Now rare. Also 5 vyridite, 6–7 viriditye. [ad. OF. (also mod.F.) viridité (= It. viridità), or L. viriditāt-, viriditās, f. viridis VIRID a.]
1. The quality or state of being virid or green; greenness, verdancy. Also in fig. context.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 78. God Almyghti … Hath florisshed the erthe on every side, The woodes and the medowes wyde, Withe grete habundance of vyridite.
1597. A. M., trans. Guillemeau’s Fr. Chirurg., 29/2. Ther remayneth somtimes a viriditye or greenes about the apertione. Ibid., 53/2. The matter of our woundes resolveth it selfe into viriditye.
1605. J. Dove, Confut. Atheism, 90. The Bush bore the heat of the fire without losse of viriditye.
1661. Feltham, Resolves (ed. 8), II. lvii. 304. The Soul of Man … was planted in the Element of Vertue, and while ’tis nourisht by it, it spreads and thrives with fruit and fair viridity.
1670. Evelyn, Sylva (ed. 2), 238. This deification of their Trees, and amongst other things, for their Age and perennial viridity,… might spring from the manifold use which they afforded.
1875. Sat. Rev., XL. 553/1. To mark more clearly the distinction between black and green tea, the practice has arisen of imparting to the latter ‘an obvious viridity’ by means of various pigmentary substances.
2. fig. † a. (See quot.) Obs.–0
1656. Blount, Glossogr. (copying Cooper), Viridity,… lustiness, strength, manliness. [Hence in Phillips, etc.]
b. = VERDANCY 2.
1825. T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Passion & Princ., iv. What intellectual viridity that exemplary creature possesses!
1858. Chamb. Jrnl., IX. 99. A desire to extenuate … my dear parent’s viridity and trustfulness in the matter.
1859. Helps, Friends in C., Ser. II. I. viii. 264. The next in innocency;—may we say, in viridity?
