[ad. L. vastus void, immense, extensive, etc., or F. vaste (1611), It., Sp., Pg. vasto.]
1. Of very great or large dimensions or size; huge, immense, enormous.
1575–85. Abp. Sandys, Serm., 360. If ye compare … one of smale stature, with a vast giant,… the combat could not choose but seeme in all pointes verie vnequall.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 294. Unskilfull cutters … are of opinion that the enormous and huge statues, called Colosses, which they cut, will seeme more vast and mightie if they frame them stradling with their legs.
1666. Boyle, Orig. Formes & Qual., 171. These Bodies, that are the vastest and the most important of the Sublunary World.
1712–4. Pope, Rape Lock, V. 92. Three seal-rings, which after, melted down, Form’d a vast buckle for his widow’s gown.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), I. 222. A vast ruff, a vaster fardingale … are the features by which every body knows at once the pictures of queen Elizabeth.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. xvii. 315. On the ice cascades … the river glacier has piled vast blocks on vaster pedestals.
1867. Lady Herbert, Cradle L., vi. 155. It is not a single building, but rather a vast collection of chambers and galleries.
absol. 1784. Cowper, Task, V. 811. A ray of heav’nly light, gilding all forms Terrestrial in the vast and the minute.
1802. Findlater, Agric. Surv. Peebles., 18. The mountains,… too much upon the vast for beauty, are yet too tame for the sublime.
2. Of great or immense extent or area; extensive, far-stretching.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., V. i. 9. One sees more diuels then vaste hell can hold.
1600. J. Pory, trans. Leo’s Africa, VII. 290. Betweene which two Kingdomes lieth a vast desert being much destitute of water.
1615. W. Lawson, Country Housew. Gard. (1626), 23. The top hath the vast aire to spread his boughs in.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. i. 327. Thorough Desarts vast And Regions Desolate they past.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 531. Such an extent of Plains, so vast a Space Of Wilds unknown … Allures their Eyes.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., v. (1724), 79. What a vast field for contemplation is here opened!
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), I. 100. The river … overflowed the adjacent country, like a vast lake.
1816. J. Wilson, City of Plague, II. iii. 292. Another month, and I am left alone In the vast city.
1865. W. G. Palgrave, Arabia, I. 391. The circle of vision here embraces vaster plains and bolder mountains.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xvii. 70. Ruling over vast territory which had been held by the Earls.
Comb. 1861. Ld. Lytton & Fane, Tannhäuser, 85. The sun, About him drawing the vast-skirted clouds.
1888. F. Hume, Mme. Midas, I. Prol. From thence it spread inland into vast-rolling pastures.
b. Qualifying nouns of dimension.
1677. Miége, Fr. Dict., I. s.v. Vaste, A Country of a vast extent.
1688. Prior, An Ode, i. The mysterious Gulph of vast Immensity. Ibid. (a. 1721), To C’tess Dowager of Devonsh., i. That Both, their Skill to this vast Height did raise, Be ours the Wonder, and be yours the Praise.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 345. A pit or hole of a vast depth.
1774. Pennant, Tour Scotl. in 1772, 6. The church stands at a vast height above the town.
1809–14. Wordsw., Excurs., IV. 1161. A temple framing of dimensions vast, And yet not too enormous for the sound Of human anthems.
1865. Kingsley, Herew., x. His vast breadth of shoulder.
c. In transf. or fig. uses.
1736. Butler, Anal., II. ii. Wks. 1874, I. 173. The scheme of nature … is evidently vast, even beyond all possible imagination.
1738. Wesley, Ps. C. iv. Vast as Eternity thy Love.
1784. Cowper, Task, VI. 218. But how should matter … satisfy a law So vast in its demands, unless impell’d [etc.].
1806. R. Cumberland, Mem. (1807), I. 160. Time whelms us in the vast Inane.
1852. H. Rogers, Ecl. Faith (1853), 142. It must be accomplished in a cycle vast as those of the geological eras.
1869. Kingsley, Lett. (1878), II. 292. Science is grown too vast for any one head.
1884. Congregational Year Bk., 56. Mightier wonders and vaster problems.
3. Of the mind, etc.: Unusually large or comprehensive in grasp or aims.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., 464. Cardinall Wolsey,… whose vast minde reached alwayes at things too high.
1650. R. Stapylton, Strada’s Low-C. Wars, II. 38. But the Prince of Orange and Count Egmont … were of vaster spirits then the rest.
1692. Dryden, St. Euremont’s Ess., 372. Her Spirit is extensive without being Vast, never rambling so far in general Thoughts, as not to be able to return easily to singular Considerations.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 209, ¶ 1. The Account we have of his vast Mind.
1743. Francis, trans. Horace, Odes, I. xxxvii. 12. Vast in her Hopes, and giddy with Success.
1815. Shelley, Alastor, 287. With voice far sweeter than thy dying notes, Spirit more vast than thine.
4. Very great, immense, enormous, in respect of amount, quantity, or number.
1637. Verney Mem. (1907), I. 114. Yet what is all this but a small part of those vast treasures left him by his father.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), II. 571. Sir Thomas Cooke, late lord mayor of London, one of vast wealth.
1681. Flavel, Meth. Grace, xix. 341. No wise man expends vast sums to bring home trifling commodities.
1730. A. Gordon, Maffei’s Amphith., 64. The vast Rain which fell at that Time.
1760. R. Brown, Compl. Farmer, II. 62. I have known vast crops of rye upon barren lands that have been old warrens, and well dunged with rabbits.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), I. 93. The members of the vast family of Mankind.
1838. Thirlwall, Greece, IV. 369. Carrying away vast herds of cattle.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xii. III. 210. The same tyranny … had robbed his Church of vast wealth.
1872. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 224. The Colorado River … sends a vast body of water to the Gulf of California.
b. With nouns of quality, action, etc.
1595. Shaks., John, IV. iii. 152. Vast confusion waites … The iminent decay of wrested pompe.
c. 1600. Life & Death Long Meg of Westm., ii. On this Sir John de Castile, in a bravado, would needs make an experiment of her vast strength.
1647. Hamilton Papers (Camden), 148. Soe unequall … where there is so vast a disproportion in the knowledge, abilities, and interests of the persons.
1718. Rowe, trans. Lucan, I. 89. Vast are the thanks thy grateful Rome shou’d pay To wars, which usher in thy sacred sway.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 166. The same vast superiority will be found in every article of employment to which these waggons can be put.
1796. Burke, Regic. Peace, Wks. VIII. 393. Most of them engage, for a short time at a vast price, every actor or actress of name in the metropolis.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Fr. Wines & Pol., i. 15. Vast labour will be required to render these lands productive once more.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. ii. 174. His reading was vast, especially in theology.
c. With nouns denoting number or amount. (Passing into next.)
(a) 1677. Miége, Fr. Dict., II. A vast quantity, une grande quantité.
1716. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to C’tess of Bristol, 25 Nov. The vast number of English crowds the town so much.
1748. Anson’s Voy., I. vii. 105. These rocks terminate in a vast number of ragged points.
1823. Edin. Rev., XXXIX. 49. To put vast quantities of men into prison.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., I. vii. 325. Disputes … now regarded with indifference by the vast majority of educated men.
1884. Marshall’s Tennis Cuts, 154. I saw a vast number, and examined them very carefully.
(b) 1718. Hickes & Nelson, J. Kettlewell, III. cxvi. 478. He took a vast deal of Pains, nicely to Examine every Thing.
1802. Mar. Edgeworth, Moral T. (1816), I. v. 27. Mackenzie, with artificial admiration, said a vast deal more than he thought.
1858. Dickens, Lett. (1880), II. 75. We have done a vast deal here.
1872. Black, Adv. Phaeton, xviii. 246. He showed her a vast amount of studied respect.
5. In weakened sense as a mere intensive.
Common in fashionable use in the 18th cent.: cf. VASTLY. adv. 3
1696. Phillips (ed. 5), s.v., Figuratively we say, such a one has a vast Fancy, a vast Wit, vast Parts, &c.
1700. S. L., trans. Fryke’s Voy. E. Ind., 120. Every new and full Moon, the Sea drives ’em up in a vast way.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Beauties, Wks. 1730, I. 45. I saw Armida, to my vast surprize, So rich in charms.
1764. Reid, Inquiry, ii. § 1. That most other bodies while exposed to the air are continually sending forth effluvia of vast subtilty.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., II. i. 61. They shot with vast precision to that distance.
1840. Hawthorne, Biogr. Sk., Pepperell (1879), 186. The celebrated Whitefield, than an itinerant preacher in the country, and an object of vast antipathy to many of the settled ministers.
1861. F. Metcalfe, Oxonian in Iceland, iii. (1867), 33. Their wise heads go everlasting … nidding, nodding, with vast solemnity.
b. A vast many, a great many. ? Obs.
1695. Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, I. 49. By … perpetual Circulation a vast many things in the System of Nature are transacted.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1754), 22. The Restoration had brought a vast many Families to London.
1771. T. Hull, Sir W. Harrington (1797), III. 207. Jacob was sent out a vast many times.
1833. T. Hook, Parson’s Dau., II. ii. But there are a vast many persons in the neighbourhood who would make suitable husbands for such a girl.
1853. Hawthorne, Tanglewood T., Pomegranate Seeds. It troubled her with a vast many tender fears.
c. adv. = VASTLY adv. Now dial.
1687. Miége, Gt. Fr. Dict., II. A vast rich Town, une Ville fort riche.
1756. Amory, Buncle (1770), II. 264. Many vast high ones [sc. mountains] we crossed, and travelled through very wonderful glins.
1757. H. Brooke, Female Officer, I. viii. He is vast expert at his weapon, truely!
c. 1790. ‘M. P.’ [Dorothy Kilner], Anecd. Boarding School, I. 47. I cannot say that I am vast fond of her. Ibid., 98. Half a dozen of them all at once calling out, O! vast fine! vast fine!
1809–. in dialect glossaries, etc.
