a. Forms; 4–5 bontyvous, bountyveus, bountevous(e, -euous(e, 5 bontyvese, bonteuous, bountyuous, superl. bounteest, 6 bountuous, 5– bounteous. [ME. bontyvous, bountevous, f. OF. bontif, bontive benevolent, full of goodness (f. bonté goodness; see BOUNTY) + -OUS. Afterwards altered so as to appear f. bounté, BOUNTY + -OUS.]

1

  1.  Of persons or agents: Full of goodness; in modern use, always: Full of goodness to others, beneficent; generously liberal, munificent.

2

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, I. 883. Ne y neuere saw a more bounteuouse Of her astate.

3

1413.  Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, V. xiv. 79. We thanken the … Of thy full bounteous benyuolence.

4

1477.  Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 22. Be bonteuous to alle thoos that seke sciences.

5

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 19 b. His bountuous liberalite and mercy.

6

1605.  Shaks., Macb., III. i. 98. Euery one According to the gift which bounteous Nature Hath in him clos’d. Ibid. (1606), Ant. & Cl., IV. ii. 10. Lets to night Be bounteous at our Meale.

7

1681.  Dryden, Abs. & Achit., 872. Colleges on bounteous Kings depend.

8

1732.  Pope, Hor. Sat., II. ii. 60. Oyl, tho’ it stink, they drop by drop impart, But sowse the cabbage with a bounteous heart.

9

1738.  Wesley, Hymn ‘Come Holy Spirit.’ Thou bounteous Source of all our Store.

10

1871.  R. Ellis, Catullus, lxiv. 22. Born in bounteous ages.

11

  † b.  Of prowess; Valiant: see BOUNTY 1 b. Obs.

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a. 1440.  Sir Degrev., 311. The knyghtus … in batelle so bountyveus.

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c. 1485.  Digby Myst. (1882), III. 952. The bounteest, and the boldest onder baner bryth.

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  2.  Of things: Proceeding from bounty; generously or freely bestowed, ‘liberal,’ plentiful, ample in size or amount, abundant.

15

1542.  Udall, Erasm. Apophth., 341 a. To bee honoured with moste high & bounteous rewardes.

16

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 248. The promis’d Blessing of a Bounteous Crop.

17

1751.  Johnson, Rambl., No. 181, ¶ 4. The consequences which such a bounteous allotment [in a lottery] would have produced.

18

1790.  Cowper, Iliad, I. 29. To accept the bounteous price.

19

1842.  Tennyson, Gardener’s D., 138. The bounteous wave of such a breast As never pencil drew.

20

1878.  Morley, Diderot, II. 68. The land where production has been so noble, so bounteous, so superb.

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