J. Mortimer Whole Art Husbandry 567 Which quantity will make a Barrel of Strong-Beer, and a Barrel and a half of Ale, and one Hogs~head and half of Small-Beer.

1770 J. Massie Reas. against Tax on Malt 8 A Pint of Ale or strong Beer, costs the Ale-seller, only Five Farthings.

1837 R. Southey Doctor IV. 382 I am more inclined..to think Strong Beer of myself.

1852 W. M. Thackeray Let. 14 Apr. in Lett. & Papers (1946) III. 32 We all think too strong beer of ourselves.

1888 S. O. Addy Gloss. Words Sheffield Growte, small beer, made after the strong beer is brewed.

1940 D. Thomas Portrait of Artist as Young Dog 45 He had strong beer and I had lemonade.

2004 T. J. Misa From Leonardo to Internet iii. 70 The big porter brewers of London (the twelve largest now brewed 85 percent of the city's ‘strong’ beer) cheered the Parliamentary act.

strong beggar n. historical = sturdy beggar at beggar n. 1b.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > poverty > mendicancy > [adjective] > able-bodied or sturdy

sturdy1402

strong beggar1530

upright1567

1530–1 Acts 22 Henry VIII (?1531) f. xvi Whypped for a vagarant stronge begger.

1571 in J. C. Tingey Rec. City of Norwich (1910) II. 344 Thexpulcinge of stronge beggers.

1683 J. Keble Assistance to Justices of Peace 464 For every strong Begger that shall happen to beg within any such Township, or Parish, not being taken,..[they shall forfeit] 6 s. 8 d.

1782 J. M'Farlan Inq. conc. Poor ii. i. 63 This law seems to be applicable only to vagabonds or strong beggars.

1857 C. Knight Pop. Hist. Eng. II. xxviii. 470 The parishes were called upon to relieve the sick and aged; and the justices to punish strong beggars.

1908 W. Robertson Ayrshire I. xiii. 309 The strolling players, the jugglers, the gipsies..were in the same category with the vagabonds and the strong beggars.

1993 M. Aston Faith & Fire iv. 119 He took the accepted canonical distinction between true poor and strong beggars, and placed the friars firmly on the wrong side of the gospel law.

strong breeze n. a fairly high wind able to form large waves at sea or move large branches on land; spec. a wind of force 6 on the Beaufort scale, (in modern use) corresponding to a speed of 22–27 knots (39-49 km/h).

ΚΠ

1685 B. Ringrose Bucaniers Amer. iv. xiii. 83 That evening a strong breeze came up at S. E. by E.

1795 Scots Mag. Apr. 263/1 We put to sea with a strong breeze from the east-north-east.

1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Strong Breeze, that which reduces a ship to double-reefed topsails, jib, and spanker.

1917 J. Conrad Shadow-line vi. 211 That strong breeze, before which the last remnant of my crew had wilted down, seemed to blow a fresh stock of vigour into his frame with every gust.

2008 U. McGovern Lost Crafts (2009) 38 This [sc. winnowing] was done by gathering the grain into winnowing fans..or wooden winnowing trays before throwing it up into the air in a strong breeze.

strong card n. a playing card of high value in a particular game; often figurative, a particular advantage, a valuable asset; cf. strong suit n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > ability > [noun] > ability or talent > that for which one has special ability

strengthc1440

forte1682

long suit1759

strong card1795

strong point1798

strong suit1836

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > [noun] > advantage over another > an advantage > particular

strong card1795

society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > card or cards > [noun] > cards of specific value in game

sequent1620

lead1742

maker1753

stop1808

strong card1839

king card1850

brisque1870

honour card1876

penultimate1876

guard1885

thirteener1891

wild card1940

1795 T. Wilkinson Wandering Patentee II. 267 She played the Poor Soldier, and stood her ground so well, that it proved a strong card for her.

1837 E. Bulwer-Lytton Ernest Maltravers II. ix. vii[i]. 198 I have strong cards in my hands if I play them tolerably.

1839 Huntress 28 Sept. The betting upon the game ran up to $8,000, when the gentleman exhibited the four aces. ‘You certainly hold strong cards, but I think here is a document that can take the money,’ said the blackleg.

1900 G. Ade Fables in Slang 138 Marie was a Strong Card. The Male Patrons of the Establishment hovered around the Desk long after paying their Checks. Within a Month the Receipts of the Place had doubled.

1932 E. M. Forster in New Statesman & Nation 10 Sept. 284/2 As my husband points out, that is one of our strong cards.

2005 B. Dempsey & A. Bloch Poker Tells i. 9 Most people..fold against that kind of play, unless they hold really strong cards.

† strong death n. Obsolete a violent or cruel death.In quot. OE in figurative context involving personification.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > death > manner of death > [noun] > violent death

qualmOE

strong deathOE

bloodsheddinga1500

bloodshed1547

OE tr. Felix St. Guthlac (Vesp.) (1909) xix. 160 Geong and eald, ealle hi gelice se stranga deað forgripeð and nymð.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 1811 Cristen men þat he vond to stronge deþ he broȝte.

1531 W. Tyndale Answere Mores Dialoge f. cxxx^v Christ prayed a stronge prayer for peter to helpe hym vpp agayne and sofred a stronge deeth thereto.

1642 J. Pigot Hierusalem bedewed with Teares 8 'Tis a strong death, a terrible death by the Sword, which David so earnestly prayed against.

strong eye n. a sheepdog's way of looking at sheep that produces good control over them; this ability to control sheep; (also) New Zealand a sheep dog having this ability.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > sheepdog > [noun] > with specific job or character

boundary dog1876

leading dog1897

header1903

strong eye1910

huntaway1913

1910 Gettysburg (Pa.) Times 24 May One of the best points a dog can have is a good strong eye. By that I mean one that will stand and set like a setter, never taking his eye from the sheep.

1916 Pastoral Rev. 26 326/1 The Border sheepdog, keen, with strong eye,..in their handling of sheep..‘have the wiles of a woman and the will of a man’.

1949 C. W. G. Hartley Shepherd's Dogs ii. 5 The pup is from a ‘strong-eye’ strain.

1952 Arena (N.Z.) xxxi. 2 Shepherding the stragglers would be Charlie's strong-eyes, Beau and Belle.

1977 Field 13 Jan. 55/2 A dog which can ‘will’ his sheep into submission requires what shepherds term a strong (or dominant) eye.

2012 J. Watts Kizzy Ann Stamps 113 An eye stalk is really important, and the sheep's response determines if the dog has a strong or weak eye.

strong-eyed adj. having keen eyesight or a penetrating gaze; spec. (of a sheepdog) having good powers of controlling sheep by looking at them.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > sheepdog > [adjective] > having particular skills

strong-eyed1686

backing1934

1686 H. Grenfield God in Creature 9 Strong ey'd Eagles dare not it behold, Twould blind the Cherubim, were they too bold.

1800 R. Southey History in Ann. Anthol. II. 88 She stood before me in her majesty, Clio, the strong-eyed Muse.

1858 Dwight's Jrnl. Music 24 Apr. 27/1 Mr. Ruskin, the most ardent and strong-eyed explorer the world has ever seen, discovered that Art was only rightly to be seen from a nut-shell.

1912 G. K. Chesterton Miscelllany of Men 114 The strong-eyed man can boast that he sees the sun as a perfect circle. The shortsighted man may say..that he sees the moon as a silver blur.

1916 Pastoral Rev. 26 326/2 To teach the strong-eyed dog to pull requires infinite tact and patience.

1952 J. H. McCulloch Border Collie Stud. 23/1 Breed a strong-eyed dog to another strong-eyed dog and the result may be a very strong-eyed dog.

1975 P. Newton Sixty Thousand on Hoof 202 Don Rogers gave exhibitions of handling and working sheep with a team of five highly-trained ‘strong-eyed’ sheepdogs.

2008 D. Henry in S. Molloy & H. Nadelman Starting Sheepdog 91 Some of the puppies that start working really, really young are your strong-eyed dogs.

strong farmer n. Irish English (now chiefly historical) a prosperous farmer with a relatively large farm.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > wealth > [adjective] > well-off

wellc1405

sufficient1436

full?1483

suffisant1484

beina1525

warmc1571

well-breeched1571

meaned1605

well-meaned1605

well-lined1611

substanced?1614

well-circumstanced1643

forehanded1658

uppish1678

easy1701

brownstone1780

forehand1784

solid1788

well-to-do1794

snug1801

strong farmer1802

well-fixed1822

unindigent1830

well off1842

fixed1844

comfortably offc1850

heeled1871

well-heeled1871

well in1888

independent1893

1802 R. Thompson Statist. Surv. Meath iv. 79 The person, who provincially goes by the name of a strong farmer, holds from one to three hundred acres.

1873 E. O'Curry Manners Anc. Irish II. 35 The Bruighfer..being what would now be called in Munster a ‘strong farmer’, he was to set an example to his neighbours.

1956 S. H. Bell Erin's Orange Lily iv. 52 The purchasers were strong farmers and agents buying for the gentry.

2007 M. P. Carroll Amer. Catholics in Protestant Imagination i. 43 The living standards of the Catholic strong farmers in Ireland improved dramatically during the late eighteenth century.

strong gale n. a powerful wind able to form high waves at sea or cause slight structural damage on land; spec. a wind of force 9 on the Beaufort scale, (in modern use) corresponding to a speed of 41–47 knots (75-88 km/h).

ΚΠ

1591 Honourable Actions E. Glemham sig. B3 A strong gale at Northeast began to blowe, and the seas to growe.

1630 J. Winthrop Jrnl. 13 May in R. S. Dunn et al. Jrnl. J. Winthrop (1996) 20 The winde came to the S: westerly, with Close weather, & a strong gale.

1754 A. Hendry Jrnl. 2 Dec. in Trans. Royal Soc. Canada (1907) 1 ii. 343 Strong gale with Snow & Sleet. Obliged to remove into thick woods.

1824 Ann. Reg. 140 Edinburgh—A strong gale..came on from the north-east, and the usual demolition of chimney-cans, slates, etc. ensued.

1908 W. P. Reeves New Zealand i. 4 Round New Zealand are..the same westerly winds, often wet and sometimes rising into strong gales.

2000 C. D. Whiteman Mountain Meteorol. v. 67 (table) Strong gale: High waves; sea begins to roll; dense streaks of foam; spray may reduce visibility.

strong joint n. U.S. slang a crooked gambling game in which the bank or operator always wins; (also) a place where such games are played.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > games of chance > [noun] > places for gambling

dicing-house1549

carding house1550

gaming house1562

dicing-chamber1571

tabling house1576

game house?1577

macaroni1771

gambling house1772

gambling school1773

gambling club1774

spill-house1778

gambling hall?1781

gambling den1792

gambling booth1804

hell1812

gambling hell1818

Crockford1827

silver hell1835

deadfall1837

casino1851

house1855

tripot1864

skin house1871

bucket-shop1875

gambling joint1885

salle1886

tabling den1886

spoofery1895

salle de jeu1901

strong joint1914

kitchen1924

salle privée1930

spieler1931

1914 J. Forbes in Wage-earning Pittsburgh iv. ii. 319 The ‘strong joint’ is the device operated most extensively and the one that ‘gets the money’.

1926 G. H. Maines & B. Grant Wise-crack Dict. 14/1 Strong joint, unfair or cheater's game.

1935 N. Ersine Underworld & Prison Slang 73 Strong joint, a crooked gambling house.

1938 F. Chester Shot Full xi. 98 A ‘pick-out’. This is another form of ‘strong-joint’, or never-win game.

1963 D. W. Maurer in R. I. McDavid & D. W. Maurer Mencken's Amer. Lang. (new ed.) xi. 731 Carnival workers, and especially strong-joint or flat-joint operators, have a more or less secret argot.

† strong lines n. Obsolete obscure or bombastic writing.Originally with reference to fashions of the late 1620s onwards in verse and preaching.

ΚΠ

1627 W. Hawkins Apollo Shroving 29 [Amp.:] I pray you view these lines. You will confesse they are strong lines. [Phil.:] I haue heard of strong lines, admited by weake iudgements, and derided by the iudicious.

1629 J. Ford Lovers Melancholy iii. 38 Answer me In strong Lines, y'are best.

a1631 J. Downe Certaine Treat. (1633) 65 [Some preachers] hunt after I knowe not what new fangled and quaint phrases, and as they tearme them, strong lines.

1678 T. Rawlins Tunbridge-Wells sig. A2v A conceited Rhimer, that strains his fancy beyond his Judgment, and Writes Nonsence for strong Lines.

1717 T. Purney Full Enq. True Nature of Pastoral 5 As for the Strong Lines, 'tis supplying the want of the Sublime with the Courtly and Florid Stile.

strong man's weed n. the herbaceous perennial shrub Petiveria alliacea (family Phytolaccaceae), of the southern United States, the Caribbean, and Central America, which smells strongly of garlic and is sometimes used for its stimulating and sudorific properties; also called guinea hen weed.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Phytolaccaceae (poke-weed and allies) > [noun]

redweed1624

poke1687

phytolacca1730

pork physic1733

pokeweed1751

pokeberry1754

rivina1754

guinea-hen weed1836

hoop-withe1847

pocan1858

strong man's weed1864

ink weed1913

the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medical preparations of specific origin > medicine composed of a plant > [noun] > plant used in medicine > specific plant

hyssopc1000

sionc1000

tunhoofc1000

poppyOE

camomilea1300

orobusa1398

tithymala1400

tutsana1400

Thapsiac1400

melissa?a1425

hallelujahc1425

turmeric1538

succory1541

balin1546

English treacle1548

treacle mustard1548

rhabarb1558

Thlaspi1562

treacle clover1562

holy herb1567

lungwort1578

solanum1578

lightwort1587

neezing wort1591

Alexander's Foot1597

burst-wort1597

symphonia1597

wound-herb1597

leper's herb1600

all bones1633

schoenanth1633

nip1651

wound-shrub1659

hermodact1678

jusquiam1727

Algerian tea1728

Australian tea1728

strongback1739

silphium1753

belladonna1788

foxglove1801

ledum1822

yercum1826

lungs of oak1856

strong man's weed1864

conium1866

short-long1871

fever grass1875

the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > cleansing or expelling medicines > [noun] > diaphoretic > plant-derived

Dover's powder1801

strong man's weed1864

1864 A. H. R. Grisebach Flora Brit. W. Indian Islands 788/1 Strong-man's-weed.

1954 West. Indian Med. Jrnl 19 Strong man's weed. This plant has a strong smell of garlic.

2009 J. A. Duke Handbk. Medicinal Plants Lat. Amer. Index 884/2 Strongman's-Weed.

strong meat n. figurative and in figurative contexts: a thing or (less commonly) person likely to be found unacceptably forceful or extreme. [Ultimately after Hellenistic Greek στερεὰ τροϕή, lit. ‘solid food’ (4th cent. b.c.), with allusion to Hebrews 5:12; compare post-classical Latin solidus cibus solid food (Vulgate: Hebrews 5:12).]

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > scholarly knowledge, erudition > intellectual command, mastery > [noun] > matter for instructed minds

strong meatOE

OE tr. Chrodegang of Metz Regula Canonicorum (Corpus Cambr. 191) lxxxi. 331 Ne mihte ic sprecan wið eow swylce wið gastlice, ac swylce wið flæsclice, and ic sealde eow, þe for Criste sint lytlingas, meoloc for drinc and nanne strangne mete [L. escam].

1526 Bible (Tyndale) Heb. v. 12 Ye..are become soche as have nede off mylke, and no of stronge meate [1611 King James strong meat; Gk. στερεᾶς τροϕῆς].

1655 E. Elys Dia Poemata (new ed.) 32 The Muses Sauce, my Study's Strong-meat: These Shall be my Play-mates, not my Mistresses.

?1794 S. Townsend Hist. Mother & Child (title page) An easy..method of teaching young children the alphabet, so as to lay a foundation for making them good readers;—who have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

1837 T. Carlyle in London & Westm. Rev. Jan. 403 But then his style!.. Strong meat, too tough for babes.

1909 H. G. Wells Tono-Bungay (U.K. ed.) i. i. 26 Gulliver was there unexpurgated, strong meat for a boy perhaps.

1965 Listener 21 Oct. 640/2 Nineteen Eighty-Four was prefaced by a warning that it was not for nervous listeners. There was no such warning before Shirley Jenkins's The Child... Yet this too was..strong meat, dealing..with the thought stream of a woman on the point of giving birth.

2012 Psychologies (U.K. ed.) Apr. 43/2 Author Rachel Cusk is strong meat, and this account of her own marital breakdown is no exception.

strong safety n. American Football a defensive player who typically plays opposite the strong side of the offensive line, behind the linebackers but closer to the line of scrimmage than the free safety; (also) the position occupied by such a player; cf. free safety n. at free adj., n., and adv. Compounds 2.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > football > American football > [noun] > types of player

side tackle1809

nose guard1852

rusher1877

goalkicker1879

quarterback1879

runner1880

quarter1883

full back1884

left guard1884

snap-back1887

snapper-back1887

running back1891

tackle1891

defensive end1897

guard1897

interferer1897

receiver1897

defensive back1898

defensive tackle1900

safety man1901

ball carrier1902

defensive lineman1902

homebrew1903

offensive lineman1905

lineman1907

returner1911

signal caller1915

rover1916

interference1920

punt returner1926

pass rusher1928

tailback1930

safety1931

blocker1935

faker1938

scatback1946

linesman1947

flanker1953

platoon player1953

corner-back1955

pulling guard1955

split end1955

return man1957

slot-back1959

strong safety1959

wide receiver1960

line-backer1961

pocket passer1963

tight end1963

run blocker1967

wideout1967

blitzer1968

1959 Southwest Times (Pulaski, Va.) 11 Sept. 6/7 Brown seemed worried over the fact that he was one deep in the quarterback position and lacked a strong safety man.

1962 Brainerd (Minnesota) Daily Dispatch 22 Aug. Lamson..has been getting plenty of work at the strong safety slot.

1991 Football Action '91 9/2 Swilling will move to strong safety this season.

2006 Sports Illustr. (Electronic ed.) 25 Sept. 50 [He] broke free from the grasp of strong safety Sammy Knight and raced into the end zone.

strong side n. American Football the side of a formation (at the line of scrimmage) having the most players; (also) the side of the offensive formation on which the tight end lines up.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > football > American football > [noun] > types of player > specific group of players

defensive line1632

rush1881

rush line1882

offensive line1893

strong side1905

backfield1911

platoon1941

secondary1955

suicide squad1960

D-line1971

1905 F. H. Yost Football for Player & Spectator 239 This play strikes on the strong side.

1959 Bennington (Vermont) Evening Banner 1 Oct. 4/5 Graham was promoted to the strong-side guard post.

2003 Windsor (Ont.) Star (Nexis) 25 July c1 Slated to play the strong side,..Bailey will struggle against larger NFL tight ends.

strong silent man n. a taciturn man whose feelings are concealed and controlled; also strong silent hero and variants.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > taciturnity or reticence > [noun] > one who does not speak

silentiary1611

mum1666

mumchance1694

strong silent man1839

taciturnist1887

oystera1910

1839 T. Carlyle Chartism iv. 30 With this strong silent people have the noisy vehement Irish now at length got common cause made.

1876 Potter's Amer. Monthly July 133/1 I suppose Humphrey, in his secret soul, feared his suit might be hopeless; but he was a strong, silent man, and given to much quiet determination of purpose.

1913 C. Mackenzie Sinister St. I. ii. xv. 407 She said I must be careful not to grow up into a strong silent Englishman, because their day was done.

1914 Rev. of Reviews 51 253/1 His Robert Blaine is stronger and more silent than any of the long line of strong, silent heroes whom that most gifted author created and sent forth to be our admiration and despair.

1926 Punch 27 Jan. 112/2 Is the golden eagle the strong silent person that Mr. Batten makes out?

1936 W. S. Maugham Cosmopolitans 260 These for the most part are strong silent men who waste no words.

1988 M. Bishop Unicorn Mountain (1989) xxv. 294 The Hollywood stereotype of the Strong Silent Hero.

2004 Times Lit. Suppl. 30 Apr. 7/4 What had happened to the archetypal English hero of my childhood, the strong silent man with the stiff upper lip?

strong silent type n. the sort of person who is taciturn and whose feelings are concealed and controlled.Typically used of men: see strong silent man n.

ΚΠ

1909 Times Lit. Suppl. 3 June 206/2 John Grange, the hero of The Shuttles of the Loom, by K. M. Edge..was a man of the strong, silent type.

1910 Dublin Rev. Apr. 413 Mr Gwynn represents Emmet as the strong, silent type of conspirator, a character very different from the conception which one would form from the published account of Emmet's trial.

1925 ‘R. Crompton’ in Windsor Mag. Jan. 130/1 He considered himself to be a man of the strong, silent type.

1978 L. Charteris Saint & Templar Treasure (1979) i. 25 I've always fancied myself as the strong silent type.

2007 Independent 15 Dec. 37/1 Like the strong silent types played by John Wayne.., the men gathered in Rudy's are not the talkative sort.

strong stress n. Prosody spec. accentuation which falls on syllables separated by a varying number of unstressed syllables, characteristic of certain poetic traditions, as Old English alliterative verse.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > versification > rhythm > [noun] > beat > strong stress

lift1894

strong stress1959

1959 PMLA 74 i. 588 The two main alternative principles of English meter..are actually two kinds of stress—strong stress (the Old English, the Piers Plowman tradition) and syllable stress (the Chaucer-Tennyson tradition).

1973 Stud. Eng. Lit.: Eng. Number (Tokyo) 22 There was no mention of Anglo-Saxon verse as a forerunner of sprung rhythm... There is..little reason to suppose that Hopkins derived his sprung rhythm from strong-stress verse.

2008 M. J. Duffell New Hist. Eng. Metre iii. 58 By the late fourteenth century..a metre based on strong stress and alliteration was no longer as good a fit for the language.

strong suit n. Cards a suit of which a hand has many or valuable cards; figurative a thing at which a person excels, a particular advantage, a valuable asset; cf. strong card n.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > card or cards > [noun] > suit

suit1563

strong suit1742

side suit1883

the world > action or operation > ability > [noun] > ability or talent > that for which one has special ability

strengthc1440

forte1682

long suit1759

strong card1795

strong point1798

strong suit1836

1742 E. Hoyle Short Treat. Game Whist 22 You must play three Rounds of Trumps, otherwise you may have your strong Suit trumped.

1785 J. Almon Asylum for Fugitive Pieces 92 King of ——. I never have luck, when the curse of Scotland is in my hand... I have a strong suit now, without a Knave among them.

1836 Amer. Turf Reg. July 498 Oratory was unquestionably his strong suit: touch him on that, and he was always at home.

1865 ‘M. Twain’ in N. Y. Sat. Press 18 Nov. 249/2 Jumping on a dead level was his strong suit.

1900 ‘J. Doe’ Bridge Man. 31 The Dealer should go No Trumps with two very strong suits, one other suit weakly guarded, and the fourth not guarded at all.

1940 G. Frankau Self-portrait lxiii. 388 Adaptability has always been one of my strong suits.

1954 A. Sheinwold Third Bk. of Bridge: Duplicate Bridge vi. 134 If your second bid is in a suit, your partner knows that you have a game-forcing hand and a strong suit.

2009 Independent 13 June 35/5 Gordon Brown would do well to remember that the economy is his strong suit.

strong woods n. (also strong wood) [with reference to North American peoples after Canadian French bois fort (1749 or earlier); compare Plains Cree sakâwiyiniwak, lit. ‘woodland people’] Canadian a region of thick afforestation; frequently attributive, esp. in the names of North American peoples.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > land > landscape > fertile land or place > land with vegetation > [noun] > wooded land > types of

ripplelOE

wildwooda1122

rough1332

firth?a1400

tod stripec1446

osiard1509

bush1523

bush-ground1523

fritha1552

island1638

oak landc1658

pinelandc1658

piney wood1666

broom-land1707

pine barrenc1721

pine savannah1735

savannah1735

thick woods1754

scrub-land1779

olive wood1783

primeval forest1789

open wood1790

strong woods1792

scrub1805

oak flata1816

sertão1816

sprout-land1824

flatwoods1841

bush-land1842

tall timber1845

amber forest1846

caatinga1846

mahogany scrub1846

bush-flat1847

myall country1847

national forest1848

selva1849

monte1851

virgin forest1851

bush-country1855

savannah forest1874

bush-range1879

bushveld1879

protection forest1889

mulga1896

wood-bush1896

shinnery1901

fringing forest1903

monsoon forest1903

rainforest1903

savannah woodland1903

thorn forest1903

tropical rainforest1903

gallery forest1920

cloud forest1922

rain jungle1945

mato1968

1792 in Handbk. N. Amer. Indians (1981) VI. ii. 17 Strong Wood Crees.

1800 A. Henry Jrnl. 5 Sept. (1988) I. 43 We had about one quarter of a mile of strong wood to pass through.

1801 A. Mackenzie Gen. Hist. Fur Trade p. xvii in Voy. from Montreal The strong woods and mountainous countries afforded a refuge to those who fled from the contagion of the plains.

1861 Canad. Naturalist Dec. 438 The Strong-wood Reindeer inhabit the thickly wooded parts of the District.

1906 Metrop. Mag. May 164/1 The white man is nothing but a child when he travels the strong-wood country.

1969 E. W. Morse Fur Trade Canoe Routes ii. iv. 45 The North Saskatchewan formed roughly the boundary of the ‘strong woods’ region where the furs were harvested.

1980 P. Lehmberg (title) In the strong woods.

2003 J. C. Jackson Jemmy Jock Bird 96 Rocky Mountain Cree, Strongwoods Cree, and Strongwoods Stoneys also slipped in to trade.

Derivatives

strong-like adj. having an appearance of strength.

ΚΠ

1782 J. Brown Compend. View Nat. & Revealed Relig. ii. i. 139 He..doth accomplish those promises..which he had the strongest-like reasons to shift.

1789 J. Williams Nat. Hist. Mineral Kingdom I. 420 Some of these are dull and strong like.

1883 E. F. Byrrne Fair Country Maid I. xiii. 208 He nods and smiles at me, till I feel quite strong-like and able.

2004 ‘J. Logan’ Slocum & Orphan Express xv. 122 Big feller. Not fat-big, just tall and real stronglike.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	strong
释义	strongn. Brit. /strɒŋ/, U.S. /strɔŋ/, /strɑŋ/ Forms: see strong adj. Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: strong adj. Etymology: < strong adj. 1. With the in collective or generic sense. a. With plural agreement: strong people as a class; those who are strong (in various senses). With singular agreement: the typical or representative strong person; the one who is strong. ΚΠ eOE (Mercian) Vespasian Psalter (1965) liii. 3 (5) Fortes quesierunt animam meam : ða strongan sohtun sawle mine. OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xl. 530 Biter bið ðæs dæges stemn þær bið se stranga [lOE Vesp. D.xiv se strange] gedrefed. c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 1520 (MED) Eche lond..is contray to the stronge. a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 6821 The stronge the feble ouergoth. c1450 Bk. Marchalsi (Harl. 6398) (1973) f. 1^v (MED) Yf þu haue ten folys..or twenti..departe hem in thre, þe stronge be hem-self, þe mene be hem-self, [etc.]. 1550 R. Sherry Treat. Schemes & Tropes sig. Fi More credible is the accusacion of lecherye in a fayre body then in a foule, and violence more probable in the strong, then in the weake. 1578 J. Phillips Commemoration Countis of Lennox sig. Bj^v The strong and weake he [sc. death] makes full soone to bende. 1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III v. vi. 40 Conscience is but a word that cowards vse, Deuisd at first to keepe the strong in awe. View more context for this quotation a1681 U. Oakes Soveraign Efficacy of Divine Providence (1682) 16 The Swift is lame, or slow-footed, the Strong is weak & timorous. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis iii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 269 Who, when he saw the Pow'r of Troy decline, Forsook the weaker, with the strong to join. 1756 J. Kidgell Disc. preach'd at Somerset-chapel 16 The Strong is divested of his Strength, the Wise of his Understanding. 1789 J. Bentham Introd. Princ. Morals & Legisl. xii. p. clix The weak would..be oppressed and injured in all manner of ways, by the strong. 1817 W. Scott Harold i. ix. 19 With the deed of the brave, and the blow of the strong. 1817 P. B. Shelley Laon & Cythna Ded. p. xxvii I grow weary to behold The selfish and the strong still tyrannise. 1847 R. W. Emerson Poems 139 By right or wrong, Lands and goods go to the strong. 1901 Education 21 304 The strong in purse, in brains and in leisure ought to lead their fellowmen in the discharge of every civic duty. 1939 J. Murphy tr. A. Hitler Mein Kampf II. viii. 476 (heading) The strong is strongest when alone. 1976 L. Alther Kinflicks (1977) ix. 375 ‘The strong survive,’ Eddie went on, ‘and the meek perish!’ 2010 S. Vedantam Hidden Brain vi. 126 The strong and able-bodied stand solicitously at exits to help the frail and elderly. b. With singular agreement. That which is strong (in various senses). ΚΠ a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) Prol. l. 615 The fieble meynd was with the stronge, So myhte it wel noght stonde longe. 1656 W. Dillingham Prove All Things 16 How patcht their coat is, of how different a thread and spinning, so that it could never hang together, but that the new would rend the old in sunder, the strong the rotten, were it not for that same Catholick plaister of infallibility. 1882 Encycl. Brit. XIV. 501/1 In the chief of these temples is preserved the famous Dorjé of Buddha, i.e., the Vajra or Thunderbolt..the symbol of the strong and indestructible. 1971 A. Miller in R. Osborn & E. Wengler Osborn Festival of Phobias Introd. Perhaps there is no good or bad art but strong and weak art, and the strong is what imprints itself on the mind. 2008 S. Hunter Night of Thunder xviii. 124 A revolver, even a big old boy like this one, was a gentle mesh of the strong and the delicate. 2. (a) A strong thing, spec. in a classificatory series; also extra strong. †(b) A strong or powerful person (obsolete).In Old English also in partitive genitive singular as postmodifier (cf. quot. eOE). ΚΠ eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) ii. iv. 44 Ge nanuht mid eow nabbað fæstes ne stronges þætte þurhwunigean mæge. OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xii. 29 Hu mæg man ingan on stranges hus [L. in domum fortis] & hys fata hyne bereafian? c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1978) l. 13326 Þo bi-gan þat strange fiht... Þar he mihte finde..hond aȝen hond strong aȝen strong. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Reeve's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 245 This Millere..fnorteth in his sleep..His wyf bar hym a burdon, a ful strong Men myghten hir routyng heren a furlong. 1605 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. ii. ii. 430 Th' euer-blessed soules Of Christ his champions..Shall daunce to th' honour of the Strong of strongs. 1638 T. Hawkins tr. N. Caussin Holy Court IV. ix. 202 He [sc. Jesus] was the strong of strongs. 1882 Widow Tanner's Cactus i. 11 These be ‘extra-strongs’, ma'am; now you..give one or two to your good gentleman when he 've got a bit of a cold or a sore throat. 1901 W. S. Rainsford Baccalaureate Serm. 13 All lesser goods and fairs and strongs are ever making way..for her best, her fairest and her strongest. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood ix. 111 She took..to..the selling of bath-buns and half panned loaves and extra strongs. 1944 J. Millar in R. Greenhalgh Pract. Builder iv. 183/1 Welsh slates are classified as best, seconds, thirds or strongs, extra strongs, and their thickness varies from ¹/ ₆ in. to ²/ ₃ in. 2003 in H. L. C. Tristram Celtic Englishes III. 225 Regularity lies not so much with any isochrony of the ‘strongs’ [sc. strong syllables] as with a rhythmic alternation in which ‘strongs’ are spaced out typically by one or two ‘weaks’. †3. The thumb. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > external parts of body > limb > digit > finger > [noun] > thumb thumba700 strongc1300 vice-hand1644 pollex1702 thumby1811 thumb-finger1855 c1300 St. Michael (Laud) 316 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 308 For mannes þoumbe strenguest is, þare-fore he hatte ‘þe strongue’. 4. Fencing. = forte n.¹ 2. Now somewhat rare. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > fighting sports > fencing > [noun] > foil > part of button1598 prime1639 feeble1645 foiblea1648 fortea1648 stronga1648 sworda1648 weak1683 seconde1688 strength1702 a1648 Ld. Herbert Life (1976) 32 The Fort or strong [of a foil] which extendes from the part of the hillt next the Sword about a third part of the wholle length thereof. 1692 W. Hope Compl. Fencing-master (ed. 2) 3 The Strong, Fort, or Prime of the Blade is Measured from the Shell..to the middle of the Blade. 1839 London Encycl. IX. 151/1 A quick fencer would often, by disengaging carte over arm with the strong of his sword against the foible of yours, thrust you at the same time you were thrusting him. 1933 J. M. Castello Theory & Pract. Fencing ii. i. 17 We speak of three parts of the blade: the weak, the middle, and the strong. 1976 C. A. Selberg Foil iv. 25 The strong of the blade is used exclusively for defense. It is through the combined relationship of the strong and the guard that most parries are created. 2003 S. Brust Lord Castle Black (2004) xxxvi. 20 You will..find an ornate ‘N’ on the strong of the blade, very near to the guard. 5. Australian colloquial. the strong of: the character, state, significance, or meaning of; cf. to get the strength of at strength n. Phrases 2k. ΚΠ 1911 Advertiser (Adelaide) 18 Feb. 16/9 The witness was taking him to the cell, after having been charged with the larceny, and the accused asked—‘What's the strong of this?’ 1938 X. Herbert Capricornia 566 What's the strong of you? What's the questioning for? I've done nuthin'. 1959 E. Lambert Glory thrown In 161 ‘What's the strong of this joint?’ demanded Doc brusquely. ‘Not an undertaker's is it?’ 1983 B. Dawe Over here, Harv! 118 H-hey fellers..What's the strong of this—empty glasses? This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022). strongadj. Brit. /strɒŋ/, U.S. /strɔŋ/, /strɑŋ/ Forms: α. early Old English stran (Kentish, probably transmission error), Old English–Middle English (1800s– English regional (northern)) strang, late Old English stræng (Kentish), late Old English strancg, early Middle English stranng ( Ormulum), early Middle English stranȝe, Middle English stang (transmission error), Middle English staunge (transmission error), Middle English strange, Middle English strangge, Middle English straunge, Middle English (1800s Irish English (Wexford)) straung; Scottish pre-1700 strange, pre-1700 straunge, pre-1700 1700s– strang. β. early Old English strongg- (inflected form), Old English– strong, early Middle English stroge (transmission error), early Middle English stron (probably transmission error), early Middle English stronȝ, early Middle English strotige (transmission error), Middle English stronc, Middle English strongge, Middle English strongue, Middle English stronke, Middle English stroong, Middle English stroonge, Middle English–1500s stronge, 1500s stronkg, 1500s–1600s strounge, 1600s stronk, 1600s stroung, 1800s– strung (English regional); Scottish pre-1700 stronge, pre-1700 1700s– strong. See also strenger adj. and adv., strengest adj. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with West Frisian strang strict, serious, intense, tight, Old Dutch strank mighty, powerful, intense (Middle Dutch stranc , strang- mighty, powerful, impressive, large, unyielding, tight, intense, violent, Dutch regional strang tight, oppressive, hard, cruel, powerful, mighty, (of liquids) strong-tasting), Old Saxon strang mighty, powerful, violent (Middle Low German (rare) stranc , strang powerful, violent), Old High German strang mighty, powerful (Middle High German strang , stranc , strange mighty, powerful, brave, severe, strict, stern), Old Icelandic strangr powerful, severe, hard, probably < the same Germanic base as string n.Form history. The modern β. forms largely reflect late Old English lengthening of a before ng , southern rounding of ā to open ō in Middle English, and subsequent shortening to o in late Middle English (compare forms of long adj.¹). On spellings with o in Old English (reflected also by some early Middle English instances) see discussion at O n.¹ Comparative and superlative forms. In Old English the stem vowel frequently shows i-mutation in comparative and superlative forms (see strenger adj., strengest adj.), probably partly due to the variant forms of the respective suffixes in Germanic (see discussion at -er suffix³, -est suffix), and partly reflecting comparative and superlative forms of the (rare) cognate strenge (see below). Reflexes of the Old English comparative and superlative with i-mutation are frequent in Middle English, with the comparative strenger still occasionally attested in the 16th cent. Unmutated forms (stronger , strongest ) occur from the Old English period onwards, and eventually supersede mutated forms. (Examples of the comparative strenger and superlative strengest are included at this entry only where important for the history of a particular use; for fuller coverage of these forms see strenger adj., strengest adj.) An Old English cognate with i-mutation and its possible later reflexes. Old English strenge (with i-mutation caused by the j -suffix) is attested only once, probably in sense ‘violent’, modifying an otherwise unattested noun of uncertain meaning:OE Genesis A (1931) 60 He..his torn gewræc on gesacum swiðe selfes mihtum strengum stiepe.The negative form unstrenge ‘weak’ is also (rarely) attested. The forms streng , strenge are also occasionally attested in Middle English (also strengh in an isolated attestation in Older Scots) in senses of the present word (earliest in bynames, as William Strengfellow (1286), Joh. the Strengfelagh (1308), etc.). However, several instances appear to show alteration of strong by association with strenger adj. or strengest adj., rather than reflexes of Old English strenge ; compare similarly strengly adv. (beside strengerly adv. at strenger adj. and adv. Derivatives). Old English strenge is cognate with Middle Dutch strenge powerful, brave, energetic, strict, stern, unyielding, great (Dutch streng severe, strict), Middle Low German strenge powerful, mighty, violent, unbending, hard, intense, Old High German strengi powerful, hard, unyielding, mighty (Middle High German strenge powerful, brave, severe, strict, difficult, German streng strict, severe, rigorous), and further with (probably immediately < Middle Low German) Old Swedish stränger (Swedish sträng ), Old Danish strænghæ (Danish streng ), all with i-mutation caused by a form of the Germanic base with j -suffix. It has been suggested that the existence of these forms beside unmutated forms of the adjective in various Germanic languages may reflect their common derivation from the o -grade of a Germanic Class III strong verb (perhaps compare Norwegian regional strungen having a hard stomach). Specific senses. With senses 1a(b) and 5a(b) compare early use as byname and surname, as Richard Stronge (1185), Ralph le Esstrang (1228), Johannes le Stronge (1248), etc. With use in reference to vital organs (see sense 2c) compare Old English gestrangian (see strong v.) in sense ‘to strengthen (the stomach or the liver)’. With use in sense ‘having substantial financial resources’ (see sense 5e) compare Old English feohstrang rich ( < fee n.¹ + strong adj.). In use in grammar to designate inflectional classes of Germanic verbs, nouns, and adjectives (see sense 26), after use in this sense of German stark (as opposed to schwach weak) in J. Grimm Deutsche Grammatik I. (1819). Grimm's nomenclature reflects his belief that Germanic words that express grammatical information (tense, number, etc.) by ablaut of the root vowel (an inherited process) could be conceptualized as ‘stronger’ than words that rely instead on the addition of suffixes (which he viewed as a more recent development). 1. a. Of living beings, the body, or limbs: physically powerful; able to exert great muscular force; able to perform physically demanding or laborious tasks. (a) In general contexts.arm-strong: see the first element. as strong as a horse, an ox: see horse n. 25a, ox n. 1b. the stronger sex: see sex n.¹ Phrases 1c. See also strongman n., strongwoman n. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective] mightyeOE strongOE bigc1300 boldc1300 fort13.. steer13.. steevec1300 valiant1303 stalwortha1340 fortin1340 strengthfula1382 stout1390 pithya1400 tora1400 mighteda1470 strengthyc1485 forcy1488 nervy1598 nervous1616 whipcordy1856 Tarzanesque1933 Tarzan-like1943 OE Beowulf (2008) 2684 Him þæt gifeðe ne wæs þæt him irenna ecge mihton helpan æt hilde; wæs sio hond to strong. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 3574 Forr crist wass strang wiþþ hannd inoh To werrpenn dun þe deofell. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1771 Ich bi-tæche þe anne hængest godna & strongna. a1350 Maximian (Harl.) l. 238 in K. Böddeker Altengl. Dichtungen (1878) 252 Mi body þat wes strong..ybroht hit is to grounde. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 4298 Hert of stele and bodi of bras, Stranger þan euer samson was. c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xii. l. 161 Take two stronge men and in themese caste hem. a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 69 Thinking to grip ws in his clowis strang. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms cxliii. 14 That oure oxen maye be stronge to laboure. 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry iii. f. 119^v It must be sene to, that they [sc. the horses in a team] be euen matched, least the stronger spoyle the weaker. 1648 J. Taylor Brown Dozen of Drunkards 2 A Tospottalian of a stronger bulk and braine then..any of his fellowes. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 1059 So rose the Danite strong..and wak'd Shorn of his strength. View more context for this quotation 1726 Gentleman Angler 92 They will feed very generously, and divert the Angler, for they struggle hard, and are very strong. 1756 P. Browne Civil & Nat. Hist. Jamaica ii. iii. 446 The jaws [of this fish] thick and strong, resembling the beak of a parrot. 1782 W. Cowper John Gilpin 154 So like an arrow swift he flew, Shot by an archer strong. 1815 W. Scott Lord of Isles v. xx. 201 Strong are mine arms, and little care A weight so slight as thine to bear. 1864 Ld. Tennyson Grandmother iv, in Enoch Arden, etc. 116 Strong of his hands, and strong on his legs, but still of his tongue! 1884 tr. Princess Alice Let. in Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse 170 I am so afraid they will be too rough with her, for..Ella is very strong, and by no means gentle. 1908 Catholic World Apr. 94 She ain't strong enough in the arms to turn the bed now. 1956 Observer 10 June 14/6 A tall, tough, strong and workmanlike horse with good limbs. 2001 B. K. Das tr. P. Ray Primal Land xli. 126 He looked so strong, so young! (b) the Strong: used postpositively with personal names of historical, mythological, or legendary figures.Sometimes merging with sense 5a(b). ΚΠ OE Ælfric Old Test. Summary: Judges (Laud) xvi. 4 in S. J. Crawford Old Eng. Version of Heptateuch (1922) 412 Ða hæðenan Philistei beheton hira [read hire] sceattas, wið þam þe heo beswice Samson þone strangan. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) 13849 He com a þan ende þer fæht Kinard þe stronge. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 181 Samson þe stronge. c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 7704 And Sampson also, þe stronge [a1425 Linc. Inn þeo fort]. 1581 A. Hall tr. Homer 10 Bks. Iliades iii. 52 It is Aiax the strong, Who is best hope, defence and wall, that to the Greeks belong. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis x, in tr. Virgil Wks. 529 Orses the strong to greater Strength must yield. 1761 ‘Euthelius’ Relig. represented in True Light 181 Sampson the strong, and Solomon the wise, Warn us nor Strength nor Wisdom t'o'erprize. 1892 E. E. Hale & S. Hale Story of Spain x. 144 On the scroll the king read that the man was Hercules the Strong. 1917 A. Cahan Rise of David Levinsky i. iv. 22 When you are a man you will be strong as Samson the Strong. 1969 J. B. Beer Blake's Visionary Universe ii. 44 Both his greatest sons, Paris the beautiful and Hector the strong, were to fail more disastrously. 2005 T. Severin Viking: Sworn Brother 165 Did you really think that you could defeat Grettir the Strong? (c) Having great staying power in a physical activity; able to perform the specified action well and powerfully. Chiefly attributive. Also figurative.Recorded earliest in the Old English compound rynestrang strong in running (compare rune n.¹).Quot. a1425 may simply represent sense 1a(a). ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > player or sportsperson > [adjective] > by ability strongOE scrub1867 all-star1889 stiff1890 first string1892 plus1906 match-winning1908 all-time1910 seeded1922 front line1939 sharpshooting1948 world-class1950 uncapped1955 storming1961 OE Riddle 19 7 Widlast ferede rynestrong on rade rofne cofoah [runic mirror-script for haofoc]. a1425 (a1382) Prefatory Epist. St. Jerome in Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) (1850) 70 Abacuc, a strong wristeler [a1425 L.V. wrastelere] and a sharp, stondith vpon his waard. 1575 G. Gascoigne Noble Arte Venerie xvi. 41 When the Hartes passe the great ryuers..,..knowing which of them is strongest and best swimmer, they make him go formost. 1595 E. Spenser Astrophel in Colin Clouts come Home Againe sig. F^v In wrestling nimble, and in renning swift, In shooting steddie, and in swimming strong. 1741 W. Newton Hist. & Antiq. Maidstone xiii. 142 He [sc. Ball]..was the Premeditator of his pestiferous Invention, the strong Cutter-asunder or Divider of Ecclesiastical Unity. 1819 Ld. Byron Don Juan ii. liii. 145 At intervals there gush'd..the bubbling cry Of some strong swimmer in his agony. 1854 Poultry Chron. 2 183 They are light on the wing, but not strong flyers. 1863 A. W. Kinglake Invasion of Crimea (ed. 3) I. iii. 38 Imagination, transcendent and strong of flight. 1883 Sat. Rev. 24 Nov. 665/2 Too Good [sc. a racehorse] took up the running and made it very strong to the Canal. 1886 J. Ruskin Præterita I. xi. 379 He ran no risk but of a sound ducking, being, of course, a strong swimmer. 1922 Harvard Alumni Bull. 16 June 865/2 This year he has been a strong player in both the singles and doubles on the university lawn tennis team. 1964 U. Lanham Insects iv. 54 It is also possible that the first gliding insects were strong jumpers. 2010 B. Jenkinson Baseball's Ultimate Power vi. 129/2 Ramirez is a great clutch hitter as well as a very strong batsman. b. Of an action: performed with great muscular strength. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective] > characterized by use of strength strong?c1225 valiant1531 Herculean1596 Samsonistic1849 Samsonian1861 powerhouse1928 ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 275 Wresten aȝein wið strong wraggunge. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. liv. 271 It [sc. the foot of a lion, etc.] is long, pleyne, and holouȝ..and distingwid with toon for his strong holdynge. ?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Recuyell Hist. Troye (1894) I. lf. 37^v His strokes myght not be susteyned of men, they were so strong and puyssant. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. xi. sig. L [He] with strong flight did forcibly diuyde The yielding ayre. a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) v. i. 149 Anon I wot not, by what strong escape He broke from those that had the guard of him. View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis ix, in tr. Virgil Wks. 495 He joints the Neck: And with a stroke so strong The Helm flies off. 1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey II. viii. 104 None in the leap spring with so strong a bound. 1787 T. Best Conc. Treat. Angling (ed. 2) 45 Angling for the pike at the snap is to let him run a little, and then to strike him, the contrary way from whence he runs, with two strong jerks. 1816 Ld. Byron Prisoner of Chillon viii. 47 I burst my chain with one strong bound. 1896 W. E. Norris Clarissa Furiosa xxxv. 355 He..placed his foot under her arm-pit, and with one strong tug..restored the dislocated shoulder to its position. 1952 R. Hackforth tr. Plato Phaedrus xv. 104 The driver..jerks back the bit in the mouth of the wanton horse with an even stronger pull. 1998 B. M. Baglio Dolphin in Deep 126 Bing was swimming, pushing through the foam with strong strokes. c. Astrology. Esp. of a sign: associated with physical strength. Cf. sense 5c. ΘΚΠ the world > the universe > heavenly body > as influence on mankind > [adjective] > planet > dignity stronga1398 stronga1398 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. viii. ix. 464 Þise þat beþ in strengþe of kynde, and beþe [MS boþe] igendred vndir a stronge signe, male, ascendent and arisinge, and vndir a strong planete wiþ good aspect þerinne, beþ of stronge and good disposicioun in here kynde, and aȝenwarde. 1653 W. Ramesey Astrologia Restaurata xxii. 82 There are also weak signs and strong; weak signs are, Aries, Sagittary and Capricorn: strong are, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquaries. 1792 ‘C. Heydon Jr.’ Astrology 6 Signs..Weak..♈ ♐ ♑..Strong..♌ ♏ ♒. 1819 J. Wilson Compl. Dict. Astrol. Strong signs, ♌, ♏, and ♒, because they are said to give strong athletic bodies. 1918 M. Heindel & A. F. Heindel Message of Stars (ed. 3) xx. 440 It is a good indication of health when a strong sign rises with Jupiter or Venus close to the Ascendant and well aspected. 2003 J. R. Lewis Astrology Bk. 630 In traditional astrology, Scorpio and Aquarius were referred to as the strong signs, presumably because of their fixed natures. 2. Physically vigorous or robust; not readily affected by disease or adverse conditions; healthy. a. Of a person or animal, or the physical constitution of a person or animal. In later use often (predicatively): having regained normal health and vigour after illness. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > [adjective] > of health: good > resistant to disease, etc. strongeOE stalworthc1175 starka1250 stiff1297 stalworthyc1300 vigorousc1330 stoura1350 lustyc1374 marrowya1382 sturdyc1386 crank1398 robust1490 vigorious1502 stalwart1508 hardy1548 robustious1548 of force1577 rustical1583 marrowed1612 rustic1620 robustic1652 solid1741 refractory1843 salted1864 resistant1876 saulteda1879 the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective] > robust strongeOE hardOE stalworthc1175 starka1250 stiff1297 steel to the (very) backa1300 stalworthyc1300 wightc1300 stable13.. valiant1303 stithc1325 toughc1330 wrast1338 stoura1350 sadc1384 wighty14.. derfc1440 substantialc1460 well-jointed1483 felon1487 robust1490 stalwart1508 stoutya1529 robustous?1531 rankc1540 hardy1548 robustious1548 stout1576 rustical1583 rustic1620 iron1638 robustic1652 swankinga1704 strapping1707 rugged1731 solid1741 vaudy1793 flaithulach1829 ironbark1833 swankie1838 tough as (old) boots or leather1843 skookum1847 hard (also tough, sharp) as nails1862 hard-assed1954 nails1974 eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. xxxii. 234 Gif se mon sie geong & strang læt him blod of innanearme. lOE tr. Vindicta Salvatoris (Vesp.) in B. Assmann Angelsächsische Homilien u. Heiligenleben (1889) 194 He wæs sone hal þurh rihten geleafe..and swa strang, swa he wæs þa, þa he wæs þrittig wintre. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 4 Forþi mot þeos riwle changin hire misliche efter vchanes manere & efter hire euene. for sum is strong. sum vn strong. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 32 (MED) Þou art yong and strang, þou sselt libbe long. a1425 Rule St. Benet (Lansd.) (1902) 22 Þa þat ere strang and hale. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 239 Men wyche haue the complexcion hote and stronge. 1588 T. Kyd tr. T. Tasso Housholders Philos. f. 1 A youth of eighteene or twenty yeeres of age,..tough sinewed, and of a strong constitution. 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso i. lxxvii. 161 He was a man full of years, but of so fresh and strong a complexion, as he seemed likely to live yet many ages. 1698 E. Tipper Pilgrim's Viaticum 81 The Patients strong do grow and Pains survive. 1785 W. Cowper Task ii. 705 His head..Bespoke him past the bounds of freakish youth, But strong for service still, and unimpair'd. 1785 in Jrnl. Friends Hist. Soc. (1918) 75 I find myself growing stronger. My cough is better. 1806 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 15 26 A gentleman..who had always enjoyed good health, being of a strong and robust constitution. 1840 F. Marryat Poor Jack xxi. 151 Old Nanny..was now quite strong again. 1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms xxiii Starlight was none too strong... He wanted good keep and rest for a month. 1928 C. S. Churchill Let. 13 Apr. in W. S. Churchill & C. S. Churchill Speaking for Themselves (1999) xiii. 321 I am really beginning a pick up—These last 2 days I feel stronger & I am so thankful. 1976 K. Reddick Horses 114 The Orlov is basically a powerful, thickset animal with a strong constitution. 2003 T. Morrison Love 101 I..spread aloe gum and honey on the wound, hoping she was too strong for lockjaw. b. Of a plant or a part of a plant.Quot. OE (showing predicative use of strengest adj.) included here as earliest evidence of the sense. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by good growth > [adjective] > strong, vigorous, or plump strongOE thriftyc1440 well-brawneda1450 valiant1542 pubble1566 stout1573 corroborate1581 bunting1584 lusty1600 plump1600 vegetous1610 blought1611 boisterous1622 stocky1622 robust1627 steera1642 vegete1655 jollya1661 vigorous1706 well-to-do1852 OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) clviii. 200 Heo [sc. iris Illyrica] on Illyrico þam lande swiðost & strengost wexeþ. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 8684 Treon græte & longe þat beon swiðe stronge. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Isa. xl. 20 The stronge tree, and the vnable to roten [L. imputribile] ches the wise craftes man. tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) i. l. 88 The treen..Not crokid, lene, or seek, but hool & stronge. 1556 M. Huggarde Displaying of Protestantes (new ed.) f. 60 If they be suffered to growe till the good corne haue a stronge roote, then the cockle growing vp therwith, may be easely discerned. 1592 R. Dallington tr. F. Colonna Hypnerotomachia f. 2^v Strong Okes..and browne Hasils..with the greene couerture of their innumerable leaues. a1678 T. Hanmer Garden Bk. (1933) 29 Narcissus Fertius Mathioli, that is Mathiolus his third Narcissus, a very fine plant, having very large strong leaves. 1719 G. London & H. Wise J. de la Quintinie's Compl. Gard'ner (ed. 7) viii. 118 In speaking of a strong Tree, is meant a vigorous Tree. 1765 Museum Rusticum 4 354 He has the same hundred and twenty acres in wheat as heretofore, and strong and hopeful. 1780 W. Cowper Progress of Error 359 Plants rais'd with tenderness are seldom strong. 1822 P. B. Shelley Zucca ix And light revived the plant, and from it grew Strong leaves and tendrils. 1864 E. B. Pusey Daniel viii. 485 From the hewn stump, which has vitality, a strong tree will shoot forth. 1900 Garden 21 July 42/3 All the Alba Roses seem to appreciate a free hand to cut away worn-out growths, and to provide a liberal allowance of strong young shoots to bear flowers. 1962 L. P. Hudson Bones of Plenty ii. 214 The stems and leaves..were remarkably strong. 1999 BBC Gardeners' World Apr. 123 (advt.) Your plants... will be pot-ready with strong established roots. c. Of the vital organs and their functions, the nerves, brain, †‘spirits’, etc. Also: not easily disturbed, upset, or affected. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > [adjective] > robust > of vital organs or functions stronga1398 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. xlvi. 259 In wintir is grete appetite and strong digestioun. c1425 tr. J. Arderne Treat. Fistula (Sloane 6) (1910) 59 (MED) In euery þing þat goþ out of þe body bene 3 comon causez..If it be for vertue, þan it is for vertue retentyue is feble, and vertu expulsyue strong. 1541 T. Elyot Castel of Helthe (new ed.) 9 b Thynges makynge the stomake stronge: Mirabolanes: Nutmygges: Organum. 1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §738 The Leafe Tobacco; And the Teare of Poppy,..doe all Condense the Spirits, and make them Strong. 1680 W. Temple Ess. Orig. & Nature Govt. in Wks. (1731) I. 97 In more temperate Regions the Spirits are stronger, and more active, whereby Men become bolder in the Defence or Recovery of their Liberties. 1711 G. Cary Physician's Phylactic 329 It is nauseous to the strongest Stomach to have the Crambe bisconcocted so often drest up. 1779 B. Dominiceti To Royal Soc. & College of Physicians 5 The cases..were performed only on persons of strong nerves, and robust habits of body. 1833 J. Forbes et al. Cycl. Pract. Med. I. 578/2 Persons, even with strong stomachs, are frequently under the necessity of taking some stimulant to assist its digestion. 1863 M. E. Braddon J. Marchmont viii Mary Marchmont's story of a marriage arose out of the weakness of a brain, never too strong, and at that time very much enfeebled by the effect of a fever. 1910 H. W. Collingwood et al. Bus. Hen (Latest Hatch) ix. 97 Strong digestion and assimilation are shown in the appetite and ability to handle food. 1941 E. Mittelholzer Corentyne Thunder xxxiii. 193 An' years ago a doctor once tell 'e say dat 'e heart not too strong. 2011 National Trust Mag. Summer 79/2 The reek of curing herrings demanded a strong stomach when the season was on. 3. Of a person, or a person's heart, mind, or character: having the emotional or mental qualities necessary for dealing with difficult or distressing situations; capable of moral courage, rigour, or endurance; firm in will or purpose; able to resist temptation; brave, resolute, steadfast.self-strong: see the first element. See also strong silent man n., strong silent type n. at Compounds 3. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > courage > moral courage > [adjective] strongeOE fortitudinous1752 moral1834 the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > [adjective] > capable of moral effort or endurance strongeOE dreicha1200 stable13.. wilfulc1330 toughc1400 durable1541 strong-minded1544 unbending1796 cast iron1829 backboned1940 the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > absence of doubt, confidence > assured fact, certainty > certain prospect or possession > [adjective] strongeOE fasteOE sure1418 cocksure?a1534 in the bag1900 gold-plated1913 eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) lxv. 465 Ic wende ðæt ic wære swiðe strong [L. fortem] on manegum cræftum. OE Guthlac A 293 Gearo wæs Guðlac, hine god fremede on ondsware ond on elne strong. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 13326 Symon..All harrd & strang. & stedefasst..To stanndenn ȝæn þe laþe gast. a1200 (?OE) MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 185 Beoð stronge on fihte and fihteð wið þe ealde neddre and ges [read gef] [gie] ben strengere þane hie, gie shulle fon to mede þat endeles kineriche. c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham Poems (1902) 13 He þat ine saule is strang, Þat he wiþ-stent hi alle. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. iii. 176 Ȝif he is a greet wakere and strong of mynde [L. memoria tenax], þat tokeneþ drye brayne. a1425 Rule St. Benet (Lansd.) (1902) 43 Sisters þat er strang and of gude lyuyng. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 226 Tho men wyche haue ouer lytill kneis they bene stronge of corage. 1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection i. sig. Ei^v Lyke as god conforted the chyldren of Israel,..and bad them to be strong and nat to drede. 1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iv. i. 122 Be strong and prosperous In this resolue. View more context for this quotation 1631 tr. St. John of Avila Certain Epist. 388 In this tryall, which God sendes to you, you must resolue to make yourself strong. a1670 J. Hacket Scrinia Reserata (1693) ii. 3 He was once high in Fortune: but always strong in Courage, and great in Worth. 1719 Occas. Paper 3 29 That must be a strong Mind indeed, that shall break through the Censures and Opposition of the World. 1783 W. Cowper Valediction 61 [He] Should be..Prepar'd for martyrdom, and strong to prove A thousand ways the force of genuine love. 1795 T. Bellamy Life Mr. W. Parsons, Comedian 35 A life..supported and rendered interesting by strong character and moral rectitude. 1833 W. Wordsworth Warning 160 Be strong in faith, bid anxious thoughts lie still. 1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. xiii. 252 His face was quiet, but full of confidence... Tom felt calmer and stronger, as he met his eye. 1920 Daily Independent (Monessen, Pa.) 3 Aug. 4/1 A man of strong character..must have some..keen, bracing opposition. 1959 J. M. Dorsey & W. H. Seegers Living Consciously Prol. 2 Only a hard life can develop a strong mind. 1989 P. Dally Elizabeth Barrett Browning ix. 109 Robert might not be a strong enough man to cope with the strain of caring for her. 2002 M. Figgis Coll. Screenplays 1 Introd. p. xxvii Nick was very submissive and intimidated by these strong women. 4. a. Arising from or indicative of the emotional or mental resilience needed to deal with difficult or distressing situations; showing resolution or strength of character. (a) Of actions, qualities, words, etc.Not always clearly distinguishable from sense 9a. ΚΠ OE Hymns (Julius A.vi) cxix.1 in H. Gneuss Hymnar u. Hymnen im englischen Mittelalter (1968) 395 Pangamus inclyta gaudia fortiaque gesta sanctorum martyrum meritis : utan yppan þa æþelan gefean & ða strangan dæda ðæra haligra cyðera be geearnungum. OE tr. Felix St. Guthlac (Vesp.) (1909) ii. 108 Þa gemunde he þa strangan dæda þara unmanna [read iumanna] and þara woruldfrumena [L. valida priscorum heroum facta]. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 7896 Forr cnape child bitacneþþ uss Strang mahht i gode dedess. 1490 W. Caxton tr. Boke yf Eneydos i. sig. Bi^v A grete multytude of noble companye full of yougthe & of stronge corage. a1550 (c1477) T. Norton Ordinal of Alchemy (Sloane 1873) (1975) l. 2566 It gretelye retardith age When it is endid by stronge corage. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) v. ii. 25 I haue labour'd With all my wits, my paines, and strong endeuors, To bring [etc.] . View more context for this quotation 1623 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Henry VIII ii. i. 145 This Secret is so weighty, 'twill require A strong faith to conceale it. View more context for this quotation 1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd i. 160 E're I send him forth To conquer Sin and Death..By Humiliation and strong Sufferance. View more context for this quotation a1754 E. Erskine Assurance of Faith (1759) vi. 121 The world we live in requires a strong faith. a1822 P. B. Shelley Masque of Anarchy (1832) xlvi. 24 'Tis to be a slave in soul, And to hold no strong contrul [sic] Over your own wills. 1840 Ladies' Cabinet 3 61 Strong resolve is in his heart. 1905 ‘G. Thorne’ Lost Cause ix The magistrates of London are quite ready to take a strong stand. 2009 M. B. Paraison Bk. for Whole World vi. 89 The few times my husband prayed..were because of my strong persistence. (b) Of looks, voice, etc. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > resolution or determination > [adjective] > of utterances or demeanour stout1390 strong1580 settleda1586 tight-lipped1876 1580 A. Saker Narbonus 38 The dreadfull deathes, and the terrible torments, woulde mollifie the strongest eyes to shead bitter teares. 1593 T. Kelway tr. A. Ferrier Learned Astron. Disc. Natiuities i. ii. 33 Leo..signifieth fayre men, straight, the nose broade and little,..with a little strong looke,..couragious and of great heart. 1619 H. Ainsworth Annot. Fifth Bk. Moses called Deuteronomie sig. Bb2/2 A nation, of a strong face: which will not regard the face, of the old nor shew grace, to the yong. 1700 J. Elsum Epigrams Paintings Eminent Masters clviii. 122 A Countenance so strong, and so severe, Tho but a Shadow, raises Awe and Fear. 1814 R. Southey Roderick xxi. 260 For he was troubled while he gazed On the strong countenance and thoughtful eye Before him. 1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ Valerie's Fate ii Attracted by something kindly and strong in the tone of his voice. 1891 C. T. C. James Romantic Rigmarole vii The lady with the strong face, and the piercing grey eyes. 1921 F. Hutchins & C. Hutchins Sword of Liberty iv. 42 Beneath a strong forehead, penetrating blue-gray eyes looked out..; the nose, strong and straight, was a little too heavy, though that was scarcely noticed in the general strength of the face. 1999 C. Newland Society Within (2000) 207 ‘All righty den,’ Shannon said, her voice regaining its usual strong tone. ‘I suppose I'll see you about.’ b. Able to convey authority; powerful through strength of will and character.Not always clearly distinguishable from sense 5a. ΚΠ a1770 M. Akenside Poems (1772) 312 With that strong master of our frame, The inexorable judge within, What can be done? 1838 Law Mag. 20 8 The learned judge then sums up, and if not a strong judge, and dreading the consequences imposed on him by a conviction, often contents himself with carefully reading the evidence, and..telling the jury that..it was a crime against the laws of God and Nature. 1892 Daily News 10 May 3/3 He was emphatically what is called a strong Judge, and the mental force which he wielded impressed those who saw and heard him at his work. 1919 Public 22 Mar. 286/1 The times call for a strong statesman in England,—a man who will set aside all precedents and who will do something definite and radical. 1961 J. Carew Last Barbarian 219 The moment Joe opened his mouth he had reverted to the old relationship of a strong father with a spineless son. 2001 C. Rose in T. O'Brien & P. Garner Untold Stories x. 78 A strong headteacher and senior teachers were needed to show a direction for the school. 5. a. Having great controlling power over people and things, by reason of the possession of authority, resources, or inherent qualities; able to enforce one's will. (a) In general contexts. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > [adjective] > able to enforce will strongeOE society > authority > power > [adjective] mightyeOE craftyeOE richeOE strongeOE wieldeOE mainstrongOE mightOE keena1000 mightfullOE mainfulc1225 reighc1225 starkc1275 boldc1300 fort13.. mightandc1350 strengthya1382 mightifula1400 bigc1400 powerfulc1450 puissant?c1450 mananta1500 mighteousa1500 potenta1500 potential?c1500 vailing1508 forcible1555 potentate1556 swingeing1567 powerable1580 strong-handed1598 strengthful1604 hogen mogen1648 powerlike1657 pollent1660 hogana1672 swayful1767 reverend1826 oomphy1955 kick-ass1977 eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) iii. vii. 61 Philippus þa he cniht wæs, wæs Thebanum to gisle geseald, Paminunde, þæm strongan cyninge [L. strenuissimum imperatorem] & þæm gelæredestan philosophe. eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) iv. ii. 258 Wæron her stronge [L. fortissimos] cyningas & wel cristne ond eallum ellreordum cynnum ut in miclum ege. a1225 (?OE) MS Vesp. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 231 Hit ȝelamp þat an rice king wes, strang and mihti. c1225 (?c1200) St. Margaret (Royal) (1934) 29 Þah þu strong were, he wes muchele strengre me to witene. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1846 Ðe strong god of ysrael. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 14404 God..liuerd þaim fra pharaon, Fra pharaon þat was sa strang þat þam in seruage held lang. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. x. sig. Y5 In the Realme ere long they [sc. Hengist and Horsus] stronger arre, Then they which sought at first their helping hand. 1599 A. Hume Epist. to G. Montcrieff in Hymnes sig. H3^v The pure quhome strang oppressors dois oppres. a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iii. i. 446 What King so strong, Can tie the gall vp in the slanderous tong? View more context for this quotation a1677 T. Manton Serm. (1693) IV. xviii. 149 I find the Scripture speaking of this; he pardoneth as a strong God. 1714 G. Lockhart Mem. Affairs Scotl. 179 The Revolution Party only employ'd him..out of Fear; and as soon as they found themselves strong enough without him, they kicked him out of Doors. 1793 C. F. Greville Brit. India Analyzed III. xix. 878 The opinion of both parties coincided in the necessity of a strong responsible government. 1840 F. E. Paget Tales of Village viii. 145 The Church of England, strong in the aid of antiquity, tradition, and apostolicity. 1889 F. Cowper Capt. of Wight vi As his appointment vested in his person the supreme civil as well as military command, his influence and authority were wide reaching—in other words, he was a ‘strong’ Captain. 1911 W. H. Wilson Church of Open Country 210 Do you believe that one strong church can do more for a community than several weak ones? 1967 G. Batho in J. Thirsk Agrarian Hist. Eng. & Wales IV. v. 264 The absence of a strong minister led to laxity in administration. 2011 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 27 Mar. (Week in Review section) 11/2 The crisis..may yet mark the end of the ancient paradigm of the Arab ruler, the wise strong sheik, el Rais, the Boss. (b) the Strong: used postpositively with personal names of historical, mythological, or legendary figures.Sometimes merging with sense 1a(b). ΚΠ c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 10414 Swa wes Childriche þan strongen [c1300 Otho strange] & þan riche. c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) l. 2381 And for Strasagirs þe strang he of his strenth priued. 1567 Triall of Treasure sig. D Recorde of Dionisius, a king of much fame, Of the valiaunt Alexander, and Caesar the strong. 1700 J. Astry tr. D. de Saavedra Fajardo Royal Politician I. xlix. 355 Don Lopez de Haro being disgusted by King Sancho the Strong, reveng'd himself in the Treaties of Peace between that King, and Peter III. King of Arragon. 1818 London Lit. Gaz. 12 Sept. 591/2 During the assembly of the diet in Dresden, Augustus the Strong invited several of the principal members to an entertainment. 1843 tr. A. L. L. de Custine Empire of Czar II. xix. 144 Peter the Great, whom I should prefer to call Peter the Strong,..thus crushed the spirit of feudalism. 1903 H. E. Legge Short Hist. Anc. Greek Sculptors iii. 31 She was there worshipped as Athena the Strong. 1978 R. Anderson Getting up & going Home xxxi. 273 She was Catherine the strong, whose ancestors had beaten across the plains with handcarts. 1996 B. M. Mitchell & R. E. Salsbury Multicultural Educ. xxxviii. 308 Charles XII (known as Charles the Strong) embarked on a number of military ventures during the early 1800s. b. figurative and in figurative contexts, sometimes involving personification.Sometimes coinciding with senses not in a wider metaphor. ΚΠ OE tr. Defensor Liber Scintillarum (1969) iii. 32 Ualida est ut mors dilectio : strang ys swa deað lufu. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 205 Þach ha [humility] hire Makie swa smel & swa meoc. hais þinge stroggest [read strongest]. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Song of Sol. viii. 6 For strong is as deth looue. c1500 (?a1437) Kingis Quair (1939) cxlix (MED) Fortune is most and strangest evermore Quhare leste foreknawing or intelligence Is in the man. 1598 G. Chapman tr. Homer Achilles Shield 2 Thetis hath a strong command Of all my powers. a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) i. iii. 42 The strong necessity of Time, commands Our Seruicies [printed Seruicles] a-while. View more context for this quotation a1656 J. Hales Serm. at Eton (1673) iii. 48 Now humane Authority at the strongest is but weak, but the multitude is the weakest part of humane Authority. 1706 M. Prior Ode to Queen ix Misguided Prince!..Confess the Force of Marlbrô's stronger Star. 1789 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) I. 490 Ye ken, Ye ken, That strang Necessity supreme is. 1793 W. Cowper Beau's Reply 7 'Twas nature, Sir, whose strong behest Impell'd me to the deed. 1865 H. Kingsley Hillyars & Burtons xlix The old Adam was too strong for her. 1899 C. E. Banks & G. C. Cook In Hampton Roads xviii. 256 ‘The iron dragon's dead,’ mused Von Benzinger, ‘but still my star is strong.’ a1924 J. Conrad Suspense (1925) i. i. 7 Luck is better than courage. Surer than wisdom and stronger than justice. 2005 J. M. Coetzee Slow Man xvi. 121 Is horror after all stronger than love? c. Astrology. Of a planet: exerting a powerful influence (see quot. 1819) Cf. sense 1c.Quot. a1398 for strenger (see strenger adj.) included here as earliest evidence of the sense. ΘΚΠ the world > the universe > heavenly body > as influence on mankind > [adjective] > planet > dignity stronga1398 stronga1398 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. viii. ix. 461 Among þise triplicitees of houses þilke þat beþ in þe est beþ strengere in here worchinge..þan þe westrene. ?c1450 (a1388) tr. Richard of Wallingford Exafrenon (Digby) in J. D. North Wks. Richard of Wallingford (1976) I. 213 (MED) When a planete is in the auge of his difference, he is strongere than when he is in the opposite. ?1558 H. Baker tr. O. Fine Rules Vse of Almanackes (new ed.) sig. F.ii^v Those [planets] whiche do occupie the middeste of heauen, or the ascendant, shall be better and more stronger then they whiche shall be in the angle of the 7 or 4 house. 1658 E. Phillips New World Eng. Words Joyes of the Planets, are when they are in those houses where they are most powerful and strong, as Saturn joyeth in Scorpio. 1682 J. Holwell Catastrophe Mundi xii. 76 On December the 22th day, Saturn and Jupiter make their first Sextile, Jupiter being in Sagitarius strong, and Saturn in Libra weak. 1721 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. Almuten, the Lord of Figure, or strongest Planet in a Nativity. 1819 J. Wilson Compl. Dict. Astrol. 380 Planets are generally supposed to be strong when dignified either by house, exaltation, term, triplicity, or face, or by any accidental dignity. 1869 E. C. Steadman Blameless Prince 35 Men's lives, like oceans, change In shifting tides, and ebb from either shore Till the strong planet draws them on once more. 1906 A. Leo & H. S. Green Horoscope in Detail (ed. 2) xii. 85 When such a strong planet exists it may determine the occupation, influence marriage, and give the prevailing tone to the mind. 1967 R. Cavendish Black Arts v. 197 Venus is strong in Taurus, exalted in Pisces but weak in Virgo, which seems logical. 2008 D. George Astrol. & Authentic Self x. 200 Jupiter in the fourth house is the strongest planet in this configuration, because it is placed in its own sign of rulership, Pisces. †d. strong of friends (also friendship): having powerful friends. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adjective] > having friends > possessed of powerful friends strong of friends (also friendship)c1405 c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Physician's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 135 Hym thoughte he was nat able for to speede For she was strong of freendes. 1445–6 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Feb. 1445 §43. m. 6 Suytz, triables in forein shires, where thei be stronge of frendship. 1577 R. Holinshed Chron. II. 1728/1 To make hir selfe more stronger of frends in the citie,..she came to the Guilde hall. 1821 R. Freeman Kentish Poets 90 Sir E. Waterhouse says, he considers the little Earl of Essex to be the strongest of friends of any man in England. e. Having substantial financial resources, wealthy, rich; often more fully strong in (the) purse (also pocket). Also (by metonymy) of a purse or pocket. Now somewhat rare.See also strong farmer n. at Compounds 3. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > wealth > [adjective] richeOE eadyOE richfulc1300 plenteousc1350 wealthyc1380 wealthfula1400 wlouȝa1400 wellc1405 biga1425 goldedc1450 substantious1490 able1516 opulent?1518 substantive1543 strong1581 fat1611 juicy1627 fortuned1632 affluent1652 rhinocerical1688 rough1721 rowthy1792 golden1797 strong-handed1817 well-to-do1831 wealth-encumbered1844 nabobish1857 rhinoceral1860 ingoted1864 tinny1871 pocket-filled1886 oofy1896 nawabi1955 brewstered2001 1581 R. Mulcaster Positions xxxix. 215 Young gentlemen in purse strong, in yeares weake..be also subiect to all the same perills. 1622 F. Bacon Hist. Raigne Henry VII 161 The Merchant-Aduenturers likewise, (beeing a strong Companie at that time, and well vnderset with rich Men, and good order,) did hold out brauely. 1699 B. E. New Dict. Canting Crew Squirish, foolish; also one that pretends to Pay all Reckonings, and is not strong enough in the Pocket. 1716 Pharmacopœia Radcliffeana (ed. 2) 51 May not a well-turn'd Head, and a strong Pocket, serve the Turn as well? 1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. ii. vi. 113 He then desired to know..Whether, a Stranger with a strong Purse might not influence the vulgar Voters. 1754 A. Berthelson Eng. & Danish Dict. at Strong To be strong in the purse. 1820 G. Belzoni Narr. Egypt & Nubia ii. 260 I should have..prepared the way for others stronger than myself in purse. 1823 Mirror of Lit. 3 May 432/2 I am not..sufficiently strong in pocket to stem the torrent of ignorance..against the profession. 1841 J. James Hist. & Topogr. Bradford 122 In the days of Elizabeth and Charles, there was no need for that unwieldy balista, which none but strong pockets can move—a bill in the Duchy Court—to enforce suit and service from the lower class to the soke mills. 1852 Brit. Farmer's Mag. 22 541/1 With a view of assisting industrious occupiers,..and also of benefiting those who, although stronger in pocket, have still many difficulties to overcome. 1885 Times 3 Sept. 7/4 There must be a good deal of the article in the hands of ‘strong people’—that is, people who can wait..for a rise. 1887 Mech. Engineer 5 Nov. 102/3 An ‘Electric Trust’ arrangement, where the longest purse and the strongest pocket prevails. 1907 Insurance Monitor Sept. 320/2 His backers are few in number and strong in pocket. a1917 B. C. Browne Sel. Papers Social & Econ. Questions (1918) xxii. 192 A man, strong in purse and in character, says, ‘This is all nonsense,..there is nothing seriously wrong with the Company.’ 1930 Times 25 Mar. 24/7 Cash in hand and at bank is £110,575... We are stronger in the pocket by £20,000. 1992 Courier Mail (Queensland) (Nexis) 22 Feb. The size of the losses has daunted the strongest purse. 6. a. Of people individually: powerful or formidable as a combatant. Occasionally also of an animal set to fight or under attack.In later use simply a contextual use of sense 1a. ΚΠ OE Wulfstan Sermo ad Anglos (Nero) (1957) 271 Wæs here & hete on gewelhwilcan ende oft & gelome, & Engle nu lange eal sigelease.., & flotmen swa strange þurh Godes þafunge þæt oft on gefeohte an feseð tyne. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1313 Cnihtes he hæfde gode, stronge & wode. c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) l. 5434 Þe xii Drians of þe forest sauage A strong kniȝt of heiȝe parage. a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 566 I have promysed a day isette nerehonde to do batayle wyth a stronge knyght. a1500 (?a1400) Morte Arthur (1903) l. 1860 Was non so stronge that hym with-stode. 1553 T. Paynell tr. Dares Faythfull & True Storye Destr. Troye sig. Ej Agamemnon consideryng that his moste strongest and moste valiaunt men were slayne, retired. 1563 N. Winȝet Certain Tractates (1888) I. 62 [God] sall steir wp in his contrare strangar kempis..than I am. 1651 R. Wittie tr. J. Primrose Pop. Errours iii. viii. 159 Hazled cocks, which are quick for motion,..strong to fight. 1749 Virtue in Distress 5 The surrounding croud will not suffer the strongest combatant to strike the other when he has brought him down. 1792 Bee 28 Nov. 118 The former..displayed such an astonishing agility and force in wrestling and boxing, that they presently knocked or threw down the strongest and most expert of the English sailors. 1864 Ld. Tennyson Aylmer's Field in Enoch Arden, etc. 70 Where two fight The strongest wins. 1909 M. V. O'Shea Social Devel. & Educ. 460 In a prize fight, are the sympathies of the crowd with the weak or the strong combatant? 1999 N.Y. Times 2 Sept. d3/2 Quartey is a very strong fighter. He's a very solid fighter. He can box and he can counterpunch. 2012 N. Bilyeau Crown xxvii. 194 It felt like a bear baiting, with all of us surrounding a strong, crazed, enraged animal. b. Formidable as a fighting force by reason of numbers, equipment, position, etc.; powerful in warfare; (also) having a formidable fighting force or advantageous military position. Also with in (arms, etc.), passing into a contextual use of sense 6d. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > war > [adjective] > powerful in war strongOE armipotentc1405 bellipotent1635 OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Tiber. B.iv) anno 975 Næs [se] flota swa rang, ne se here swa strang, þæt on Angelcynne æs him gefætte, þa hwile þe se æþela cyning cynestol gerehte. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 7218 Heo uareð in þine londe mid hære swiðe stronge. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 354 Þo was þe compaynie strong & strengore þan it was er. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 15438 Þai armed þam þan al priueli, for to ma þam strang. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) v. l. 23 A hundreth men chargit in armes strang. 1535 W. Stewart tr. H. Boethius Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) I. 627 So strang power, sen weiris first began, Wes neuir sene ȝit with na levand man. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. x. sig. X8^v An army strong she leau'd, To war on those, which him had of his realme bereau'd. 1601 in F. Moryson Itinerary (1617) ii. 126 Wee resolved to leave the Northerne Garrisons very strong in foote and horse. a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) i. iv. 36 Pompey is strong at Sea. View more context for this quotation 1638 in Hamilton Papers (1880) 45 Your Ma^tti should prouyd for itt by furnising of Beruick and Cayrlyll uith good and strong garnisones. 1738 J. Ogilvie tr. R. Menteith Hist. Troubles Great Brit. (ed. 2) v. 206 Bailly,..was in all Haste advancing towards the Spey with his Army strong in Horse. 1761 D. Hume Hist. Eng. to Henry VII I. ii. 49 Receiving in the spring a strong reinforcement of their countrymen. a1774 O. Goldsmith Pref. & Introd. Seven Years' War in Misc. Wks. (1837) I. 520 They will find England strong at sea. 1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward ii. viii. 146 Louis XI. had himself assembled a strong force near Saint Maxence. 1861 N.Y. Herald 20 July 1/1 Advancing up the road to Bulls Run..sight was caught of a strong body of the enemy. 1915 Open Court June 376 Nippon is few in numbers, but strong in arms. 1958 H. H. Peckham War for Independence v. 84 The army was stronger in the spring simply because it received some sensible training. 1993 R. Lamb War in Italy, 1943–1945 (1996) x. 177 A strong garrison at Bologna faced by tanks and armoured cars did not fight. c. Performed or prosecuted with a formidable fighting force. Also in figurative contexts.In some contexts (such as c1300), difficult to distinguish from sense 8d. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military operations > [adjective] > other types of operation strongc1300 air–land1915 suicide1923 air-to-ground1935 triphibious1941 amphibious1943 black?1945 air-to-surface1954 search and destroy1964 c1300 All Souls (Laud) 351 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 430 Þe kyng Charles his Ost aday to strongue batayle gan lede. c1400 J. Gower Eng. Wks. (1901) II. 484 Thei that whilom the stronge werres made, Wher be thei now? 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. xxxvij Who lamentably complaining of the Turkes great crueltie, desyred stronge & continual aide. 1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 88 The French king made strong warre in Normandy. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene iii. iii. sig. Ee5^v King Vther now doth make Strong warre vpon the Paynim brethren. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) iii. iii. 22 Oh beate away the busie medling Fiend, That layes strong siege vnto this wretches soule. View more context for this quotation 1690 E. Littleton Managem. Present War against France 27 If the Rhine must be cleared, a strong Invasion of France might have been the readiest way to do it. 1760 Scots Mag. June 324/1 I had intended a strong sortie, to have penetrated into the enemy's camp. 1793 Times 22 May 3/3 A strong cannonade and platoon fire was kept up from the eminences of Hechtheim and the Holy Cross. 1817 J. Mill Hist. Brit. India II. v. iv. 440 The enemy made a strong sally. 1870 Pall Mall Gaz. 23 Sept. 8/1 The enemy opened strong fire on us. 1915 F. L. Huidekoper Mil. Unpreparedness U.S. (1916) ii. 26 Congress was apparently blind to the desolation entailed by a strong invasion of the Southern States. 2001 P. K. Davis Besieged (2003) 126/1 The 600 troops defending the village were saved by a strong sally from Osaka Castle. d. With in, †of, and later also on. Abundantly supplied with; having many or much of.Sometimes with overtones of great capacity, power, or influence. (a) With mass noun. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > supply > [adjective] > provided or supplied with something > well-provided or supplied > with, in, or for something richc1175 repletec1384 strongc1450 ripe1579 wealthy1608 well off1775 rife1787 plus1808 well to pass1809 long on1929 c1450 ( J. Walton tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Linc. Cathedral 103) 28 (MED) A paleys strong of apparaile Where þat þese fooles may not vp attayne. 1621 in W. Foster Eng. Factories India 1618–21 (1906) 337 Beinge thus strong in cash..wee have concluded the present dispeede. 1791 T. Hartley Let. 24 Sept. in G. Washington Papers (2000) Presidential Ser. IX. 6 They are already strong in property; their Buildings, Stock and Cattle all shew it. 1886 Manch. Examiner 3 Nov. 3/1 The Quarterly for October is exceptionally strong in literary interest. 1938 K. O'Brien Pray for Wanderer v. 178 What this man is chiefly strong in is sex appeal. 1976 F. Muir Frank Muir Bk. 96 The schools..were sending forth..superbly fit chaps, light on imagination but strong on team-spirit. 2002 Independent 15 May 18/3 Victorian and later paintings, strong in narrative interest, that had not been shown for many years. 2011 West Austral. (Perth) (Nexis) 8 Dec. 3 The cake is oh-so sweet and strong on spice. (b) With count noun in plural. ΚΠ ?1560 T. Norton Orations of Arsanes sig. D.iii^v He is riche of treasure, strong in men. 1712 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 16 Feb. (1948) II. 489 The H. of Lds is too strong in Whigs notwithstanding the new Creations. 1750 in tr. G. Greco Chess made Easy 184 When strong in Pawns take C and F. 1832 H. Cotton Five Bks. Maccabees v. xxiv. 338 Lythras the son of Cleopatra, having become strong in goods and in men, revolted from Cleopatra his mother. 1874 H. H. Cole Catal. Objects Indian Art S. Kensington Mus. App. 320 The India [Office] Museum..is specially strong in arms and textile fabrics. 1885 Truth 28 May 848/2 Landscapes..in which this year's Academy is unusually strong. 1922 M. W. Gaines Art of Investm. (1924) iii. 37 The company, after distributing part of its oil property holdings, is still strong in possessions outside of the railroad proper. 1989 A. Aird 1990 Good Pub Guide 127 Good wines—the extensive list is carefully thought out and strong on bin-ends. 1994 Toronto Life Aug. 59/1 Blackboard prix fixe ($14.95), plus a card strong in salads and grills. 2009 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 21 May f4/2 Mr. McClendon's collection was strong on the large, fat-cat bottles. e. Made up of many people or things; numerous. Also more explicitly strong in numbers. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > plurality > great number, numerousness > [adjective] > abundant, numerous > of individuals, people mickleeOE numerous?a1475 strong1533 populous1548 multitudinous1603 1533 T. More 2nd Pt. Confut. Tyndals Answere vii. f. ccclxxxix The nomber of open vnbyleuers professynge theyre vnbelyefe, neuer were so many at one tyme, but that the trew byleuers were yet the stronger parte. 1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 290 A strang spoyl thay bring with thame. 1598 R. Grenewey tr. Tacitus Annales 218 The souldiers sent to go forward with the enterprises, being neither strong in number, nor in courage stout. 1618 J. Chamberlain Let. 31 Jan. in R. F. Williams Birch's Court & Times James I (1848) (modernized text) II. 62 Our East Indian fleet is setting out,..They go stronger and more than ever heretofore. 1656 S. Holland Don Zara ii. iv. 101 But behold Shakespear and Fletcher (bringing with them a strong party) appeared. 1776 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall I. xii. 347 The legions, however strong in numbers..were dismayed by the most abject superstition. 1816 W. Scott Old Mortality viii, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser. IV. 153 The Cameronians continued a sect strong in numbers and vehement in their political opinions. 1848 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair lxvii. 624 A very strong party of excellent people consider her to be a most injured woman. 1855 Poultry Chron. 3 302 Keep the stocks strong in numbers. 1897 H. M. Jenkins Hist. Coll. relating to Gwynedd (ed. 2) ix. 78 At the time of establishing the monthly meeting, in 1714, Gwynedd must have become a strong meeting. The Friends at Plymouth were not so numerous. 1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 780/1 Amana was the strongest in numbers of the few sectarian communities in America which outlived the 19th century. 1997 F. P. Quin in B. B. Singh et al. Adv. Cowpea Res. Introd. p. xiii All regions of sub-Saharan Africa were represented, with..the strongest attendance from national program scientists from West and Central Africa. f. With preceding numeral. (a) Powerful as a fighting force to the extent of the specified number of soldiers, ships, etc. Hence gen.: made up of the specified number. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > arrangement or fact of being arranged > state of being gathered together > an assemblage or collection > [adjective] > of a specific number strong?1535 society > authority > [adjective] > specifically of persons magisterial1635 stronga1878 ?1535 Trewe Nyew Tydynges Rebaptisers of Munster sig. a.iv Thei..drewe op the oether vpon the wael of the cite tyl they ware two honderd and fyfty strong. 1581 W. Raleigh Let. 1 May (1999) 8 Wee were nevere less then fore hundred stronge. 1589 R. Greene Menaphon sig. K^v He dispatched letters to the Nobilitie..with straight charge that they should bee in that place within three dayes with tenne thousand strong. ?1592 Trag. Solyman & Perseda iii. i. 48 Their fleete is weake; Their horse, I deeme them fiftie thousand strong. ?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xvi. 250 Of no fitte counsaile, should be brought to fight,Two men, 'gainst th'able faction of a throng... No twice ten strong These wooers are: but more by much. 1629 tr. S. Pelegromius Descr. S'hertogenbosh 34 The Enemies came..150 ships strong. 1702 London Gaz. No. 3831/2 The Body of French Forces.., being about 8000 strong. 1778 J. Sullivan Let. 1 May in J. Sparks Corr. Amer. Revol. (1853) II. 113 They are three thousand six hundred strong, of British and Hessians, besides a small regiment of Greencoats. 1836 W. Irving Astoria I. 253 A war party, three hundred strong, were prowling in the neighbourhood. 1860 C. Dickens Uncommerc. Traveller in All Year Round 5 May 86/2 As a congregation, we are fourteen strong. a1878 B. Taylor Stud. German Lit. (1879) 104 The Burgundians..settled, eighty thousand men strong, between Geneva and Lyons. 1939 T. Dixon Flaming Sword xlv. 428 The strikers are marching on us again. A hundred strong, every one of them armed. 1970 Daily Tel. 17 Apr. 2 Their 10-man executive committee would be calling a mass meeting of the 2,000-strong student body. 2007 Time Out N.Y. 21 June 113/3 The..Knickerbocker Sailing Association..founded by a handful of men in 1994 and now 150 members strong. †(b) Used with reference to a debt or fortune of the specified number of pounds. Obsolete. ΚΠ a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) iii. ii. 53 I haue beene deere to him lad, some two thousand strong, or so. View more context for this quotation 1719 T. D'Urfey Wit & Mirth I. 356 A Wife that's Fair and Young..and Forty Thousand strong. 1730 H. Fielding Rape upon Rape iii. vi. 36 The Lady and her Fortune are both gone together; she went into the other World Forescore Thousand strong. †(c) figurative. Having the strength of the specified number of people. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1661 M. Nedham Short Hist. Eng. Rebellion 17 Full forty thousand Scots, by Vote, Must visit us e're long: Brave Army sure! when ev'ry Scot Is forty thousand strong! 1667 R. Wild Death of Mr Calamy (single sheet) How have we known him captivate a throng, And made a Sermon twenty thousand strong. 1692 J. Dryden Cleomenes 34 With his own Soul and Sword, a Thousand strong. 1700 W. Walsh Dialogue concerning Women sig. A3^r It puts me in mind of what was said of Mr. Waller,..upon the sight of his first Verses by the Wits of the last Age, that he came out into the World Forty Thousand strong, before they had heard of him. 7. Powerful in operative effect. a. Of a medicine, food or drink, poison, chemical reagent, etc.Of alcoholic drinks usually coinciding with sense 11a. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > efficacy > [adjective] > greatly mightyeOE strongeOE virtuous1340 rich?c1450 prevalent?a1475 energical1565 powerful?1567 powerable1580 magnipotent1599 virulent1599 validous1603 Herculanean1604 multipotent1609 energetical1610 prevailent1623 energetic1642 valid1656 energic1663 drastic1808 the world > action or operation > advantage > efficacy > [adjective] > greatly > producing great effect strongeOE violenta1393 lusty1576 powerful1588 home-thrusting1604 potent1609 home-thrust1738 telling1819 eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) lxi. 455 Ongean swelce met[t]rymnesse mon beðorfte stronges læcedomes [L. adiutoriis fortibus]. eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) i. iv. 48 Þæt biþ strang sealf & god. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 3457 (MED) Hii enuenimed..Þe welle..Þat þet water þat þer of com poyson was wel strong. c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness (1920) l. 1034 (MED) Þe clay þat clenges þerby arn corsyes strong, As alum and alkaran. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Pardoner's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 539 The poyson is so strong and violent. a1450 Rule St. Benet (Vesp.) (1902) l. 1607 (MED) Wyne þat es myghty & strang. 1580 T. Newton Approoued Med. f. 67 That kynde [of water-lily] which hath the white roote is more stronger. 1594 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 iii. iii. 18 Fetch me the strong poison. 1600 R. Surflet tr. C. Estienne & J. Liébault Maison Rustique v. xxiii. 725 They renewe the force and strength of the yeast or leuen euerie hower with beere already made, so long as till the said leuen or yeast become strong inough of it selfe. 1644 J. Milton Areopagitica 10 Such books are..usefull drugs..wherewith to temper and compose effective and strong med'cins, which mans life cannot want. 1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) Sublimate Corrosive or White Mercury, a strong Corrosive Powder..us'd by Surgeons to eat away Corrupt or Proud Flesh. 1797 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 307/1 They [sc. skins] are put into a pit of water impregnated with pigeon dung..forming a strong alkaline ley. 1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 667 The seeds..are sown upon a strong hotbed. 1821 W. Scott Kenilworth I. v. 103 I hate him like strong poison. 1843 R. J. Graves Syst. Clin. Med. xx. 233 I often diminish supersecretion from the lung by strong hydragogue cathartics. 1876 W. de W. Abney Instr. Photogr. (ed. 3) 38 Always have a weak and a strong developer in the field. 1922 W. Scott Indexed Syst. Vet. Treatm. 264 Each ulcer must be touched with a strong astringent lotion. 1963 E. H. Schafer Golden Peaches of Samarkand Introd. 2 A cockatoo from Celebes,..a strong drug from Champapura—each took hold of the Chinese imagination in a different way. 1997 L. Grinspoon & J. B. Bakalar in R. Coomber Control Drugs & Drug Users (2000) xi. 206 Psychoactive drugs, like most strong medicine, could also be powerfully poisonous. b. Of a process, physical phenomenon, etc.See also senses 7e, 7g.Sometimes passing into sense 13. ΚΠ c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 479 (MED) Þat ilk niȝth Neptenabus Made so stronge sorcery. a1500 (?c1450) Merlin iv. 60 And Merlyn, that full of stronge arte was,..shewed hym the voyde place. 1533 tr. Erasmus Enchiridion Militis Christiani xxxviii. sig. S.v^v It shal be a remedy of moche greater vertue & of stronge operacyon. 1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §45 Scotch Skinck, (which is a Pottage of strong Nourishment). 1697 J. Dryden Ded. Æneis in tr. Virgil Wks. sig. a2^v Acute Distempers require Medicines of a strong and speedy operation. 1749 Philos. Trans. 1748 (Royal Soc.) 45 197 The strong Attraction between the electrical Effluvia and Water. 1789 Lady's Mag. Apr. 207/1 Her talents might have raised her from that profession to which, from the strong operation of idleness,..she was greatly averse. 1834 Good's Bk. Nature (ed. 3) I. 93 The heterogeneous attraction, or that between the two different substances, is stronger than the common force of gravity. 1895 Jrnl. Soc. Chem. Industry 30 Apr. 366/2 A cement..hardened perfectly without blowing when tested alone, but on the addition of gypsum exhibited strong expansion. 1928 A. S. Eddington Stars & Atoms App. B. 130 The strong solar radiation excites the atoms many thousands of times per second. 1961 Life 2 June 121/1 Strong magic is needed. At these times Judy, the woman, must force herself to become the abject handmaiden of Judy, the insomniac singer. 2009 L. Black Evid. of Murder xi. 132 The particles appeared, under strong magnification, as irregular chunks of dark and bloodstained matter. c. Of a mechanical agent. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > physics > energy or power of doing work > [adjective] > having high power or powerful in effect strong1584 high-powered1829 high-power1849 1584 E. Paget tr. J. Calvin Harmonie vpon Three Euangelists 747 Dayly vse doth shew how strong an engine it is to shake the weake with, when they see themselues assaulted of a great multitude. 1655 T. Stanley Hist. Philos. I. ii. 11 The Starres are impelled by the condensation of the aire about the Poles, which the Sun makes more strong by compressing. 1675 J. Smith Horol. Dialogues 78 The spring is always strongest when first wound up. 1680 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. x. 185 If the Pole prove too strong for their..Work, they will weaken it by cutting away..part of the substance. 1712 R. Blackmore Creation i. 17 They must Obedient to Mechanic Laws Assemble, where the stronger Magnet draws. 1824 P. Hawker Instr. Young Sportsmen (ed. 3) 42 The solid cock..will admit of mainsprings as strong as you please. 1881 Daily News 24 Feb. The opinion has now set in favour of the separate traction engine strong enough to pull two large cars. 1935 C. J. Smith Intermediate Physics (ed. 2) v. xxxix. 655 When an electric current is passed through a coil of wire wound round an iron core the iron becomes a very strong magnet. 1999 BBC Top Gear Mag. June 99/3 The engine pulls so cleanly, the brakes are so strong..that I'm tempted to have a go at every corner. d. Chemistry. (Of an acid or base) having a powerful ability to dissolve or corrode other substances; displaying acidic or basic properties to a high degree, esp. (in more recent technical use) in being substantially dissociated in solution forming high concentrations of hydrogen ions or hydroxide ions respectively. Cf. acid n. 1a, base n.¹ 14a.For the use of the word in relation to other chemicals, see sense 7a, e.g. quots. 1706, 1797, 1876 there. Cf. also sense 11b. ΚΠ 1675 N. Grew Disc. conc. Mixture v. 110 The Acid Spirit of Nitre..will coagulate Oyl-Olive, and render it consistent. Whence it might be thought, That any other strong Acid will do the like. 1754 Philos. Trans. 1753 (Royal Soc.) 48 183 This experiment shew'd, that the water contain'd a strong acid, with a solution of the substance precipitated. 1855 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 145 391 Even oxide of lead is a sufficiently strong base to cause rubian to undergo this process of decomposition. 1889 Science 27 Dec. 431/2 These compressors..are much used for elevating liquids, such as strong acids. 1922 T. M. Lowry Inorg. Chem. xviii. 204 A strong acid or a strong base is therefore one which has a high coefficient of ionisation in aqueous solution. 1954 I. Asimov Chemicals of Life iii. 35 When small pieces of copper are dropped into a strong acid known as nitric acid, there is a fast chemical reaction. 2000 M. Clugston & R. Flemming Adv. Chem. xii. 197 The pH of a strong base depends only on its concentration because a strong base is fully ionized. e. Of a lens: having great magnifying or corrective power. Hence: having such a lens or lenses.See also quot. 2009 at sense 7b. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > optical instruments > lens > [adjective] > types of lenses convex?a1560 planoconvex1665 concavo-convex1677 convexo-concave1693 strong1732 aplanatic1799 periscopic1803 omphaloptic1819 polyzonal1823 shallow1837 first-order1846 periscopical1846 orthoscopic1853 rectilinear1874 overcorrected1875 sphero-cylindrical1881 wide-aperture1882 afocal1887 apochromatic1887 anastigmatic1890 telecentric1892 photovisual1899 aspherical1922 aspheric1923 multifocal1928 plano1944 demagnifying1959 1732 tr. H. Boerhaave Elements Chymistry I. ii. 36 If by a strong Lens the fire were encreased, then would it [sc. the Iron] expand more. 1808 D. Turner Fuci I. 142 (footnote) Towards the end of some of the branches is observable, with the highest powers of the microscope, a thin whitish midrib, but this is not to be seen in all the shoots, and never without the assistance of very strong glasses. 1848 Punch 15 125/1 Looking at the thief through your strong spectacles. 1887 Proc. Zool. Soc. 80 The punctuation much more distinctly visible anteriorly than posteriorly, where only traces of it can be seen under a strong lens. 1900 C. H. May Man. Dis. Eye xxiii. 314 Many myopes wear strong lenses, representing the full correction, constantly and with absolute comfort. 1964 S. Duke-Elder Parsons' Dis. Eye (ed. 14) v. 51 A lens with a focal length of half a metre will be twice as strong as one with a focal length of 1 metre. 2011 D. Dickinson Death in Scarlet Coat ii. viii. 117 The bank manager today is a little tubby man with very strong glasses. f. Physics. Of a field of force: that exerts a powerful force on objects susceptible to it. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > area of influence > [adjective] strong1849 the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > magnetism > [adjective] > of field: powerful strong1849 the world > matter > physics > quantum theory > quantum mechanics > quantum electrodynamics > [adjective] > of force: powerful strong1849 1849 M. Faraday in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 139 12 Some bismuth..was fuzed in a glass tube and held in a fixed position in the strong magnetic field until it had become solid. 1886 Proc. Royal Soc. 40 340 The first experiment was made in order to see whether ozone could be formed by placing oxygen in a very strong electric field. 1889 G. M. Hopkins Exper. Sci. (1893) xviii.434 It consists essentially of a rectangular coil of fine wire suspended on strained torsional wires in a strong magnetic field. 1946 Amazing Stories Sept. 41/2 I saw that there were indeed wonders on this little planet, which had quite a strong gravity. 1964 L. H. Van Vlack Elements Materials Sci. (ed. 2) viii. 220 A very strong electric field can be sufficient to disrupt the induced dipoles in the insulator. 2010 D. A. Rothery Planets: Very Short Introd. iii. 79 Each of the giant planets has a strong magnetic field. g. Physics. Originally: descriptive of a force postulated to exist between nucleons in an atomic nucleus; (in later use) epithet of the strongest of the four known kinds of force between particles, which acts between nucleons and other hadrons when they are closer than about 10⁻¹⁵ m, and which conserves strangeness, parity, and isospin. Also: involving or relating to this force. Frequently in strong force, strong interaction.A consequence of the strong force is that protons in an atomic nucleus remain bound together despite the repulsive force arising from their similar electric charge. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > physics > atomic physics > particle physics > weak or strong force > [adjective] > relating to strong force strong1933 1933 J. Chadwick in Proc. Royal Soc. A. 142 20 If the neutron consists of a proton and an electron another kind of interaction between the proton and the neutron is possible... This interaction is analogous to that between a hydrogen atom and a proton. In effect it introduces a strong repulsive field and a strong attractive field, both of very small radius of action. 1938 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 166 503 By making the former interaction strong and the latter weak it is possible to explain the large magnitude of nuclear forces and the weakness of the β-decay. 1940 Rep. Progress Physics 7 89 The strong interaction between the constituents of a nucleus. 1954 Progress Theoret. Physics 12 107/2 v-charge is defined only for such particles that have strong nuclear interactions and its conservation is violated by the weak interactions responsible for decays. 1969 R. E. Marshak et al. Theory Weak Interactions Particle Physics i. 7 Of greatest importance is the presence of the strong interaction for the meson and baryon classes but not for the lepton class. 2004 B. Greene Fabric of Cosmos (2005) iii. ix. 256 The particles of the strong force are called gluons and those of the weak force are called W and Z particles. 8. Severe, burdensome, oppressive. †a. Of a person or a person's heart: harsh, hard, severe, uncompromising. Obsolete.In quot. OE¹: of death personified. ΚΠ OE Guthlac B 1140 Deað nealæcte, stop stalgongum, strong ond hreðe sohte sawelhus. OE Christ & Satan 246 Þa ðæs ofþuhte þæt se þeoden wæs strang and stiðmod. OE Paris Psalter (1932) lxvii. 5 Þa þe wydewum syn wraðe æt dome oþþe steopcildum wesen strange fæderas. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1591 He maked him stið & strong. c1450 W. Lichefeld Complaint of God (Lamb. 853) l. 585 in F. J. Furnivall Polit., Relig., & Love Poems (1903) 226 (MED) If þou be of herte so strong, And on no wise forȝeue þou wilt, [etc.]. 1509 J. Fisher Serm. Henry VIJ (de Worde) sig. B.j^v But perauenture his fader is harde and straunge and wyll not be moued. a1542 T. Wyatt Poet. Wks. (1831) 111 And is thy heart so strong As for to leave me thus? 1611 J. Cartwright Preachers Trav. 74 It would haue pittied any strong heart, to haue seene the noble Gentlewomen..with their beautifull children..become the..miserable bondslaues of..contemptible rascals. b. Of laws, punishments, suffering, condition of life, etc.: hard to bear, onerous; rigorous, harsh. ΘΚΠ society > authority > strictness > [adjective] > strict or severe (of rules, judgement, or discipline) strongeOE starkc1175 sharpa1340 strait1390 unrelaxed1508 exacta1538 severe1562 strict1578 weightya1616 stringent1846 ramrod1850 medieval1917 tough1961 the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > severity > [adjective] heavyc825 grimc900 strongeOE hardeOE drearyOE eileOE sweerOE deara1000 bitterOE tartc1000 smartOE unridec1175 sharp?c1225 straitc1275 grievousc1290 fellc1330 shrewda1387 snella1400 unsterna1400 vilea1400 importunea1425 ungainc1425 thrallc1430 peisant1483 sore?a1513 weighty1540 heinous?1541 urgent?1542 asperous?1567 dure1567 spiny1586 searching1590 hoara1600 vengible1601 flinty1613 tugging1642 atrocious1733 uncannya1774 severe1774 stern1830 punishing1833 hefty1867 solid1916 eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) v. xii. 128 Ealle þa gesetnessa þe þær to stronge wæron & to hearde he hie ealle gydyde [read gedyde] leohtran & liþran. OE Blickling Homilies 79 Wæs þæt wite swa strang, swa Godes geþeld ær mycel wæs. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 267 Folc to laimet & to toren wið strong liflade & wið hard. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 2629 For heom comen stronge [c1300 Otho strong] tidinge from Belin þon kinge. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 2933 Hii smite harde & made moni an strange wounde. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3416 (MED) Wit-outen child his wijf was lang, And þat thoght ysaac ful strang. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) (1996) i. 3293 Stronge it were for our Cite to be destroyed & alle þe cuntre. ?c1500 Mary Magdalene (Digby) l. 1002 Yt ys In-tollerabyll to se or to tell, for ony creature, þat stronkg tourmentry. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) 2 Kings xxv. 3 On y^e nyenth daye of the fourth moneth was the honger so stronge in the cite, that the people of the londe had nothinge to eate. 1656 A. Cowley Davideis iii. 96 in Poems Thy fall to man shall heavens strong justice shew. 1799 Parl. Reg. 1797–1802 IX. 63 Those who entered into conspiracies against the state..must..be opposed by strong punishments. 1815 Examiner 9 July 433/1 Some strong suffering, of body or mind, he must have had upon him. 1861 Fraser's Mag. Jan. 126/2 The members of courts-martial could not be induced to pass a strong sentence. 1902 A. M. Shaw Coast of Freedom xxx. 422 Nicolas Verring and Alison..scourged their souls in the strong misery of their credence of the tales. 1959 Payments in Lieu of Taxes: Hearings before U.S. Senate Govt. Operations Comm. (86th U. S. Congr., 1st Session) 34 The fact that the Federal Governments [sic.] pays no taxes or assessments works a particularly strong hardship on property owners. 2000 M. E. Wiesner-Hanks Christianity & Sexuality Early Mod. World (2005) vi. 227 Excommunication..was the strongest punishment the church could impose. c. Of disease: acute, severe. Of pain, bodily convulsions, etc.: intense, violent, wrenching. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > characteristics > [adjective] > violent or severe grimc900 strongeOE grievousc1290 burning1393 acutea1398 maliciousa1398 peracutea1398 sorea1400 wicked14.. malign?a1425 vehement?a1425 malignousc1475 angrya1500 cacoethe?1541 eager?1543 virulent1563 malignant1568 raging1590 roaring1590 furious1597 grassant1601 hearty1601 sharp1607 main1627 generous1632 perperacute1647 serious1655 ferine1666 bad1705 severe1725 unfavourable1782 grave1888 the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > disorders affecting muscles > [adjective] > convulsions stronga1616 convulsific1634 post-convulsive1907 the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of nervous system > [noun] > disorders of brain > apoplexy apoplexyc1386 poplexyc1410 apoplex?1537 sudden stroke1543 catarrh1554 strong apoplexy1583 strong1820 eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. xxix. 226 Oft strang fefer becymð on þa men þe þa adle habbað. ?a1200 (?OE) Peri Didaxeon (1896) 33 Ȝif þu ne dest, hit cym hym to mucele and stranga adle. c1225 (?c1200) Hali Meiðhad (Bodl.) (1940) 525 Þenne þer to kimeð þet sore sorhfule angoise, þet stronge & stinkinde stiche. 1389 in J. T. Smith & L. T. Smith Eng. Gilds (1870) 30 No man schal ben excusyd of absence.., but it be for ye kyngges seruise, er for stronge sekenesse. 1539 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes sig. A.iiij^v A strong disease requyreth a stronge medecine. 1567 Gude & Godlie Ball. 44 He said, I thrist, with all my micht, To saif mankynde fra panis strang. 1587 Sir P. Sidney & A. Golding tr. P. de Mornay Trewnesse Christian Relig. xv.263 Lucrece..[was] surely more mad when he thought himselfe wysest, than when the fits of his phrensie were strongest vppon him. 1592 N. Gyer Eng. Phlebotomy xv. 154 When soeuer a strong ague, or great inflammation, shall possesse such a patient, presently he must be let bloud. a1616 W. Shakespeare King John (1623) iii. iv. 112 Before the curing of a strong disease, Euen in the instant of repaire and health, The fit is strongest. View more context for this quotation 1696 H. Hill Dialogue Timotheus & Judas 24 What a strong Palpitation of Heart the Clergy's desire of Precedency caused in your Friend the Author. 1739 J. Wesley Jrnl. 22 June in Wks. (1872) I. 206 One indeed continued an hour in strong pain. 1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison V. iii. 21 Lady Clementina's absences [sc. attacks of delirium] were stronger, but less frequent than before. 1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering III. xvi. 298 A strong shuddering convulsed his iron frame for an instant. 1820 J. Cooke Treat. Nerv. Dis. I. i. 168 (note) In the strong paroxysm, persons are said to lie entirely deprived of sensation and motion. 1874 Edinb. Med. Jrnl. 19 ii. 1002 A strong pain was induced, but was scarcely felt by the patient. 1907 Jrnl. Mental Sci. 53 11 Her fits were strong and frequent. 1964 J. Krahl China Missions in Crisis ii. iii. 136 He was consumed by a strong fever. 2011 D. Nathan Sybil Exposed (2012) iv. 45 Shots of Metrazol produced immediate, strong convulsions. d. Of a battle, fight, debate: fierce, hotly contested. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > [adjective] retheeOE hotOE strongOE woodlyc1000 un-i-rideOE stoura1122 brathc1175 unridec1175 unrudec1225 starklyc1275 toughc1275 wood1297 ragec1330 unrekena1350 biga1375 furialc1386 outrageousc1390 savagea1393 violenta1393 bremelya1400 snarta1400 wrothlya1400 fightingc1400 runishc1400 dour?a1425 derfc1440 churlousa1450 roida1450 fervent1465 churlish1477 orgulous1483 felona1500 brathfula1522 brathlya1525 fanatic1533 furious1535 boisterous1544 blusterous1548 ungentle1551 sore1563 full-mouthed1594 savage wild1595 Herculean1602 shrill1608 robustious1612 efferous1614 thundering1618 churly1620 ferocient1655 turbulent1656 efferate1684 knock-me-down1760 haggard-wild1786 ensanguined1806 rammish1807 fulminatory1820 riproarious1830 natural1832 survigrous1835 sabre-toothed1849 cataclysmal1861 thunderous1874 fierce1912 cataractal1926 the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > [adjective] > carried on violently stithc1000 strongOE starkOE storlicc1275 stourc1275 sharpc1381 stalwartc1420 sturdya1450 sorea1500 vehement1531 shrewd1576 perperacute1647 furied1878 OE Beowulf (2008) 134 Wæs þæt gewin to strang, lað ond longsum. c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) 5 Þat plait was stif & starc & strong. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 88 Wið Eneam he nom an feiht þat wes feondliche strong. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 554 (MED) Beye mid gret ost toward þe king wende & smite bataile strong inou. c1400 Brut (Rawl. B. 171) 107 And þat batale was wonder strong, for meny a man was þere slayn. a1500 (?a1400) Morte Arthur (1903) l. 1583 Saugh nevir no man A stronger fyght. 1553 T. Paynell tr. Dares Faythfull & True Storye Destr. Troye sig. Fv^v The whiche caused the war to be a great deale y^e stronger & greater. 1613 J. Hayward Liues III. Normans 8 Hee was ouerthrowne in a strong battaile. 1650 W. Sclater, Jr. in W. Sclater Expos. 4th Chapter Rom. Ep. Ded. sig. A2 Having now..had a strong dispute with my thoughts, whether [etc.]. 1704 S. K. Knight Jrnl. in S. K. Knight & J. Buckingham Jrnls. (1825) 22 Some the of [sic] Town tope-ers [sic] in next Room..were entred into a strong debate concerning y^e Signifycation of the name of their Country. 1790 Ann. Agric. 14 3 Conversation is deemed frivolous and unentertaining, if it is not supported and animated by a warm dispute, and a strong contest. 1837 Waldie's Select Circulating Lib. 20 June 388/3 The officers refused to give them up,..and a strong dispute took place, at the end of which several shots were fired. 1875 Gentleman's Mag. Aug. 142 His face was not that of one who would go down without a strong fight. 1910 Michiganensian 310 Michigan kept the lead in a very strong debate until the last rebuttal speech. 1955 C. E. Schorske German Social Democracy, 1905–1917 ii. iv. 94 The party delegates were outnumbered by 150 to about 115, but they put up a strong fight. 2008 D. Roybal Taking on Giants xiii. 189 Chávez introduced his bills on the second day of the 1963 legislative session and braced for a strong battle. e. Of a storm, the weather, cold, etc.: severe, violent, intense. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > bad weather > [adjective] > severe or violent (of weather or elements) retheeOE strongOE stithc1100 snella1400 woodc1400 outrage?a1425 violentc1425 sternc1449 strainable1497 rigorous1513 stalwart1528 vehement1528 sore1535 sturdy1569 robustious1632 severe1676 beating1702 shaving1789 snorting1819 wroth1852 wrathy1872 snapping1876 vicious1882 OE tr. Medicina de Quadrupedibus (Vitell.) i. 234 Ðonne ne sceþþeð þe ne tungol ne hagol ne strang storm [L. tempestas]. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1115 Ðises geares wæs swa strang winter mid snawe & mid forste swa nan man þe þa lifode ær þan nan strengre ne gemunde. c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) 524 Wane niȝtes cumeþ longe, & bringeþ forstes starke an stronge. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. lxxvi. 969 Herbes and gras..weloweþ wiþoute in strong colde. c1450 (c1400) Emaré (1908) l. 665 Myȝth y onus gete lond, Of þe watur þat ys so stronge. ?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 1741 (MED) Þar felle a storme strange. a1500 Eng. Conquest Ireland (Rawl.) (1896) 67 In this tyme was the weddyr so stronge, and the wynd so aweyward, that [etc.]. 1565 T. Stapleton tr. Bede Hist. Church Eng. iv. iii. f. 116^v If any stronger storme or blustreing showre continewed long.., then would he go to churche. 1671 T. Hunt Abecedarium Scholasticum 9 Let thy garments be long, When the cold is strong. 1745 Polit. Cabinet Feb. 160 They had intended to take this Town by Scalado, on Occasion of the strong Frost. 1794 J. Troutbeck Surv. Scilly Isles 80 A heavy sea, at that time tumbling in, and a very strong storm. 1833 Lancet 10 Aug. 622/2 A young man,..after having exposed his feet to strong cold, felt spasmodical smartings in the muscles of the feet. 1865 G. F. Browne Ice-caves x. 172 In a strong winter there would be an average of 12 feet of snow on the ground here. 1910 Proc. 23rd Ann. Meeting Florida State Hort. Soc. 164/1 It is easily hurt by a strong freeze but soon recuperates. 1977 A. Yodfat & M. Abir In Direct. of Gulf i. 5 This is an area of strong frosts and permafrost ground. 2005 New Yorker 3 Jan. 14/2 Shil's depiction of the scrim that strong weather lays over natural scenery has a handsome, blowsy romanticism. f. Of a crime, harmful quality, etc.: gross, flagrant. ΘΚΠ society > morality > moral evil > wickedness > [adjective] > extremely wicked > specifically of actions or qualities strong?c1225 grievousa1300 flagitious1550 grossful1613 scarleta1643 atrocious1669 atrocea1734 purple1905 ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 156 Nis þis strong monslacht of galnesse awakened. c1390 Castle of Love (Vernon) (1967) l. 309 A þral..for his gult strong and gret Wiþ his lord was so ivet. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4426 Suilk es tresun of ille womman, In werld es stranger funden nan. c1425 (c1400) Laud Troy-bk. l. 18638 And thus was Troye dryuen doun And y-lore thorow strong tresoun. 1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II v. iii. 57 O heynous, strong, and bould conspiracy. View more context for this quotation 1600 Abp. G. Abbot Expos. Prophet Ionah xii. 258 A suspicion of strong treason against her sister, being sought to be fastened on her. 1799 W. Burdon Exam. Merits & Tendency Pursuits Lit. I. 37 A strong violation of that plainness and simplicity of stile which the best writers have exemplified. 1806 W. Cruise Digest Laws Eng. Real Prop. VI. 535 The abuse is so strong, gross, and complete, that every man of common sense..must exclaim against it. 1866 A. C. Swinburne May Janet in Laus Veneris (1867) 313 Or I shall have her by sea, Or I shall have her by strong treason And no grace go with me. 1909 F. M. Hueffer ‘Half Moon’ ii. v. 187 ‘Have you never wronged a woman?’ she asked. ‘It is a very strong crime.’ 1958 T. H. White Once & Future King iv. 631 He has done strong treason when he took the Queen. 1999 A. Sen Devel. as Freedom (2000) ix. 223 Denial of the opportunity to contest elections involves a strong violation of a basic democratic right. g. Of a malefactor: flagrantly guilty; habitually offending. Chiefly in strong thief. Now archaic or historical. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > heinousness > [adjective] awlyc1200 grievousa1300 grilla1300 uglya1300 strongc1300 outrageousa1325 heinousc1374 excessive1393 curseda1400 fella1400 misshapenc1400 rankc1400 monstruousc1425 enorm1481 prodigiousc1487 villainous1489 nefand1490 sceleratea1513 monstrous1531 funestal1538 enormious1545 facinorous1548 flagitious1550 dire1567 bonable1575 felonious1575 bomination1589 unvenial?1589 heathenish1592 enormous1593 villainous1598 nameless1611 pitchy1612 funest1636 funestous1641 scarleta1643 nefandous1649 aversable1663 atrocious1669 frightful1700 flagrant1706 atrocea1734 diabolical1750 unspeakable1831 the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > guilt > [adjective] > extremely strongc1300 society > morality > moral evil > guilt > [adjective] > very strongc1300 c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) 1229 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 141 So strong þeof nis non in engelonde. c1475 Gregory's Chron. in J. Gairdner Hist. Coll. Citizen London (1876) 163 And that same yere there was a stronge thefe that was namyd Bolton was drawe, hanggyd, and i-quarteryde. a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (BL Add. 9066) (1879) 390 She sayde, ‘oute on the, stronge strompette!’ 1518 in I. S. Leadam Select Cases Star Chamber (1911) II. 137 John Powre..pykyd a quarell to hym..and Callyd hym strong thefe and extorcyoner. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 2 (1623) iv. i. 108 Bargulus the strong Illyrian Pyrate. 1699 Guide Juries 77 B. is a maintainer of Thieves, and a strong Thief himself; here the word strong signifying little or nothing, need not be proved spoken. 1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 123 Give a strong Thief a stark Name. 1827 H. Laurence London in Olden Time 2nd Ser. 12 That strong thief Norman..shall never take sanctuary again. 1890 W. Morris Story of Glittering Plain (1892) v. 36 I am in evil plight, in the hands of strong-thieves of the sea. 1976 R. Kirk in K. McCauley Frights 14 He feared and detested strong thieves..; to avoid them.., he steered clear of the cities. 2003 R. Boyd tr. R. Castel From Man. Workers to Wage Laborers i. ii. 83 The status of vagabond already makes him suspect and when he is arrested, this aggravates the verdict, labeling him a ‘strong thief’. h. Of a payment, a charge: considerable in amount, heavy, stiff. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > monetary value > price > high price or rate > [adjective] high1542 strong1599 rank1604 exorbitant1670 extravagant1707 stiff1824 sky-high1829 steep1856 stratospherical1936 1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iii. i. 189 But ile amerce you with so strong a fine, That you shall all repent the losse of mine. View more context for this quotation 1669 R. Montagu in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 459 Five hundred is a very strong pension as things stand in our Court. 1838 W. M. Thackeray Yellowplush Corr. ii, in Fraser's Mag. Jan. 43/2 Fourteen shillings a wick was a little too strong for two such rat~holes as he lived in. 2002 Congress. Rec. 14 June 10404/3 It is definitive on making the cloning of a human being illegal and subject to a 10-year prison sentence and strong fines. i. Of a course of action, a measure to achieve something: extreme, drastic, high-handed. ΘΚΠ society > authority > strictness > [adjective] > strict or severe (of measures) extreme?1531 round1587 strong1733 1733 London Mag. Dec. 611/2 They..foresaw..the strong Measures they should be obliged to pursue, in order to overcome these Difficulties. 1764 Question on some Late Dismissions 48 This was a pretty strong measure, yet at that time not thought too strong for the occasion. 1838 T. Arnold Hist. Rome I. xvi. 320 The Roman constitution of 306 was as short-lived..as some of the strongest measures of the long parliament. 1880 Appletons' Ann. Cycl. 1879 317/1 By such a strong course of action Canada would be enabled to exact more favorable terms in her future commercial negotiations with the United States. 1910 J. Brown Eng. Puritans (1912) ii. 41 He felt he was taking a strong course of action and was not without misgiving. 2013 M. Boot Invisible Armies xxxiv. 245 Police measures were strong enough to alienate a substantial portion of the population. j. Mathematics and Logic. Of axioms, imposed conditions, etc.: restrictive, stringent. Cf. sense 16c. ΚΠ 1907 Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 8 92 The inversion formula..under sufficiently strong conditions is equivalent. 1937 Jrnl. Symbolic Logic 2 168 From the main theorem of this paper of von Neumann it results that the very strong axiom 2.2..can be replaced by two more plausible axioms. 2003 G. Tourlakis Lect. Logic & Set Theory II. ii. 102 Principle 1 is too strong. Omitting it does not affect the applicability of set theory to mathematics. 9. Of conditions or qualities: present to a high degree. Also: relating to such conditions or qualities. a. Of feeling, conviction, belief: intense, passionate. Of views or principles: uncompromising, thoroughgoing. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > act of convincing, conviction > [adjective] > of belief, etc.: firm strongeOE surec1475 unshakeable1677 eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) xxi. 165 Forðam nu ða recceras ætiewað sua strangne andan [L. fortem zelum] ðy hie wiellað ðæt hie hiene eft hæbben on ðæm ecan life betux him & hiera hieremonnum to isernum wealle. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 14461 Forr defless þewwess hafenn aȝȝ. Strang niþ ȝæn cristess þewwess. a1325 (?c1300) Northern Passion (Cambr. Gg.1.1) l. 655 (MED) He stod in sorwe strong. 1448 in S. A. Moore Lett. & Papers J. Shillingford (1871) i. 48 (MED) What stronge chere was hadde of the meyny y pray yow to reporte. 1530 J. Thibaut Pronosticacyon (verso title page) Dyuers there be that by stronge opynyon holdeth this purpose. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. ii. sig. O4 But her two other sisters..Both her champions bad Pursew the end of their strong enmity. a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) i. iii. 26 Is it possible on such a sodaine, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Roulands yongest sonne? View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) ii. i. 213 My strong imagination see's a Crowne Dropping vpon thy head. View more context for this quotation 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 492 Hate stronger, under shew of Love well feign'd. View more context for this quotation 1762 S. Scott Descr. Millenium Hall 228 Her Father had a strong dislike to prematurity, and feared that communication with the world would too soon teach her art and disguise. 1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho III. viii. 248 That there should be light in this chamber, and at this hour, excited her strong surprise. 1839 W. M. Thackeray Fatal Boots Mar. The desire for the boots was so strong, that have them I must at any rate. 1850 Athenæum 7 Dec. 1282/1 We confess to a strong interest..in the proposed change. 1881 J. Morley Life R. Cobden II. xxix. 243 M. Rouher, who was then Minister of Commerce, professed strong Free-trade views. 1902 V. Jacob Sheep-stealers xii The sheep-stealer..was..a taciturn man with deep prejudices and strong loves and hates. 1937 S. T. Orton Reading, Writing & Speech Probl. in Children i. 49 Prejudice..is so strong as to amount to the belief that the left-hander is abnormal. 1960 W. S. Sayre & H. Kaufman Governing New York City i. ii. 64 The groups that have a strong commitment to participate actively and regularly in the political process. 2005 S. Lowe & A. McArthur Is it just me or is Everything Shit? (2006) 205 His [sc. a journalist's] office was made up wholly of former public schoolies. He did find they excelled at having a strong sense of personal entitlement. b. Of the voice, a sound: not soft or muted; powerful, loud and firm. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > loudness > [adjective] loud971 stithc1000 strongOE greata1375 stiff1377 wrastc1400 boistousc1430 stourc1440 big1549 routing1567 thundering?1576 full-mouthed1594 thunderous1606 tonitruous1606 thundery1608 trump-like1609 full-mouth1624 voluminousa1635 rousing1640 altisonous1661 lusty1672 tonitrual1693 rending1719 trumpet-like1814 foudroyant1840 clarion1842 trumpeting1850 trumpet-toned1851 loudish1860 tonitruant1861 tonant1891 thunderful1898 high1923 wham-bam1960 the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > quality of voice > [adjective] > loud or resonant loud971 highlyOE stithc1000 strongOE steepc1275 stiff1377 strengthfula1382 gross1398 stentorious15.. open-mouthed?1533 wildc1550 preclare?1553 strainable1569 trolling1581 main1582 wide-mouthed1589 full-mouthed1594 wide-mouth?c1599 stentorian1606 trump-like1609 stentorophonic1678 strenuous1680 open-mouth1702 stentorial1754 stentoronic1762 full-throated1820 trumpety1822 Stentor1837 OE Genesis B 525 Þonne ic sigedrihten, mihtigne god, mæðlan gehyrde strangre stemne. OE Paris Psalter (1932) cxli. 1 Min stefn to þe styrmeð, drihten, and ic mid strangere stefne swylce eam biddende bealde drihten. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Wisd. xvii. 18 The stronge vois of loowende bestes. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Nun's Priest's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 484 For to make his voys the moore strong. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 231 And a grete hey and stronge voice tokenyth a stronge and an hardy man. a1500 (c1400) Vision of Tundale (Adv.) (1843) l. 1170 He hard a strong noyse of thonder. 1593 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie iv. iv. 176 The eares of the people they haue therfore filled with strong clamour. 1623 H. Cockeram Eng. Dict. ii A Voyce as strong as if it were the noise of 100 men. 1685 J. Jackson et al. Annot. Holy Bible II. (Heb. xiii. 17) sig. 5G4^v/2 How great..are..their Preachings, and Prayers with Tears, and strong Cries to God for their Souls? 1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey II. vi. 358 To the ear Floats a strong shout along the waves of air. 1764 in Reliquary (1860) July 63 A Clergyman..whose voice is strong, and pronunciation distinct. 1788 W. Cowper Dog & Water Lily 25 But with a chirrup [to the dog] clear and strong,..I thence withdrew. 1852 G. Dubourg Violin (ed. 4) ix. 353 His violoncellos..are of the finest quality of tone—not so strong and fiery as old Forster's, but, in sweetness and purity, excelling them. 1887 Overland Monthly Sept. 251/1 But what roar was this that met their ears.., a dull, strong roar as of the rushing of many waters? a1916 H. James Middle Years (1917) iv. 46 Every sound was strong, whether rich and fine or only queer and coarse. 1935 C. Day Life with Father 27 When he walked, he hopped around on his other foot, uttering strong howls of fury. 1998 D. Danvers Circuit of Heaven 73 He liked the blues, and Rosalind had a strong, bluesy voice. c. Of illumination, light, shadow, colour: vivid, intense, prominent. Also figurative and in figurative contexts. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > light > intensity of light > [adjective] > bright shininga900 lighteOE lightlyOE sheenOE torhtOE shirea1000 steepa1000 shimmeringc1000 brightOE strongOE clear1297 fair?a1300 bright-shininga1387 merrya1393 skirea1400 lucident14.. shimc1400 staringc1400 luculentc1420 splendent1474 illuminousc1485 lucentc1500 bloominga1522 sheer1565 prelucent1568 faculent1575 splendant1578 lucid1591 neat1591 shine1596 translucent1596 well-lighted1606 nitid1615 lucible1623 dilucid1653 translucid1657 hard1660 the world > matter > colour > quality of colour > [adjective] > intense strongOE richc1330 finea1387 stark1547 deep1555 full1599 saturate1669 generous1710 lush1744 saturated1791 lushy1821 robust1826 raised1846 high-keyed1879 acid1916 OE Paris Psalter (1932) cxviii. 105 Þæt is fæle blacern fotum minum, þæt ic þin word, drihten, wel gehealde, and þæt ys þæt strange leoht stige minre. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvi. xiii. 835 Alabandina is a precious stoon... Þe colour þerof is liche to þe stoon calcidonius but it is more strong [L. rarior]. 1555 R. Eden in tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde Contents sig. AAAAa.iv^v Of a stronge coloure made of the iuse of a certeyn apple. 1563 W. Fulke Goodle Gallerye Causes Meteors f. 37^v In the myddest [of the cloud] the beames as strong, perse throughe, but on the edges where they are weaker, they are reflected. 1658 W. Sanderson Graphice 66 In what places, you will have those strong and high lights, and reflections to fall. 1665 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 1 122 The Shaddows..seem to be stronger. 1704 I. Newton Opticks i. ii. 111 We are not to expect a strong and full white, such as is that of Paper, but some dusky obscure one. 1711 J. Swift Examiner No. 39. ⁋9 The Shame of having their Crimes expos'd to open View in the strongest Colours. 1769 W. Robertson Hist. Charles V II. iv. 241 He painted in the strongest colours the Emperor's want of discernment. 1782 W. Cowper Conversation in Poems 229 The southern sash admits too strong a light. 1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho III. viii. 228 The strong rays [of moonlight] enabled her, also, to perceive the ravages, which the siege had made. 1820 G. Belzoni Narr. Egypt & Nubia iii. 328 They [sc. fish] were of a strong blue silvered colour. 1833 J. Rush Philos. Human Voice (ed. 2) xxxi. 240 And this may serve to set the power of intonation in the strongest light. 1885 Athenæum 23 May 669/1 A foreground of whitish sun~blanched clay reflects the strong sungleam falling there. 1904 H. S. Williams Historians' Hist. World XVIII. xii. 443 The bishop painted in strong colours the vindictive disposition which it suited him to ascribe to the captive monarch. 1954 Househ. Guide & Almanac (News of World) 164/2 Linen should be dried out-of-doors in strong sunlight. 1991 P. Marshall Daughters (1992) i. i. 5 She's wearing a print blouse of strong yellows, reds, and a bright Caribbean blue. d. Of sleep: deep, sound. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > sleep > [adjective] > type of sleep > deep or unbroken fastOE stronga1398 sada1425 deep1547 sound1548 unstarting1748 wakeless1824 profound1833 unawakening1846 unawaking1863 yawnless1881 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. iii. 177 Ȝif þe coolde passeþ with moisture, þanne comeþ strong sleepe. 1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) xvi. 370 They beganne all to fall in a stronge slepe. 1610 R. Tofte tr. N. de Montreux Honours Acad. 103 On greenish turffe she fell in slumber strong. ?1715 Miracle of Miracles 3 She fell into a Strong Sleep in the Middle of the Day. 1835 J. P. Kennedy Horse-shoe Robinson I. vi. 124 Horse-shoe grew motionless in a deep and strong sleep. 1963 S. N. Kramer Sumerians v. 194 Perhaps Huwawa had..sent a strong sleep against Gilgamesh. 2007 N. Danford Inheritance (2008) 87 He envied her strong sleep, the deep breaths. e. Of a person. (a) Firmly convinced, decided in opinion; (also strong for) zealous or uncompromising as a supporter of an idea, principle, policy, etc. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > act of convincing, conviction > [adjective] > persuaded, convinced surea1400 probate?1511 strong1526 satisfied1533 persuaded1538 convict1558 dogmatic1678 well-wrought1684 convinced1685 1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. ciiii In all maters, strong in their owne opinion. 1602 J. Marston Hist. Antonio & Mellida v. sig. H4^v I was mightie strong in thought we should haue shut vp night with an ould Comedie. a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iv. vi. 26 Her Mother, (euen strong against that match And firme for Doctor Caius). View more context for this quotation 1625 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) 123 In choice of Committees for ripening Businesse, for the Counsell, it is better to choose Indifferent persons, then to make an Indifferency, by putting in those, that are strong, on both sides. a1631 J. Donne Βιαθανατος (1647) i. i. §3 The second opinion..of which Calvin is a strong Authorizer, if not an Authour. 1679 Tryall R. Langhorn 26 L.C.J. Is Anthony a Papist? Mr. Buss. Yes, a very strong Papist. 1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 126. ¶8 I find however that the Knight is a much stronger Tory in the Country than in Town. 1761 L. Scrafton Refl. Govt. Indostan iii. 121 Those who know what strong fatalists these eastern people are. a1797 E. Burke Let. in Wks. (1812) V. 304 The old persecutors..whether Catholicks, Anglicans, or Calvinists, actually were..strong Dogmatists. 1828 G. Croly Salathiel I. xxvii. 226 A strong believer in the doctrine that..the unlucky have to thank only themselves. 1859 H. B. Stowe Minister's Wooing xxx Some folks say..that dreaming about white horses is a certain sign. Jinny Styles is very strong about that. 1882 J. Morley Life R. Cobden (new ed.) II. xxix. 255 The Emperor was strong for a commercial treaty with England. 1924 C. Connolly Let. 31 Oct. in Romantic Friendship (1975) 25 I am becoming rather a strong Platonist in the matter of ideals. 1955 Hansard Commons 8 Mar. 277 The reason why I may not be so strong about it is that [etc.]. 1985 R. Davies What's bred in Bone 24 The McRorys were strong for education. 2008 E. M. Eisenberg First to cry down Injustice? iv. 118 Niebuhr..had become..a strong supporter of the ‘just war’ against fascism and Nazism. (b) With on. Convinced of the importance of; emphatic, enthusiastic, or knowledgeable about; good at. ΚΠ 1749 T. Smollett tr. A. R. Le Sage Gil Blas I. iii. iv. 211 He is equally strong on all subjects, from the most close and subtle logic down to the art of spelling. 1791 E. Burke Appeal New to Old Whigs 72 Sir Joseph Jekyl is so strong on this point, that he takes fire even at the insinuation of his being of such an opinion. 1840 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Dec. 778/1 Nash found himself so strong on the subject, that whenever any one entered the rooms in boots, he..would express his regret ‘that the gentleman had forgotten his horse’. 1883 M. E. Kennard Right Sort xxiv I doubt very much if Mary, who is so strong on the proprieties, will consider you and Mr. McGrath sufficient chaperones. 1921 C. M. Russell Rawhide Rawlins Stories 43 Those [cowpunchers] west of the Rockies..were generally strong on pretty, usin' plenty of hoss jewelry. 2008 A. Humez & N. Humez On Dot i. 8 The Romans were strong on divination, as were their Etruscan neighbors. †f. Of a magnitude: great, unusual. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > largeness > [adjective] > exceptionally large of its kind gurta1400 swappingc1440 swappit?a1513 strongc1540 thwacking1567 thumping1576 bouncing1579 swingeinga1592 whoppinga1625 rapping1657 spankinga1666 whisking1673 swagging1731 skelping?a1786 whacking1797 slapping1825 plumping1832 walloping1847 slashing1854 smacking1888 plonking1896 sollicking1946 c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 27 The Stretis were streght & of a stronge brede. 10. Affecting the sense of taste or smell to a high degree. a. Powerful in flavour or taste; distinctive and pungent; (now English regional) having a foul taste.strong as mustard: see mustard n. 3b. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > taste and flavour > [adjective] > strong-tasting strongeOE stithc1000 violenta1398 tartc1405 froughc1420 high?c1430 lecherous1474 strong1588 brusque1601 valiant1607 pertish1635 haut-goût1645 full-flavoured1736 lively1770 gamey1820 ory1854 zestful?1855 robust1873 tangy1875 stewy1895 eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (Otho) (2009) I. xxix. 523 Þæt is forhwy se gooda læce selle þam halum men seftne drenc and swetne, and oðrum ha[lum] biterne and strangne [L. amara]. OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) xcii. 134 Genim þysse wyrte wos..mid strangon [?a1200 Harl. 6258B strange; L. austero] wine gemengced. ?a1425 (?1373) Lelamour Herbal (1938) f. 66^v (MED) Radich is an erbe that haþ a grete rote wonder strong in etynge. a1500 (?a1425) tr. Secreta Secret. (Lamb.) 80 (MED) Þe redder wyn and thickere mor heuys þe blood; But whenne it ys stalworth and of a strong tast, þanne ys hit sayd þe firste blood. 1599 A. M. tr. O. Gaebelkhover Bk. Physicke 20/2 Nether vse any strong cibaryes, as Onions, Leecks, Spelte, or anye other Spices. a1627 T. Middleton & W. Rowley Old Law (1656) ii. 19 Tis like a cheese too strong of the Runnet. 1644 K. Digby Two Treat. i. xvii. 149 They thought that paines well recompenced, by finding it in the tast to grow stronger and stronger. 1659 J. Howell Prov. Eng. Toung 18/2 in Παροιμιογραϕια As strong as Mustard. 1719 G. London & H. Wise J. de la Quintinie's Compl. Gard'ner (ed. 7) iv. 66 Its Pulp is very buttery,..and Taste agreeable; the only fault is, that 'tis a little strong towards the Core. a1740 B. Lens New & Compleat Drawing-bk. (1751) 32 Boil it till it taste strong on the Tongue. 1804 ‘Ignotus’ Culina 150 Strong sauces that overpower the natural flavour of the fish. 1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxxi. 334 The cheese went a great way, for it was very strong. 1893 R. Lydekker Horns & Hoofs 116 The flesh of other buck ibex is so strong as to be quite uneatable. 1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert vii. 65 Commercial travellers..smoking the strongest of black cigars. a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. xiii. 284 Even black ants..are relished by some who like strong flavours. 1974 W. Leeds Herefordshire Speech 97 Strong, having an offensive taste or smell; to be on the verge of going bad. 2013 G. Cooper Be your own Nutritionist iv. 89 The chilli and pepper that characterise strong curries..are too strong for our purposes. b. Intense on the nose; having a powerful, and often unpleasant, smell. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > smell and odour > [adjective] strongOE savouringc1384 breatheda1398 flairinga1400 smellinga1400 odorifere?a1425 odorous?a1425 smellablec1449 odoranta1465 odoriferousc1487 odiferousa1500 odoureda1500 odiferant1509 redolent?a1513 reflairing1523 odoriferantc1550 scenting1577 odorable1589 breathful1593 fat1598 olent1607 smelled1617 odorific1685 tainted1704 odourful1889 osmic1912 OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) clxxvii. 222 Þa [sc. leaves] syndon stranges swæces [L. grave olentibus]. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 83 Of uuele þinges stenh..oðer strong breað iþe nase. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. xi. 909 Garleek hatte alleum... Þe smel þerof is strong. a1425 (a1400) Prick of Conscience (Galba & Harl.) (1863) 6692 Þe fire þat bryn þam sal, Sal gyfe a stang [read strang] stynk with-alle. a1505 R. Henryson Sum Pract. Med. 48 in Poems (1981) 181 With reid nettill seid in strang wesche to steip. a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 199 That fulle dismemberit hes my meter And poysonid it with strang salpeter. 1567 Confessioun in R. Pitcairn Criminal Trials Scotl. (1833) I. ii. 500 The langer deirt is hydden, it is the stronger. a1616 W. Shakespeare Coriolanus (1623) i. i. 58 They say poore Suters haue strong breaths. View more context for this quotation 1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §835 For those kinde of Smells, that we haue mentioned, are all Strong, and doe Pull and Vellicate the Sense. 1664 S. Butler Hudibras: Second Pt. ii. i. 54 Which makes him have so strong a breath, Each night he stinks a Queen to death. 1728 A. Pope Dunciad ii. 85 [He] from th' effluvia [of ordure] strong Imbibes new life. ?1770 Tom Gay's Comical Jester 12 An arch Fellow..takes up the Hat, and crops the Flower, leaving in the Room of it a Rose of a stronger Savour. 1839 H. Rogers in Edinb. Rev. 70 239 It is possible for perfumes to be as stiflingly strong as ill odours. 1882 E. A. Floyer Unexplored Baluchistan 151 Bushire..contains more filth and strong smells in proportion to its size than any other town. 1927 W. Cather Death comes for Archbishop iv. ii.129 He detected at once a fetid odour, not very strong but highly disagreeable. 1957 ‘Miss Read’ Village Diary 240 A strong smell of paraffin, mixed with the smoke from shag tobacco. 1991 O. Clarke Webster's Wine Guide 1992 13/1 Appley wines with a strong whiff of aniseed. 11. Having an intrinsic property or constituent to a high degree. a. Of a drink: containing a (relatively) high proportion of spirit or alcohol. See also strong beer n. at Compounds 3, strong drink n., strong water n. 2, tears of strong wine at tear n.¹ 5.With regard to effects, typically coinciding with sense 7a; cf. also later more general sense 11b. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > types or qualities of intoxicating liquor > [adjective] > strong strongeOE stalec1300 mainc1400 nappyc1460 starkc1485 nase?1536 huff-cap1599 nippitatum1600 intoxicating1604 inebriating1610 distempering1613–18 inebriative1615 toxing1635 hogen mogen1653 napping1654 humming1675 hard1700 inebriousa1704 ebrietating1711 bead-proof1753 steeve1801 high-proof1810 pithy1812 stiff1813 inebriant1828 reverent1837 a little more north1864 ebriating1872 rorty1950 eOE Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) iii. xii. 314 Ofgeot mid strangan beore oþþe mid strangum ealað. lOE Ælfric Old Test. Summary: Judith (Corpus Cambr.) in B. Assmann Angelsächsische Homilien u. Heiligenleben (1889) 111 Þa wearð Holofernis wundorlice bliðe ealne þone dæg and fordræncte hine sylfne mid þam strangum wine ofer his gewunan. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 51 Ich habbe y-by nyeȝ dyad to niȝt. to strang wes þet wyn teue. a1450 (?c1421) J. Lydgate Siege Thebes (Arun.) (1911) 110 Strong notty ale wol mak ȝou route. 1531 W. Tyndale Answere Mores Dialoge f. iij^v Ale and bere of y^e strongest. 1571 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Psalmes of Dauid with Comm. (lxxv. 9) Stronge wyne fuminge quickly and strongly into the brayne. a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) iii. v. 104 And then to be stopt in like a strong distillation with stinking Cloathes. View more context for this quotation a1665 K. Digby Closet Opened (1669) 126 To twenty Gallons of the Strong-wort, he puts eight or ten pound..of honey. 1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 553 O madness, to think use of strongest wines And strongest drinks our chief support of health. View more context for this quotation 1763 I. Bickerstaff Love in Village iii. ix. 73 I tipsey brother!—I—that never touch a drop of any thing strong from year's end to year's end. 1780 Mirror No. 73 The swallowing of much strong liquor produces a temporary madness. 1803 W. Hunter Trav. through France, Turkey, & Hungary, to Vienna 1792 II. 374 Slibowitz..is a strong spirit, distilled from a small plum. 1843 J. Pereira Treat. Food & Diet 422 Wines which contain a comparatively small quantity of it [sc. alcohol] are denominated light wines;..while those which are rich in it are termed strong or generous wines. a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) II. 1446 The liquor is fermented to make a strong spirit known as mescal. 1989 Japan Times 19 May 13/3 If your taste is for stronger stuff, ask for straight plum brandy. 2012 Church Times 27 Apr. 3/3 It is double-fermented to create a strong ale of seven-per-cent alcohol by volume. b. Of an infusion, solution, etc.: having a high proportion of the solid ingredient or of the flavouring element; having little dilution, concentrated.Cf. earlier specific sense 11a. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > chemistry > physical chemistry > solutions > [adjective] > concentration stronga1325 concentrated1689 concentrate1758 concentric1772 a1325 Diuersa Cibaria in C. B. Hieatt & S. Butler Curye on Inglysch (1985) 56 (MED) Soþþen nim wyn & sucre & make me an stronge soupe. c1560 J. Lacy Wyl Bucke his Test. (Copland) sig. B.i Caste him in a fayre pot, and caste therto faire stronge brothe. 1660 R. Boyle New Exper. Physico-mechanicall 189 As strong a solution of Salt of Tartar in fair Water as could be made. 1716 Lady M. W. Montagu Basset-table in Court Poems 9 The Tea's too strong. 1721 A. Ramsay Prospect of Plenty 161 They'll..stow them [sc. herrings] wi' strang brine. a1777 in Jrnl. Friends' Hist. Soc. (1904) Oct. 187 To these 2 Quarts of strong Jelly you may put a Pinte of Rhenish. 1866 C. Reade Griffith Gaunt II. xii. 195 Make him soup as strong as strong. 1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VII. 583 Antral and attic cavities washed out with strong antiseptic solution. 1924 F. E. Lloyd Fluorescent Colors Plants 18 In strong glycerine or cane sugar the chloroplasts appear to suffer shrinkage. 1962 O. Manning Spoilt City iv. xxiv. 272 Go and make a good strong pot of tea for all of us. 2002 P. Thomas What works, what Doesn't x. 115 You can make a herbal bath..by making a strong infusion or decoction and adding this to your bath. c. Chiefly Medieval History. Of coin: containing a high proportion of precious metal. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > coins collective > [adjective] > containing much precious metal strong1469 1469 in Archaeologia (1806) 15 168 Whanne the seid money be founde atte the assaye..to stronge or to feble all only in weght or all only in allaye. 1837 J. J. Sturz Rev., Financial, Statist. & Commerc. Empire Brazil 2 This difference in intrinsic value caused the superior coins to be called ‘strong money’; and those of the less intrinsic value were called ‘weak money’. 1967 Econ. Hist. Rev. 20 37 (footnote) Mintmasters assumed that the strong coins would compensate for the weak. 1988 P. Spufford Money & Use Medieval Europe (1989) xiii. 289 When a ruler returned to ‘strong’ money, he began to mint coins with a weight and fineness approximating to that before his debasements. 2014 J. Kaye Hist. Balance, 1250–1375 vii. 395 An ordonnance issued in December of that year [sc. 1360] noted the issue of a new ‘strong’ coin, the ‘franc’, at 96 percent silver and only 4 percent alloy. d. Of a semi-liquid substance: thick, stiff, viscid. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > density or solidity > viscosity > [adjective] thickc888 toughc1000 cleavingc1350 gluey1382 gluish1382 gleiming1387 gummya1398 clammy1398 gleimy1398 viscosec1400 viscousc1400 emplastic?a1425 plastery?c1425 stiffc1430 clamc1440 engleimous?c1475 rawky1509 rich1535 clammish1543 limy1552 strong1560 glutinous1576 cloggy1587 emplastical1590 viscuous1603 plasterish1610 slaba1616 bound1635 viscid1635 lentous1646 spiscious1655 melleous1656 salivarious1656 glutining1658 syrupical1659 glairy1662 gummous1669 gummose1678 mellaginous1681 melligineous1684 pargety1684 sticky1688 sizy1691 dauby1697 syrupy1707 treacly?1734 glaireous1755 flabbyc1780 spissid1782 stodgy1823 waxy1835 teery1848 treacle-like1871 viscoid1877 slauming1904 gooey1906 gloopy1929 gunky1937 gungy1962 yucky1975 1560 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli 2nd Pt. Secretes Alexis of Piemont 114 It [sc. the second paste] is soner sodden, bicause it is softer..than the firste, whiche is muche stronger. 1608 H. Plat Floraes Paradise Beautified 29 Make gum water as strong as for Inke. 1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 314 If it be small Letter.., the Inck must be Strong..: But if it be great Letter.., he makes Soft Inck serve. 1762 Philos. Trans. 1761 (Royal Soc.) 52 150 I had it varnished over several times with strong varnish, or japan. 1839 A. Ure Dict. Arts 1266 [Article Varnish.] Keep it boiling until it feels strong and stringy between the fingers. 1880 Arthur's Home Mag. May 316/2 To preserve bright grates or fire-irons from rust, make a strong paste of fresh lime and water, [etc.]. 1922 Bakers' Helper 15 May 993/1 Add 2½ pounds granulated sugar, stir it well into mixture, boil to a strong thread. 1996 K. McCloud Compl. Bk. Paint & Decorative Techniques ii. 94/1 Add a little water to the gesso pot throughout the day;..if strong gesso is laid over weak gesso, it will crack off and fail. e. With of. Impregnated or flavoured with to a high degree; containing a large amount of. Also figurative. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > taste and flavour > [adjective] > strong-tasting strongeOE stithc1000 violenta1398 tartc1405 froughc1420 high?c1430 lecherous1474 strong1588 brusque1601 valiant1607 pertish1635 haut-goût1645 full-flavoured1736 lively1770 gamey1820 ory1854 zestful?1855 robust1873 tangy1875 stewy1895 the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > condition or state of being mixed or blended > [adjective] > mixed with something > impregnated > greatly strong1588 1588 Good Hous-wiues Treasurie sig. Biij If you will haue it strong of the spice:..put into euery pinte so much spice and Suger as is written. 1617 F. Moryson Itinerary i. 26 These waters are so strong of brimstone, as the very smoake warmeth them that come neere. a1665 K. Digby Closet Opened (1669) 162 Put as much Smallage as you buy for a peny, which maketh it strong of the Herb, and very green. 1709 T. Robinson Ess. Nat. Hist. Westmorland & Cumberland vii. 44 Upon the inside of this Fell, breaks out a Chalybiate Water, very strong of the Mineral. 1745 E. Young Complaint: Night the Eighth 15 Men, who think nought so strong of the Romance, So rank Knight-errant, as a Real Friend. 1769 E. Raffald Experienced Eng. House-keeper viii. 212 Pare, and core some green Pippins, and boil them 'till the water is strong of the Apple. 1846 C. Dickens Pictures from Italy 49 German sausages, strong of garlick. 1861 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. Sc. Life 2nd Ser. 124 ‘Oh, vera good, mem; it's just some strong o' the apple’ (a common country expression for beer which is rather tart or sharp). 1901 ‘A. Hope’ Tristram of Blent xxvi. 356 This situation was deliciously strong of the Tristrams. 1913 K. De Witt Private Duty Nursing (1917) ii. 22 I saw a whole tablefull..at a hospital refuse potato salad which was strong of onion. 2004 A. DesBrisay Capital Dining 110 Prosciutto rolled around bocconcini cheese and figs, warmed in an Alfredo sauce strong of garlic. f. Mining. Of a vein: thick, massive. Of a vein, mine, or its deposits: likely to be very productive; prolific. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > minerals > mineral deposits > [adjective] > thick vein or coal seam strong1684 three-quarter1708 the world > the earth > minerals > types of mineral > hydrocarbon minerals > [adjective] > coal > hard strong1684 1684 T. Byfield Artific. Spaw iii. 22 The best Vitriol is most naturally brought forth in those Mines where Nature hath begot that Esurine Salt, corroding a strong Vein of Copper. 1789 J. Pilkington View Derbyshire I. iii. 53 I am informed, that no ore has been got in it, excepting in a strong vein..which crosses the High-Tor at Matlock. 1839 R. I. Murchison Silurian Syst. i. xiv. 177 In the same tract are strong courses of very pure concretionary limestone. 1877 R. W. Raymond Statistics Mines & Mining 159 The vein is very strong, and carries a very large proportion of quartz. 1922 Mining & Sci. Press 18 Mar. 382/1 This property is situated on the El Trigo ranch and is traversed by a strong vein of gold and silver. 1981 E. G. Holland Coniston Copper Mines v. 109 It may be easily followed, as a strong quartz vein, westwards along the rugged mountainside. 2010 P. L. Jones Pursuit & Capture of Hidden Treasure 110 The metal values in that part of the vein were not quite strong enough. g. Of flour: containing a high proportion of gluten. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > flour > [adjective] > qualities of wholemeal1795 strong1819 ergoted1841 self-rising1853 straight1859 whole-grain1870 weak1889 1819 Monthly Mag. Jan. 514/2 Strong and weak, used of the different kinds of flour, mean those which have more or less of the farina of wheat; grinded bran, and its needful (though infamous) concomitants, constituting weakness. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm II. 349 When wheat is translucent..it is best suited to the common baker, as affording what is called strong flour; that is, flour that rises boldly with yeast into a spongy dough. 1905 Westm. Gaz. 16 Sept. 7/1 But the bakers want a ‘strong’ flour—one that holds more water and makes more bread. 1981 Bon Appétit June 106/1 Unlike stronger hard wheat flours, soft wheats produce minimal gluten. 2008 BBC Good Food Sept. 44/3 To make your own dough, stir together 350g strong flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp fast-action yeast before adding your liquid. h. Metallurgy. Of moulding sand: having the desirable properties of such a sand in abundance; strongly cohesive. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > sand > [adjective] > types of sand strong1841 Leighton Buzzard1916 1841 Sat. Mag. 27 Nov. 206/2 The work is commenced at the bottom, by covering with strong sand such part as is intended to form one block of the shell. 1843 C. Holtzapffel Turning & Mech. Manip. I. 332 A small portion of the strong facing-sand is rubbed through a fine sieve. 1888 Lockwood's Dict. Mech. Engin. Strong Sand, tenacious foundry sand, containing a large proportion of loam and horse dung. 1900 U.S. Patent 656,021 1/2 Where strong sand is used the edge of the opening may be an inch or more from the pattern all around. 2007 R. J. Rajput Textbk. Manuf. Technol. ii. 59 Sands may be blended together. An open sand is added to a strong sand to make the resultant mixture more refractory or to increase its permeability. i. Metallurgy. Of iron: casting well; of good quality. Now rare (chiefly historical). ΚΠ 1850 F. Overman Manuf. Iron v. 388 It is unprofitable to weld weak iron to strong iron. It is a generally known fact that we can unite iron of the same texture, whether weak or strong, with the smallest possible loss. 1862 Soc. Engineers 1861 75 You have what is technically called strong iron. This iron is more or less siliceous, and casts solid with a convex face when cast in sand or ashes. 1888 Lockwood's Dict. Mech. Engin. Strong Iron, applied usually to mixtures of iron of various brands, together with scrap iron,..by which a definite grade of strength or toughness is obtained. 1911 Iron Trade Rev. 1 June 1056/1 The main feature of what is called strong iron is the low content of sulphur. 2001 R. B. Gordon Amer. Iron, 1607–1900 ix. 203 Because they did not discover that strong iron was usually brittle, they had little success finding the causes of failure of iron in boilers. 12. a. Of people individually: eminently able or qualified to succeed in something; well skilled or versed in some particular branch of knowledge or practice. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [adjective] > expert, proficient, or versed > in an art, pursuit, or subject strongOE knowingc1436 experimented1477 well seen1528 well-studied1530 well-read1574 well beseen1576 curious1577 technical1617 OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1881) I. 116 He wæs..strang foreþingere. c1330 King of Tars (Auch.) 641 in Englische Studien (1889) 11 49 Þou hast assayed goddes þyn, Wolte þat ich asaye myn, Wheþer be better leche? And leoue sire, trouwe on þis, And leef on hym þat strengor is. 1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III i. iv. 147 I am strong in fraud, he cannot preuaile with me. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) v. i. 272 His Mother was a Witch, and one so strong That could controle the Moone; make flowes, and ebs [etc.] . View more context for this quotation 1693 J. Dryden Disc. conc. Satire in J. Dryden et al. tr. Juvenal Satires p. ii Yet I was stronger in Prophecy than I was in Criticism. 1694 W. Penn Brief Acct. Rise Quakers i. 24 They were very Diligent, Plain and Serious; strong in Scripture, and bold in Profession. 1766 T. Warton Let. 29 Nov. (1995) ii. 205 I think the Piece is one of Ashmole's chemical manuscripts. He was strong in the Rosicrusian System. 1817 P. B. Shelley Laon & Cythna xi. xxiv. 249 Genius is made strong to rear The monuments of man beneath the dome Of a new Heaven. 1833 Q. Rev. July 399 Conolly [sc. a jockey]..has a bad Irish seat, but he is very strong upon his horse. 1852 W. M. Thackeray Henry Esmond III. xi. 273 I am not very strong in spelling. 1885 Manch. Examiner 26 Aug. 3/2 We think Mr. Gough is much stronger as a raconteur than as a logician. 1889 W. H. Pollock et al. Fencing (Badminton Libr. of Sports & Pastimes) 105 A short man..should be strong in the parry and riposte. 1905 Athenæum 30 Sept. 417/3 (advt.) Wanted, Assistant Master [in a School of Art], strong in Design. 1971 P. Goodman Speaking & Lang. ii. viii. 153 Every strong writer molds a language that works primarily for himself. 2008 S. A. Montrul Incomplete Acquisition in Bilingualism v. 154 The older adolescents and young adults were stronger in English than in Spanish. †b. to make oneself strong [Compare Middle French se faire fort (1356)] : (a) to undertake to do something; (b) to affirm that. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > statement > assertion or affirmation > [verb (transitive)] vowc1330 anferme1340 affirma1382 willa1382 threapc1386 avow1393 to make oneself strongc1425 maintain?c1430 protest1440 traverse1491 assure1509 ferma1525 verc1540 profess1542 enforce1579 justify1579 aver1582 to take on1583 asserta1604 will1614 assevera1618 positive1656 autume1661 declare1709 obtesta1722 predicate1782 asseveratea1847 c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) ii. l. 2865 I holde foly lengere to abyde, But þat Parys..make him strong..for to venge our wrong. 1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 162 I wil make me strong so to do if it be youre plaisir. c1500 Melusine (1895) 296 And also other sayen, & make them strong that she is a spyryte of the fayry. c. Of a team, crew, etc.: having eminently capable or well-qualified members; formidable by virtue of the group. ΚΠ 1773 H. Proctor Sportsman's Sure Guide 52 (table) The Odds against each Side winning Two Battles running... The Strong Side..The Weak Side. 1857 T. Hughes Tom Brown's School Days (ed. 3) ii. vii. 370 He could never play on the strongest side with any heart at foot-ball or cricket. 1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. xiii. 259 [Rowing races] Brazen-nose isn't so strong as usual. We sha'n't have much trouble there. 1907 Scroll of Phi Delta Theta June 576 A strong squad has been going through some hard spring training. 1945 Billboard 6 Oct. 57/1 Supporting the bands, a strong line-up of acts helped sell Carroll's Club Fiesta to fair patrons. 1972 Ebony Apr. 114 It was a total team effort with dazzling guards.., sharp-shooting forwards..and a strong reserve bench. 2007 V. J. Kennedy Hypomanic vi. 178 Eric had added a little extra incentive on his Typolinguistics 3 module. He offered £50 to the winning team. I joined up with Nath, Rory, Alan and Jahan. We were very strong and also had flair. 13. Of movement, activity, or something moving or active: having considerable force. a. Of a current of air, water, or electricity, a wind, tide, stream, etc.: powerful, forceful.strong breeze: see Compounds 3. strong gale: see gale n.³ 1a. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > current > [adjective] > strong strongeOE stiff streamed1632 racy1793 the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > wind > [adjective] > strong strongeOE stiffc1290 sternc1374 wrothc1400 vehement1483 strainable1497 freshc1515 stout1533 bloysterous?1570 ruffing1577 boisterous?1594 lofty1600 chafing1762 blustery1774 smacking1820 snoring1822 spanking1849 gale force1902 eOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care (Hatton) (1871) lvii. 437 Swiðe lytle beoð ða dropan ðæs smalan renes, ac hi wyrceað ðeah swiðe micel flod & swiðe strongne stream. OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Matt. xiv. 30 Uidens uero uentum ualidum : gesæh ec uel uutedlice wind strong. a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 43 Hie swa stierde on ðe muchele wilde flode ðe ouerȝiede all middeneard, mang stronge windes and stormes. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. ii. 903 Þat tyme fruyt falliþ wiþ litil schakyng as wiþ a strong blast or a puf of wynd. a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) Exod. x. 19 The Lord..made a moost strong wynd to blowe fro the west. c1440 (a1400) Awntyrs Arthure (Thornton) l. 55 By þe stremys so strange, þat swyftly swoghes. 1558 W. Bullein Govt. Healthe f. li^v The low shrubs..be euer in more sauegarde then the lusty highe florishyng trees.., whiche be subiect to euery strong wynde. 1594 T. Blundeville Exercises v. f. 270 Here is a very strong current of the sea, which runneth East & West, betwixt Madagascar and the Ile Romoros. c1620 A. Hume Of Orthogr. Britan Tongue (1870) i. v. §4 Nether daer I, with al the oares of reason, row against so strang a tyde. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis v, in tr. Virgil Wks. 335 As when you stem'd the strong Malæan Flood. 1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. i. i. 5 The Wind was so strong, that we were driven directly upon it, and immediately split. 1757 T. Gray Ode I i. i, in Odes 5 Now the rich stream of music winds along Deep, majestic, smooth, and strong. 1800 Philos. Mag. 7 293 If the contact of the metals..only be sufficient to give a free passage to a moderately strong current of electricity, [etc.]. 1815 W. Wordsworth Poems II. 147 The River was strong and the rocks were steep. 1841 C. Dickens Barnaby Rudge lviii. 271 A stone-floored room, where there was..a strong thorough draft of air. 1890 Freeborn County Standard (Albert Lea, Minnesota) 24 Sept. When venture-some rodents walk within a metallic cage, containing cheese, they are transfixed by a strong electric current. 1913 M. Roberts Salt of Sea x. 234 We ran on and on, faster and faster yet—for the tide was under her stronger and stronger, every minute. 1933 A. M. Lindbergh Let. 27 Nov. in Locked Rooms & Open Doors (1974) 158 There is a strong wind blowing—the trade wind. 1965 J. R. Dyer Applic. Absorption Spectroscopy Org. Compounds iv. 81 Aromatic nuclei contain large closed loops of π electrons in which strong diamagnetic currents are induced by the magnetic field. 2007 Dive Oct. 45/1 The Sound of Mull is an area of strong currents. b. Of fire, heat, an internal process, etc.: intense, energetic, vigorously active.In quot. eOE with reference to heat as an internal state of the human body. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > [adjective] > of action: involving or requiring vigour > vigorous or intense in operation strongeOE smartc1300 steevec1300 keen1340 piercinga1400 perceantc1400 forta1513 incisive1528 vigorous1548 forcible1555 emphatical1581 searching1590 nervous1616 strenuous1632 arrowy1650 intent1650 urging1658 sinewous1663 emphatic1689 drastic1808 needling1839 shrewd1842 gimlet1894 the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > heat > burning > a fire > [adjective] > strong or brisk sada1450 quick1604 rousing1654 strong1765 brisk1830 eOE Bald's Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) ii. xlvii. 260 Læcedomas þa þe þynnunge mægen hæbben & smalunge, þam lichoman þa ða hæto medmicle oþþe strange þrowian. c1300 St. Christopher (Laud) 191 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 277 He let don þat oþur in strong fuyr. a1475 Bk. Quinte Essence (1889) 13 (MED) Putte it to þe fier of flawme riȝt strong, and þe reed water schal ascende. 1576 T. Twyne Schoolemaster iii. sig. L Which of the twayne, those which haue a stronge heat or a weake, are able longest to abide hunger? 1609 W. Shakespeare Pericles ii. 46 A sparke, To which that sparke giues heate, and stronger Glowing. View more context for this quotation 1626 F. Bacon New Atlantis 37 in Sylua Syluarum A Weake Heate of the Stomach will turne them into good Chylus; As well as a Strong Heate would Meate otherwise prepared. 1666 R. Boyle Origine Formes & Qualities 172 If..you expose a Sphære or Bullet of Lead to a strong fire, it will [etc.]. 1720 J. Quincy tr. S. Santorio Medicina Statica (ed. 2) 179 The Attractive Powers of its component Parts..are sometimes so great as to raise a strong Fermentation. 1765 Museum Rusticum 4 405 Red Colour for the use of Enamel Painters, which will bear repeated and sufficiently strong fires without change. 1826 D. Booth Art of Brewing (ed. 2) 60 By attenuating lower in summer, the beer does become..disposed to fretting and staleness—the result of too strong a fermentation. 1857 W. A. Miller Elements Chem. III. 144 By a stronger heat they are decomposed. 1874 W. Gregor Echo Olden Time N. Scotl. 111 If it [sc. the wort] fermented strongly, or, as it was expressed, if it was strong on the barm. 1903 J. T. Bealby tr. S. Hedin Central Asia & Tibet I. x. 181 The flames were strong and high. 1981 A. Perry Resurrection Row ix. 210 A remarkably comfortable room..with a strong fire burning in the grate. 2001 Your Garden Jan. 104/2 Avoid overwatering house plants and keep them away from draughts and strong heat. c. Of the pulse: easily palpable, full; (also) difficult to compress (= hard adj. 6). Of breathing or respiration: characterized by effective movement of air; spec. produced by the action of the intercostal muscles in addition to that of the diaphragm. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > respiratory organs > breathing > [adjective] > intense stronga1398 the world > life > the body > vascular system > circulation > pulsation > [adjective] > types of pulsation slowa1398 stronga1398 throbbinga1450 systematical1658 long1671 natant1707 undose1707 vermiculose1707 exalted1742 salienta1791 inciduous1822 fluttering1834 sharp1843 sluggish1843 tricrotic1876 tricrotous1877 bounding1879 short1898 quadrigeminal1906 plateau1923 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. iii. xxiii. 124 Þis puls grete and strong [L. pulsus fortis & grossus] comeþ of þe strengþe of þe spirit. 1539 T. Elyot Castel of Helthe (new ed.) i. ii. f. 2v Pulse swyfte and stronge. 1571 T. Hill Contempl. Mankinde xxi. f. 89 The speech vttered verie quick: breathing strong, and thick togither. 1663 N. Culpeper & A. Cole tr. T. Bartholin Anat. (new ed.) ii. iii. 92/1 The former Respiration Galen terms gentle or small,..the other strong,..a third sublime, where the Diaphragma, intercostal or rib between muscles, and muscles of the Chest do act all together. 1730 Philos. Trans. 1729–30 (Royal Soc.) 36 188 I felt a small Palpitation, which presently increased to a stronger Pulse. 1785 W. Cowper Task iv. 348 While ev'ry breath, by respiration strong Forc'd downward, is consolidated soon Upon their jutting chests. 1827 J. Forbes tr. R. T. H. Laennec Treat. Dis. Chest (ed. 2) 115 The respiration was strong, and accompanied by a deep sonorous rattle. 1924 Lancet 1 Nov. 907/1 In most cases the heart continued to beat vigorously.., giving a strong radial pulse of 80–150 beats per minute. 1990 Jrnl. Voice 4 254/2 When strong respiration is required, the CT [= cricothyroid] muscle contracts strongly, primarily during inspiration. 2011 M. Holman Carpet of Sun 294 The doctor took his pulse. It was getting stronger. d. Of effort, movement, pressure, etc.: forcible. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > [adjective] > characterized by unusual violence or force ketea1290 worthyc1350 violenta1387 stronga1398 dreicha1400 forciblec1422 strainable1497 vehement1531 forceful1592 wieldy1592 virulent1607 forcive1634 ass-kicking1977 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. xi. ii. 570 Hit nediþ þat þere be ful strong schowvinge and puttynge, and þat a gret del of þe eir be iput and schuft longe tyme, ellis it is nat wynde. 1602 A. Munday tr. 3rd Pt. Palmerin of Eng. xlii. f. 206^v Such was the Fishes strong pressure vpon him, that..he swallowed him vp. 1672 H. Chamberlen tr. F. Mauriceau Dis. Women with Child 14 The membranes are broken by the strong impulsion of the waters, which incontinently flow away. 1722 B. Worster Compend. Acct. Princ. Nat. Philos. 44 If the Forces are unequal, the Body will move in the Direction of the strongest Force. 1739 C. Amyand in Philos. Trans. 1737–8 (Royal Soc.) 40 323 Nor was his Jaundice owing to..the strong Compression and total Obstruction of..almost all the Biliary Ducts. 1827 M. Faraday Chem. Manip. xix. 521 It is better to make it [sc. the pressure] rather stronger when the glass is returned, than when drawn towards the body. 1852 ‘E. Wetherell’ Queechy I. xx. 296 She added no more but a sympathetic strong squeeze of the hand she held. 1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VIII. 19 An architect..putting in the details of a design by means of strong pressure with a hard pencil. 1902 Sci. & Industry Nov. 584/1 The row of fibers at the very top of the beam are under the strongest compression. 1959 T. Kroeber Inland Whale 95 Laksis launched the canoe with a strong push. 2014 S. B. O'Sullivan & L. G. Portney in S. B. O'Sullivan et al. Physical Rehabilit. (ed. 6) i. v. 194/1 The patient is asked to increase levels of contraction progressively to a strong effort. e. Of a rate of movement: maintained with vigour; consistently powerful; that does not slow or flag. ΚΠ 1684 in A. Behn Poems Several Occasions sig. (b)3 That slow but strong Majestick pace Shews her the swiftest steed of all the chosen Race. 1766 tr. Count von Scherwin in H. Lloyd Hist. Late War Germany I. 45 They advanced with a strong pace against us. 1846 R. W. Emerson in Diadem 95 Sometimes their strong speed they slacken. 1876 Accts. & Papers (House of Commons) XXVI. 492/2 The flood tide..runs over the banks and through the cuts at a very strong rate, as much as 2 and 21/2 knots. 1922 Harper's Mag. Feb. 287/2 He..started off at a strong pace across the square. 2008 G. Rowlerson Moroccan Success 301 The speed was strong throughout with a 2:40.83 first km, followed by a 2:43.66 second km. 14. a. Of a fortress, town, country, or military position: difficult to capture or invade; well able to withstand assault; having powerful artificial or natural defences. Also figurative and in figurative contexts. Cf. stronghold n., stronghouse n., strong point n. 1. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > defence > defensive work(s) > [adjective] stithc1000 strongOE fastenedOE warneda1300 strengtheda1382 unpregnable1387 embattledc1400 enbanedc1400 warrayable14.. impregnable1430 inexpugnable1490 strengthy1513 bulwarkeda1533 unexpugnable1533 fortified1538 well-fortified1538 unwinnablec1540 forced1548 forted1566 unbatterable1576 fencible?1579 unforcible1611 impregnate1632 untakable1652 of (good) force1697 casemated1740 well-girt1756 embattled1765 strongish1821 unbreachable1866 society > armed hostility > defence > [adjective] > defended > having strong natural defences strongOE strengthy1513 OE Paris Psalter (1932) lx. 2 Þu..wære me se stranga tor stið wið feondum. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3186 Þer he gon bulde castel swiðe strongne [c1300 Otho stronge]. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 251 Þe stronge casteles þet byeþ þe herten of guode men. ?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 172 The kyng of Abcaz hath the more strong contree. And he allweys vigerously defendeth his contree. c1425 Myrour to Lewde Men & Wymmen (Harl.) (1981) 100 (MED) Seint Poule bad his disciples þat þei schulde be sadly grounded as a strong tour. Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 188 Garsone, stronge place, municipium. a1500 (?c1450) Merlin xxii. 380 But litill thei founde in the contrey to take to, ffor all was turned from theire power into stronke fortresses. a1500 Prayer (Titus C.xix) in Middle Eng. Dict. at Sheld Dere lady, be to me than a strong toure for my refute, and my schelde to kepe me. 1523 T. Wolsey in State Papers Henry VIII (1849) VI. 202 Bray was not, ne coude be, made in shorte space strong or tenyble. 1592 J. Stow Annales anno 1399 509 The king was in Wales, which was a Countrey strong by reason of the Mountaines. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost xi. 655 Others to a Citie strong Lay Siege. View more context for this quotation 1673 W. Temple Observ. United Provinces i. 44 This Countrey was strong by its nature and seat among the Waters that encompass and divide it. 1711 J. Swift Conduct of Allies 72 France was to deliver up several of their strongest Towns in a Month. 1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho IV. iii. 28 The situation of Udolpho rendered it too strong to be taken by open force. 1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward I. Introd. p. lii A subject which was strong ground to the Marquis. 1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. III. i. i. 15 Longwi, our first strong-place on the borders, is fallen. 1843 Ld. Brougham Polit. Philos. II. vii. 65 The hilly or strong country extended in those parts to no great distance from the towns. 1892 F. P. Verney et al. Mem. Verney Family Civil War I. 113 The king's position on the high ground was extremely strong. 1927 Princeton Alumni Weekly 14 Jan. 442/1 Sam Lloyd proved..the strong tower of defense to all who stood in need..of his compassionate kindness. 1968 B. O. Hehir Harmony from Discords iii. 58 Farnham Castle was not a strong fortress. 2009 S. Willis Fighting Temeraire iii. 77 Albemarle opted..for a traditional siege of El Morro, the strongest part of the defences. b. Of a place of confinement, receptacle for valuables, etc.: difficult to escape from or break into. See also strongbox n., strongroom n. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > closed or shut condition > [adjective] > closed or shut > securely fastOE strong?a1300 well-closed?a1425 thick-barred1753 society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restraint depriving of liberty > confinement > [adjective] > of or relating to place of confinement > difficult to escape from strong?a1300 straitc1460 ?a1300 Thrush & Nightingale (Digby) 128 in C. Brown Eng. Lyrics 13th Cent. (1932) 105 Hy shulen don þe in prisoun stronge. c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) 431 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 119 And he him sente word a-ȝen þat he scholde..don him in strongue warde. 1437 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Jan. 1437 §15. m. 6 Putte hir in a stronge chaumbre. a1513 W. Dunbar Flyting in Poems (1998) I. 205 Ane thowsand kiddis, wer thay in faldis full strang. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. vii. sig. S5^v Huge great yron chests and coffers strong, All bard with double bends. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 434 Our prison strong . View more context for this quotation 1720 J. Middleton For Good of Publick. A True Method, shewing how to purchase Estate 12 That a strong Chest be provided to keep the Company's Cash. 1795 W. Jackson New Newgate Cal. VI. 132 There was a strong cellar with a double door, and the window fortified with iron bars. 1819 P. B. Shelley Cenci i. i. 7 I rarely kill the body which preserves, Like a strong prison, the soul within my power. 1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxxii. 351 They could hear the shouts of the populace, who were witnessing the removal of the reverend Mr. Stiggins to strong lodgings for the night. 1915 Weekly Commerc. News 2 Jan. 3/2 Salvors have been working on the vessel and have recovered $140,000 in silver bullion that was in the strong chest. 1937 C. Roth Spanish Inquisition x. 225 He was taken back to prison and lodged in a specially strong cell. 2005 C. R. Lounsbury Courthouses Early Virginia v. 216 Norfolk City Council members voted to build a stronger prison in 1753. 15. a. Of material things: capable of supporting strain or withstanding force, whether by cohesion of substance or by thickness; not easily broken, torn, damaged, or forced out of shape; well able to withstand rough work or treatment. (a) Literally.bull-strong: see the first element. strong as iron: see iron n.¹ Phrases 2. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > constitution of matter > strength > [adjective] hardeOE strongOE stithOE starkc1275 sturdyc1374 brazena1382 mighty?1448 boisterous?1571 oaky1631 stout1765 pang1813 OE Riddle 40 78 Flinte ic eom heardre þe þis fyr drifeþ of þissum strongan style heardan. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 6199 Heo bi-gunnen feorlic. ane swiðe deope dich &..ænne strongne stanene wal. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) v. 6632 This proverbe is evere newe, That stronge lokes maken trewe Of hem that wolden stele and pyke. a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 1726 He streight vp to his ere drough The stronge bowe. c1480 (a1400) St. Matthias 278 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 230 [He] went furtht & hyme-self can hynge with a cord bath styth & strange. 1562 N. Winȝet Last Blast Trompet (verso title page) It war w^t certane strang chenis of Irne, that thay wyll not yit descend in thaim selfis to humilitie & pennance. 1590 Cobler of Caunterburie 3 His lims well set withall, Of a strong bone. 1590 J. Smythe Certain Disc. Weapons 3 b Strong short arming Swords. 1609 W. Shakespeare Sonnets lxv. sig. E2^v When rocks impregnable are not so stoute, Nor gates of steele so strong but time decayes. View more context for this quotation 1623 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Henry VIII v. iii. 7 Fetch me a dozen Crab-tree staues, and strong ones. View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis ii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 254 Himself..with his Axe repeated Stroaks bestows On the strong Doors. 1728 A. Pope Dunciad i. 120 There Caxton slept, with Wynkin at his side, One clasp'd in wood, and one in strong cow-hide. 1765 Museum Rusticum 4 330 An elliptic is not equally strong as a semicircular arch. 1829 T. Castle Introd. Systematical & Physiol. Bot. 184 Plants..whose fruit is covered with a strong rind or hard woody shell. 1834 H. McMurtrie tr. G. Cuvier Animal Kingdom (abridged ed.) 57 Their hands are widened, armed with strong nails fitted to excavate the earth. 1886 J. Barrowman Gloss. Sc. Mining Terms 65 Strong, hard; not easily broken, e.g., strong coal. 1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 497 Sheets of strong blotting paper. 1941 E. J. Russell Eng. Farming 37 A plough consisting of a steel cylinder with a pointed end carried on a strong steel framework. 1996 A. Outwater Water 44 The Sitka spruce, pound for pound, is the strongest wood in the world. 2008 Esquire Feb. 130/1 Beta-titanium—an alloy that is both flexible and strong. (b) figurative and in figurative contexts. ΚΠ OE Cynewulf Juliana 651 Weal sceal þy trumra strong wiþstondan storma scurum, leahtra gehygdum. OE Riddle 47 5 Se wyrm forswealg wera gied sumes..þrymfæstne cwide ond þæs strangan staþol. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 168 Þet is a uirtue þet makeþ þe herte..ase a tour yzet ope ane stronge roche. a1425 Rule St. Benet (Lansd.) (1902) 1 Þe ryght strang & doghty armur of obedience. a1450 (c1435) J. Lydgate Life SS. Edmund & Fremund (Harl.) l. 1015 in C. Horstmann Altengl. Legenden (1881) 2nd Ser. 395 (MED) To holichirche he was so strong a wal. 1533 T. More 2nd Pt. Confut. Tyndals Answere vii. p. cclxxxv To thentent that his catholique chyrch may be to euery man..a stronge pyller of trouth. 1598 B. Yong tr. J. de Montemayor Diana 61 But this mischieuous absence doth violate and dissolue those things, which men thinke to be most strong and firme. a1616 W. Shakespeare King Lear (1623) iv. v. 162 Place sinnes with Gold, and the strong Lance of Iustice, hurtlesse breakes. a1680 T. Goodwin Wks. (1683) II. iv. 335 Our Hearts will need a most special strong fulchrum, support and susteiner. 1712 A. Pope To Young Lady in Misc. Poems 141 This binds in Ties more easie, yet more strong, The willing Heart. a1754 H. Fielding Jrnl. Voy. Lisbon (1755) 204 A fisherman can break through the strongest meshes of an act of parliament. 1818 P. B. Shelley Julian & Maddalo 181 How strong the chains are which our spirit bind. 1821 W. Scott Kenilworth III. ii. 36 Doubting..whether Amy's hopes..rested on any thing stronger than a blinded attachment to Varney. 1882 L. S. Bevington Poems, Lyrics, & Sonnets i. 95 Strong noose of fate that holds all souls to life, despair, and sin. 1922 Methodist Rev. May 449 The greater part of Italian Catholics..did their duty toward their fatherland in peril, and felt themselves bound to it by strong chains of affection. 1967 F. J. Singer Epigrams at Large 17 The strongest shackles bind us to convention. 2012 B. Solis End Business as Usual xi. 131 Reciprocity is a strong pillar of community and relationships. b. Of soil: firm or compact; (in later use also) able to sustain good plant growth, as through high nutrient content. Of land: consisting of such soil. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > earth or soil > soil qualities > [adjective] > firm strongOE tough1340–70 strongish1652 stout1764 OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius Herbarium (Vitell.) (1984) xxxvi. 82 Ðeos wyrt..bið cenned on fæstum landum & on strangum [L. locis solidis et fortibus]. 1580 T. Tusser Fiue Hundred Pointes Good Husbandrie (new ed.) f. 21 It signifieth land, to be hartie and strong. 1591 G. Clayton Approoued Order Martiall Discipline i. 45 Aduertising..that the Pikemen..doe holde the great ende of their pikes fastned harde in stronge earth, to the ende the Pike may haue the greater force. 1602 E. Hayes in J. Brereton Briefe Relation Discouerie Virginia 16 The soile is exceeding strong, by reason it was neuer manured. 1693 J. Evelyn tr. J. de La Quintinie Compl. Gard'ner ii. vi. iv. 195 Grounds..that being colder and stronger or heavier, easily infect them [sc. lettuces] with slimy Snivel [= ‘a sort of rotting moisture, hanging about some plants’]. 1721 J. Mortimer Whole Art Husbandry (ed. 5) I. 87 Peat-Marle or Delving-Marle, which is close, strong, and very fat. 1764 Museum Rusticum IV. 31 Seemingly-opposite soils, viz. one set, shallow, light, gravelly; and the other, deep, strong, and rich. 1792 J. Madison Let. 12 June in T. Jefferson Papers (1990) XXIV. 70 The wheat in weak land suffering; in the strong, not injured materially. 1837 W. Youatt Sheep xv. 498 Many a grazier has sustained considerable loss from having lambed his ewes thinly on strong land. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. iii. 314 The wheat, which was then cultivated only on the strongest clay. 1856 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. (new ed.) II. (Gloss.) 726/1 Strong land, in Devons., is not clayey, but rich. 1901 Agric. Gaz. New S. Wales Mar. 195 I certainly have seen barley grown upon a strong land, which gave a splendid yield. 1947 D. H. Robinson Leguminous Forage Plants (ed. 2) vii. 98 A mixture consisting of beans 1 bushel,..and Clemrotheray or Dun oats 2 bushels, has given heavy crops on strong land in the West Midlands. 1994 D. I. Stewart After Trees (1997) i. 7 Crops dominate on small farms with strong soils. c. Of food: solid, hard to digest.See also strong meat n. at Compounds 3. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > qualities of food > [adjective] > indigestible strong?a1425 indigestible1528 indigerable1599 undigestible1611 incocted1645 inconvertible1646 incoctible1684 dyspeptic1694 ?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 76 Metez þat ar austere, i. felle, or stronge & viscose. ?1575 tr. H. Niclaes Epistolæ viii. i. 162 Many Stomacks are not accustomed vnto Bread, and for-that-cause growe soone offended, through the strong Foode of Bread. 1614 S. Latham Falconry ii. xii. 102 Abstaine from all kinde of hot meates, I meane such as bee hot and strong of disgestion. 1649 S. Rutherford Free Disputation 82 Babes who have not stomachs to beare stronger food. 1711 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 21 Apr. (1948) I. 248 I ate but little to-day, and of the gentlest meat. I refused ham and pigeons,..because they were too strong. 1836 A. Combe Physiol. Digestion (ed. 2) ii. iii. 276 Oppressing a weakened stomach by administering stronger food than it has the power of digesting. 1916 J. H. Tilden Food iii. 151 This is strong food and should not be eaten often—not even by those following an active life out in the open air. 2004 J. Grimsley Ordinary (2005) ii. 201 Fragrant smells drifted from more of those strong meats that were wreaking havoc with her digestion. d. With reference to texture, opposed to fine. (a) Of hair: thick in texture; coarse; stiff. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > hair > types of hair > [adjective] > coarse, bristling cursed1565 strong1576 stubby1609 setose1661 setaceous1664 bristling1760 setous1822 wire hair1845 stubbly1849 abristle1891 toothbrushy1904 1576 T. Newton tr. L. Lemnie Touchstone of Complexions vii. 41 They that dwel in countryes temperate.., haue of hayre much stoare, stronge, somewhat blackishe, meanely thicke. a1609 J. Dennys Secrets of Angling (1613) ii. xxii. sig. C6^v Marke what a line he hath,..Of Bucephall, or Bayards strongest hayre, Twisted with greene or watched silke among. 1696 T. Robinson New Observ. Nat. Hist. ii. iv. 120 Take a strong Horse-hair, and put it into the Water. 1726 J. Swift Gulliver I. ii. vi. 103 Through these Holes I wove the strongest Hairs I could pick out. ?1795 J. Mather Treat. on Nature & Preserv. of Hair 11 Dark hair is stronger, thicker, and grows to a greater length than other colours. 1813 J. C. Prichard Res. Physical Hist. Man vi. §6. 310 Their hair is strong, of a shining black. 1894 W. A. Jamieson Dis. Skin (ed. 4) xxix. 460 We see occasionally strong hairs round the margins of old ulcers. 1908 Arch. Roentgen Ray 12 46/1 Although the hair is strong over the rest of the head, there is yet a rather bald patch, where the hair is still very weak. 2008 P. Carey His Illegal Self iv. 24 His strong hair was now disguised, dyed black, cut like a hedge. (b) Of wool: having a thick staple, coarse in fibre. Also: (of a breed of sheep) having such wool. ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > wool > [adjective] > coarse or containing coarse hairs strong1600 kempy1805 stitchy-haired1839 1600 R. Surflet tr. C. Estienne & J. Liébault Maison Rustique i. 154 The Ramme..which hath..a thicke fleece, a broad forehead, and thicke set with haire, blacke eyes, and beset with strong Wooll. 1606 tr. D. Artemidorus Iudgem. of Dreames 58 In sommer a habit of linnen cloth and fine wooll, in winter a new garment, & of strong wool. 1786 G. Culley Observ. Live Stock 105 Why might not this variation happen in the Dorsetshire breed.., as well as the Lincolnshire have varied from their kind by attending to the growing of strong heavy wool? 1847 Farmer's Mag. July 147/2 Their [sc. Long-wooled Lincolns'] principal property was their long, strong wool, to protect them against the vicissitudes of the eastern winds. 1885 F. H. Bowman Struct. Wool Fibre 219 If..the fleece was of a superior quality,..it would make ‘fine’ matching..If, however, the fleece was a strong Lincoln or Gloucester, it would probably only be classed as ‘neat’ matching. 1900 A. Hawkesworth Austral. Sheep & Wool 65 The strong merinos of this colony [sc. Tasmania] are comparatively few. 1949 A. Fraser Sheep Husbandry iv. 210 In one type [of fleece] the wool is strong, coarse, heavy, almost trailing... Advocates of the ‘strong’ fleece claim that it is the ideal wind-proof and rain-proof protection to a sheep in the rigorous climate of the Highland mountains. 2012 P. Bates External Parasites Small Ruminants ix. 137/2 The maximum interval off-shear is 8 weeks for fine wool and 12 weeks for strong wool. e. Difficult to dislodge or remove; tenacious. Chiefly in to take (also have) strong root: to become (or be) firmly anchored by means of roots; figurative to become (or be) firmly established; also to take (also have) (a) strong hold and similar uses. ΚΠ 1577 Hill's Gardeners Labyrinth ii. vii. 71 Vntill they [sc. the plants] haue taken strong roote in the Earth. ?1609 J. Healey tr. Bp. J. Hall Discouery New World sig. A7 Your opinion and Senecaes presage are both ouer-throwne. Nay nay... This fit doubt of yours, giues mee the stronger foote-hold. 1676 W. Bates Considerations Existence of God v. 87 No violence can intirely choke this natural Principal, it has such deep and strong root in the Humane Spirit. 1715 R. South 12 Serm. IV. 517 Nothing has so strong and fast an Hold upon the Nature and Mind of Man, as that which delights it. 1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §239 (note) Every force exerted to drive the wad out..tends to make it take the stronger hold. 1821 W. Scott Kenilworth III. v. 68 His friend's unusual finery had taken a strong hold of his imagination. 1884 Cent. Mag. Jan. 394/1 Orleanist liberalism had a strong foot-hold there. 1929 Punch 10 Apr. 420 ‘Contract bridge’, which is superseding auction bridge on the Continent and in America, has taken a strong hold in Britain. 1940 J. A. Westrup Sharps & Flats 11 The charm of So-and-so's serenade or someone else's humoresque has no very strong hold on a formed taste. 1983 Times 30 July 13/1 Credit unions..have started to take strong root only since the passage of the Credit Unions Act 1979. 2010 Independent 17 Oct. 13/2 Sex has a strong hold on the young and can lead to obsession. †f. Of deals, or wood in the form of deals: flexible (see quot. 1843). Obsolete.Not always clearly distinguishable from sense 15a. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > wood > wood in specific form > [adjective] > made of boards or planks > type of plank strong1802 1802 W. Forsyth Treat. Fruit-trees xxv. 238 I would, therefore, recommend boxes made of strong deal. 1843 Civil Engineer & Architect's Jrnl. 6 406/1 When the saw has..reduced them to small dimensions, they warp and twist like a piece of whalebone. Deals of this character are termed by carpenters ‘strong’. 1921 Lumber Markets Spain & Portugal (U.S. Bureau Foreign & Domest. Commerce) 16 The weight of the tiles demands strong deals placed fairly close together. g. Cryptography and Computing. Of encryption: particularly difficult to break; effectively impossible to break without the decryption key. Also: based on or involving such encryption. ΚΠ 1973 Sci. Amer. May 21/2 Intuitive guides that he believed would lead to strong ciphers. 1981 IEEE Trans. Commun. 29 773/1 With any strong cryptographic algorithm..it is possible to devise protocols for authentication. 1998 Daily Tel. 17 Sept. (Connected section) 13 Restrictions on the export and use of strong cryptography. 2010 Nature 29 Apr. 1261/3 Do use strong passwords—or better, passphrases—that include both upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols. 16. a. Of language, an expression, a word: emphatic, forceful, sometimes excessively so; not moderate; (also) full of significance. See also strong language at language n. 2a. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > vigour or force > [adjective] > strong or urgent strongOE round1591 OE Riddle 48 3 He hlude stefne ne cirmde, strongum wordum. a1275 Body & Soul (Trin. Cambr. B.14.39) l. 97 in A. S. M. Clark Seint Maregrete & Body & Soul (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Michigan) (1972) 137 Muwe nouþer fitte [read flite] ne chide, ne hauen wordes stroge [read stronge]. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) 2302 Heo seiden heom enne strongne ræd: ‘Nu ȝe beon alle dead.’ ?a1300 (a1250) Harrowing of Hell (Digby) (1907) l. 133 Ich haue Iherd wordes stronge. ?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 3678 (MED) Fewe wordes he spak, bot strange þai ware, Of pees and mekenes trew. c1500 Debate Carpenter's Tools in Rev. Eng. Stud. (1987) 38 459 Than bespake þe polyff With gret strong wordys and styffe. 1622 J. Mabbe tr. A. de Baros in tr. M. Alemán Rogue sig. A^v Whose merited and exemplary chastisemen[t] is expressed with Categoricall and strong tearmes. 1697 J. Dryden Ded. Æneis in tr. Virgil Wks. sig. a4 The work of Tragedy is on the Passions, and in Dialogue, both of them abhor strong Metaphors, in which the Epopee delights. 1773 J. Hawkesworth Acct. Voy. Southern Hemisphere II. i. iii. 44 Having tasted the liquor, they returned it, with strong expressions of disgust. 1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice II. i. 7 I must think your language too strong in speaking of both. View more context for this quotation 1836 W. Irving Astoria III. 245 He expressed his indignation in the strongest terms. 1846 W. M. Thackeray Notes Journey Cornhill to Cairo v. 72 The shabbiness of this place [sc. Greece] actually beats Ireland, and that is a strong word. 1884 E. Yates Recoll. & Experiences II. 330 Exercising my power, I struck out some strong expressions. 1900 Daily News 24 Sept. 2/4 Scandalous is a strong word, but weak people always use the strongest words. 1943 Times 29 July in ‘Times’ Fourth Leaders (1945) 72 ‘Our curate is naught; an ass-head, a dodipole; a lack-Latin’. The first two epithets are strong, but it is certain that the abuse rises to its climax with the third. 1971 I. Murdoch Accidental Man 11 I find him repulsive—no, that's too strong. 2003 N. Rush Mortals xxi. 283 Sha was a strong expression, meaning shame, and it was accompanied by a sharp wagging of the right hand. b. Of a protest, recommendation, etc.: emphatic, strongly-worded, urgent, vehement. ΚΠ 1653 Cloria & Narcissus 33 He brought with him the strong recommendation, of his mighty friend the King of Armenia. 1733 E. Budgell Bee No. 2. I. 71 The Prussian Minister made the strongest Instances in favour of these Officers, but to no Purpose. 1768 J. Boswell Acct. Corsica (ed. 2) ii. 94 The prince of Wirtemburg..sent an express to the emperour, with a very strong letter. 1830 Ld. Ellenborough Diary (1881) II. 372 Told Lord Cleveland I had transmitted his letter with a strong recommendation. 1846 H. H. Wilson Hist. Brit. India 1805–35 II. i. 15 Strong remonstrances were addressed to the Court of Khatmandu. 1912 Times 19 Oct. 8/2 Strong protests were made by several members against Mr. Harper's proposal. 1965 R. W. Logan Betrayal of Negro xi. 193 These objections could hardly have provoked..such strong abuse. 2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 26 Mar. c2/5 If the jury comes back deadlocked, he [sc. the judge] is likely to read a so-called Allen charge—a strong admonition of a jury's duty to try to reach a consensus—to break the impasse. c. Mathematics and Logic. Of statements, laws, etc.: expressing more than others of its kind, as a result of being more generally applicable, conveying more information, etc. Cf. sense 8j. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > mathematics > [adjective] > of a concept strong1823 weak1950 1823 B. H. Smart Pract. Logic 61 In order to enforce the truth, that a man ought to be forgiving towards his friends, we may adduce the stronger proposition that he ought to forgive even his enemies. 1906 Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 12 288 If p is restricted to be odd and m > 4, a stronger theorem is obtained. 1950 W. Feller Introd. Probability Theory I. viii. 156 We shall prove a much stronger statement. 1990 R. Morris Edges of Sci. iv. xi. 218 If the weak principle can be problematical, then the strong anthropic principle is even worse. 2010 S.-T. Yan & S. Nadis Shape Inner Space vii. 157 This was a stronger statement than the Dixon–Gepner one because it linked Calabi–Yau manifolds with different topologies. 17. †a. gen. Requiring great effort, arduous, difficult. Chiefly with infinitive. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > types of difficulty > [adjective] > difficult or laborious strongc1175 travailousa1382 laborousc1405 laboriousc1410 travailsome1549 laboursome1551 rigorousa1564 Herculean1594 surly1609 Augean1724 dreich1804 c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6326 & tatt iss swiþe strang. & harrd To forþenn her onn eorþe. a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 81 Þes oðer Mon..luueð his sunnen..; þes ilke Mon is strong to sermonen. a1300 (?c1200) Prov. Alfred (Jesus Oxf.) (1955) 85 Strong [a1250 Maidstone sorwe] hit is to reowe a-yeyn þe see þat floweþ. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) ii. 240 (MED) In Wales it is fulle strong to werre in Wynter tide. 1474 W. Caxton tr. Game & Playe of Chesse (1883) ii. iv. 49 Ther is no thynge so stronge, as for to mayntene loue vnto the deth. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 216 (MED) Stronge is to fynde and know condycones and good vertues and maneris of Pepil wythout longe Prewe. 1502 tr. Ordynarye of Crysten Men (de Worde) iv. xii. sig. dd.v^v If a woman maryed conceyue of an other than of her husbonde ye caas is stronge to remedye. b. spec. (a) (Of country, †a road, etc.) difficult to travel, rugged; (b) thickly covered with undergrowth or trees.See also strong woods n. at Compounds 3. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > land > landscape > fertile land or place > land with vegetation > [adjective] greeneOE strongc1230 verdant1590 shrubby1598 shaggy1605 tufted1606 tufty1612 covered1632 vegetated1697 covert1707 verdurous1717 shagged1784 matted1791 vegetive1855 scrubbed1870 flourishing1883 c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 76 Eahte þinges..leaðieð us to wakien eauer i sum god..þis scheorte lif. þis stronge wei. a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 123 (MED) Idumea is a strong londe, hully and hoot. a1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Digby) xxx. 94 [In] þe tyme þat þe heedes of þe hertes beth tendre..þei abyde amonge clere speyes and in hye wodes, for stronge cuntre shulde per auenture do hem harme to hir hedes. c1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Vesp. B.xii) (1904) 26 (MED) They [sc. roes] haunten in strange hattes of wood or in strong hethys. c1440 S. Scrope tr. C. de Pisan Epist. of Othea (St. John's Cambr.) (1970) 71 He was comen in-to streite passagis among hillis & greete mountaynes, where a ful strong cuntre was. a1500 (c1435) J. Lydgate Daunce Machabree (Lansd.) (1931) l. 489 Bi many an hille & many a strong vale I have travailid. 1587 J. Polemon 2nd Pt. Bk. Battailes sig. B.iii^v The Cheiftaines Catholickes followed him.., but holding their waye thorough countries so strong and such couerts, that the Prince could not finde any possibilitie to encounter them, but with his disaduantage. 1653 H. Holcroft tr. Procopius Persian Wars i. 18 in tr. Procopius Hist. Warres Justinian If they met a Roman Army, [they] were beaten, but impossible to be taken, by reason of their strong Country. 1777 Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 574/2 Grant advancing with the right wing, the enemy's left gave way, and was pursued through a strong country. 1820 W. Hamilton Geogr., Statist., & Hist. Descr. Hindostan I. 490 To the south-east the land is much cut up with deep ravines and torrent courses, and is, altogether, a strong country and very difficult to march through. 1892 E. P. Elmhirst Fox-hound, Forest & Prairie 565 We..descended the valley, to find a strong country brought to a comfortable level by the felling of trees. 1903 T. F. Dale Fox-hunting in Shires iv. 111 He knew and trusted his horses, and they obeyed his hand, both very important matters in crossing a strong country. 1957 G. Heyer Sylvester iv. 40 It [sc. twelve stone] is the best weight for hunting over strong country. 18. Having a powerful effect on action or opinion. a. Of motives, impulses, temptations, etc.: hard to resist or control. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > motivation > [adjective] > of motives: powerful strong?c1225 motive1587 louda1616 ?c1225 Ancrene Riwle (Cleo.: Scribe B) (1972) 27 Habbeð reowðe of þeo þet habbeð stronge fondunges. a1450 (a1401) Chastising of God's Children (Bodl.) (1957) 104 (MED) Þei may not suffir stronge temptacions. 1567 Gude & Godlie Ball. 66 I am compassit round about, With sore and strang temptatioun. 1601 B. Jonson Every Man in his Humor i. iv. sig. D3 When such strong motiues muster, and make head Against her single peace. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) ii. vii. 118 Let gentlenesse my strong enforcement be. View more context for this quotation 1663 S. Patrick Parable of Pilgrim xii. 70 I know this touches you with a strong inclination to it. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 934 Inducement strong To us, as likely tasting to attaine Proportional ascent. View more context for this quotation 1692 F. Atterbury Serm. Whitehall 11 By the means of our Will, and that strong bent towards Gratitude, which the Authour of our Nature has fix'd there. 1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 189. ¶7 It is one of the greatest Reflections upon Human Nature that Paternal Instinct should be a stronger Motive to Love than Filial Gratitude. 1773 H. Mackenzie Man of World I. vi. 86 From what motive soever Sindall began these visits, he soon discovered a very strong inducement to continue them. 1816 P. B. Shelley Alastor 19 A strong impulse urged His steps to the sea-shore. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 662 Both were impelled by the strongest pressure of hope and fear to criminate him. 1891 M. Roberts Land-travel & Sea-faring 57 In truth the nomadic instinct was always strong in me. 1958 Listener 7 Aug. 196/1 A poor devil who goes down the drain before a temptation that he finds too strong. 2000 D. Adebayo My Once upon Time (2001) ix. 184 I drove south a few blocks before surrendering to the strong inclination to revisit and linger by the hallowed ground. b. Of argument, evidence, proof, etc.: likely to succeed because of sound reasoning or convincing evidence; hard to refute, ignore, or deny.pillar-strong: see the first element. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > testing > proof, demonstration > [adjective] > strong, convincing strongc1405 substantial1419 pregnant?a1475 pregnablea1500 vehement1530 pungent1619 stringent1653 c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Manciple's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 180 Be war of rakelnesse Ne trowe ye no thyng w^t outen strong witnesse. c1456 R. Pecock Bk. Faith (Trin. Cambr.) (1909) 188 (MED) Confirmacioun ful strong and unbrekeable to this present argumentis, and into this same conclusioun, is the teching of Poul. 1565 R. Shacklock tr. S. Hozjusz Hatchet of Heresies 8 b Stronger obiections..then he was able to solute. 1579 E. K. in E. Spenser Shepheardes Cal. Gen. Argt. It is..stoutely mainteyned with stronge reasons of the learned, that the yeare beginneth in March. 1609 W. Shakespeare Pericles xvi. 33 Besides the sore tearmes we stand vpon with the gods, wilbe strong with vs for giuing ore. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) iv. ii. 60 My reasons are most strong . View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Vanbrugh Relapse ii. 27 You have many stronger Claims than that, Berinthia, whenever you think fit to plead your Title. 1743 S. Johnson Deb. Senate Lilliput in Gentleman's Mag. Dec. 636 Nor can any Argument be offered for the present Bill more strong than that. 1770 P. Luckombe Conc. Hist. Printing 13 The fact is strong, and..passes for certain evidence of the age of books. 1784 J. Hawkins Walton's Angler (ed. 4) 107 (note) The presumption therefore is very strong, that both were written by..Christopher Harvey. 1832 D. Brewster Lett. Nat. Magic v. 104 The shadow of the pin falling in the direction A B is a stronger proof to the eye that the light is coming from the right hand. 1861 F. A. Paley Æschylus' Supplices (ed. 2) 764 (note) There is a strong probability that they are right. 1892 Law Times Rep. 67 251/2 The evidence as to this is too strong to be discarded. a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. xxi. 727 The probability is strong that our domestic cat originated in the caffre cat..of Egypt and Nubia. 1966 H. Kemelman Sat. Rabbi went Hungry xxiii. 114 It..consists of showing that if one argument applies, then a stronger argument of the same sort is even more applicable and can be considered proof. 2013 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 7 Feb. l. 6 The strongest evidence to date of an association between cannabis and stroke. c. Of a case: well-supported by evidence or precedent. ΘΚΠ society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > action of courts in claims or grievances > [adjective] > strong or clear (of case) strong1641 clear1674 1641 Arguments Sir R. Hutton & Sir G. Croke i. 53 Because this Writ was grounded upon a suggestion against the Common Law, therefore the said Robert was discharged, which is a stronger Case then ours. 1698 in Sir H. Dalrymple Decis. (1792) 8 Which quadrates with the present case, which is yet stronger than it. 1737 Gentleman's Mag. May 297/2 The Case..mentioned in Coke 4. Inst. 228. is by no Means so strong. 1797 Answer to Bryan Edwards, Planter of Jamaica 27 A Man of Colour being prosecutor..must have made out a strong case indeed, if..he obtained the conviction of a White person. 1863 C. C. Clarke Shakespeare-characters xvi. 391 Shakespeare has made out a strong case for Shylock. 1885 Law Rep.: Queen's Bench Div. 15 320 This seems to me a much stronger case than Heaven v. Pender, where it was held that the defendant was liable. 1932 C. Darrow Story of my Life xxii. 189 The State had of course tried its strongest case first. 1965 Listener 2 Dec. 881/2 The positive case for inheritance taxation has become stronger. 2001 Estates Gaz. 30 June 161/2 They had a strong case for claiming a private right of way based upon prescription or the assertion of a way of necessity. 19. a. Of the mind or mental faculties: eminently capable of thinking or understanding, powerful. Of the memory: retentive. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > high intelligence, genius > [adjective] > of mind, operations: broad, deep, strong stronga1393 profounda1450 reachinga1500 ingenious1509 spacious1609 vast1610 vigorous1640 rugged1678 wide1717 broad1832 oceanica1834 in depth1959 the mind > mental capacity > memory > retention in the mind > [adjective] fasta1398 retentivec1425 tenacious1640 strong1738 a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iv. l. 951 Althogh mi wit ne be noght strong, It is noght on mi will along, For that is besi nyht and day To lerne al that he lerne may. c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1905) II. 293 (MED) Þis hermett with a strong wytt removid his cell v myle ferrer fro þe watir. ?1553 tr. Pope Pius II Hist. Ladye Lucres & Eurialus sig. C.iii You menne are of more stronger mynde. a1602 W. Perkins Treat. Duties Ministrie 7 in Exhort. to Repentance (1605) This man hath showne himselfe a proper scholler, of good learning, great reading, strong memory, and good deliuery. 1664 H. Power Exper. Philos. i. 80 A Person he was of those strong Parts and Hopes. 1738 J. Swift Compl. Coll. Genteel Conversat. p. xvi A strong Memory and constant Application..will be highly necessary. 1749 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 10 Jan. (1932) (modernized text) IV. 1293 A strong mind sees things in their true proportions; a weak one views them through a magnifying medium. 1781 W. Cowper Retirem. 698 Strong judgment lab'ring in the scripture mine. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. iv. 507 His writings and his life furnish abundant proofs that he was not a man of strong sense. 1902 Jrnl. Childhood & Adolescence Oct. 254 During the whole of school life the audio-visual memory is stronger than either the auditory or visual. 1957 New Scientist 4 July 31/3 Occasionally the strongest intellect will be panting with the pace and brilliance. 1996 J. Garwood Wedding viii. 155 She used to have a strong mind too, until Connor came along and turned her into a babbling half-wit. b. Requiring or involving considerable mental exertion. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > attention > earnest attention, concentration > [adjective] > requiring serious attention serious1531 severe1605 incumbent1651 strong1670 solid1700 1670 W. Marshall Answers upon Several Heads Philos. 98 There are some special points, offering even to view and sense a clear specimen.., without any such loud calling for the strong operations of the mind. 1759 S. Johnson Prince of Abissinia II. xxxviii. 90 The diversions of the women..were only childish play, by which the mind accustomed to stronger operations could not be kept busy. 1817 G. Ticknor Life, Lett. & Jrnls. I. vii. 152 With all these strong occupations [sc. business cares and scientific studies, etc.], and tastes, and high qualities, he is the chief magistrate of the canton. 1893 Hartford Seminary Rec. Oct. 93 There has been a liability to underestimate the amount of brave, arduous, and strong thinking which has been devoted to problems which we settle off-hand. 1960 Times Educ. Suppl. 30 Dec. 883/1 The traditional, currently unpopular features of the grammar school—strong study of a subject, intellectual vigour and the like. 2010 A. Genco & S. Sorce Pervasive Syst. & Ubiquitous Computing iii. 26 A fixed gaze can be a sign of a very strong mental activity due to data elaboration. 20. Having legal force. a. Of dispositions, sanctions, etc.: binding; in effect. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > efficacy > [adjective] > specifically of sanctions, dispositions, etc. strongc1405 sufficient1461 c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Melibeus (Hengwrt) (2003) §797 We..been redy to come what day þ^t it like vn to youre noblesse..for to maken oure obligacion & boond as strong as it liketh vn to youre goodnesse. c1460 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Oseney Abbey (1907) 30 (MED) All thynges with-inne the costis to yowr parisshe perteynyng..and owre we take, and with þese letters we make hit strong. 1528–30 tr. T. Littleton Tenures (new ed.) f. xxviiii^v Yf he receyue the payment in any other place, this is good ynoughe & as stronge for the feoffour as yf [etc.]. 1659 J. Sergeant Vindic. Doctr. 53 If such Doctrines..should be again brought under doubt and disputation; surely no Iudgment or Sanction would remain firm and strong against any Errours. 1741 Cases Equity Time of Talbot 181 The Nature of the Provision is strong enough for this Purpose, without any express Words. 1765 Petition in Walker v. Spence 4 It would be quite inconsistent, that a right of hypothec should have stronger effects than a right of property. 1838 T. Arnold Hist. Rome I. xvi. 316 The old laws for the security of personal liberty were confirmed afresh, and received a stronger sanction. 1884 Justice of Peace 13 Dec. 788/2 If we find in an act of parliament a provision of that kind in words which cannot be interpreted otherwise, it is a very strong provision. 1918 Proc. 41st Ann. Meeting N.Y. State Bar Assoc. 179 There was introduced into the Constitution of 1894 a strong prohibition against public gambling. 1952 Jet 17 July 36 The custom [sc. segregation] no longer has the strong legal and community sanction it once had. 2010 K. Shoraka Human Rights & Minority Rights European Union ii. 57 It remains to be seen whether this provision is strong enough to prevent the ECJ [= European Court of Justice] from contradicting ECHR [= European Convention on Human Rights] rights. †b. Of a document: executed in compliance with the law, valid. Also figurative and in figurative contexts. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > law > rule of law > [adjective] > legally valid authentica1387 vailable1433 available1451 mightyc1460 stronga1475 very1475 authentical?1531 valid1571 validate1586 forcible1587 validous1603 the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > foundation in fact, validity > [adjective] goodOE substantial1419 soundc1440 allowablec1443 stronga1475 stable1481 infallible1526 sore1530 sincere1536 acknowledged1548 of…validity1581 firm1600 acknowledgeable1630 valiant1632 infallid1635 valid1651 copper-bottomed1890 a1475 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery (1905) i. 145 Both partyes maade hit stronge by puttyng to þere seelys. 1608 W. Shakespeare Richard II iv. i. 225 There shouldst thou finde one haynous article,..cracking the strong warrant of an Oath. 1609 W. Shakespeare Sonnets lviii. sig. E Be where you list, your charter is so strong, That you your selfe may priuiledge your time To what you will. View more context for this quotation 1696 J. Harris City Bride Ep. Ded. sig. A2 I have a stronger Charter than Poetick Priviledge, 'tis my Gratitude that dictates to my Pen. 1794 C. Phillips Happy King vi. i. 107 Why is yet their charter strong, Deck'd with the Royal Stile? Efface it, saith the wise. 21. a. Phonetics. Of a consonant: forcefully articulated; spec. = hard adj. 18. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > consonant > [adjective] > fortis strong1582 fortis1909 1582 R. Mulcaster 1st Pt. Elementarie xvii. 121 K, serueth for the strong c, before e, and i, as in Kent, kitchin, kin, King. 1660 B. Farley in G. Fox et al. Battle-door for Teachers 60 After (:) mute, as..tiz-ke..not thizk-ke. It is strong, and doubles the letter after a short vowel in the midst of a word, and refers to two syllables at once. 1771 Encycl. Brit. II. 875/2 The strong consonants which terminated the words, and gave them life and boldness. 1800 W. Whiter Etymologicon Magnum 448 The first letter..in this word..was unquestionably often enunciated as a strong consonant sound. 1856 Faris El-Shidiac Pract. Gram. Arabic i. 3 ﺽ. The true sound of this letter must be learnt by the ear. It is like a strong d. 1927 J. J. Hogan Eng. Lang. in Ireland 75 R. This consonant is everywhere retained [in Irish]... A strong point-trill is heard in the South. 1955 H. G. Lunt Old Church Slavonic Gram. 30 A jer is strong only in a syllable directly before a weak jer. 2010 D. Carey & R. C. Carey Verbal Arts Workbk. i. 13 Using energy in your tongue-tip and breath, make a strong t and then a strong d. Using energy in the back of the tongue, the soft palate, and the breath, make a strong k sound and then a strong g. b. Phonetics and Prosody. Of a stress or an accent: distinctly emphasized, prominent. Of a syllable: bearing stress or a prominent pitch. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > intonation, pitch, or stress > [adjective] > accent > stressed stronga1646 stressed1824 stressy1880 society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > versification > rhythm > [adjective] > accentual > stressed stronga1646 thetic1815 a1646 W. Raleigh Reliquiæ Raleighanæ (1679) 95 The Then here, was omitted in the division, but may not be so in our discourse; for there seems to be an Emphasis, a strong Accent on it. 1702 E. Bysshe Art Eng. Poetry i. 6 The Accent is as strong on Taught, as on the first Syllable of Flatter. 1751 S. Johnson Rambler No. 86. ⁋14 Here the third pair of syllables in the first..verse have their accents retrograde or inverted; the first syllable being strong or acute, and the second weak. 1774 W. Mitford Ess. Harmony Lang. 100 Feet often occur with the strong accent on both syllables. 1852 Proc. Philol. Soc. 5 153 A compound verse, composed of two parts, in each of which two dactyls..were followed by a long syllable, that is, a foot catalectic on the strong syllable, was alternated with the ancient epic verse. 1895 Lit. Digest 21 Sept. 611/1 He succeeded in imitating the Latin meter by a happy mixture of the soft and strong sounds of the Italian accentuation. 1919 R. G. Usher Story of Great War xxviii. 227 The plural is Bolsheviki, pronounced with a strong accent on the last syllable. 1960 A. O. Jaszi in S. Burnshaw Poem Itself 139/1 The three strong stresses that follow..dam up his feelings..almost painfully. 1995 A. Raymond Shakespeare's Sonnets (new ed.) 171 Now mark / above each strong syllable or beat. 2001 S. Wolosky Art Poetry 195 Usually there were four strong beats to a line. c. Music. Of a beat: accented. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > duration of notes > proportion of notes or rhythm > [adjective] > beating time strong?1775 stomped1946 ?1775 W. Waring tr. J.-J. Rousseau Dict. Music 388 When the notes are equal,..all those which strike on the strong time bear the harmony. 1869 F. A. G. Ouseley Treat. Counterpoint iii. 12 Every bar contains two beats, one down-beat, and one up-beat; or, as Cherubini and others name them, a strong or accented time, and a weak or unaccented time. 1898 Music Apr. 746 Its rhythmic peculiarity consists in the falling of the beginning upon the strong beat of the bar. 1950 S. Thompson Old Time Dancing (1951) ii. 20 A bar is accepted as a length of time from the first strong accent to the second strong accent. 2003 M. Miller in C. Jisi Brave New Bass i. 8 I don't really hear those fast notes as part of the bass line; it's more like filling lighter ones in between the strong notes or accents. 22. Vividly perceptible, marked, definite. a. Of resemblance, contrast: highly noticeable, marked. ΘΚΠ society > communication > manifestation > manifestness > [adjective] > strikingly notablea1398 staring?a1425 loud1535 gross1581 strong1583 signal1591 conspicuous1604 marked1620 remarked1623 ranka1640 signalized1652 bold1678 flaming1706 glaring1706 telegraphic1809 salient1841 howling1865 insistent1868 rampageous1889 1583 A. Marten tr. P. M. Vermigli Common Places 441/2 How strong the difference is, which he bringeth betweene the ministers of the old lawe, and also the ministers of the new lawe. 1646 J. Goodwin Modest & Humble Queries concerning Ordinance for Preventing of Growing of Heresies 10 That Government by Presbytery which the Parliament hath established, or that Government by Presbytery, which is so importunely desired and defended by the Ministers; because there is (it seems) a strong opposition, and vast difference between the one and the other. 1749 D. Hartley Observ. Man i. iv. §1. 426 Discords..sparingly introduced so as to make a strong Contrast. 1796 E. Inchbald Nature & Art I. xi. 61 A strong family resemblance appeared between the two youths. 1843 G. Borrow Bible in Spain II. xvi. 354 Nothing could exhibit a stronger contrast to the desolate tracts..through which we had lately passed, than [etc.]. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 1/2 It will not be necessary to describe any other lathes..as there is a very strong family likeness amongst them. 1900 R. L. Douglas Fra Angelico (1902) iii. 62 The likeness is strong enough to suggest that Fra Angelico had actually seen the picture. 1956 S. Plath Jrnl. 4 Aug. (2000) 575 At the horizon-line the sea is dark Prussian blue, in strong contrast to the pale, distant sky. 2008 D. Thompson $12 Million Stuffed Shark 135 His two careers have strong similarities; the dress code is different, but you pray in both places. b. Of mental impressions. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > [adjective] > capable of being perceived > clearly cleara1398 strong1597 vivid1690 1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. lxxi. 202 The Iewes by reason of their long aboade in a place of continuall seruile toyle could not suddainely be wained and drawne vnto contrarie offices without some strong impression of terror. 1697 J. Addison Ess. Georgics in J. Dryden tr. Virgil Wks. sig. ¶¶1 We receive more strong and lively Ideas of things from his words, than we cou'd have done from the Objects themselves. 1749 W. Melmoth Lett. by Sir Thomas Fitzosborne II. lvii. 84 While the impression of that national belief remained strong upon their minds. 1796 tr. J.-M. Roland de La Platière Appeal to Impartial Posterity (ed. 2) II. iii. 180 Impressed with a strong sense of the rigour and sublimity of the duties of a wife. 1843 R. S. Surtees Handley Cross II. ix. 239 ‘We can't do with less’, replied the lady, with the cares of dinner strong upon her mind. 1897 ‘P. Warung’ Tales Old Regime 139 The circumstances..are still strong in my recollection. 1902 V. Jacob Sheep-stealers xiv ‘Ah, I was younger then,’ replied Harry, with all the wisdom of his twenty-five years strong upon him. 1953 J. R. R. Tolkien Let. 2 Dec. (1995) 173 The time I once spent on trying to learn Serbian and Russian have left me with no practical results, only a strong impression of the structure and word-aesthetic. 2003 L. Kaufman Fiddler's Tale ii. 19 Los Angeles produced the strongest impact on me. c. Of a line: broad, thick, prominent.Cf. sense 9c. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > colour > state or mode of having colour > [adjective] > brightly coloured brightOE gay?c1225 paintedc1400 sheenc1400 staringc1400 freshc1405 wanton1583 splendid1634 amelled1651 vivid1686 strong1711 bloom-bright1832 flamboyant1851 technicolored1927 dazzle1931 Technicolora1940 fauve1967 the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > breadth or width > [adjective] > having great breadth or width > of a line strong1711 1711 R. Blackmore Nature of Man ii. 51 Flocks, the Pencil's Creatures, fill Th'extended Valley.., While vital Fire in kindling Colours glows: Makes the strong Lines a living Aspect wear. 1731 Art of Drawing & Painting in Water-colours 4 If the Print or Picture is done by a good Master, see which Lines are strong, and which are tender and soft: Imitate them. 1799 Instr. & Regulations Cavalry (ed. 3) Pl. The strong Line denotes the Front. 1831 D. Brewster Treat. Optics x. 85 [Of Fraunhofer's lines] D is in the orange, and is a strong double line, easily seen..; E is in the green, and consists of several, the middle one being the strongest. 1864 E. Sang Treat. on Valuation Life Contingencies 12 I cause a quantity of stiff paper..to be ruled with spaces exactly equal to each other, distinguishing each fifth space by a stronger line. 1915 Photogr. Jrnl. Amer. June 311/2 Go over the lines carefully and firmly with a very soft, pointed lead-pencil, leaving a good strong line. 2006 D. Lee George Pemba 26 He uses thick brushstrokes and strong black lines around the figure. d. Of the facial features: striking; rugged; formerly spec. coarse, ugly.Sometimes coinciding with sense 4a(b). ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > lack of beauty > [adjective] > coarse or rough rudec1440 crabbed1603 rougha1616 undeliciousa1618 strong1713 coarsishc1817 Gamp-like1844 1713 J. Addison in Guardian 22 July 1/1 The Features are strong and well furrow'd. 1732 W. King Toast ii. 78 My Breath, and my Features are vastly too strong; Full of Evil my Tongue, and three Inches too long. 1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho IV. xii. 237 Each was rendered more impressive by the grotesque habits and strong features of the guides and other attendants. 1817 J. Evans Excursion to Windsor 48 Heidegger once laid a wager..that..his lordship would not be able to produce so hideous a face in all London! A woman was found whose features, at first sight, were thought stronger than his. 1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward I. ii. 29 His strong features, sunk cheeks, and hollow eyes. 1904 Eclectic Mag. Aug. 182/2 He used to call himself ugly, for there was a certain ruggedness about his strong features which one finds among portraits of the Dutch masters. 1997 T. Alexander Substitute Bride ii. 40 He wasn't classically handsome. His face was too long, his nose a bit too large, his features too strong. e. Of a person's accent: having many nonstandard features, broad. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > manner of speaking > accent > [adjective] > of particular accents broad?1533 plum-in-the-mouth1553 strong1735 educated1838 Kensingtonian1902 Morningside1953 cut glass1962 lock-jawed1974 1735 Lives Most Remarkable Criminals I. 189 The Brogue being too strong upon his Tongue, for him to deny his Country. 1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian ix, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. II. 222 A tattered cadie..exclaimed in a strong north-country tone, ‘Ta deil ding out her Cameronian een.’ 1842 Sir T. Martin in Fraser's Mag. Dec. 654/1 A strong Banffshire accent. 1859 Habits Good Society 64 The ballads of Moore may gain much from a strong Irish brogue, but [etc.]. 1890 A. Conan Doyle White Company xxiv ‘I come,’ he shouted.., with a strong Breton accent. 1915 Pearson's Mag. Sept. 258/1 She curtsied prettily as she answered with a strong brogue, ‘Yis, mum.’ 1965 P. St. Pierre Boss Namko Drive (1970) 13 Sometimes Frenchie's accent was very strong. 2000 Amer. Scholar Autumn 133/2 I can't talk the way Americans would like me to talk. I talk with a strong Indian accent. f. Of an outline, relief, etc.: bold, not faint. Also figurative and in figurative contexts. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > visibility > [adjective] > clearly visible > sharp or distinct > by contrast strong1747 plucky1885 1747 J. Whaley in H. Walpole Ædes Walpolianæ 112 What striking Attitudes! what strong Relief!.. Who cou'd such Pow'r of speaking Paint employ? 1785 London Mag. May 369/2 Very distinguishing beauties are scattered through the subject; but a strong outline on every feature, limb, and fold of drapery, diffuses a hard complexion over the piece. 1818 P. B. Shelley Julian & Maddalo 106 The broad sun sunk behind it [sc. a bell in a tower], and it tolled In strong and black relief. 1862 J. G. Whittier Astræa at the Capitol 63 On our ground of grief Rise day by day in strong relief The prophecies of better things. 1902 Overland Monthly Dec. 530/2 The lead is also a great factor in bringing out the design in strong contours or outlines. 1956 Pop. Mech. Aug. 182/1 If a strong silhouette is produced on the negative.., you have a very high-grade ore. 2012 S. A. Hickson Women, Art & Archit. Patronage Renaissance Mantua 3 These women stand out in strong relief against the background of a red curtain. g. Photography. Of a negative: having a lot of contrast. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > photography > a photograph > qualities and effects > [adjective] > contrast, etc. greyed1730 strong1841 intense1879 contrasty1891 low key1897 flat1901 posterized1936 1841 London, Edinb., & Dublin Philos. Mag. 19 166 The author [sc. H. F. Talbot] finds that one minute is amply sufficient in summer to impress a strong image upon the paper of any building upon which the sun is shining. 1892 A. Brothers Photogr. ii. 80 Strong, intense negatives are best printed by daylight. 1908 C. R. Gibson Romance Mod. Photogr. xi. 171 By making a second stronger negative from this one, and from this a third and a fourth, a good strong negative was finally obtained. 2009 Sci. Amer. (U.K. ed.) Sept. 74/1 The ferrocyanate produced a strong image.., and the image proved permanent after washing. h. Of a person: being what is indicated to a high degree. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adjective] > that is such in a high degree greatc1300 no smalla1450 spacious1600 immense1631 far gone1829 strong1897 1897 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 10 Apr. 901/2 According as the individuals in whom the lesions specified occur are ‘visuals’, or strong ‘auditives’. 1908 Public Health 21 92/1 In strong visuals it happens that they may still be able to read with understanding and even speak, although the auditory word centre be destroyed. 1953 W. O. Stevens Psychics & Common Sense xi. 163 She was evidently a powerful sensitive, and several of her partners at the board also were strong psychics. 2004 S. W. Martin Heavy Hitter Selling (2006) 142 Strong Kinesthetics tend to be more dramatic in their speech patterns and inflections. 23. a. Of literary or artistic work: vigorous or forceful in style or execution; making a distinct impression on the mind; (also) likely to shock or cause offence, esp. by explicit portrayal of violence or sexual activity.In quot. 1629 for strong lines n. at Compounds 3 with reference to the fashionable metaphysical style. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > vigour or force > [adjective] sensiblea1393 eloquent1393 rhetoricc1450 mightya1500 pithy1529 grave1541 pithful1548 weighty1560 sappy1563 emphatical1567 fasta1568 thwacking1567 forceful1571 enforceable1589 energetical1596 eloquious1599 sinewy1600 emphatic1602 sinewed1604 strong1604 tonitruous1606 nervose1645 nervous1663 energetic1674 energic1683 strong1685 cogent1718 lapidary1724 forcible1726 authoritative1749 terse1777 telling1819 vigorous1821 sturdy1822 tonitruant1861 meaty1874 vertebrate1882 energized1887 jawy1898 heavy1970 1604 T. Dekker Newes from Graues-end sig. C3r Till rich Heires meeting our strong verse May not shrinck back, before it pierce Their marble eye-balls. 1657 J. Harington Hist. Polindor & Flostella (ed. 3) ii. 77 Stronger portrait, like one from Heaven hurl'd To th' Hells Abiss... This is not He (they cry'd) Nor is this She. 1674 ‘R. Rimer’ in J. Strong Joanereidos sig. b3^v On Strong, and his more Stronger Poem. 1741 S. Richardson Let. 31 Aug. in Select Lett. (1964) 50 One kind Anonymous Gentleman..has pointed out in Milton..Passages full as strong if not stronger, because mine were mingled wth. Horror, and Censure against the lewd Attempter of Chastity. 1746 P. Francis tr. Horace Art of Poetry in P. Francis & W. Dunkin tr. Horace Epistles 293 Good Sense, that Fountain of the Muse's Art, Let the strong Page of Socrates impart. 1749 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 24 Nov. (1932) (modernized text) IV. 1443 I should prefer moderate matter, adorned with all the beauties and elegances of style, to the strongest matter in the world, ill-worded, and ill-delivered. 1819 Ld. Byron Lett. & Jrnls. 19 Jan. (1976) VI. 91 Is there anything in Don Juan so strong as in Ariosto? 1892 Nation (N.Y.) 4 Aug. 93/3 ‘La Débâcle’, maugre all faults, stands out as Zola's best and strongest work up to the present time. 1905 Daily Chron. 16 Aug. 3/2 What the publishers call a ‘strong’ book. 1913 J. Collier in 19th Cent. Mar. 603 He might have made a stronger picture, he could hardly have made a more beautiful one. 1944 H. Croome You've gone Astray i. 13 Heaven knew who would publish it. It would be Strong Stuff. 1976 Sc. Daily Express 24 Dec. 5/3 Equally strong scenes were shown during the series. Particularly the decapitation..of Claudius's wife. 2003 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 23 Nov. viii. 12/4 The windows facing the street are also largely slag glass with strong Arts & Crafts designs. b. Of the style or execution of a literary or artistic work: vigorous, forceful. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > vigour or force > [adjective] sensiblea1393 eloquent1393 rhetoricc1450 mightya1500 pithy1529 grave1541 pithful1548 weighty1560 sappy1563 emphatical1567 fasta1568 thwacking1567 forceful1571 enforceable1589 energetical1596 eloquious1599 sinewy1600 emphatic1602 sinewed1604 strong1604 tonitruous1606 nervose1645 nervous1663 energetic1674 energic1683 strong1685 cogent1718 lapidary1724 forcible1726 authoritative1749 terse1777 telling1819 vigorous1821 sturdy1822 tonitruant1861 meaty1874 vertebrate1882 energized1887 jawy1898 heavy1970 1685 W. Aglionby Painting Illustr. iii. 124 Paul Veronese had a most Rapid Genius,..an Admirable Colourer, but not an exact Designer, nor true Chooser of the best Forms for a Dark, Strong Manner. 1725 A. Blackwall Sacred Classics I. v. 263 We have in the sacred writers several instances of strong style sharpen'd with a just severity against bold blasphemers. 1771 A. Young Farmer's Tour E. Eng. I. vi. 298 Two landscapes... Very fine: Chaste, but strong execution. 1822 Q. Mus. Mag. 4 118 Mr. Horsley's [glee] is in his pure, strong, legitimate manner. 1865 J. Brown Spare Hours 53 This book has the great advantage of a clear, lively, and strong style. 1899 Phrenol. Mag. May 140/1 His love of art must manifest itself in a very strong manner in presenting his subjects. 1968 C. Gómez-Moreno Medieval Art from Private Coll. (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Catal. nos. 183, 184, 185 The style is free and strong in execution, and the design is distinctive. 1997 Mail on Sunday 10 Aug. (You Mag.) 65/2 I like a plain, strong style following the dictum of George Orwell, who said, ‘Good prose is like a windowpane.’ 24. Cards. Of a hand: composed of high-value cards for the particular game being played. Of a player: holding cards (in a specified suit) that are of such high value. Of a card of a specific suit: of such high value. See also strong card n., strong suit n. at Compounds 3. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > [adjective] > attributes of player flush1591 strong1626 high1846 trickless1927 short-suited1935 society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > card or cards > [adjective] > type of hand or suit strong1626 high1742 lay-down1906 biddable1926 void1934 1626 H. Burton Plea to Appeale 5 What hee cannot doe by strong hand with Clubbs, hee hopes to play his part with the vndermining Spade. Onely he misseth the Ase of Hearts. 1633 W. Rowley All's Lost by Lust sig. C2^v The pander playing with the deuill robs the bawd To make his hand the stronger. 1742 E. Hoyle Short Treat. Game Whist i. 14 Tho' you are pretty strong in Trumps, be cautious how you trump out. 1755 G. Colman & B. Thornton Connoisseur No. 60. ⁋4 A leads a strong Club, which B refuses. 1830 R. Hardie Hoyle made Familiar 24 Never force your partner but when you are strong in trumps. 1864 W. Pole Theory Whist (1870) 18 A strong hand is difficult to define, further than as one likely to make many tricks; a weak one the contrary. 1900 ‘J. Doe’ Bridge Man. 32 If his Spades are fairly strong he should leave the declaration to his partner. 1949 Life 8 Aug. 104/3 (caption) Two fingers on card mean that the player is strong in diamonds. 2000 B. McNally How to play Poker & Win 62 A player who shows that he has a strong hand for the centre pot hinders the chance of a player who bets into a side pot. 25. Of markets, shares, commodities, currencies, prices, etc.: consistently high or rising in price or value; not fluctuating or depressed.See also to be a strong market at market n. 6c. ΚΠ 1821 Ipswich Jrnl. 20 Jan. In consequence of the public being able to pay for their Stock, Money is exceedingly plentiful, and the Market is very strong. 1869 B. Pim & B. Seemann Dottings on Roadside xxiii. 379 The term ‘strong dollar’ may, perhaps, require some explanation. There are two sorts of dollars in use throughout the country [sc. Nicaragua], the strong and the weak; the former is the American silver dollar. 1870 Pall Mall Gaz. 23 Sept. 9/2 The Home Funds are, if anything, rather stronger in tone. 1890 Daily News 1 Sept. 2/5 Pig iron is strong at 43s. 6d. for cinder. 1922 Dun's Rev. 8 July 13/2 Offal is moving freely, with bellies for inner soles and counters well sold up and held at strong prices. 1964 Financial Times 3 Mar. 19/4 Gold shares were irregular, while Diamonds were strong. 1985 J. Randle & M. Watanabe Coping with Japan 61 The yen is a bit too strong for most tourists. 2013 Herald-Times (Bloomington, Indiana) 1 Feb. d4/2 G&S has developed a strong niche market in construction of higher-end homes. 26. Grammar. In various applications opposed to weak (see weak adj. 21). [See note in etymology section.] a. Designating or belonging to the class of Germanic verbs that form the past tense and past participle by means of vowel gradation in the root syllable, as in English give/gave, break/broke(n). Hence occasionally used with reference to Celtic and other Indo-European languages. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > verb > [adjective] > forming past tense in specific ways unaugmented1776 strong1833 weak1833 augmentless1879 1833 Philol. Museum 2 385 No weak verb ever in process of time became strong, while strong verbs do become weak. 1841 R. G. Latham Eng. Lang. 277 The German Grammarians call the Tenses formed by a change of vowel, the Strong Tenses, the Strong Verbs, the Strong Conjugation, or the Strong Order. 1871 J. Earle Philol. Eng. Tongue vi. 236 There is a manifest tendency in these strong verbs to merge themselves gradually into the more numerous class of the weak verbs. 1914 C. Harris German Gram. i. 106 The old strong verbs fall into six classes or gradation series. 1946 D. A. Binchy & O. Bergin tr. R. Thurneysen Gram. Old Irish 335 Two main classes of verbs can be distinguished, for which the terms ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ verbs are borrowed from the grammar of the Germanic languages. Strong verbs are without exception primary... Weak verbs are for the most part denominative. 1962 C. W. Watkins Indo-European Origins of Celtic Verb ii. 116 In the strong (non-derivative) verb..the present still exhibits numerous divergent formations. 1997 J. Hewson in J. Hewson & V. Bubenik Tense & Aspect in Indo-European Langs. ii. 29 What we might call the ‘strong’ verbs [in Ancient Greek], which are irregular verbs that still show the ancient morphology of Indo-European ablaut. b. Designating or belonging to any of those declensions of Germanic nouns and adjectives in which the Germanic stem ended otherwise than in n. N.E.D. (1919) notes: ‘Some scholars, following the letter of Grimm's own definition, inconveniently restrict the term ‘strong’ to the vocalic stems, so that the stems ending in other consonants than n form a third class, neither ‘strong’ nor ‘weak’.’ (Compare discussion in etymology section.) ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > inflection > [adjective] > relating to declension > specific Germanic declensions strong1833 weak1841 indefinite1874 1833 J. M. Kemble Anglo-Saxon Poems Gloss. 247 The word here is a sing. acc. of the first strong declension. 1874 C. J. Grece tr. E. A. F. Maetzner Eng. Gram. I. 242 The sign of the genitive s belongs originally to the singular of masculine and neuter strong substantive forms. 1914 C. Harris German Gram. i. 54 The adjective has strong inflection when not preceded by an article or a declined pronominal. 1970 C. M. Carlton Descriptive Syntax Old Eng. Charters vi. 80 Among the strong nouns only the feminine o-declension..has a unique form for the nominative singular. 2007 R. Born in M. Reinhart Early Mod. German Lit. 120 In the genitive case, unpreceded adjectives, which require the weak suffix -en in modern German, take the strong suffix -es in Schottelius. c. Designating or belonging to the unreduced form of Sanskrit noun stems. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > inflection > [adjective] > relating to declension > specific Sanskrit declensions strong1839 weak1863 1839 J. W. Donaldson New Cratylus ii. ii. 193 By the side of the strong form chatvâras we have a weaker form chaturas. 1863 T. Benfey Pract. Gram. Sanskrit §220 There are some nouns which have a strong and a weak form... Some have even three, a strong, a weak, and a weakest form. 1929 G. A. Grierson Torwali ii. 63 The final ū of šū shows that it is a strong form derived from *šutaka-, not from the bare šuta-. 1979 T. Burrow Probl. Schwa in Sanskrit 66 The root stem nās- f. ‘nostril, nose’ inflects with long vowel in the only strong case which occurs in the Veda. 2004 Bull. School Oriental & Afr. Stud. 67 246 Oberlies..lists this as an augmented non-preterite form, but it seems simpler to account for the initial a- as a discrepant strong stem. d. Designating or belonging to modern English nouns that form plurals by means of a change in the root vowel, as man/men, mouse/mice. N.E.D. (1919) described this simply as ‘Incorrect use’. ΚΠ 1853 M. Schele de Vere Outl. Compar. Philol. xli. 246 Whilom seems to be the only dative that has been saved. The strong nouns, as well as the strong verbs, have, from their nature, been more successfully preserved. 1860 G. P. Marsh Lect. Eng. Lang. 335 The strong inflections, or those consisting in a letter-change, as present run, past ran, singular man, plural men. 1908 M. H. Leonard Gram. & its Reasons xvi. 74 There are the strong plurals formed by an internal change, as teeth, mice. 2006 J. P. Blevins in B. Aarts & A. McMahon Handbk. Eng. Linguistics xxii. 512 The surviving strong plural forms are relatively stable, but there is some speaker variation regarding nouns such as roof. Compounds C1. Parasynthetic. a. As strong-backed, strong-bodied, strong-jawed, etc.See also strong- boned adj. 1, docked adj.², faithed adj. 1, muscled adj. 1, nerved adj. 2; also strong-handed adj., strongheaded adj., and other headwords. ΚΠ a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 944 [Arrows] stronge peynted [read poynted] euerychoon. c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. l. 1252 A rial chef cite..Strong wallid & toured rounde aboute. a1529 J. Skelton Why come ye nat to Courte (?1545) sig. A.vii^v He calleth vs England men Stronge herted lyke an hen. 1532 G. Hervet tr. Xenophon Treat. House Holde f. 16^v Housbandry maketh a man stronge bodied. 1598 J. Marston Certaine Satyres in Metamorph. Pigmalions Image 72 Strong backt Hercules in one poore night..In strength of lust and Venus surquedry Rob'd fifty wenches of virginity. 1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost i. ii. 71 O wel knit Sampson, strong ioynted Sampson. 1606 J. Marston Parasitaster iii. sig. F^v O quick deuisefull strong braind Dulcime. a1629 T. Goffe Trag. Orestes (1633) iv. vii. sig. G2^v See thy now yeelding soule, Made me burst ope my strong iawd sepulcher. 1656 A. Cowley Pindarique Odes 58 in Poems The houses and strong-body'ed Trees it broke. 1658 R. Allestree Pract. Christian Graces; or, Whole Duty of Man viii. §12. 188 Many of these stronger brained drinkers are guilty of..the setting themselves purposely to make others drunk. 1677 London Gaz. No. 1233/4 A bright bay Nag, very strong quartered. 1703 W. Dampier Voy. New Holland i. 10 Verdona is green, strong-bodied Wine. 1748 S. Richardson Clarissa VI. i. 5 Thy strong-muscled bony face was as much admired by thy mother, as if it had been the face of a Lovelace. 1761 London Chron. 1 Dec. 533/1 The thin-maned, high-headed, strong-hoofed, fleet, bounding son of the hill. 1785 G. Forster tr. A. Sparrman Voy. Cape Good Hope I. 55 The steward..presented me with a glass of a strong-bodied wine. 1786 R. Burns Poems 56 On the strong-wing'd Tempest flyin. 1822 C. Lamb in London Mag. July 34/1 To be strong-backed and neat-bound is the desideratum of a volume. 1857 J. Ruskin Polit. Econ. Art Add. 200 A great deal may..be done..by a nation strong-elbowed and strong-hearted as we are. 1858 I. S. Homans & I. S. Homans Cycl. Commerce & Commerc. Navigation 434/2 Fine, long, and strong-stapled cotton. 1863 Ld. Tennyson On Transl. Homer 1 These lame hexameters the strong-wing'd music of Homer! 1868 J. H. Blunt Reformation Church of Eng. I. 331 The stronger souled men betook themselves to preparation for violent deaths. 1893 S. O. Jewett Native of Winby 227 Father Ryan's strong-featured, good-humored face. 1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. xv. [Circe] 503 He wrote pencilled messages offering his nuptial partner to all strongmembered males. 1922 D. H. Lawrence England my England 86 He looked so strong-blooded and healthy. a1930 D. H. Lawrence Etruscan Places (1932) iii. 74 This sense of vigorous, strong-bodied liveliness is characteristic of the Etruscans. 1930 S. Spender 20 Poems 3 Weapons men use, stone, sling, and strong-thewed bow He will not know. 1931 R. Graves To Whom Else? 11 With their strong-gutted and capacious bellies Digested stones and glass like ostriches. 1944 E. Blunden Shells by Stream 31 Strong-elbowed and with wondrous beard, Whose statue's this? 1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day ii. 44 My father..[had] the expression of an actor playing the part of a strong-charactered, resolute, if moody, man. 1978 W. F. Buckley Stained Glass xvii. 169 He was strong-jawed, with a splotchy face that showed the ravages of frostbite. 1997 J. Updike Toward End of Time 147 In the crowded, stronger-gravitied universe, stars would be tearing dark matter away from one another. 2010 New Yorker 28 June 77/2 Eric Owens, as the death-dealing Nekrotzar, led a strong-voiced cast. b. Formations interpretable as either on nouns or of the adverb and past participles, as strong-flavoured, strong-stressed, strong-tempered, etc. ΚΠ 1589 R. Greene Ciceronis Amor 4 Arrowes headed with strong tempered steele that pierce deepe. 1658 R. Brathwait Age of Apes in Honest Ghost 218 Such is their strong-temperd resolution, They love no Judgement like to Execution. 1677 R. Plot Nat. Hist. Oxford-shire 305 Many other strong scented Animals..have follicular Repositories or Bags. 1751 Gentleman's Mag. June 262/1 A piece of fresh strong-flavoured scammony.., weighing 4 ounces. 1777 J. Mease Let. 12 May in G. Washington Papers (1999) Revolutionary War Ser. IX. 400 Tis a little too strong colourd. 1792 A. Hamilton Lett. to Dr William Osborn vi. 136 Let an artificial pelvis, of strong tempered steel, be constructed. 1805 R. Southey Madoc ii. xxv. 406 They..Lay down the keel, the stern-post rear, and fix The strong-curved timbers. 1850 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 11 i. 152 It [sc. cheese] is too strong-tasted. 1890 H. Sweet Primer Spoken Eng. 30 If three strong-stressed words come together, the stress of the middle one is often reduced. 1901 Brick Dec. 266/2 Strong tempered knives of wrought iron or steel. 1982 Times 28 June 24/5 The strong-scented privet flowers are opening. 2003 Decanter Aug. 71/3 A wine to savour..with Asiatic foods, strong-flavoured fish dishes, [etc.]. c. strong-willed adj. ΚΠ 1697 J. Crook Way to Lasting Peace (single sheet) Who knows but the same God..may Bow many Strong-willed and Stout-hearted Ones of the World to give and yield up the Old Conquest? 1776 London Rev. Eng. & Foreign Lit. July 39 Those brethren must be either very weak-witted or very strong-willed who can oppose any thing violent to his proposition. 1851 N. Hawthorne House of Seven Gables xi. 186 There is no greater bugbear than a strong-willed relative. 1932 ‘B. Ross’ Trag. of X iii. x. 307 This man, choleric, strong-willed, of passionate temperament,..this man begging on his knees, as Bruno told me! 2002 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 3 Nov. ix. 6/1 He is more solitary than reclusive, more strong-willed than difficult. C2. Complementary.Cf. strong adv. Compounds 1. strong-looking adj. ΚΠ 1768 J. Byron Narr. Patagonia 186 They were all stout, strong-looking men. 1864 London Soc. Sept. 275 We entered by a small, yet strong-looking door. 1905 Winslow (Indiana) Disp. 15 Dec. 1/4 The horse stood the operation fine and was strong looking after the operation as before. 2013 S. Wiggs Apple Orchard 90 She found herself focusing on his hands—large and strong-looking. C3. See also strong barley water n., collider n. 1, head n.¹ 2c(a), language n. 2, medicine n.¹ 5a, reservationist n. 2, running n., weathering n. 1c. strong AI n. (originally Philosophy) artificial intelligence in which a machine can think and has a mind (as opposed to only acting as if it does); (in later use) Computing a hypothetical form of artificial intelligence in which a machine can exhibit or simulate behaviour as intelligent as, or more intelligent than, that of a human being. ΚΠ 1980 J. R. Searle in Behavioral & Brain Sci. 3 417/1 I find it useful to distinguish what I will call ‘strong AI’ from ‘weak’ or ‘cautious’ AI... According to strong AI, the computer is not merely a tool in the study of the mind; rather, the appropriately programmed computer really is a mind. 1991 RSA Jrnl. 139 507/2 Strong AI asserts that the brain's action is just that of a computer. 2012 io9 (Nexis) 13 Dec. If strong AI is developed, perhaps smarter than humans, why should we bother to upload humans? strong aorist n. Ancient Greek Grammar conventional name for the thematic or second aorist (ἔλιπον), characterized by a thematic e/o vowel, in contrast with the sigmatic or weak aorist (ἔλειψα), formed with an -s(a) suffix. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > tense > [noun] > past > aorist > specific strong aorist1861 root aorist1879 s-aorist1895 1861 Bibliotheca Sacra Oct. 787 In the popular language this particular form of the aorist (which we prefer to call the strong aorist, because it is certainly not formed by a composition with the substantive verb) seems to have generally prevailed. 1910 Princeton Theol. Rev. 8 71 Boeotian also is the κοινή tendency to carry the 3 pl. endings of the sigmatic aorist into the strong aorist. 1999 Glotta 75 206 The change of perfect second person singular -ας to -ες of the strong aorist probably reflects no more than instability of the paradigm in its origins. † strong apoplexy n. [after post-classical Latin apoplexia fortis (1526 or earlier)] Medicine Obsolete a massive stroke (cerebral haemorrhage or infarction), esp. when causing loss of consciousness and paralysis. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of internal organs > disorders of nervous system > [noun] > disorders of brain > apoplexy apoplexyc1386 poplexyc1410 apoplex?1537 sudden stroke1543 catarrh1554 strong apoplexy1583 strong1820 1583 P. Barrough Methode of Phisicke i. xxi. 25 Often also it corrupteth the memorie, wherupon we maye conclude that remedies are not to be vsed, against a strong Apoplexie, for that it is of nature deadly. 1663 N. Culpeper & A. Cole tr. T. Bartholin Anat. (new ed.) ii. ix. 118/1 In a strong Apoplexy, the motion of the Lungs ceases, the Pulse being safe and the Heart unhurt. 1820 J. Cooke Treat. Nerv. Dis. I. i. 169 In the perfect, or strong apoplexy, the respiration of the patient is generally much impeded. strong bark n. [ < strong adj. + bark n.¹, perhaps as a folk-etymological alteration of strongback n. (compare sense 1 at that entry)] a tree or shrub of the genus Bourreria (family Boraginaceae), found in the West Indies and tropical America. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > South American and West Indian trees or shrubs > [noun] > others persea1601 mahoe1666 poison berry1672 white mangrove1683 maiden plum1696 angelin1704 garlic-pear1725 milkwood-tree1725 Jack-in-the-box1735 cherimoya1736 rattle bush1750 galapee1756 genip1756 lace bark1756 sunfruit1787 wild orange1802 hog-nut1814 mountain pride1814 savannah wattle1814 mora1825 rubber tree1826 mayflower1837 bastard manchineel1838 long john1838 seringa1847 sack tree1849 jumbie tree1860 jumbie bean1862 king-tree1863 gauze-tree1864 mountain green1864 snowdrop tree1864 strong bark1864 switch-sorrel1864 candle-tree1866 maypole1866 angelique1873 poisonwood1884 porkwood1884 1864 A. H. R. Grisebach Flora Brit. W. Indian Islands 788/1 Strong-bark. 1950 Ecol. Monogr. 20 347 (table) Bourreria ovata. Strong bark. Blackland. 2010 L. A. Newsom in L. A. Curet & L. M. Stringer Tibes v. 90 Capá or palo de vaca (Bourreria sp., Boraginaceae; also known as ‘strong back’, ‘strong bark’, or ‘doncella’) is the most abundant seed taxon in the assemblage. strong beer n. beer with a relatively high alcohol content, esp. (now historical) as opposed to small beer n. 1.† to think strong beer of oneself: to have an unduly high opinion of oneself; cf. to think small beer of at small beer n. 2c. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > ale or beer > beer > [noun] > strong beer strong beereOE bub1672 stout1677 tangle-leg1860 exportc1898 eOE Leechbk. (Royal) (1865) iii. xii. 314 Ofgeot mid strangan beore oþþe mid strangum ealað. 1542 A. Borde Compend. Regyment Helth xxxvii. sig. N.i^v Let them drinke no wyne nor stronge ale, nor stronge beere, but moderat drynke. 1574 in N. S. B. Gras Evol. Eng. Corn Market (1915) 452 In malt 52000 quarters more in wheate to brewe stronge beare. c1639 T. Dekker & J. Ford Sun's-darling (1656) v. 41 One that never drunk strong beer in's life but at festival times. 1707 J. Mortimer Whole Art Husbandry 567 Which quantity will make a Barrel of Strong-Beer, and a Barrel and a half of Ale, and one Hogs~head and half of Small-Beer. 1770 J. Massie Reas. against Tax on Malt 8 A Pint of Ale or strong Beer, costs the Ale-seller, only Five Farthings. 1837 R. Southey Doctor IV. 382 I am more inclined..to think Strong Beer of myself. 1852 W. M. Thackeray Let. 14 Apr. in Lett. & Papers (1946) III. 32 We all think too strong beer of ourselves. 1888 S. O. Addy Gloss. Words Sheffield Growte, small beer, made after the strong beer is brewed. 1940 D. Thomas Portrait of Artist as Young Dog 45 He had strong beer and I had lemonade. 2004 T. J. Misa From Leonardo to Internet iii. 70 The big porter brewers of London (the twelve largest now brewed 85 percent of the city's ‘strong’ beer) cheered the Parliamentary act. strong beggar n. historical = sturdy beggar at beggar n. 1b. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > poverty > mendicancy > [adjective] > able-bodied or sturdy sturdy1402 strong beggar1530 upright1567 1530–1 Acts 22 Henry VIII (?1531) f. xvi Whypped for a vagarant stronge begger. 1571 in J. C. Tingey Rec. City of Norwich (1910) II. 344 Thexpulcinge of stronge beggers. 1683 J. Keble Assistance to Justices of Peace 464 For every strong Begger that shall happen to beg within any such Township, or Parish, not being taken,..[they shall forfeit] 6 s. 8 d. 1782 J. M'Farlan Inq. conc. Poor ii. i. 63 This law seems to be applicable only to vagabonds or strong beggars. 1857 C. Knight Pop. Hist. Eng. II. xxviii. 470 The parishes were called upon to relieve the sick and aged; and the justices to punish strong beggars. 1908 W. Robertson Ayrshire I. xiii. 309 The strolling players, the jugglers, the gipsies..were in the same category with the vagabonds and the strong beggars. 1993 M. Aston Faith & Fire iv. 119 He took the accepted canonical distinction between true poor and strong beggars, and placed the friars firmly on the wrong side of the gospel law. strong breeze n. a fairly high wind able to form large waves at sea or move large branches on land; spec. a wind of force 6 on the Beaufort scale, (in modern use) corresponding to a speed of 22–27 knots (39-49 km/h). ΚΠ 1685 B. Ringrose Bucaniers Amer. iv. xiii. 83 That evening a strong breeze came up at S. E. by E. 1795 Scots Mag. Apr. 263/1 We put to sea with a strong breeze from the east-north-east. 1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Strong Breeze, that which reduces a ship to double-reefed topsails, jib, and spanker. 1917 J. Conrad Shadow-line vi. 211 That strong breeze, before which the last remnant of my crew had wilted down, seemed to blow a fresh stock of vigour into his frame with every gust. 2008 U. McGovern Lost Crafts (2009) 38 This [sc. winnowing] was done by gathering the grain into winnowing fans..or wooden winnowing trays before throwing it up into the air in a strong breeze. strong card n. a playing card of high value in a particular game; often figurative, a particular advantage, a valuable asset; cf. strong suit n. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > ability > [noun] > ability or talent > that for which one has special ability strengthc1440 forte1682 long suit1759 strong card1795 strong point1798 strong suit1836 the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > [noun] > advantage over another > an advantage > particular strong card1795 society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > card or cards > [noun] > cards of specific value in game sequent1620 lead1742 maker1753 stop1808 strong card1839 king card1850 brisque1870 honour card1876 penultimate1876 guard1885 thirteener1891 wild card1940 1795 T. Wilkinson Wandering Patentee II. 267 She played the Poor Soldier, and stood her ground so well, that it proved a strong card for her. 1837 E. Bulwer-Lytton Ernest Maltravers II. ix. vii[i]. 198 I have strong cards in my hands if I play them tolerably. 1839 Huntress 28 Sept. The betting upon the game ran up to $8,000, when the gentleman exhibited the four aces. ‘You certainly hold strong cards, but I think here is a document that can take the money,’ said the blackleg. 1900 G. Ade Fables in Slang 138 Marie was a Strong Card. The Male Patrons of the Establishment hovered around the Desk long after paying their Checks. Within a Month the Receipts of the Place had doubled. 1932 E. M. Forster in New Statesman & Nation 10 Sept. 284/2 As my husband points out, that is one of our strong cards. 2005 B. Dempsey & A. Bloch Poker Tells i. 9 Most people..fold against that kind of play, unless they hold really strong cards. † strong death n. Obsolete a violent or cruel death.In quot. OE in figurative context involving personification. ΘΚΠ the world > life > death > manner of death > [noun] > violent death qualmOE strong deathOE bloodsheddinga1500 bloodshed1547 OE tr. Felix St. Guthlac (Vesp.) (1909) xix. 160 Geong and eald, ealle hi gelice se stranga deað forgripeð and nymð. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 1811 Cristen men þat he vond to stronge deþ he broȝte. 1531 W. Tyndale Answere Mores Dialoge f. cxxx^v Christ prayed a stronge prayer for peter to helpe hym vpp agayne and sofred a stronge deeth thereto. 1642 J. Pigot Hierusalem bedewed with Teares 8 'Tis a strong death, a terrible death by the Sword, which David so earnestly prayed against. strong eye n. a sheepdog's way of looking at sheep that produces good control over them; this ability to control sheep; (also) New Zealand a sheep dog having this ability. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > sheepdog > [noun] > with specific job or character boundary dog1876 leading dog1897 header1903 strong eye1910 huntaway1913 1910 Gettysburg (Pa.) Times 24 May One of the best points a dog can have is a good strong eye. By that I mean one that will stand and set like a setter, never taking his eye from the sheep. 1916 Pastoral Rev. 26 326/1 The Border sheepdog, keen, with strong eye,..in their handling of sheep..‘have the wiles of a woman and the will of a man’. 1949 C. W. G. Hartley Shepherd's Dogs ii. 5 The pup is from a ‘strong-eye’ strain. 1952 Arena (N.Z.) xxxi. 2 Shepherding the stragglers would be Charlie's strong-eyes, Beau and Belle. 1977 Field 13 Jan. 55/2 A dog which can ‘will’ his sheep into submission requires what shepherds term a strong (or dominant) eye. 2012 J. Watts Kizzy Ann Stamps 113 An eye stalk is really important, and the sheep's response determines if the dog has a strong or weak eye. strong-eyed adj. having keen eyesight or a penetrating gaze; spec. (of a sheepdog) having good powers of controlling sheep by looking at them. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > sheepdog > [adjective] > having particular skills strong-eyed1686 backing1934 1686 H. Grenfield God in Creature 9 Strong ey'd Eagles dare not it behold, Twould blind the Cherubim, were they too bold. 1800 R. Southey History in Ann. Anthol. II. 88 She stood before me in her majesty, Clio, the strong-eyed Muse. 1858 Dwight's Jrnl. Music 24 Apr. 27/1 Mr. Ruskin, the most ardent and strong-eyed explorer the world has ever seen, discovered that Art was only rightly to be seen from a nut-shell. 1912 G. K. Chesterton Miscelllany of Men 114 The strong-eyed man can boast that he sees the sun as a perfect circle. The shortsighted man may say..that he sees the moon as a silver blur. 1916 Pastoral Rev. 26 326/2 To teach the strong-eyed dog to pull requires infinite tact and patience. 1952 J. H. McCulloch Border Collie Stud. 23/1 Breed a strong-eyed dog to another strong-eyed dog and the result may be a very strong-eyed dog. 1975 P. Newton Sixty Thousand on Hoof 202 Don Rogers gave exhibitions of handling and working sheep with a team of five highly-trained ‘strong-eyed’ sheepdogs. 2008 D. Henry in S. Molloy & H. Nadelman Starting Sheepdog 91 Some of the puppies that start working really, really young are your strong-eyed dogs. strong farmer n. Irish English (now chiefly historical) a prosperous farmer with a relatively large farm. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > wealth > [adjective] > well-off wellc1405 sufficient1436 full?1483 suffisant1484 beina1525 warmc1571 well-breeched1571 meaned1605 well-meaned1605 well-lined1611 substanced?1614 well-circumstanced1643 forehanded1658 uppish1678 easy1701 brownstone1780 forehand1784 solid1788 well-to-do1794 snug1801 strong farmer1802 well-fixed1822 unindigent1830 well off1842 fixed1844 comfortably offc1850 heeled1871 well-heeled1871 well in1888 independent1893 1802 R. Thompson Statist. Surv. Meath iv. 79 The person, who provincially goes by the name of a strong farmer, holds from one to three hundred acres. 1873 E. O'Curry Manners Anc. Irish II. 35 The Bruighfer..being what would now be called in Munster a ‘strong farmer’, he was to set an example to his neighbours. 1956 S. H. Bell Erin's Orange Lily iv. 52 The purchasers were strong farmers and agents buying for the gentry. 2007 M. P. Carroll Amer. Catholics in Protestant Imagination i. 43 The living standards of the Catholic strong farmers in Ireland improved dramatically during the late eighteenth century. strong gale n. a powerful wind able to form high waves at sea or cause slight structural damage on land; spec. a wind of force 9 on the Beaufort scale, (in modern use) corresponding to a speed of 41–47 knots (75-88 km/h). ΚΠ 1591 Honourable Actions E. Glemham sig. B3 A strong gale at Northeast began to blowe, and the seas to growe. 1630 J. Winthrop Jrnl. 13 May in R. S. Dunn et al. Jrnl. J. Winthrop (1996) 20 The winde came to the S: westerly, with Close weather, & a strong gale. 1754 A. Hendry Jrnl. 2 Dec. in Trans. Royal Soc. Canada (1907) 1 ii. 343 Strong gale with Snow & Sleet. Obliged to remove into thick woods. 1824 Ann. Reg. 140 Edinburgh—A strong gale..came on from the north-east, and the usual demolition of chimney-cans, slates, etc. ensued. 1908 W. P. Reeves New Zealand i. 4 Round New Zealand are..the same westerly winds, often wet and sometimes rising into strong gales. 2000 C. D. Whiteman Mountain Meteorol. v. 67 (table) Strong gale: High waves; sea begins to roll; dense streaks of foam; spray may reduce visibility. strong joint n. U.S. slang a crooked gambling game in which the bank or operator always wins; (also) a place where such games are played. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > games of chance > [noun] > places for gambling dicing-house1549 carding house1550 gaming house1562 dicing-chamber1571 tabling house1576 game house?1577 macaroni1771 gambling house1772 gambling school1773 gambling club1774 spill-house1778 gambling hall?1781 gambling den1792 gambling booth1804 hell1812 gambling hell1818 Crockford1827 silver hell1835 deadfall1837 casino1851 house1855 tripot1864 skin house1871 bucket-shop1875 gambling joint1885 salle1886 tabling den1886 spoofery1895 salle de jeu1901 strong joint1914 kitchen1924 salle privée1930 spieler1931 1914 J. Forbes in Wage-earning Pittsburgh iv. ii. 319 The ‘strong joint’ is the device operated most extensively and the one that ‘gets the money’. 1926 G. H. Maines & B. Grant Wise-crack Dict. 14/1 Strong joint, unfair or cheater's game. 1935 N. Ersine Underworld & Prison Slang 73 Strong joint, a crooked gambling house. 1938 F. Chester Shot Full xi. 98 A ‘pick-out’. This is another form of ‘strong-joint’, or never-win game. 1963 D. W. Maurer in R. I. McDavid & D. W. Maurer Mencken's Amer. Lang. (new ed.) xi. 731 Carnival workers, and especially strong-joint or flat-joint operators, have a more or less secret argot. † strong lines n. Obsolete obscure or bombastic writing.Originally with reference to fashions of the late 1620s onwards in verse and preaching. ΚΠ 1627 W. Hawkins Apollo Shroving 29 [Amp.:] I pray you view these lines. You will confesse they are strong lines. [Phil.:] I haue heard of strong lines, admited by weake iudgements, and derided by the iudicious. 1629 J. Ford Lovers Melancholy iii. 38 Answer me In strong Lines, y'are best. a1631 J. Downe Certaine Treat. (1633) 65 [Some preachers] hunt after I knowe not what new fangled and quaint phrases, and as they tearme them, strong lines. 1678 T. Rawlins Tunbridge-Wells sig. A2v A conceited Rhimer, that strains his fancy beyond his Judgment, and Writes Nonsence for strong Lines. 1717 T. Purney Full Enq. True Nature of Pastoral 5 As for the Strong Lines, 'tis supplying the want of the Sublime with the Courtly and Florid Stile. strong man's weed n. the herbaceous perennial shrub Petiveria alliacea (family Phytolaccaceae), of the southern United States, the Caribbean, and Central America, which smells strongly of garlic and is sometimes used for its stimulating and sudorific properties; also called guinea hen weed. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Phytolaccaceae (poke-weed and allies) > [noun] redweed1624 poke1687 phytolacca1730 pork physic1733 pokeweed1751 pokeberry1754 rivina1754 guinea-hen weed1836 hoop-withe1847 pocan1858 strong man's weed1864 ink weed1913 the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medical preparations of specific origin > medicine composed of a plant > [noun] > plant used in medicine > specific plant hyssopc1000 sionc1000 tunhoofc1000 poppyOE camomilea1300 orobusa1398 tithymala1400 tutsana1400 Thapsiac1400 melissa?a1425 hallelujahc1425 turmeric1538 succory1541 balin1546 English treacle1548 treacle mustard1548 rhabarb1558 Thlaspi1562 treacle clover1562 holy herb1567 lungwort1578 solanum1578 lightwort1587 neezing wort1591 Alexander's Foot1597 burst-wort1597 symphonia1597 wound-herb1597 leper's herb1600 all bones1633 schoenanth1633 nip1651 wound-shrub1659 hermodact1678 jusquiam1727 Algerian tea1728 Australian tea1728 strongback1739 silphium1753 belladonna1788 foxglove1801 ledum1822 yercum1826 lungs of oak1856 strong man's weed1864 conium1866 short-long1871 fever grass1875 the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > cleansing or expelling medicines > [noun] > diaphoretic > plant-derived Dover's powder1801 strong man's weed1864 1864 A. H. R. Grisebach Flora Brit. W. Indian Islands 788/1 Strong-man's-weed. 1954 West. Indian Med. Jrnl 19 Strong man's weed. This plant has a strong smell of garlic. 2009 J. A. Duke Handbk. Medicinal Plants Lat. Amer. Index 884/2 Strongman's-Weed. strong meat n. figurative and in figurative contexts: a thing or (less commonly) person likely to be found unacceptably forceful or extreme. [Ultimately after Hellenistic Greek στερεὰ τροϕή, lit. ‘solid food’ (4th cent. b.c.), with allusion to Hebrews 5:12; compare post-classical Latin solidus cibus solid food (Vulgate: Hebrews 5:12).] ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > scholarly knowledge, erudition > intellectual command, mastery > [noun] > matter for instructed minds strong meatOE OE tr. Chrodegang of Metz Regula Canonicorum (Corpus Cambr. 191) lxxxi. 331 Ne mihte ic sprecan wið eow swylce wið gastlice, ac swylce wið flæsclice, and ic sealde eow, þe for Criste sint lytlingas, meoloc for drinc and nanne strangne mete [L. escam]. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) Heb. v. 12 Ye..are become soche as have nede off mylke, and no of stronge meate [1611 King James strong meat; Gk. στερεᾶς τροϕῆς]. 1655 E. Elys Dia Poemata (new ed.) 32 The Muses Sauce, my Study's Strong-meat: These Shall be my Play-mates, not my Mistresses. ?1794 S. Townsend Hist. Mother & Child (title page) An easy..method of teaching young children the alphabet, so as to lay a foundation for making them good readers;—who have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 1837 T. Carlyle in London & Westm. Rev. Jan. 403 But then his style!.. Strong meat, too tough for babes. 1909 H. G. Wells Tono-Bungay (U.K. ed.) i. i. 26 Gulliver was there unexpurgated, strong meat for a boy perhaps. 1965 Listener 21 Oct. 640/2 Nineteen Eighty-Four was prefaced by a warning that it was not for nervous listeners. There was no such warning before Shirley Jenkins's The Child... Yet this too was..strong meat, dealing..with the thought stream of a woman on the point of giving birth. 2012 Psychologies (U.K. ed.) Apr. 43/2 Author Rachel Cusk is strong meat, and this account of her own marital breakdown is no exception. strong safety n. American Football a defensive player who typically plays opposite the strong side of the offensive line, behind the linebackers but closer to the line of scrimmage than the free safety; (also) the position occupied by such a player; cf. free safety n. at free adj., n., and adv. Compounds 2. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > football > American football > [noun] > types of player side tackle1809 nose guard1852 rusher1877 goalkicker1879 quarterback1879 runner1880 quarter1883 full back1884 left guard1884 snap-back1887 snapper-back1887 running back1891 tackle1891 defensive end1897 guard1897 interferer1897 receiver1897 defensive back1898 defensive tackle1900 safety man1901 ball carrier1902 defensive lineman1902 homebrew1903 offensive lineman1905 lineman1907 returner1911 signal caller1915 rover1916 interference1920 punt returner1926 pass rusher1928 tailback1930 safety1931 blocker1935 faker1938 scatback1946 linesman1947 flanker1953 platoon player1953 corner-back1955 pulling guard1955 split end1955 return man1957 slot-back1959 strong safety1959 wide receiver1960 line-backer1961 pocket passer1963 tight end1963 run blocker1967 wideout1967 blitzer1968 1959 Southwest Times (Pulaski, Va.) 11 Sept. 6/7 Brown seemed worried over the fact that he was one deep in the quarterback position and lacked a strong safety man. 1962 Brainerd (Minnesota) Daily Dispatch 22 Aug. Lamson..has been getting plenty of work at the strong safety slot. 1991 Football Action '91 9/2 Swilling will move to strong safety this season. 2006 Sports Illustr. (Electronic ed.) 25 Sept. 50 [He] broke free from the grasp of strong safety Sammy Knight and raced into the end zone. strong side n. American Football the side of a formation (at the line of scrimmage) having the most players; (also) the side of the offensive formation on which the tight end lines up. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > football > American football > [noun] > types of player > specific group of players defensive line1632 rush1881 rush line1882 offensive line1893 strong side1905 backfield1911 platoon1941 secondary1955 suicide squad1960 D-line1971 1905 F. H. Yost Football for Player & Spectator 239 This play strikes on the strong side. 1959 Bennington (Vermont) Evening Banner 1 Oct. 4/5 Graham was promoted to the strong-side guard post. 2003 Windsor (Ont.) Star (Nexis) 25 July c1 Slated to play the strong side,..Bailey will struggle against larger NFL tight ends. strong silent man n. a taciturn man whose feelings are concealed and controlled; also strong silent hero and variants. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > taciturnity or reticence > [noun] > one who does not speak silentiary1611 mum1666 mumchance1694 strong silent man1839 taciturnist1887 oystera1910 1839 T. Carlyle Chartism iv. 30 With this strong silent people have the noisy vehement Irish now at length got common cause made. 1876 Potter's Amer. Monthly July 133/1 I suppose Humphrey, in his secret soul, feared his suit might be hopeless; but he was a strong, silent man, and given to much quiet determination of purpose. 1913 C. Mackenzie Sinister St. I. ii. xv. 407 She said I must be careful not to grow up into a strong silent Englishman, because their day was done. 1914 Rev. of Reviews 51 253/1 His Robert Blaine is stronger and more silent than any of the long line of strong, silent heroes whom that most gifted author created and sent forth to be our admiration and despair. 1926 Punch 27 Jan. 112/2 Is the golden eagle the strong silent person that Mr. Batten makes out? 1936 W. S. Maugham Cosmopolitans 260 These for the most part are strong silent men who waste no words. 1988 M. Bishop Unicorn Mountain (1989) xxv. 294 The Hollywood stereotype of the Strong Silent Hero. 2004 Times Lit. Suppl. 30 Apr. 7/4 What had happened to the archetypal English hero of my childhood, the strong silent man with the stiff upper lip? strong silent type n. the sort of person who is taciturn and whose feelings are concealed and controlled.Typically used of men: see strong silent man n. ΚΠ 1909 Times Lit. Suppl. 3 June 206/2 John Grange, the hero of The Shuttles of the Loom, by K. M. Edge..was a man of the strong, silent type. 1910 Dublin Rev. Apr. 413 Mr Gwynn represents Emmet as the strong, silent type of conspirator, a character very different from the conception which one would form from the published account of Emmet's trial. 1925 ‘R. Crompton’ in Windsor Mag. Jan. 130/1 He considered himself to be a man of the strong, silent type. 1978 L. Charteris Saint & Templar Treasure (1979) i. 25 I've always fancied myself as the strong silent type. 2007 Independent 15 Dec. 37/1 Like the strong silent types played by John Wayne.., the men gathered in Rudy's are not the talkative sort. strong stress n. Prosody spec. accentuation which falls on syllables separated by a varying number of unstressed syllables, characteristic of certain poetic traditions, as Old English alliterative verse. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > poetry > versification > rhythm > [noun] > beat > strong stress lift1894 strong stress1959 1959 PMLA 74 i. 588 The two main alternative principles of English meter..are actually two kinds of stress—strong stress (the Old English, the Piers Plowman tradition) and syllable stress (the Chaucer-Tennyson tradition). 1973 Stud. Eng. Lit.: Eng. Number (Tokyo) 22 There was no mention of Anglo-Saxon verse as a forerunner of sprung rhythm... There is..little reason to suppose that Hopkins derived his sprung rhythm from strong-stress verse. 2008 M. J. Duffell New Hist. Eng. Metre iii. 58 By the late fourteenth century..a metre based on strong stress and alliteration was no longer as good a fit for the language. strong suit n. Cards a suit of which a hand has many or valuable cards; figurative a thing at which a person excels, a particular advantage, a valuable asset; cf. strong card n. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > card or cards > [noun] > suit suit1563 strong suit1742 side suit1883 the world > action or operation > ability > [noun] > ability or talent > that for which one has special ability strengthc1440 forte1682 long suit1759 strong card1795 strong point1798 strong suit1836 1742 E. Hoyle Short Treat. Game Whist 22 You must play three Rounds of Trumps, otherwise you may have your strong Suit trumped. 1785 J. Almon Asylum for Fugitive Pieces 92 King of ——. I never have luck, when the curse of Scotland is in my hand... I have a strong suit now, without a Knave among them. 1836 Amer. Turf Reg. July 498 Oratory was unquestionably his strong suit: touch him on that, and he was always at home. 1865 ‘M. Twain’ in N. Y. Sat. Press 18 Nov. 249/2 Jumping on a dead level was his strong suit. 1900 ‘J. Doe’ Bridge Man. 31 The Dealer should go No Trumps with two very strong suits, one other suit weakly guarded, and the fourth not guarded at all. 1940 G. Frankau Self-portrait lxiii. 388 Adaptability has always been one of my strong suits. 1954 A. Sheinwold Third Bk. of Bridge: Duplicate Bridge vi. 134 If your second bid is in a suit, your partner knows that you have a game-forcing hand and a strong suit. 2009 Independent 13 June 35/5 Gordon Brown would do well to remember that the economy is his strong suit. strong woods n. (also strong wood) [with reference to North American peoples after Canadian French bois fort (1749 or earlier); compare Plains Cree sakâwiyiniwak, lit. ‘woodland people’] Canadian a region of thick afforestation; frequently attributive, esp. in the names of North American peoples. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > land > landscape > fertile land or place > land with vegetation > [noun] > wooded land > types of ripplelOE wildwooda1122 rough1332 firth?a1400 tod stripec1446 osiard1509 bush1523 bush-ground1523 fritha1552 island1638 oak landc1658 pinelandc1658 piney wood1666 broom-land1707 pine barrenc1721 pine savannah1735 savannah1735 thick woods1754 scrub-land1779 olive wood1783 primeval forest1789 open wood1790 strong woods1792 scrub1805 oak flata1816 sertão1816 sprout-land1824 flatwoods1841 bush-land1842 tall timber1845 amber forest1846 caatinga1846 mahogany scrub1846 bush-flat1847 myall country1847 national forest1848 selva1849 monte1851 virgin forest1851 bush-country1855 savannah forest1874 bush-range1879 bushveld1879 protection forest1889 mulga1896 wood-bush1896 shinnery1901 fringing forest1903 monsoon forest1903 rainforest1903 savannah woodland1903 thorn forest1903 tropical rainforest1903 gallery forest1920 cloud forest1922 rain jungle1945 mato1968 1792 in Handbk. N. Amer. Indians (1981) VI. ii. 17 Strong Wood Crees. 1800 A. Henry Jrnl. 5 Sept. (1988) I. 43 We had about one quarter of a mile of strong wood to pass through. 1801 A. Mackenzie Gen. Hist. Fur Trade p. xvii in Voy. from Montreal The strong woods and mountainous countries afforded a refuge to those who fled from the contagion of the plains. 1861 Canad. Naturalist Dec. 438 The Strong-wood Reindeer inhabit the thickly wooded parts of the District. 1906 Metrop. Mag. May 164/1 The white man is nothing but a child when he travels the strong-wood country. 1969 E. W. Morse Fur Trade Canoe Routes ii. iv. 45 The North Saskatchewan formed roughly the boundary of the ‘strong woods’ region where the furs were harvested. 1980 P. Lehmberg (title) In the strong woods. 2003 J. C. Jackson Jemmy Jock Bird 96 Rocky Mountain Cree, Strongwoods Cree, and Strongwoods Stoneys also slipped in to trade. Derivatives strong-like adj. having an appearance of strength. ΚΠ 1782 J. Brown Compend. View Nat. & Revealed Relig. ii. i. 139 He..doth accomplish those promises..which he had the strongest-like reasons to shift. 1789 J. Williams Nat. Hist. Mineral Kingdom I. 420 Some of these are dull and strong like. 1883 E. F. Byrrne Fair Country Maid I. xiii. 208 He nods and smiles at me, till I feel quite strong-like and able. 2004 ‘J. Logan’ Slocum & Orphan Express xv. 122 Big feller. Not fat-big, just tall and real stronglike. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022). strongv. Brit. /strɒŋ/, U.S. /strɔŋ/, /strɑŋ/ Forms: α. Old English strangian, late Old English strængian (Kentish), late Old English stranggod (past participle), Middle English strange. β. Old English strongian, early Middle English stronge, early Middle English strongi, early Middle English stronȝie, Middle English stronge, 1600s 1900s– strong. Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: strong adj. Etymology: < strong adj. Compare Old High German strangēn to strengthen, become strong. Compare strength v., strengthen v.In Old English the prefixed form gestrangian (compare y- prefix) is also attested. 1. = strengthen v. Now somewhat rare. a. transitive. To make strong or stronger (in various senses). ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > adhere constantly or steadfastly to [verb (transitive)] > make steadfast strongOE strengthc1200 stablea1300 resolvea1398 sadc1400 nourish?a1425 settle1435 pitha1500 stiffen?a1500 steel1581 toughen1582 ballastc1600 efforta1661 fix1671 balance1685 to fix the mercury1704 instrengthen1855 to put stuffing into1977 the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > strengthening or confirmation of immaterial things > strengthen or confirm immaterial things [verb (transitive)] strengha1175 strengthc1200 astrengthc1250 strength1340 confirmc1386 affirma1393 forcec1430 renforce?1473 corrobore1485 re-enforcec1485 reinforcec1485 stronga1500 consolidate?a1547 strengthen1546 sinewize1600 sinew1625 confortate1651 nervate1682 scaffolda1693 corroborate1698 substantiate1792 nerve1856 stouten1887 affirm1899 toughen1901 to put stuffing into1938 OE Blickling Homilies 249 He þær wunode mid him seofon dagas, lærende and strangende hira heortan on geleafan ures Drihtnes Hælendes Cristes. OE Ælfric Lives of Saints (Julius) (1900) II. 350 Pafnuntius þa wearð micclan gestrangod þurh hire trymenesse. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 4109 Androgeus forð-rihtes. nom alle his cnihtes..& iwenden in-to Kent. to his ane castle and hine strongede [c1300 Otho straggeþ] wel. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 2226 Þe castles heo nomen alle & strangede [c1300 Otho strongede] þa walles. c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham Poems (1902) 13 Wanne a man hit onderuangeþ, Ine saule hit hine strangeþ. a1400 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 14th Cent. (1924) 233 Þe fruit þat to alle gode Frouering is and ek hem strongeþ..Ripede in þin herte blode. a1500 (?a1390) J. Mirk Festial (Gough) (1905) 229 For maydenhode ys lytyll helpe wyth, but yf hyt be strongyt wyth pacience. 1657 H. Bold Wit a Sporting 100 Twas ambush-plot To bear the Nightingales small throat, Highest, strong'd to boot. 1941 E. P. O'Donnell Great Big Doorstep xviii. 250 The coffee gunna strong you soon, darling. 2008 C. Ringma Ragged Edges 31 Penetration of the dove sperming creation filling the void... colouring the darkness stronging the weak. b. intransitive. To become strong or stronger (in various senses). ΘΚΠ society > authority > power > have power or might [verb (intransitive)] > become powerful strongeOE to come in?1534 eOE (Mercian) Vespasian Psalter (1965) lxiv. 3 (4) Verba iniquorum praeualuerunt super nos : word unrehtwisra strongadun ofer us. OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 154 Uigeo, ic strangige. a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 13 Scal eou sone ȝe waxen muchele wrake..þet eower heorte erȝian swiðe and eower feond stronȝian. 1926 Gleanings Bee Culture June 402/2 But I innardly felt I still sure had triumphed. So I stronged up and pretended as I didn't see his sarcastick atall. 2013 T. Amador Gracianna v. 69 Dom's nose always got redder when he drank. His tongue thickened, his words wandered and shorted and stronged. 2. transitive. U.S. regional. To cause (a person or a person's breath) to have a strong smell. ΚΠ 1913 H. Kephart Our Southern Highlanders xiii. 283 A verb will be coined from an adverb... Or from an adjective... Baby, that onion'll strong ye! 1926 E. M. Roberts Time of Man 358 They [sc. onions] do strong me, seem like. They strong my breath. 1961 E. Seeman In Arms of Mountain 189 His [sc. a goat's] smell has developed until it is as strong and rank as sea kelp... A lank old hunter drawled, ‘That thar smell will strong ye—hit jest burns my nose!’ 3. transitive. slang. to strong it: to behave excessively, to overdo things, (also) to exaggerate. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > exaggeration, hyperbole > speak or do with exaggeration [phrase] to go beyond the moon?c1430 to cast beyond the moon1559 to lay on load?1562 to lay it on with a trowela1616 all (his) geese are swans1621 to draw (also pull, shoot) the long bow1667 to lay it on thick1740 to sling (also fling, throw) the hatchet1778 to come it1796 to make a thing about (also of)1813 to draw with the long-bow1823 to pitch it strong1823 to overegg the pudding1845 to put (spread, etc.) it on thick1865 to god it1870 to strong it1964 to stretch it (or things)1965 1964 New Statesman 10 Apr. 555/2 ‘To strong it’ means to overdo something, like taking more than 30 purple hearts in one night. 1970 G. F. Newman Sir, You Bastard iii. 108 Don't you think that's stronging it? 2000 J. J. Connolly Layer Cake 87 The secret..is not to strong it. Go gentle, play it simple and don't become a caricature. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022). strongadv. Brit. /strɒŋ/, U.S. /strɔŋ/, /strɑŋ/ Forms: α. Old English–Middle English strange, Middle English strang; also Scottish pre-1700 strang. β. Old English strongi (Northumbrian, rare), Old English–Middle English stronge, Middle English– strong, 1600s stronge. Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly formed within English, by derivation. Partly formed within English, by conversion. Etymons: strong adj., English -e ; strong adj. Etymology: Originally < strong adj. + Old English -e , suffix forming adverbs; subsequently reinforced by conversion < strong adj. Compare strongly adv.With the persistence of comparative and superlative forms of this adverb in standard English, compare discussion at strongly adv. Now nonstandard except as approaching strong adj. used as an adjective complement, in compounds, and in the comparative and superlative, where often preferred to more/most strongly. 1. Modifying a verb: = strongly adv. a. gen. (a) In the positive degree. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > [adverb] hardlyeOE strongeOE hardOE fastOE starklyOE stalworthlyc1175 starkc1225 mainlyc1300 fellc1330 snellc1330 stout1338 wightlya1340 sadlya1375 sharplyc1380 tough1398 stoutly1399 throa1400 wighta1400 lustilyc1400 sorec1400 vigourslyc1400 stiff1422 vigoriouslya1450 vigorouslya1450 actuallya1470 stourlyc1480 forcely?a1500 lustly1529 fricklyc1540 dingilya1555 livelily?1565 crankly1566 forcibly1578 crank1579 wightily?a1600 proudly1600 energetically1609 stiffly1623 ding-dong1628 greenly1633 hard and fast1646 slashingly1659 thwackingly1660 warmlya1684 robustly1709 sonsily1729 forcefullya1774 vim1843 zippily1924 vibrantly1926 punchily1934 zingily1951 the world > action or operation > manner of action > violent action or operation > [adverb] strongeOE hotOE unsoftOE snellya1000 stitha1000 stronglyOE woodlyc1000 hatelyOE unridelyc1175 wood1297 mainlyc1300 dreec1330 spackly?c1335 brothelyc1340 bremelya1375 fiercelya1375 violentlya1387 throlyc1390 roughlya1400 snarplya1400 unrekenlya1400 dreichlyc1400 ranklyc1400 witherlyc1400 maliciouslya1450 fervently1480 roidlyc1480 thrafully1535 vehement?1541 toughly1589 sickerly1596 vengeously1599 virulently1599 rageously1600 ragefullya1631 churlishly1657 improbously1657 rampantly1698 fierce1771 savagerous1832 fulgurantly1873 franticly1883 the mind > emotion > courage > bravery or boldness > [adverb] stronglyeOE strongeOE boldlyOE wellOE coflyc1000 keenlyc1000 moodilyOE fastOE derflyc1175 trustlya1200 hardilyc1225 trustilya1375 ketec1380 throa1400 strenglya1425 strongfullyc1425 roidlya1500 virtuouslya1500 hardyflyc1500 brave1590 bold1597 audaciously1598 bravely1600 the mind > will > decision > resolution or determination > [adverb] strongeOE fastOE stably1297 strengthlya1400 unabasedlyc1425 unfaintlyc1425 four-squarec1430 strengthilyc1485 determinedlyc1540 resolutely1549 determinately1556 martyr-like1579 resolvedly1587 strongly1591 undauntedly1598 heart and soul1620 fairly and squarely1628 bently1645 decisively1653 supportinglya1664 setly1673 decidedly1770 martyrly1819 immitigably1824 staunchly1825 unshrinkingly1826 unflinchingly1833 hell-bent1863 square1867 fair and square1870 full-bloodedly1898 the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > [adverb] > with vigour or intensity of operation or effect swithlyc888 mightilyeOE strongeOE fastlyOE stronglyOE smartlyc1225 smartc1300 mightlya1393 freshlyc1425 almightily1609 feckfullya1614 shrewly1707 vivaciouslya1711 keenly1837 drivingly1842 drastically1850 incisively1871 the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] stronglyeOE felec950 strongeOE highlyOE highOE greatlya1200 stourlya1225 greata1325 dreec1330 deeplya1400 mightya1400 dreichlyc1400 mighty?a1425 sorec1440 mainlyc1450 greatumly1456 madc1487 profoundly1489 stronglya1492 muchwhata1513 shrewlya1529 heapa1547 vengeance?1548 sorely1562 smartlyc1580 mightly1582 mightily1587 violently1601 intensively1604 almightily1612 violent1629 seriously1643 intensely1646 importunately1660 shrewdly1664 gey1686 sadly1738 plenty1775 vitally1787 substantively1795 badly1813 far1814 heavily1819 serious1825 measurably1834 dearly1843 bally1939 majorly1955 sizzlingly1956 majorly1978 fecking1983 eOE Metres of Boethius (partly from transcript of damaged MS) (2009) vi. 15 Þæt hio [sc. the sea] strange geondstyred on staðu beateð. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1039 He wæs sona underfangen ge fram Anglum ge fram Denum, þeah þe his rædes menn hit syððon strange forguldon. c1275 (?c1250) Owl & Nightingale (Calig.) (1935) 254 Þos hule luste suþe longe & was of toned suþe stronge. c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Cambr.) (1901) 304 (MED) Wel longe Ihc habbe þe luued stronge. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 24100 On mi soru mai be nan end, It stikes me sua strang. a1450 Seven Sages (Cambr. Dd.1.17) (1845) l. 197 This house that is so strange dyȝt. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 174 The course of the ryuer So stronge and So styfe rane. 1570 in J. Cranstoun Satirical Poems Reformation (1891) I. xviii. 63 His Father [ye] wyrreit strang. 1596 W. Raleigh Discoverie Guiana (new ed.) 53 A slent of northerly wind that blew very strong. 1636 W. Davenant Witts v. i. sig. K2^v Our hopes grow strong, and Giantly! 1683 J. Pettus tr. L. Ercker i. ii. xxv. in Fleta Minor 168 Make a fire under it, and let the water go strong over it. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis xi, in tr. Virgil Wks. 575 The Bow-string touch'd her Breast, so strong she drew. 1705 H. Blackwell Eng. Fencing-master (new ed.) 34 If that Thrust be made at you, parry strong, and thrust at the same time. 1719 D. Defoe Farther Adventures Robinson Crusoe 205 The Current setting strong to the E.N.E. 1784 J. Douglas Cook's Voy. Pacific II. iii. ix. 143 This wind..sometimes blows strong, though generally moderate. 1813 Sporting Mag. 41 85 His antagonist..run strong in, leaving the other three hundred yards in the rear. 1841 G. Catlin Lett. N. Amer. Indians I. i. 10 The reader will be disposed to forgive me for dwelling so long and so strong on the justness of the claims. 1856 ‘The Druid’ Post & Paddock xii. 199 Those who can stay and finish strong at that distance..can invariably travel on for two miles at least. 1863 T. Woolner My Beautiful Lady i. vii. 46 Thro' pastures and thro' fields where corn grew strong. 1886 W. D. Howells Indian Summer vii. 96 The sun beat strong upon the white road. 1933 J. Masefield Bird of Dawning 234 The wester was still blowing strong and true. 1976 Express (Port of Spain, Trinidad) 20 Feb. 3 You should not love so strong. 2009 E. Yohalen Escape under Forever Sky (2011) xiii. 116 Next time I jumped strong and straight. (b) In the comparative or superlative degree. Also with the. †more stronger: = a fortiori adv. and adj. ΚΠ eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) i. xvi. 68 Ond þeah ðe þæt wiite hwene heardor & strongor don sy [L. cum paulo districtius agitur], þonne is hit of lufan to donne. OE Confessionale Pseudo-Egberti (Corpus Cambr. 190) 172 Ricum mannum man sceal strangor deman þonne þam heanum æfter canones dome. a1400 Ancrene Riwle (Pepys) (1976) 88 Holy Men & wymmen of alle fondynges weren strongest yfonded. ?a1425 MS Hunterian 95 f. 110, in Middle Eng. Dict. at Strong(e Þe yȝe liddes ben reuersed & strongest akkeþ. c1475 tr. Henri de Mondeville Surgery (Wellcome) f. 167 (MED) Siche maner of woundis schulen be..strongere and þickere sewid. 1486 J. Mirk's Liber Festiuall (Rood & Hunte) sig. tij^v/1 This dike yf it be full of water hit is the more stronge to the castell. 1517 S. Hawes Pastime of Pleasure (1928) i. 12 In olde antyquyte,..When..nature..More stronger hadde her operacyon Than she hath nowe in her dygressyon. 1530 St. German's Secunde Dyaloge Doctour & Student xxviii. f. lxxviii^v More stronger he maye appoynte at what age suche wylles as be made shall be performyd. 1610 G. Markham Maister-peece ii. clix. 467 [It] doth make the horses chine or backe a great deale the stronger. 1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper ii. 98 The more weary [the Oxe] is, the more strong doth he fixe his footings. 1679 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. ix. 160 The stronger it is forced in, the faster the Hook sticks. 1699 W. Dampier Voy. & Descr. II. iii. iii. 18 When the Westerly Winds blow longest and strongest on the Coast, the Easterly Trade-Wind blows off at Sea. 1715 J. T. Desaguliers tr. N. Gauger Fires Improv'd 137 The Bellows..blows so much the stronger. 1767 Bp. W. Warburton Lett. (1809) 407 G.S. was stronger engraved on your fancy than B.S. 1792 J. Burnet Orig. & Progress Lang. VI. iii. iii. 237 Emphasis, by which one word in a sentence is sounded much louder and stronger than the other words. 1838 J. Steuart Bogotá in 1836–7 iv. 119 The apparent end and aim of all this bell-ringing..seemed to be for the purpose of trying who should pull the strongest and fastest! 1884 London Society May 546/2 He who kicked hardest and fought strongest generally won the game. 1939 Science 16 June 551/2 The stronger the wind blows the more resistant the tent becomes. 1987 I. Doig Dancing at Rascal Fair 143 What I loved strongest of all entered now through my schoolroom doorway. 2010 M. Marcela Angel of Mercy xiii. 107 The longer he stood and took it all in, the stronger he sensed he could feel what each individual soldier was feeling. b. Modifying a verb referring to an impression on the senses, as smell, taste, etc.Quot. a1398 (also at strong-smelling at Compounds 1) included here show continuity of usage. ΚΠ c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 56 Þer leien ofte licomes irotet buuen eorðe. & stunken swiðe stronge [?c1225 Cleo. fule]. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. cxvi. 1266 Þe worme..toucheþ nouȝt þynges þat beþ ybawmede wiþ bitter þinges and stronge smellynge. c1560 Jack Jugler (facs.) E j Many here smell strong but none so ranke as he. 1612 R. Daborne Christian turn'd Turke i. iv. l. 1087 He smels strong of Rose-water. 1644 J. Doughty Kings Cavse 27 The result of their consultations hath usually tasted strong of the prevailing side. 1707 E. Ward Wooden World Dissected 4 Her Pump-dale smells strongest when she has the soundest Bottom. 1742 E. Young Complaint viii. 837 Joys season'd high, and tasting strong of guilt. a1750 A. Hill Cleon to Lycidas in Wks. (1753) IV. 294 Feel, that thou breath'st in passion's haziest fen,..Where carnate emulation, stripp'd of mind, Glows muscularly strong. a1792 S. Hearne Journey from Prince of Wales's Fort (1795) iii. 30 The flesh of the musk-ox..smells and tastes so strong of musk as to make it very disagreeable when raw. 1838 J. D. Canning Day Dreams in Poems 163 Besides a sickish taste, It savored something strong. 1886 R. Holland Gloss. Words County of Chester II. 281 Rammy, tasting or smelling strong like a ram. 1921 B. Gilbert Old Eng. (1922) 252 You lousy mawkin, stinking strong Of beer and bacca. 1988 Alaska Mag. Cabin Cookbk. (1990) 7 It will not taste strong or ‘gamey’. 1994 L. Scott Ballad for New World in S. Brown & J. Wickham Oxf. Bk. Caribbean Short Stories (1999) 327 In dark places where the sun shone hot and strong.., music came from dustbin covers. †2. Modifying a non-participial adjective: extremely, very. Obsolete.For participial adjectives see Compounds. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > absence of movement > [adverb] > in a stable manner > firmly (fixed) stronglyeOE fasteOE stitha1000 hardOE fastlyOE steadfasta1300 stithlya1300 steevec1330 a-rootc1374 firmlyc1374 hard and fastc1380 sadc1380 sadlya1398 steadfastlya1400 stronga1400 stalworthlyc1440 solidatively?1541 hardfast1548 secure1578 sickera1586 solidly?1611 tighta1625 securely1642 steevely1790 inexcussably1816 tightly1866 the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > characteristics > [adverb] > violently or severely sorec1290 stronga1400 eagerly1553 virulently1632 acutely1651 raginglya1677 full1738 a1400 tr. Lanfranc Sci. Cirurgie (Ashm.) (1894) 165 (MED) If þese signys ben but litil & not strong greuous, þanne ȝeue him metis & drynkis. c1400 Brut (Rawl. B. 171) 138 When he saw þat he was so stronge sike. a1500 (?c1450) Merlin iii. 52 I will to-morowe go to an Abbey, and feyne me stronge sike. Phrases P1. to muster strong: see muster v.¹ 3b. P2. colloquial. a. to come it strong: †(a) to display great activity, energy, boldness, etc. (obsolete); (b) to overdo things; to go too far; to make statements which are hard to believe, to exaggerate; (now somewhat dated). ΚΠ 1811 S. Beazley Boarding-house ii. 31 There, my lad of wax—don't I flourish the fambles prettily—make the best use of my maulers, and come it strong. 1823 in Spirit of Public Jrnls. (1824) 29 Don't believe it, though. Coming it strong, eh! 1825 C. M. Westmacott Eng. Spy I. 86 Or in a stanhope come it strong. 1839 T. De Quincey Dinner in Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Dec. 816/2 But, it was coming it too strong to allow no tobacco. 1853 C. M. Yonge Heir of Redclyffe II. xxi. 323 ‘Over-worked, I suppose,’ said Charles, ‘I thought he was coming it pretty strong these last few weeks.’ 1866 A. Halliday Mugby Junction v, in All Year Round Extra Christmas No., 10 Dec. 26/2 I used to make that journey to Brighton in fifty-two minutes. The papers said forty-nine minutes, but that was coming it a little too strong. 1891 A. W. Marchmont Madeline Power (1900) xv. 170 Won't it just surprise those youngsters to hear me coming it strong at them in French. 1952 K. Farrer Missing Link (1955) xvi. 209 ‘Hermione isn't only Mary Queen of Scots. She's Shakespeare's Muse, too.’ ‘I say! This is coming it very strong.’ 1991 Q. Hoare tr. S. de Beauvoir Lett. to Sartre (1992) 72 I dozed—undisturbed but a little sickened by those women, who really were coming it strong. The two who were with the man..never stopped telling fantastic stories about spies. b. to go strong on: to support or advocate vigorously. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > support or encouragement > support or encourage [verb (transitive)] shoveOE to hold with (arch. of, on, for)1154 favour1362 abetc1380 sustainc1390 supportc1405 courage1470 comfort1481 friend1550 through-bear1554 countenance1568 foster1569 favourize1585 seconda1586 sidea1601 rally1624 feed1626 countenance1654 encourage1668 inserve1683 to go strong on1822 partake1861 sponsor1884 to hold a brief for1888 root1889 rah-rah1940 affirm1970 babysit1973 barrack- 1822 Rep. Case J. Stow vs. S. Converse for Libel 48 He used to go very strong on doctrinal points. 1844 B. Disraeli Coningsby I. ii. vi. 219 ‘We go strong on the Church?’ said Mr. Taper. 1918 World's Work Aug. 422/1 Admiral Rodman hails from the Kentucky blue grass country, where they go strong on kinship. 2012 N. Brown Bounds of Liberalism (2014) vii. 148 He went strong on the idea that one gifted progenitor might be earmarked to produce by artificial insemination 10,000 children. c. to pitch it strong: see pitch v.² 21c. d. to come out strong: (a) to show or express strong support; to express oneself vigorously or directly; (b) to make a big display or impression (now rare). ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [verb (intransitive)] > other to take the right-hand file1616 first1635 to speak in capitals?1694 to take the (or a) lead1761 to play first (or second) fiddle1778 to play first violin1780 to be no great (some great, considerable, etc.) shakes1819 to pitch it strong1823 to come out strong1825 violin1895 repeat1923 the mind > emotion > pride > ostentation > make ostentatious display or show off [verb (intransitive)] brandishc1340 ruffle1484 braga1556 swash1556 flourish1563 flaunt1566 prank1567 prink1573 to shake, wag the feather1581 peacockize1598 air1605 display1608 to launch it out1608 flasha1616 to cut it out1619 flare1633 vapour1652 peacock1654 spark1676 to gallantrize it1693 bosh1709 glare1712 to cut a bosh1726 to show away1728 to figure away, off1749 parade1749 to cut a dashc1771 dash1786 to cut up1787 to cut a flash1795 to make, or cut, a splash1804 swank1809 to come out strong1825 to cut a spludge1831 to cut it (too) fat1836 pavonize1838 splurge1844 to do the grand1847 to cut a swath1848 to cut a splurge1860 to fan out1860 spread1860 skyre1871 fluster1876 to strut one's stuff1926 showboat1937 floss1938 style1968 society > communication > expression > [adverb] > make a big display or impression to come out strong1825 1825 Niles' Reg. 12 Mar. 26/2 I told him that Kentucky would come out strong for the general. 1844 C. Dickens Martin Chuzzlewit xlviii. 547 He was a man as might have come out strong. 1850 W. M. Thackeray Pendennis I. xxxvii. 361 They've took a house in Grosvenor Place, and are coming out strong. 1858 Mrs. H. Wood in Bentley's Misc. July 461 I came out strong in the one [sc. a letter] that went up yesterday, enlarging upon a tempting stream hard by, which looked frightfully like a soothing solace for griefs and sorrows. 1864 Temple Bar Oct. 413 He came out strong about the Encumbered Estates Bill. 1879 Oxf. & Cambr. Undergraduate Jrnl. 6 Nov. 65/1 A grand meeting in the Sheldonian..at which Canon Farrar came out rather strong. 1913 A. B. Emerson Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch xiv. 112 (heading) Bashful Ike comes out strong. 1948 Life 15 Nov. 47/1 Truman won when the laboring class came out strong for him. 1970 Jet 2 Apr. 34 The church should be boycotted every third Sunday until it comes out strong against the Vietnam war. 2013 Lowell (Mass.) Sun (Nexis) 22 Mar. Markey comes out strong for banning assault weapons. e. to go it strong (now somewhat dated): to overstate or overdo things; to exaggerate; to act recklessly or vigorously. ΚΠ 1834 Magnolia 6 Sept. 400/2 (heading) Going it strong. 1835 Metropolitan Dec. 435 That's going it rather strong in a Catholic country. 1857 Jrnl. Prison Discipline & Philanthropy 12 130 A fellow who can get the chaplain's good will by spitting about a lot of texts and go it strong in the groaning and repentance line. 1899 E. Stratemeyer Rover Boys at School i. 1 We have been going it pretty strong lately, with playing tricks on Sarah the cook, Jack the hired man, and Uncle Randolph's pet dog Alexander. 1907 ‘B. M. Bower’ Range Dwellers x. 168 I'm not the sort of human that..names every tone he can think of—especially mauve; they do go it strong on mauve—before he's through. 1907 C. E. Blaney Josie xiii. 108 When religious girls break loose they always go it strong. 1939 M. Lerner Ideas are Weapons ii. xvi. 215 It has given rise..to the warning that there are elements in [Thurman] Arnold's thinking that run parallel to elements to be found in fascism. I think that's going it strong. But [etc.]. f. to be going strong: to be vigorous, thriving, or prosperous; to have continued energy or success. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > prosperity > prosper or flourish [verb (intransitive)] theec888 i-thee971 bloomc1175 flower?c1225 soundfula1300 fructifya1325 timea1325 to bear the bloom1330 flourisha1340 prosperc1350 thrive?a1366 blossom1377 cheve1377 burgeona1382 likec1400 upthrivec1440 avail1523 fadge1573 to bear a great, high or lofty sail1587 blow1610 to be (also stand) in state1638 fatten1638 sagaciate1832 to be going strong1855 1855 Sporting Rev. Jan. 20 The race seemed to lie between the tartan and the ‘spots’, both going very strong. 1898 Punch 22 Oct. 186/3 And though, just now, we're going strong, The brandy cannot last for long. 1913 Daily Graphic 26 Mar. 17/2 ‘Everybody's Doing It’ and ‘The Reaper's Dream’ are still going very strong. 2011 Daily Tel. 13 July 23/4 Those who think that Mr Murdoch is on his last legs should be cautious—his mother is still going strong at 102. g. to draw it strong: see draw v. Phrases 11. h. to come on strong: (a) to make excellent progress; to perform or compete successfully; (b) to adopt or exhibit aggressive behaviour; to make insistent sexual advances. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > succeed or be a success [verb (intransitive)] > achieve success (of persons) > perform or contest successfully to come off (also through, etc.) with flying colours1622 to come offa1645 to come on strong1886 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > make attack [verb (intransitive)] > behave aggressively storm-troop1934 to come on strong1961 1886 Lancing College Mag. Apr. 459/2 Steeple Chase (under 16)..Sparrow came on strong at the end, and although beating Compton was not able to pass Polehampton. 1901 Boot & Shoe Recorder 31 July 127/2 This stock is coming on strong as a popular favorite. 1941 Pittsburgh Courier 30 Aug. 14/3 One of the ‘experienced’ girls ‘came on strong’. She fought, argued, issued unconventional invitations. 1950 Changing Times Oct. 17/2 Dewey came on strong toward the end, but he couldn't make it. 1961 R. Gover One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding 99 Then this one general comes on strong. I mean, he lets this jerk have it. 1970 H. E. Roberts Third Ear 5/2 Come on strong, to do something to a superlative degree, to an extreme; to ‘pour it on’. 1976 Honolulu Star-Bull. 21 Dec. e1/5 Young guys who've never had experience come on too strong and that's how a fight with a host starts. 1979 Tucson (Arizona) Citizen 28 Apr. b. 1/1 The Kings came on strong at the onset of the third period, outscoring the Suns, 15-6. 1995 Maxim July 33/1 Once we were in bed she started kissing me and coming on strong. 2011 C. Briscoe Accused xl. 157 He could tell when a woman was coming on strong. Compounds C1. With present participial adjectives, as strong-beating, strong-growing, strong-smelling, etc. ΚΠ a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. cxvi. 1266 Þe worme..toucheþ nouȝt þynges þat beþ ybawmede wiþ bitter þinges and stronge smellynge. c1450 Mandeville's Trav. (Coventry) (1973) l. 474 (MED) The water ther is so vigerous And so stronge rennynge in his cours. c1475 ( Surg. Treat. in MS Wellcome 564 f. 52 (MED) He haþ greet pous, strong betynge & swift, neische & ful of blood. 1572 J. Higgins Huloets Dict. (rev. ed.) at Heate of the weather Both garlike and the wylder tyme strong smelling herbes doth beate. 1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 203 Furious, as a strong ronning streame. 1605 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. ii. i. 347 The Ram for Phisike takes strong-senting Rue. 1619 A. Newman Pleasures Vision D 7 In her [sc. woman's] strong-drawing fraile society. 1642 H. More Ψυχωδια Platonica sig. B6 That large strong-beating flood That gars the Poet write. 1731 P. Miller Gardeners Dict. I. at Hyacinthus At which Time you must separate all the strong flowering Roots. 1761 R. Glover Medea iii. vi. 52 The strong-constraining spell hath tam'd The restif blast. 1785 T. Martyn tr. J.-J. Rousseau Lett. Elements Bot. iv. 48 Strong-smelling and stinking, as hedge nettle. 1842 J. C. Loudon Suburban Horticulturist 423 The stronger-growing plums, such as the Washington. 1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xxx. 260 He..held her..tight pressed against his strong-beating heart. 1880 ‘Brooksby’ Hunting Countries ii. 212 Mounted on a bold, strong-jumping horse. 1898 J. A. Gibbs Cotswold Village 227 The hares in this district are remarkably big and strong-running. 1930 Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Dec. 21/2 ‘Budtha’, an aboriginal word meaning strong-smelling. 1937 S. F. Armstrong Brit. Grasses (ed. 3) xiii. 276 Yarrow.., Knapweed and other strong-growing weeds abounded. 1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. (rev. ed.) IX. 581/1 Proton and electron accelerators based on this strong-focusing principle are called alternating-gradient synchrotrons. 1972 D. Barthelme Sadness 132 Silver strings tethered the loud-roaring strong-stinking animals. 1996 Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) 29 Apr. 19/1 The 12–1 shot..stayed on gamely to defy strong-finishing Proud Sun (12–1) by a length and a quarter. C2. With past participial adjectives, as strong-built, strong-knit, strong-made, strong-set, etc. See also strong adj. Compounds 1b. ΚΠ ?c1425 (c1412) T. Hoccleve De Regimine Principum (Royal 17 D.vi) (1860) 155 Now, goode fader, how muche money In your stronge bounde cheste is, I you prey? 1577 R. Holinshed Chron. II. 1859/1 A bigge, broade, strong set fellowe. a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) iii. xii. sig. Pp5^v The vnfaythfull armour yeelding to the swoordes strong-guided sharpenesse. a1593 C. Marlowe Jew of Malta (1633) Prol. sig. B^v A strong built Citadell. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) ii. iii. 20 His strong knit Limbes. View more context for this quotation 1622 J. Mabbe tr. M. Alemán Rogue ii. 308 Their strong-sowne pockets. a1657 H. Cholmley Mem. (1870) 8 He was..withal big and strong-made. 1690 London Gaz. No. 2579/4 A very strong turn'd Gelding. 1757 J. Dyer Fleece iii. 104 To cast the strong-flung shuttle. 1776 C. Burney Gen. Hist. Music I. 59 There must have been other characteristic and strong-marked distinctions. 1820 W. Hazlitt Lect. Dramatic Lit. 66 The same strong-braced tone of passionate declamation is kept up. 1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward I. v. 102 His firm and strong-set teeth. 1864 Ld. Tennyson Enoch Arden in Enoch Arden, etc. 2 If they quarrell'd, Enoch stronger-made Was master. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 12 Sept. 5/3 The jockeys of the American horses did not want a strong-run race. 1908 T. Hardy Dynasts: Pt. 3rd After Scene 353 You almost charm my long philosophy Out of my strong-built thought. 1962 J. Arden Serjeant Musgrave's Dance i. iii. 24 Could you pick him some passable strongset men, could you? 2012 Daily Mirror (Nexis) 19 Dec. 15 They are a strong-knit family and are pulling together. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < n.eOEadj.eOEv.eOEadv.eOE
随便看	memorialising memorialist memorialists memorialization memorializations memorialize memorialized memorializer memorializers memorializes memorializing memorially memorials memoried memories memorious memorisation memorisations memorise memorised memoriser memorisers memorises memorising memorist

strongn.

strongadj.

Compounds

Derivatives

strongv.

strongadv.

Phrases

Compounds