? Obs. Forms: 5 ventosytee, 6 -ytie, -yte; 4–6 -ite, 6 -itee, -itye, 7 -itie, 6– ventosity. [a. OF. (and F.) ventosité (= It. ventosità, Prov. ventositat, Sp. -idad, Pg. -idade), ad. L. ventōsitas windiness, flatulency, conceit, f. ventōs-us VENTOSE a.]
1. Path. The state of having the stomach or other part of the alimentary canal charged with wind; flatulency.
Freq. from 1540 to 1600.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxxvii. (Bodl. MS.). Þat comeþ of … þikke humours oþer of grete ventosite.
a. 1400. in Rel. Antiq., I. 51. For wynd and ventosite, that men callis collica passio.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 58. If þe flowyng be olde, Anathemasis is made for aboundance of blode or for ventosite descendyng doune.
c. 1530. Judic. Urines, III. iii. 49. It sheweth but lytell crudyte and ventosyte of the humours.
1582. Hester, Secr. Phiorav., III. lxv. 89. It will defende hym from all interiour passions that are caused of ventositie.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1639), 197. The Collick…. This infirmitie is engendred of ventositie, or winde in the gut Colon.
1639. T. de Gray, Compl. Horsem., 115. Peccant humours … being hindred by oppilations in the guts, through costivenesse and ventosity.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., I. 31. The Gout arises from … a flatulent Ventosity.
1748. trans. Vegetius Renatus’ Distempers Horses, 75. The Disease which arises from Ventosity or Constipation.
b. pl. Gases generated in the stomach or bowels; attacks of flatulence.
Common from c. 1600 to c. 1630.
1422. Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., 241. Goynge afor mette dryuth away the ventositeis.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Gov. Princes, Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 140. Quhen it [sc. wine] is our suete it … engenderis ventositeis.
c. 1530. Judic. Urines, II. x. 38. And therfor are caused many fumosytes and ventosites in the body.
1545. Raynald, Byrth Mankynde, 77. The which do vaynqueshe and expelle ventositees and windenesse.
1602. Dolman, La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1618), III. 790. It driueth away ventosities, and flourisheth first amongst all trees.
1628. Venner, Baths of Bathe (1650), 355. To take cold betwixt the bathings … induceth ventosities.
1659. Macallo, Can. Physick, 72. Belching Ventosities, or Winds,… are prognosticks that a future Crise will be by vomit.
c. The quality in things that produces flatulence.
1822–7. Good, Study Med. (1829), I. 171. Many of the vegetable materials introduced into the stomach possess far more ventosity than apples.
2. A blast or puff of wind, esp. one coming from the stomach.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, VII. Prol. 123. Quhais cryis bene pronosticatioun Off wyndy blastis and ventositeis.
1568. Bk. Culture. Belke nere no mans face;… it is a stinking ventosity.
1614. Purchas, Pilgrimage, IX. v. 842. This commeth of a ventositie which it voideth … or casteth … out being in danger to be taken.
1725. Fam. Dict., Belching, a Ventosity coming out of the mouth with a disagreeable noise.
3. The state of being windy; windiness.
c. 1570. Pride & Lowl. (1841), 30. His breeches great, full of ventositie.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 35. Wee caytiefe Troians, with storms ventositye mangled.
1599. B. Jonson, Ev. Man out of Hum., III. iv. The … ventositie of the Tropicks.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Essex, I. (1662), 319. The ventosity thereof [sc. powder] causing the violent explosion of the bullet.
4. fig. The state of being inflated or puffed up; pompous conceit, vanity or bombast.
c. 1550. H. Rhodes, Bk. Nurture, in Babees Bk. (1868), 77. But turne from such occasyon, friend, hate such ventositye.
1589. Nashe, Martin Marprelate, Wks. (Grosart), I. 120. They are so full of ventositie, that I cannot come at their matter for winde and words.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. iv. § 3. Some effects of that venome which is ventositie or swelling.
1631. R. H., Arraignm. Whole Creature, iv. 24. Vaine glory … is windy and full of ventosity, consisting of popular applause.
1710. Shaftesbury, Charac. (1711), I. I. 159. Apprehensive of the Effects of this Frothiness or Ventosity in Speech.
1807. W. Irving, Salmag. (1811), 139. He is a man of superlative ventosity, and comparable to nothing but a huge bladder of wind. Ibid. (1849), 304. This general, with all his outward valour and ventosity.
b. An instance of this; an idle conceit.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. 13. Many men … do esteeme desire of name and memory but as a vanitie and ventositie.
1657. G. Starkey, Helmont’s Vind., 240. Whose rash ventosities and aery promises we reject.
1681. Rycaut, trans. Gracian’s Critick, 164. The Swelling Ventosities of Vanity.
† 5. Surg. = VENTOSING vbl. sb. Obs. rare–1.
1485[?]. trans. Bp. Knutsson’s Litil Bk. Pestilence, 9. And if a swellyng appere in the sholdres lesse it with ventosite.
