Also 6–7 -itie, 7 -itye. [ad. F. volubilité (15–16th cent.; = It. volubilità, Sp. -idad, Pg. -idade), or ad. L. volūbilitas, f. volūbilis: see next and -ITY.]
I. † 1. Quickness in turning from one object to another; versatility. Obs. rare.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard., I. (1599), 3. The wisedome and reputation of the man, togither with the naturall volubilitie of his wit.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. xviii. § 5. Orators … by the obseruing their well graced fourmes of speech … leese the volubilitie of Application.
† b. Ready variation of expression. Obs.–1
1659. Harrington, Valerius & Publicola, 17–8. If you speak of Israel, Athens, Rome, Venice, or the like, they hear you with volubility of countenance.
2. The capacity of revolving, rolling or turning round; aptness to rotate about an axis or center.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. iii. § 2. If Celestiall Spheres should forget their woonted Motions, and by irregular volubilitie turne themselues any way as it might happen.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 31. The world with continuall volubilitie and turning about it, driveth the … globe thereof into the forme of a round ball.
1656. Stanley, Hist. Philos., VIII. (1687), 432/2. He who thrust the Cylinder, gave it the beginning of motion, but did not give it volubility.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Bergerac’s Com. Hist., 86. It began to be out of my power any more to discern the Diversity of their several Motions by reason of their extream Volubility.
1705. C. Purshall, Mech. Macrocosm, 296. They lose their Fluidity, which depends upon the Volubility of Globular Particles at liberty.
1740. Cheyne, Regimen, 75. Blood Globules, by their Rotundity, Volubility, and Elasticity, resist Trituration, that is, Digestion.
1754. Dict. Arts & Sci., s.v. Needle, In the construction of the horizontal needle a piece of pure steel is provided, of a length not exceeding six inches, lest its weight impede its volubility.
1871. Browning, Pr. Hohenst., 1920. Under pretence of making fast and sure The inch [of ascent] gained by late volubility.
b. Of the eye: Readiness in moving. rare–1.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1275. The cheerefull cast & amiable volubilitý of his quicke eie.
† 3. Capacity for moving in an easy or gliding manner. Obs.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. xxi. § 9. Except men know exactly all the conditions of the serpent;… his volubility and lubricity.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, II. xviii. 153. Such Creatures … which … as it were slide from place to place, some more slowlie, but othersome with a certaine Volubility and flexible Agitation of the Bodie.
1653. T. Watson, Art Div. Contentm., xi. (1668), 185. The Poets painted Time with wings, to show the volubility and swiftness of it.
† 4. Tendency to change or turn from one condition to another; changeableness, mutability, inconstancy. Obs. a. Of persons.
1603. Florio, Montaigne, II. i. 195. Whosoever shall heedefully survay and consider himselfe, shall finde this volubilitie and discordance to be in himselfe.
1613. Sir A. Sherley, Trav. Persia, 136. The world by taking notice of your infirmitie will alwayes feare volubilitie in all your actions.
a. 1660. Contemp. Hist. Irel. (Ir. Archæol. Soc.), I. 204. All the lawe, phisicke, and poetrie in the world canot cure or amende the flexibilitie, volubilitie, inconstancie, and treacherie of this man.
b. Of fortune or affairs.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., 286. The volubilitie of inconstant fortune produceth these occurrences in the East parts.
1670. Moral State Eng., 1. All affairs do resemble the great Machines of Heaven and Earth, in their motion and volubility.
1699. T. C[ockman], trans. Tully’s Offices (1706), 88. The great Volubility and Changeableness of Fortune.
II. 5. Ready flow of speech, etc.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, II. v. (Arb.), 91. Which flowing of wordes with much volubilitie smoothly proceeding from the mouth is in some sort harmonicall.
1653. Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Year, I. ii. 15. Some men … explicate our praying in the Spirit, by a mere volubilty [sic] of language.
1656. Stanley, Hist. Philos., V. (1687), 228/2. Cicero being at Athens heard him, and was much taken with the eloquence and volubility of his discourse.
1670. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XVI. § 122. The General was not a Man of Eloquence or Volubility of Speech.
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 43. This unrestrained volubility and wantonness of speech is the occasion of numberless evils.
1791. Cowper, Odyss., XVIII. 32. Gods! with what volubility of speech The table hunter prates.
1823. Lamb, Elia, II. Old Margate Hoy. A … young man … with … an insuppressable volubility of assertion.
1836. Thirlwall, Greece, III. 11. The sweetness of voice, and the volubility of utterance, with which both [Pisistratus and Cimon] expressed themselves.
b. Smooth, easy or copious flow of verse or poetic utterance.
1589. Nashe, in Greene, Menaphon, Pref. (Arb.), 6. The spacious volubilitie of a drumming decasillabon.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 92, ¶ 11. The verse intended to represent the whisper of the vernal breeze, must be confessed not much to excel in softness or volubility. Ibid. (1779), L. P., Pomfret (1838), 113. In his other poems there is an easy volubility.
6. The character or state of being voluble in speech; great fluency of language; readiness of speech; garrulousness.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., II. i. 176. Say she be mute, and will not speake a word; Then Ile commend her volubility.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., II. Wks. 1856, I. 23. You have the most gracefull presence,… amazing volubility,… delicious affabilitie.
1670. G. H., trans. Hist. Cardinals, I. I. 13. It was my fortune to hear a Franciscan Preach…, but with more Volubility than Virtue.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 115, ¶ 5. His great Volubility and inimitable Manner of Speaking.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 157, ¶ 8. Long familiarity with my subject enabled me to discourse with ease and volubility.
1781. R. King, Mod. Lond. Spy, 118. The following account, which she delivered with great volubility.
1826. F. Reynolds, Life & Times, II. 11. He took the lead in conversation, and his natural volubility, increased by sudden joy, carried all before it.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xi. III. 25. Before he had been a member three weeks, his volubility, his asperity, and his pertinacity had made him conspicuous.
1875. H. James, Mme. de Mauves, i. Her volubility was less suggestive than the latter’s silence.
7. Extreme readiness of the tongue in respect of speech or discourse.
1612. W. Martyn, Youths Instr., 99. The volubilitie of a smooth tongue is nothing profitable.
1650. R. Stapylton, Strada’s Low C. Wars, III. 67. A Counsellour of great subtilty and volubility of tongue.
1699. Garth, Dispens., III. 36. Both had the Volubility of Tongue, In Meaning faint, but in Opinion strong.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 252, ¶ 3. You have mentioned only the Volubility of their Tongue.
1755. Smollett, Quix. (1803), II. 6. All this preamble was uttered … with such volubility of tongue,… that they admired her good sense as much as her beauty.
b. Similarly of the throat, voice, etc.
1740. Cibber, Apol. (1756), I. 282. In volubility of throat the former [singer] had much the superiority.
1769. Goldsm., Hist. Rome (1786), II. 225. Nero … used all those methods which singers practice either to mend the voice, or improve its volubility.
1884. Encycl. Brit., XVII. 98/2. These [harmonics on horns and trumpets] they executed with volubility akin to that displayed on fingered instruments.
