a. (sb.) Also 4–5 casuel, 5–7 -all. [a. F. casuel, ad. L. cāsuāl-is depending on chance, f. cāsu-s: see CASE sb.1]
1. Subject to, depending on, or produced by chance; accidental, fortuitous.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, IV. 391. It is but casuel plesaunce.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 40 (Harl. MS.). By a casuel happe or by chaunce I was ny dreynt.
1590. Swinburn, Testaments, 132. Of conditions … Some be casuall, such as are not in the power of that man to whome they are imposed, but either in the power of some other thing, or person, so that the euent thereof is to vs vncertaine.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, index (J.). That which seemeth most casual and subject to fortune, is yet disposed by the ordinance of God.
1670. Dryden, Tyran. Love, III. i. Him who thought A casual World was from wild Atoms wrought.
1672. Covent Gard. Drollery, 9. His words like casual Atoms made a thought.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr. (ed. 2), II. 497. How casual soever things at first sight may appear, yet there is One who ruleth over all.
1763. J. Brown, Poetry & Mus., vi. 113. The Improvement … was not casual, but the Result of a natural Progression.
1879. Lubbock, Sci. Lect., ii. 52. Are these differences merely casual and accidental, or have they a meaning and a purpose?
† b. Non-essential; = ACCIDENTAL 3. Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IV. iv. (1495), 84. Some proprytees … ben secundary and casuall.
1655–60. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 196/1. It is Principle of the Platonists, that every created thing hath a three-fold being; Casual, Formal, participated.
† c. Used, like accidental, of untoward events.
c. 1386. [cf. CASUALLY 1 b.].
1577. Holinshed, Chron., I. 130/1. In Ethelberts time the citie of Canturburie was burned by casuall fire.
1586. Cogan, Haven Health, ccxiii. (1636), 222. Naturall death, which few attaine unto, but are prevented by death casuall.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 566. Where casual fire Had wasted woods.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 4, ¶ 9. Who, by a casual hurt … lie pining in want and anguish.
2. Occurring or coming at uncertain times; not to be calculated on, uncertain, unsettled.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 47. The Kyngs Extraordynary chargys ar so casuel, that no Man may knowe them in certeynte.
c. 1525–30. More, De quat. Noviss., Wks. 80/2. We call no sicknes by that name, but such as be casual and come and goe.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. I. 5. Both the known and casual Revenue.
1788. Priestley, Lect. Hist., IV. xxi. 231. The accounts of the royal revenue, whether certain or casual.
1818. Cruise, Digest, III. 437. An escheat is a casual profit, quod accidit domino ex eventu et ex insperato.
1876. Grote, Eth. Fragm., v. 174. Not for a casual period but for a complete lifetime.
3. Occurring or brought about without design or premeditation; coming up or presenting itself ‘as it chances.’
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 223. What wonder if … object new Casual discourse draw on.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb. (1863), 525/2. (J.). The commissioners …entertaining themselves … in general and casual discourses.
1722. De Foe, Col. Jack (1840), 245. They talked of casual things.
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., I. 97. Anaxagoras … would seem to have had more than a casual glimpse of truth.
1863. Burton, Bk. Hunter, 17. A mere casual spectator.
1864. D. Mitchell, Sev. Stor., 70. I made some casual remark about the weather.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., xii. 263. I’ll mix with ’em in a casual way.
† 4. Liable to happen; incidental to. Obs.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 275 (Harl. MS.). Of such men it is to dred, for casuall vengeaunce.
c. 1565. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (1728), 46. It is but casual to a man to fall in an offence.
1593. Bilson, Govt. Christ’s Ch., 284. When they dissent, which in all persons is casuall.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, I. viii. 14. Tell me whether any thing be casuall vnto the good, that tendeth not to their good.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), II. 121.
† 5. Subject to chance or accident; frail, uncertain, precarious. Obs. † b. Liable to. Obs.
(Cf. mod.F. use of casuel for fragile, censured by Littré.)
1529. More, Comf. agst. Trib., III. Wks. 1219/1. Landes seme not so casual as money is or plate.
1568. Abp. Parker, Corr. (1853), 325. I carry about me such a casual body.
15[?]. Vaux, Content. Mind, in Parad. Dainty Devices (1576). The body … to a million of mishaps Is casual every hour.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. iv. 100. Your brace of vnprizeable Estimations, the one is but fraile, and the other Casuall.
1620. Markham, Farew. Husb. (1625), 127. Of all Graine it [Oats] is least casuall.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 200. In case … the weather prove casual.
1727. Swift, State Irel., Wks. 1755, V. II. 166. A trade casual, corrupted and at mercy.
1729. Franklin, Ess., Wks. 1840, II. 272. If the security is casual.
6. Of persons or their actions: Not to be depended on, uncertain, unmethodical, haphazard, ‘happy-go-lucky.’ colloq. or slang.
[1624. Fletcher, Rule a Wife, &c. III. Wks. 1778, III. 457. Sanc. Wilt thou lend me any? Cac. Not a farthing, captain; Captains are casual things.]
1883. Durham Univ. Jrnl., 24 March. A ‘casual’ man is one whose manner of life is altogether the sport of chance.
1886. W. Hooper, Sk. Academic Life, 10. He takes his meals in a casual sort of way, without any attempt at regulation.
† 7. Casuistic. Obs. rare.
1672. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 114. The Casual Divinity of the Jesuites.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v., Osiander … has published a system of casual theology, containing the solution of dubious questions, and cases of conscience.
¶ 8. Confused with CAUSAL. Obs.
1578. Timme, Calvin on Gen., 314. We must put in the casuall word Fear not Abram: bycause I am thy buckler.
1668. Howe, Bless. Righteous (1825), 28. It is not at all casual of this blessedness, but is that which the … Lawgiver thought meet … to make requisite thereto.
9. In such phrases as casual laborer, one who does casual or occasional jobs, but has no fixed employment; casual poor, those occasionally in a state of poverty; those not receiving regular or systematic relief, esp. those not permanently inmates of workhouses, etc., but admitted for occasional relief (cf. B. 3 b); casual ward, a ward reserved for such occasional relief.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., 85 a. If wee cannot keepe and cherrish the casuall poore amongst vs.
1849. Bright, Irel., Sp. (1876), 164. For the support of the Irish casual poor.
1860. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, III. 382 (Hoppe). He considered a casual ward necessary in every union.
1876. Green, Stray Stud., 17. The bulk of its population consisted of casual labourers.
1887. Pall Mall Gaz., 24 Oct., 1/2. The casual wards in the central parts of the metropolis.
10. Law. Casual ejector, the defendant in the fictitious action formerly allowed for the purpose of determining a title to land.
The casual ejector, a fictitious person, was stated to have ejected the plaintiff from the land, which (as was stated) he held on lease of the person actually claiming the land. The action involved the proving of the lessor’s right to grant the lease, and so incidentally determined his title to the land.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 202. The lessee is entitled to his action of ejectment against the tenant, or this casual ejector, whichever it was that ousted him.
B. sb.
† 1. A casual event, a chance. (Chiefly in pl.).
1566. Drant, Horace’s Sat., v. C iv. To sterte up in astrologie the casuals of men.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 162. Providence is in the ordering of casuals, as well as fatals.
2. A casual revenue or income; see sense 2 above.
1825. T. Jefferson, Autobiog., Wks. 1859, I. 103. The tithes and casuals of the Clergy.
3. colloq. A casual workman; a casual visitor, etc.
1860. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, II. 246 (Hoppe). The casuals being mostly paid by the day, and the regular hands … once or twice a week.
1878. Hallberger’s Ill. Mag., 32 (Hoppe). The family, tradespeople, visitors and casuals [not to mention run-away knocks].
1880. Blackmore, Erema, li. (Hoppe). Not a farthing did his lordship ever pay … to support his casual [bastard].
b. A casual pauper; a casual ward. See sense 9 above.
1865. Pall Mall Gaz., 24 Oct., 11/2. The guardians of Marylebone had to admit 800 or 900 casuals a week into their workhouse.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., II. 69. They won’t let you be more than a Casual there.
1867. Pall Mall Gaz., 1 Jan., 3/1. A night spent in Lambeth Workhouse by the ‘Amateur Casual’ of the Pall Mall Gazette. Ibid. (1887), Pall Mall Gaz., 24 Oct., 1/2. The accommodation in casuals and workhouses. Ibid. This ward … holds ninety—about the usual number for a London casual.
4. Mil. Cf. CASUALTY 2 b.
1853. Stocqueler, Milit. Encycl., 53. Casuals, or Casualties, a term … signifying men that are dead (since first enlisted), or have been discharged, or have deserted.
C. Comb. † casual-wise adv., casually.
1601. Chester, Love’s Mart., cxlviii. If any happen casuall-wise to dye.
