Now only Sc. or arch. Also 5 vyue, 6–7 viue; Sc. 6 viwe, 7 wieve, 9 veive, veev, veef. [a. OF. (also mod.F.) vive fem. of vif:—L. vīv-um, vīv-us living, alive (whence also It., Sp., Pg. vivo), or a direct adaptation of the L. word.]
1. Physically lively, forcible or brisk. rare.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 31 b. He dyde so well that by vyue force with his trenchaunt swerde he brake the wardes and Araye of the Esklauons.
1638. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (ed. 2), 43. Thou shalt not sinne in any of thy five senses:… thy pallat hating wine, flesh, and all other vive things.
1808. Jamieson, Vive, brisk, vigorous.
† b. Of minerals: Having active properties.
See also ARGENT VIVE, calx vive CALX 2, and SULPHUR VIVE.
1669. Boyle, Contn. New Exp., II. (1682), 166. I exposed Vive Sulpher to the Beams of the Sun.
1670. W. Simpson, Hydrol. Ess., 101. Take a mineral sulphur, whether vive, or in a marcasite.
1671. J. Webster, Metallogr., xv. 224. Being a perfect metal … containing in itself vive-spermatick sulphur, and vive immature Mercury.
2. Affecting or impressing the mind in a lively or vivid manner.
In various applications: see groups of quots.
(a) 1528. in Burnet, Hist. Ref. (1679), I. Records, xxii. 53. Ye may declare the Premises unto him;… [and] in as effectual and vive manner as ye can, open it unto his Holiness.
1624. Bacon, War w. Spain (1629), 22. By a viue and forcible perswasion, he moued him to a warre vpon Flanders.
1665. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1677), 4. Sylvester gives it this true and vive description.
(b) c. 1614. Sir W. Mure, Dido & Æneas, II. 521. What woes so vive, charact’red in thy face, Thus overcloud the rayes of princely grace.
1629. H. Burton, Truth’s Triumph, 116. None of the Israel of God is healed … but by his speciall, cleare, viue faith.
1675. R. Burthogge, Causa Dei, 168. It being Another to which I am proceeding, that it seems awakens in you far more feeling and more vive Resentments.
(c) 1650. Gentilis, Considerations, 1. As if oblivion were not by some much more to bee desired, than to have the memory of them to vive.
1652. Kirkman, Clerio & Lozia, 98. We receive in our hearts all the various and vive impressions of so fair and divine objects.
3. Of images, pictures, etc.: Life-like, suggestive of life or reality; closely reproducing or representing the actual person or thing.
1585. Jas. I., Ess. Poesie (Arb.), 13. Heir surely lyes, Of seasons fowre, the glasse and picture viue.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 81. A maist vive repræsentation of our lords death.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 169. Mogallie, Galdies sister sone,… the viue and perfyte Jmage of King Galdie.
1621. Archbold, Beauty Holines, 16. As a father delighteth to looke upon the expresse and vive Image of himselfe in his sonne.
1637. J. Williams, Holy Table, 35. That sacred Oratory, the vivest resemblance I know upon the Earth of the Harmony of the Cherubims.
1669. R. Fleming, Fulfilling Script. (1726), 74. There is a vive portraicture of providence in the affairs of the church held forth in that vision [of Ezechiel].
4. Of colors: Bright, vivid.
1591. Jas. I., Lepanto, 436. The Painter mixes colours viue, The Printer Leiters sets.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 267. The Croce,… suddanlie appeirit, in viue and bricht colouris.
1633. Epitaph A. Munday, in Stow’s Surv., 869/2. He … ore them laid Such vive and beauteous colours with his Pen.
1671. [R. MacWard], True Nonconf., 373. It hath been my endeavour so to draw and design in vive collours, that naming would appeare superfluous.
b. Sc. Of things seen (actually or mentally): Clear, distinct.
1825. Jamieson, Suppl., Vive, applied to what may be seen clearly; as, ‘vive prent,’ letter-press which may be read easily.
1861. J. Davidson, Poems Buchan Dial., 119. In thought as veev as fan’t took place, I see anither scene.
1886. D. M. Smith, Glen Ogil, in R. Ford, Harp Perthshire (1893), 327. The hills abune Glen Ogil! I see them a’ the day As veive as when I speel’d them in summer days lang-syne.
† 5. Alive; in a living state. Obs.
c. 1590. J. Stewart, Poems (S.T.S.), II. 245. Guid Elias … Quhom Eliseus vith his ies beheld Viwe reft till heawen. Ibid., 23. He did suddane sie The veirray viwe formosit figure frie Of Angelique.
1673. A. Walker, Leez Lachrymans, 3. Shrunk into Decrepidness, and a Living Death, made a vive Skeleton before he Dyed.
† b. Of the voice: (cf. VIVA VOCE). Obs.
1616. Symson, Short Compend., VII. ii. II. 9. To ye singing of Psalmes in the Church by viue voyce, he added Organes.
1675. J. Smith, Chr. Relig. Appeal, III. 38. Reveiled by the vive-voyce of the Gods themselves.
