Also 3–5 bodili, 4 bodi-, bodylich(e, 4–6 bodely, 4 bodeli, 6 bodelie, bodyly(e, 7 bodilie. [f. BODY + -LY1.]
† 1. Of the nature of body, corporeal, material, physical; as opposed to spiritual. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 428. Wit angel þat es gastli, And with man þat es bodili.
a. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 3129. Som clerkes, þat spekes of purgatory Says þat þe fire þare is bodily, And noght gastly als þe saule es.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. xvi. 243. The bodili heuen and hise seid bodili parties.
1528. More, Heresyes, I. Wks. 152/2. That any bodily thyng should drawe an other without touching.
1633. Earl Manch., Al Mondo, 178. There are three bodily Inhabitants already gone to heaven.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 198. The World … that bulk of bodily beings we see.
2. Of or belonging to the body or physical nature of man. Bodily fear: alarm for one’s personal safety, apprehension of physical harm.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12929 (Gött.). Bodili fode.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 477. With bodyly bale hym blysse to byye.
c. 1380. Wyclif, De Pseudo-Freris, Wks. (1880), 305. Bodiliche chastite is ofte broken.
1454. E. E. Wills (1882), 132. Beyng in good bodely helth.
1494. Fabyan, VI. clxxxi. 179. The bysshop … myght departe thens without bodely harme.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvii. 155. The fear … of corporeall hurt, which we call Bodily Fear.
1711. Budgell, Spect., No. 161, ¶ 5. Fatigues of bodily Labour.
1785. Reid, Int. Powers, 276. My memory is not limited by any bodily organ.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xl. ‘I’m in bodily fear.’ Ibid. (1838), Nich. Nick., xxi. Bodily illness is more easy to bear than mental.
† b. Real; actual; physically carried out. Obs.
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. ii. 5. What euer [counsels] haue bin thought one in this State That could be brought to bodily act, ere Rome Had circumuention.
† c. Bodily oath: = CORPORAL OATH. Perhaps, originally, an oath taken on the consecrated host or ‘body’ of Christ; but used also of oaths taken with a ‘bodily touch’ of other sacred things. Obs.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 190. The bodelye ayth thai maid him with gud will.
1639. Council Rec., in Inverness Courier (1884), 25 Oct., 3/4. The said A. B. has givine his great and bodielie aith.
† 3. Solid; of or pertaining to a solid. Obs.
1557. Recorde, Whetst., C iij b. Thereof be thei named bodily nombers, or sound nombers. The leaste of them all is commonly called a Cube.
1590. Billingsley, Euclid, XI. Introd. 312. In these bookes following he entreateth of … bodely figures: as of Cubes.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 20. That they [clouds] be thicke, grosse, and of a bodily consistence.
Hence † Bodilihede, Bodiliness, corporeality; Bodily-wise adv., corporeally, in the body.
c. 1440. Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), II. xxxiii. The kynde of god that is … ferrest fro bodily hede.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xiv. 205. It behoueth the same [Soule] to be altogether bodylesse it selfe: for had it any bodylinesse at all, it could not receiue any body into it.
1869. Lynch, Church & St., 24. We cannot be in the country and in the town at the same time bodily-wise.
