a. and sb. Forms: 4 visibil(e, 4–6 visyble, 5–6 vysyble, 4– visible (5 visibal, visebill, 6 viscible, Sc. vissabill). [a. OF. visible (12th c.; F. visible = Sp. visible, Pg. visivel, It. visibile), or ad. L. vīsibilis f. vīs- ppl. stem of vidēre to see.]
A. adj. 1. Capable of being seen; that by its nature is an object of sight; perceptible by the sense of sight.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, ix. 1. Bot i sall loue þe in all þi werkis, and tell all þi wondirs: þat is bath þat ere sen & þat ere noght sene, visibiles & invisibils. Ibid., xxxiv. 3. Multiply vengaunce agayns my foes visibils & invisibils.
c. 1383. in Eng. Hist. Rev., Oct. (1911), 744. The sacrament of þe auteer which is whiȝt & round visible & palpable.
1426. Audelay, Poems (Percy Soc.), 22. Use vertuys, and leve visibal vayne and vaneté.
1483. Caxton, Cato, C j b. One onely god … the whyche hath myght and preemynence upon alle thynges vysyble and unuysyble.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 920. Colour is lyght incorporate in a body visyble pure & clene.
1550. Coverdale, trans. Calvin’s Treat. Sacram., Pref. A ij b. He was neuer visyble to the mortall eye, and yet wyll they make him appere at euerie knaues requeste that wyl … paye theyr … shote.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lviii. § 1. It was of necessitie that words … should be added vnto visible elements.
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, V. ii. A humane soule made visible in life.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. x. 46. Put some eminent and visible mark upon the Crest of their Helmets.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 62. Yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible Serv’d only to discover sights of woe.
a. 1721. Prior, Ess. Opinion, ¶ 2. All Visible and Audible objects are properly within their Connoissance.
1764. Reid, Inquiry, vi. § 8. The mathematical consideration of visible figure, which we shall call the geometry of visibles.
1803. Imison, Sci. & Art, I. 1. Some sorts of matter are visible, or capable of being seen.
1851. Robertson, Serm., Ser. IV. x. (1876), 124. The visible world presents a different aspect to each individual man.
1871. Tyndall, Fragm. Sci. (1879), I. ii. 46. The sun’s invisible rays far transcend the visible ones in heating power.
transf. 1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. ix. 36. Painters who are the visible representers of things … are not inculpable herein.
b. Of actions, processes, etc.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 221. Of baptisme, which they saye is a visible and an outward sygne.
1615. T. Adams, Two Sonnes, 69. Onely service hath neither ease nor concealment allotted to it, because it consists in a visible action.
1653. W. Ramesey, Astrol. Restored, 214. [It] denoteth such accidents as are visible in this World.
1664. Jer. Taylor, Dissaus. Popery, i. 5. This method is the best, the most certain, visible and tangible.
1782. J. Brown, View Nat. & Rev. Relig., IV. iii. 362. The Holy Ghost in a visible manner descended upon him at baptism.
1878. Stewart & Tait, Unseen Univ., iii. § 114. 127. The conversion of visible energy into heat.
c. Of associations, organizations, etc., spec. of the Church (see CHURCH sb. 4 c).
1590. R. Alison (title), A Plaine Confutation of a Treatise of Brownisme,… entitled, a Description of the Visible Church.
1651. C. Cartwright, Cert. Relig., I. 109. For Visibility, it is granted that ordinarily the Church is visible, i. e. that there is a visible company of such as professe the truth.
1691. G. Keith (title), The Presbyterian and Independent Visible Churches in New England.
1739. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 217. It pleased God to unite Christians in communities or visible churches.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., IV. § 29. 315. The first establishment of a visible monarchy.
1839. Yeowell, Anc. Brit. Ch., iv. (1847), 35. The Christian Church was intended to be a visible Society.
1879. A. W. Haddan, Apost. Succession Ch. Eng., iv. 97. That the Church to which Christians are ‘to be added’ was a visible organized body upon earth.
d. Visible speech, the distinctive name of a system of phonetic notation devised by A. Melville Bell, consisting of characters or symbols intended to represent the actual position of the vocal organs in the production of speech-sounds; also attrib.
1865. A. Melville Bell (title), Visible Speech: a new fact demonstrated.
1883. Science, I. 474/1. An important immediate use might be made of a few of the Visible-speech symbols.
1886. Buck’s Handbk. Med. Sci., II. 379/2. Each letter of the Visible Speech Alphabet … is a picture of the vocal organs placed in the proper position for producing the sound indicated.
† e. Similar or comparable in appearance to something. Obs.–1
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. 290. Eke of her eyen þe lokys moste horible To a furneis the stremys wer visyble.
2. That may be mentally perceived or observed; clearly or readily evident or perceptible; apparent, manifest, obvious.
In earlier use sometimes passing into the sense ‘very great, eminent, etc.’
a. 1613. Sir T. Overbury, A Wife, etc. (1638), 95. His courting language, visible bawdy jests.
1672. Baxter, Bagshaw’s Scand., ii. 16. His next subject … is one of the visiblest lyes that ever I saw written by a man.
1676. D’Urfey, Mme. Fickle, IV. ii. ’Tis above the common rate of wonders, and doubtless portends some visible Calamity that threatens the Nation.
1710. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), VI. 597. The majority being so visible, as at least two to one, they declined insisting thereon.
1764. Harmer, Observ., i. § 15. 38. There is a visible opposition betwixt this account … and those words of our Lord [etc.].
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St. Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), II. 391. Whatever charms may appear in … the human figure, there is no visible reason why it’s physical effect should exert an influence over animals.
1835. T. Mitchell, Acharn. of Aristoph., 445, note. A visible decrease in the offences which had been previously committed.
1908. Animal Managem., 313. Pneumonia … may … arise without any visible cause.
† b. In the phr. it is visible followed by clause.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., I. 38. I … say, That in case such a Place full of ill Earth, were too low,… it is visible that half the Expence would be sav’d.
1712. Swift, Rem. Barrier Treaty, 9 To which if we add the many Towns since taken, [etc.]…, it is visible what Forces the State may be able to keep.
1716. Addison, Freeholder, No. 32, ¶ 2. It is visible that great Numbers of them have of late eloped from their Allegiance.
1751. R. Paltock, P. Wilkins, xix. (1883), 56/1. So that it was visible he could never fly.
c. Of means, or revenue.
1779. Mirror, No. 45, ¶ 7. But all these things a man of fashion can do, without possessing any visible revenue whatever.
1824. Act 5 Geo. IV., c. 83 § 24. Every Person wandering abroad … not having any visible Means of Subsistence … shall be deemed a Rogue and Vagabond.
1895. S. R. Hole, Tour America, xv. 210. He ought to have been apprehended as a vagrant having no visible means of support.
3. That can be seen under certain conditions, at a certain time, or by a particular person; in sight; open or exposed to sight or view.
Visible horizon: see HORIZON 1.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 321. On this Mount he appeerd, under this Tree Stood visible.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., Jer. li. 15, Wks. 1686, II. 92. As for example, what would an eye … signifie, if there were not light prepared to render things visible thereto.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. s.v. Horizon, The Sensible or Visible Horizon, is that Circle which limits our Sight.
1713. Steele, Englishm., No. 55. 353. This elevated Machine was visible to all the People.
1784. Cowper, Task, III. 232. Philosophic tube, That brings the planets home into the eye Of observation, and discovers, else Not visible, his family of worlds.
1812–6. Playfair, Nat. Phil. (1819), II. 281. The disturbance of Jupiter might have so altered its original orbit, as to render the Comet for a time visible from the Earth.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. ii. 21. The whole glacier was visible to us from its origin to its end.
1868. Lockyer, Elem. Astron., § 330. When a star is so situated that it is just visible on the eastern horizon.
b. Comm. Of stocks or supply: Actually in hand or to be seen.
1882. Times, 22 Feb. If the statistics relating to the visible supply of grain are to be trusted.
1891. Daily News, 3 Dec., 2/3. Messrs. … report deliveries of copper in England and France last month as 2,095 tons in excess of the supplies, and ‘visible’ stocks are reduced accordingly.
4. Of persons: Capable of being seen or visited; accessible to others; now esp., disposed or prepared to be seen or visited, ‘at home’ to visitors. (Cf. F. visible.)
1722. De Foe, Plague (1754), 224. Spreading from that House to other Houses, by the visible unwary conversing with those who were sick.
1772. H. Barnes, Pract. Cas. C. P. (ed. 2), 322. Objected, on the Part of Defendant, That he was a publick visible Man, and Plaintiff had not endeavoured to arrest him.
1835. Lytton, Rienzi, II. i. A foreign signor is with him—but to you he is of course visible.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, lxvii. Jos wasn’t up yet; Becky not visible (though she looked at them through the blinds).
1889. F. M. Crawford, Sant’ Ilario, ix. He … inquired if he could see the princess. The porter replied that she was not visible, and that the prince had gone out.
b. Of a way of life: Free from any concealment or mystery.
1885. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ At Bay, vii. He has been pretty steady in his attendance at the Bourse, and done well in a quiet way, but his life has been visible and regular.
5. Visible direction, in Optics, the apparent direction in which an object is seen.
1829. Nat. Philos., Optics, 42/2 (U.K.S.). These perpendiculars must all pass through one point, which may be called the centre of visible direction.
B. sb. 1. A visible thing or entity. Chiefly in pl.
1614. Jackson, Creed, III. xxvii. § 5. Our bodily sight, which sees diuers visibles all immediately, not one after, or by another.
1650. H. More, Observ., in Enthus. Tri., etc. (1656), 77. For it is alike easie to see visibles without eyes, as to see invisibles with eyes.
a. 1674. Traherne, Poet. Wks. (1903), 18. All that in visibles is good Or pure, or fair, or unaccurst.
1721. R. Keith, trans. T. à Kempis, Solil. Soul, xii. 200. When thou … beholdest the visibles of this whole Creation.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), III. 248. That the most charming woman on earth … can excel the meanest in the customary visibles only.
1871. W. H. Gillespie, Argt. Being & Attrib. Absolute One, III. § 2 (ed. 5), 54. Narrow is their horizon: within it, themselves the only visibles. Ibid. (1872), (ed. 6), 188. The things which are seen, were not made of phenomenal visibles.
1895. Zangwill, Master, III. i. 277. The flux of centuries, the visibles of Art, the invisibles of Religion.
2. The visible, that which is visible, esp. the visible world.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., VI. 246. The visible and present are for brutes, A slender portion! and a narrow bound!
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem., iv. (1852), 102. In his operations in the material universe, God has seen fit … to make known to us the invisible by the visible.
1851. Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Wind., I. 1159. The last chain-link By which he had drawn from Nature’s visible The fresh well-water.
