Also 4–6 coaccion. [a. F. coaction (14th c.) in same sense, ad. L. coactiōn-em n. of action, f. coagĕre, cōgere: see COACT.]
I. 1. Compulsion, constraint, coercion. (Very frequent in 16–17th c.; now rare.)
c. 1400. Test. Love, III. (1560), 295/1. Coaccion, that is to sayne, constrainyng.
1528. Tindale, Parable Wicked Mammon, Wks. I. 55. Of his own nature, without coaction or compulsion of the law.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., IV. viii. 367. The liberty of the Will, whereby it hath power to determin it self, and is free from all force and coaction.
a. 1711. Ken, Sion, Poet. Wks. 1721, IV. 360. To sin and err were I not free, All Duty would Co-action be.
1754. Edwards, Freed. Will, I. § 5. Constraint … otherwise called Force, Compulsion and Coaction; which is a Person’s being necessitated to do a thing contrary to his Will.
1852. Bp. Forbes, Nicene Creed, 51. The power of choice and … absence of any extrinsic or intrinsic necessity or coaction.
b. Control in the way of constraining.
1855. [Miss Cobbe], Ess. Intuitive Morals, 95. The Strength of the true self is acquired solely by its resistance and co-action of the gravitation of the lower nature.
† c. Application of physical force. Obs. rare.
1634. Brereton, Trav. (1844), 15. Gives motion unto this wheel without any great strain or coaction.
† 2. Contraction, condensation. Obs. rare.
1635. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., I. ii. 21. The thickning … of any body is made by addition and coaction of more parts into the same space.
† 3. [trans. L. coactio.] Some disease of animals.
1748. trans. Vegetius Distempers Horses, 69. Coaction (or Constraint) is the Name of a Passion in Animals from which divers kinds of Sicknesses arise.
4. Action in concert, acting together.
1625. Sir J. Stradling, Div. Poems, 57. When Beares and Woolues … Assault your fouldes, By their vniust coaction.
1697. J. Serjeant, Solid Philos., 111. The Co-action of Soul and Body.
1746. W. Horsley, Fool (1748), I. 209. Which inflames his Spirits beyond a regular Co-action with his natural Understanding.
1823. J. Badcock, Dom. Amusem., 33. The simultaneous co-action of different bodies of soldiery.
