Forms: 4–7 calme, 6 cawme, caulme, (? came), 7– calm. [a. F. calme, in same sense (15th c. in Littré), f. calme sb. The other langs. have not the adjective.]
1. Free from agitation or disturbance; quiet, still, tranquil, serene; without wind, not stormy.
a. lit. of the weather, air or sea.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 2011. Stormes were stille … All calme it become.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 58. Calme-wedyr, malacia, calmacia.
1550. Joye, Exp. Dan., Ded. A ij. The same sea … wyl be so cawme and styll.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 125. Get home thy hawme, whilst weather is cawme.
1611. Bible, Jonah i. 12. Take me vp, and cast mee foorth into the sea; so shall the sea be calme vnto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you.
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., I. 63. The sea is much calmer … at the bottom, than in any part nearer its surface.
1856. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., IV. V. xx. § 6. The sea … is never calm, in the sense that a mountain lake can be calm.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 53. A calm atmosphere also promotes the formation of dew.
b. spec. Absolutely without wind.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 58. Calme or softe, wythe-owte wynde, calmus, tranquillus.
1547. Boorde, Introd. Knowl., i. (1870), 126. Although a man stande in neuer so came a place.
1711. Lond. Gaz., No. 4906/2. It fell stark Calm.
c. transf. and fig. of sound, utterance, etc.; of the mind, feelings, demeanor or actions.
1570. Ascham, Scholem., II. (Arb.), 100. A … caulme kinde of speaking and writing.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., I. 6. Differ nothing from beasts, unto sweet and calme and sociable manners and conversation.
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 87. He could have no calm satisfaction.
1798. Coleridge, Anc. Mar., V. xiii. Be calm, thou Wedding-Guest!
1859. Thackeray, Virgin., xix. 147. He tried to keep his voice calm and without tremor.
1870. E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., III. 146. The placid river whose calm murmur was distinctly audible.
d. fig. of conditions or circumstances.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 461. Live content, which is the calmest life.
1751. Johnson, Rambl., No. 185, ¶ 4. The calmest moments of solitary meditation.
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. Amer., II. 352. In the calmer times which are to come.
1863. Hawthorne, Old Home, Lond. Suburb (1879), 244. A calm variety of incident.
2. Comb., as calm-minded, -mindedness.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 83. A calme-minded hearer.
1820. Keats, Lamia, II. 158. With calm-planted steps. Ibid., Hyper., III. 38. The thrush Began calm-throated.
1882. Pall Mall Gaz., 26 Oct., 1/1. Public opinion has been cursed … with an odious malady called calm-mindedness.
