a. [ad. L. verbōs-us, f. verbum word. Cf. It., Sp., Pg. verboso, OF. verbos, mod.F. (from 17th c.) verbeux.]
1. Expressed in an unnecessary number of words; prolix, wordy.
1672. Penn, Spir. Truth Vind., 8. Which I am assur’d is quite another thing, from what is Verbose, Abusive Cavelling, Airy, and meerly Notional.
1681. H. Nevile, Plato Rediv., 159. For there was no need to make Acts verbose, when the great Persons could presently force the Execution of them.
1721. Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. xlviii. 357. [They] foresaw, that in these conferences … there would happen nothing but verbose janglings and endless disceptations.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), I. 170. A verbose, but not a very elegant inscription.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxviii. (1787), III. 75, note. Few facts, and few sentiments, can be extracted from his verbose correspondence.
1826. F. Reynolds, Life & Times, II. 97. Wilkes,… instead of attempting to gain silence, by any verbose circumlocutory appeal, proceeded at once to the point.
1841. W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., II. 392. His style … is not only inartificially complex, but verbose to the very brink of tediousness.
1870. Burton, Hist. Scot., lxix. (1873), VI. 164. Countless papers, expressed in … verbose and tedious tenor.
2. Using an excessive number of words; writing or speaking at excessive length; long-winded.
1692. Washington, Milton’s Def. People Eng., M.’s Wks. 1851, VIII. Pref. 1. I fear, lest … I might seem to deserve justly to be accounted a verbose and silly Defender.
1726. Ayliffe, Parergon, 56. They ought to be brief, and not too verbose in their way of speaking.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., II. iv. (1869), I. 358. The conveyances of a verbose attorney.
1820. Scott, Monast., x. Undergoing the legends of the dull and verbose Father Nicolas.
1874. Green, Short Hist., ii. § 3. 67. Dudo of S. Quentin, a verbose and confused writer, has preserved the earliest Norman traditions.
b. quasi-adv. In a verbose manner.
1791. Cowper, Odyss., XVII. 474. Peace! answer not verbose a man like him.
