Also 6–9 atchievement, and see sense 3. [a. Fr. achèvement a finishing, completing, n. of action, f. achever. See ACHIEVE.]
1. The action of achieving, completing or attaining by exertion; completion, accomplishment, successful performance.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 110 b. With thachieuement of these deuises the king Oetes approched.
c. 1585. Faire Em, I. 69. The bliss That hangs on quick achievement of my love.
1638. Knolles, Hist. Turkes, 182 (ed. 5). He would vndertake the atchieuement of that exployt.
1815. Southey, Roderick, IX. 19. So it be lawful, and within the bounds of possible atchievement.
1878. B. Taylor, Pr. Deukalion, I. vi. 46. What virtue lies More in achievement than its hot desire?
2. Anything achieved, accomplished or won by exertion; a feat, a distinguished and successful action, a victory.
1593. R. Harvey, Philad., 106. Spending the might of it [the flesh] in contemplatiue assaults and atchiuements.
1602. Warner, Albion’s Eng., XI. lxviii. 289. We intreate of great Achiuements done By English, in contrarie Clymes.
1678. Jordan, Lond. Triumph., in Heath, Grocers’ Comp. (1869), 522. You might see an hundred persons confusedly scrambling in the dirt for the frail atchievement of a bunch of raisins.
1794. Sullivan, View Nat., II. 367. The many and great atchievements attributed to heroes of the first ages.
1824. Dibdin, Libr. Comp., 161. The achievements of Agincourt and Waterloo.
1855. Brewster, Newton, II. xxvii. 398. The achievements of genius, like the source from which they spring, are indestructible.
3. Her. An escutcheon or ensign armorial, granted in memory of some achievement, or distinguished feat. (In this sense variously contracted or corrupted to atcheament, achement, atch’ment, ach’ment, achment, hachement, hatchment.)
1548. Hall, Chronicle, Henry V., 50. The Hachementes wer borne onely by capitaynes.
1586. Ferne, Blazon of Gentrie, 186. The creast, tymber, mantell, or worde, bee no part of the coat-armour; they be addicions called atcheaments.
1610. Gwillim, Displ. Heraldry, VI. v. 394. An Atchievement, according to Leigh, is the Arms of every Gentleman, well marshalled with the supporters, Helmet, Wreath and Crests, etc.
1750. Gray, Lett., in Poems (1775), 214. To raise the cieling’s fretted height, Each pannel in achievements cloathing.
1809. W. Taylor, in Robberds’ Memoir, II. 283. Let no motto be written upon its ach’ment but Resurgam.
1868. Stanley, Westm. Abb., iv. 201. Graves, piled with the standards and achievements of the noble families of Florence.
