Also 5–6 vivacite, 6–7 -tie, 7 vivassity. [a. OF. vivacite (F. vivacité, = It. vivacità, Sp. vivacidad, Pg. -idade), or ad. L. vīvācitāt-, vīvācitās natural vigor, vital force, liveliness, f. vīvāci-, vīvāx VIVACIOUS a.: see -ITY.] The state or condition of being vivacious.
1. Intellectual or mental animation, acuteness or vigor; quickness or liveliness of conception or perception.
In the first group const. of (mind, spirit, thought, etc.).
(a) 1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), VII. 337. Lanfrancus … restorede specially to monkes possessions taken from theyme; whom vivacite of mynde and favor of seynte Dunstan made bolde to do soe.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 216 b. He hath this viuacite or quycknes of wytte.
1598. Rob. Barret, Theor. Warres, V. ii. 143. The Harqubutiers … inuring their horse, both to the crack and fire … wherein consisteth fine skill with viuacitie of spirite.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 57. In the vivacity of spirit there is none can paragonize or equall her.
1649. Ogilby, trans. Virg. Georg., II. (1684), 80. The Invention, Light, and Vivacity of Mind.
1694. Atterbury, Serm., Prov. xiv. 6 (1726), I. 186. Wit indeed, as it implies a certain uncommon Reach and Vivacity of Thought, is an excellent Talent.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 456. What is wanting in the robust frame of their bodies … is in a great measure made up to them by the vivacity of their minds.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vii. II. 217. That amplitude and acuteness of intellect, that vivacity of fancy,… belonged … to Halifax alone.
(b) 1604. E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, VI. ii. 433. Wherein … wee may well perceive the great signes of their vivacitie and good vnderstanding.
1607–12. Bacon, Ess., Young Men (Arb.), 256. Heat and vivacity in age is an excellent Composicion for busines.
1682. Burnet, Hale, 122. He had great vivacity in his Fancy, as may appear by his Inclination to Poetry.
1728. Pope, Dunc., I. Notes (1736), 110. Mr. Colly Cibber, an author … of a good share of wit, and uncommon vivacity.
1763. Cole, in Coll. Top. & Gen. (1837), IV. 48. A fine youth,… of great parts and vivacity, at Eton School.
1836–7. Sir W. Hamilton, Metaph. (1877), I. xiv. 254. How many several objects can the mind simultaneously survey, not with vivacity, but without absolute confusion.
b. Of conceptions or ideas.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Eng. Sat., Wks. 1730, I. 27. His conceptions were … full of fire and vivacity.
1746. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. I. 295. I greatly apprehend that the Weakness of his Lordships Body will not be able to keep pace with the Vivacity of his conceptions.
1764. Reid, Inquiry, ii. § 5. Sensation, memory, belief and imagination when they have the same object are only degrees of strength and vivacity in the idea.
† 2. Vital force or power; vitality. Obs.
This sense and sense 3 tend to merge into one another and are not always clearly distinguishable.
1611. Cotgr., Vivaceté, viuacitie, liuelinesse, lustinesse, vigor, strength.
1635. Heywood, Hierarchy, III. 156. Aire,… of all the Elements the most noble, and fullest of vivacitie and livelyhood.
a. 1699. Beaumont, Psyche, XII. 189. Ah, dead and rotten Faith, which can display No fruit to prove the Root’s vivacity!
1724. R. Welton, Chr. Faith & Pract., 12. The grave shall surrender our crumbled ashes, redintegrated into a more perfect vivacity than ever.
1747. trans. Astruc’s Fevers, 130. This fever is much more dangerous in young persons … than in old people; for the vivacity of the former … contribute[s] … to foment it constantly.
b. transf. and fig. Active force, power, vigor.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., Exhort. § 13. 9. Many cases do occurre, which need a president, and the vivacity of an excellent example.
1663. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr. (1687), 75. It is an active and busie affection; having as much Vivacity as it hath strength.
1746. Hervey, Medit. (1748), II. 8. See! how languishingly it [the departing sunlight] trembles on the leafy Spire…. The little Vivacity, that remains, decays every Moment … While I speak, it expires.
1753. N. Torriano, Gangr. Sore Throat, 66. To prevent the Vivacity of the Fever and other Symptoms.
1793. W. Roberts, Looker-on, No. 36 (1794), II. 33. While this principle was in its full vivacity, all was sure to go well.
3. The property or fact of living for a long time; longevity. Now rare.
1616. Bullokar, Eng. Expos., Viuacitie, long life, liuelinesse.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. ix. 123. Fables are raised concerning the vivassity of Deere; for neither are their gestation or increment such as may afford an argument of long life.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., VI. 347. The vivacity of some of these Pensioners is little lesse than a Miracle, they survived so long.
1684. T. Burnet, Theory Earth, I. 181. In their topical paradises also, they, [the ancients] always suppos’d a great vivacity or longævity in those that enjoy’d them.
fig. 1853. Trench, Proverbs, 119. The vivacity of the truth, as contrasted with this short-lived character of the lie.
† b. Tenacity of life. Obs.
1663. Boyle, Usef. Exp. Nat. Philos., II. i. 16. The strange vivacity we have sometimes … observed in Vipers: Since … their Hearts clearly sever’d from their Bodies may be observ’d to beat for some hours.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 6. Many more observables there are in Common Flyes, as their Vivacity; for, when they appear desperate … they will be revoked into life, and perform its functions again.
4. Vigorous or energetic action; activity, energy, vigor; spirit. Now rare.
1652. Kirkman, Clerio & Lozia, 137. He himself killed the Prince of Doudonne, who for a time defended himself with much vivacity.
a. 1656. Bp. Hall, Rem. Wks. (1660), 35. I was enabled with much … vivacitie to perform that service.
1736. Lediard, Life Marlborough, II. 494. They were charg’d with a great deal of Vivacity by the Enemy.
1750. H. Walpole, Lett. (1846), II. 359. Robbing is the only thing that goes on with any vivacity.
1787. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 301. The preparations were pushed with such vivacity on the part of England, that it was believed she had other objects in view.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 65. The vivacity with which sounds are transmitted through solid substances, is very remarkable.
1863. Kinglake, Crimea, II. 337. Of course, the vivacity of France and England tended to place Austria at her ease.
1885. Bancroft, Hist. U.S., III. 61. The promise … stimulated their irregular vivacity to enforce laws which had become obsolete.
5. The quality, condition or fact of being animated or lively; esp. lively or spirited conduct, manner or speech; animation or liveliness of demeanor or disposition; briskness, sprightliness.
Also (b) const. of (the disposition, etc.).
(a) 1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 7. Whoever considers the Acts of power and injustice … in those intervals of Parliament, will not be much scandalized at the warmth and vivacity of those meetings.
1654. Ld. Orrery, Parthenissa, 209. He had a look so spiritual and full of vivacity, that no effeminate Beauty was comparable to it.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 128, ¶ 1. As Vivacity is the Gift of Women, Gravity is that of Men.
1766. Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767), I. v. 173. Is not extreme vivacity a near borderer on folly?
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, vii. Her natural vivacity resumed its long-lost empire.
1828. D’Israeli, Chas. I., II. vi. 156. The noisy vivacity which the French usually assume when they would carry their point.
1847. Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., III. 511. The ambassador remarked, with all the vivacity consistent with his respect for the pope, how important the affair was.
1879. Dixon, Windsor, III. viii. 74. A man with the vivacity of a boy.
(b) 1702. W. J., Bruyn’s Voy. Levant, xxix. 109. The Oppression under which they groan has extinguish’d all the Vivacity of their Minds.
1716. Pope, Lett. (1735), I. 286. There is a Vivacity and Gaiety of Disposition almost peculiar to him.
1800. Charac., in Asiat. Ann. Reg., 32/2. The natural ardour and gay vivacity of his disposition.
1826. Scott, Woodst., i. The vivacity of his eye indicated some irascibility of temperament.
1835. Jas. Martin’s Disc., Memoir p. xliii. The spring and vivacity of his spirit became almost like those of a boy discharged from school.
b. As a literary or artistic quality.
1762. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1765), II. 126. An admirable half length … painted and finished with the greatest vivacity and clearness.
1824. L. Murray, Eng. Gram. (ed. 5), I. 195. When narration is full of images or events, the omission of connectives may … give a sort of picture of hurry and tumult, and so heighten the vivacity of description.
1827. Scott, Chron. Canongate, Introd. The reckless play of raillery which gave vivacity to his original acting.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xiii. III. 308. The first great painter of life and manners has described, with a vivacity which makes it impossible to doubt that he was copying from nature, the effect [etc.].
c. A vivacious or lively act, expression, scene, etc. Usu. in pl.
1692. Dryden, trans. St. Euremont’s Ess., 375. The most fertile Spirits come to exhaust themselves,… the most enlivened Vivacities either repulse you or weary you.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 448, ¶ 2. Persons who fall into that Way purely to recommend themselves by their Vivacities.
1756. H. Walpole, Lett. to Mann (1846), III. 217. I have read … the Pucelle,… throughout there are many vivacities; but so absurd, perplexed a story is intolerable.
1847. L. Hunt, Jar Honey, v. (1848), 58. The Scotch, appear to have been driven by a jovial desperation into the vivacities inspired by the sunshine of the south.
1851. Carlyle, Sterling, II. iii. He was full of bright speech and argument; radiant with arrowy vitalities, vivacities and ingenuities.
6. Brightness, brilliancy (of light or color).
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), I. Pref. 19. The splendour and vivacity of whose colours charm the eye.
1735. Dict. Polygraph., s.v. China, The vivacity of this colour appears no less in glass of lead than in crystal.
1808. Sir W. Herschel, in Phil. Trans., XCVIII. 157. The vivacity of the light of the comet … had a much greater resemblance to the radiance of the stars.
