v. Also 5–7 compryse, 5 Sc. compris, 7–9 comprize. [f. F. comprendre (pa. pple. and pret. Ind. compris):—L. comprendĕre, contr. from comprehendĕre to COMPREHEND. Probably formed by association with emprise, and possibly with enterprise, both of which verbs were derivatives from Eng. sbs. of the same form (repr. F. emprise, entreprise, fem. sbs. from pa. pple.), but being used as the Eng. reprs. of emprendre, entreprendre, formed a precedent for the analogous representation of other compounds of -prendre by verbs. in -prise: cf. apprise, surprise.]
(Many of the early passages in which this word occurs are so vague that it is difficult to gather the exact sense.)
† 1. To lay hold on, take, catch, seize. Obs.
1423. Jas. I., Kingis Q., xxviii. Quhat was the cause that he [me] more comprisit Than othir folk to lyve in suich ruyne?
c. 1440. Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), III. xxviii. The sercher … shal be ouerlayd & comprysed of hymselfe.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. ccxxvii. 710. And the frenche kynge to comprise to his agreement his sonne in lawe [et prendroit le roy de france sur luy son filz].
1592. Greene, Poems (1856), 129. He could with counsels commonwealths comprise.
† b. Sc. To seize under legal authority, ‘attach.’
c. 1575. [see COMPRISED].
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 87. The Kings officiars, in the end of the market, sall cause the said cattell to be comprised … be leill men … vntill the summe of the debt.
1621. Sc. Acts Jas. VI., c. 6 ¶ 1. That summe of money for the which the sayde Landes are comprised.
1637. Rutherford, Lett., No. 133 (1862), I. 322. I will think it no bondage to be rouped, comprised, and possessed by Christ as His bondman.
† 2. To ‘take in’ (mentally), perceive, comprehend, conceive. Obs.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 41 b. By alle that I see and comprise in you, hit semeth not … that ye be seke. Ibid. (1485), Chas. Gt., 27. For to compryse thentencyon of the spekar.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. John, 3 a. What is he that canne by very imaginacion comprise how that God the father … doeth continually beget God the sonne?
1563. Man, Musculus’ Commonpl., 372 a. It is very hard to comprise, and much harder to expresse the nature of Godde.
1680. H. More, Apocal. Apoc., 198. A name … that no man knew but himself … he alone that is it, being able to comprize it.
† b. ? To hold or bear in mind. Obs.–1
a. 1528. Skelton, Dk. Albany, Lenuoy. In his mynde to comprise Those wordes his grace dyd saye Of an ammas gray.
† c. intr. with of. Obs.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. v. 20. Witte & raison for to serche and compryse of thinges of therthe.
3. To bring together and comprehend or include, esp. in a treatise.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., IX. xx. 44. Of þis matere … I hard said on sa mony wys, That al I couth noucht weil compris.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 150. They condescended to compryse the whole matter in wryting.
1586. Thynne, in Holinshed, III. 1592. That some fauourer of learned mens fame, would comprise their names and works in a particular volume.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 290. Whose … vertues, if in verse I now should take in hand For to comprize.
b. esp. To comprehend compendiously; to sum up.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurelius (1546), X ij. In a monethe a man might recken all the stones … but in a M. yeres he myght not comprise the malices of hi[r] yll customes.
1548. Cranmer, Catech., 147 b. The prayer of the Lorde … conteyneth … great and weyghty matters, suche as neither aungell nor man … was able so pitheli to comprise in so few wordes.
1794. Paley, Evid., II. ii. (1817), 51. The necessity … of comprising what he delivered within a small compass.
1858. Bright, Sp. India, 24 June. There is far more in it … than any man … can comprise … within the compass of a speech of ordinary length.
c. To comprehend or include under or in a class or denomination.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lviii. § 2. We use … under the name of their substance not only to comprise that whereof they outwardly consist, but also the secret grace.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 194, ¶ 4. This knowledge [of the world] she comprises in the rules of visiting, the history of the present hour, an early intelligence of the change of fashions, an extensive acquaintance with the names and faces of persons of rank, and a frequent appearance in places of resort.
1853. C. Brontë, Villette, viii. (1876), 68. In her own single person she could have comprised the duties of a first minister and a superintendent of police.
4. Of things material: † a. To take in within its space; to enclose, to hold. Obs.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 221/4. Al the world myght not haue comprysed hym.
1516. Fabyan, III. ccxl. 281. viii fote of grounde nowe hath my body comprysed.
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (1870), 105. The amendements cannot be comprised in the parchement. They have newe wrytten yt.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., VI. v.
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, I. III. xxxviii. But smoreing filth so close it doth comprize That it cannot flame out.
b. To contain, as parts making up the whole, to consist of (the parts specified).
1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. iv. 16. The fourme of the world and the facyon after that it conteyneth and compriseth.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., II. iv. § 4. The three walls of the City in which the three chief parts of it were comprized.
1868. Peard, Water-Farm., xiii. 130. The works … comprise four ponds for fish.
Mod. Advt. The house comprises box-room, nine bed-rooms, bath-room, etc.
c. To extend so as to contain, to extend to; to cover a space or time.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., C iv. A corde that … compriseth all the elbow and moeueth the lytell arme.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., v. (1858), 255. The first division of this plain, which comprised the territory of the ancient Philistines.
1870. Max Müller, Sc. Relig. (1873), 49. The registers … which comprised a period of 200,000 years.
5. Of things immaterial: a. To take in or include; as opposed to leaving out.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 67. The term [seed of God] doth comprize Infants.
1823. Thacher, Mil. Jrnl., 79. [To] Comprize all the cases.
b. To embrace as its contents, matter, or subject.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 354. Such subsequent parts of these commentaries, as will … comprize almost every object of the justices’ jurisdiction.
1788. Priestley, Lect. Hist., III. xiii. 102. The third division of our subject … comprizes what is necessary … to be known previous to the study of history.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xv. ‘The word politics … comprises, in itself, a difficult study of no inconsiderable magnitude.’
6. passive. To be included, embraced, comprehended: a. in (or within) a document or its scope, in a class, or group.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., IX. ix. 60. Thre yheris trwys … Qwhare-in þe Scottis men and þe kyng ware comprysyd.
1483. Caxton, Cato, 5 b. Ouer and aboue these [commandments] that be comprysed in this sayd table.
1525. Bp. Clerk, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 88. I. 320. Theys maters war … nott comprisyd in the articles expressly.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., V. ii. 96. She is our capitall Demand, compris’d Within the fore-ranke of our Articles.
1656. Bramhall, Replic., 22. The new Articles since comprised in that Creed.
1823. H. J. Brooke, Introd. Crystallogr., 271. Decrements on the acute solid angles, are all comprised within class b.
b. in, within a space or time, between limits.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, vi. 81. The Might or Power is couertly comprised betweene them both.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 7. The writing … wherein her oath for never marrying againe was comprised.
1784. Cook’s Voy. (1790), VI. 1963. That memorable day, in which are comprized the affecting incidents, and melancholy particulars.
1787. J. Barlow, Oration, 4 July, 10. When an hundred millions of people are comprised within your territory.
1794. Sullivan, View Nat., II. 31. The hours, when the electric fluid appears feeblest, are those comprised within the time [between evening and sunrise].
c. under a heading, title, common term, division.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, IV. lxxi. 533. Whiche are all comprised under the name of wilde Thistelles.
1655. Gouge, Comm. Heb. i. 2. All … Christians … comprised under this particle Us.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 238. Materials … are comprised under six Heads, viz. 1. Bricks, 2. Tiles, 3. Morter, 4. Laths, [etc.].
1870. Rolleston, Anim. Life, Introd. 61. The subdivision Loricata, under which are comprised the two orders of Crocodilina and Chelonia.
d. To be comprehended summarily.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), II. ii. 87. In these two poyntes is comprysed all the holy scrypture.
1576. Fleming, Panop. Epist., 415. In this clause the sum of their request is comprised.
1601. Bp. Barlow, Serm. Paules Crosse, 20. The whole dutie of a Christian is comprised in one word.
1693. Dryden, Æneid, II. 86. Behold a Nation in a Man comprised.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., I. § 11. Academical study may be comprised in two points, reading and meditation.
1834–43. Southey, Doctor (1862), 40. Whether the secret of the Freemasons be comprised in the mystic word above.
e. Said especially of the things that collectively make up the whole of the thing or class spoken of.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 107. There were but one and thirty Cities comprised onely in the League.
1675. Baxter, Cath. Theol., I. II. 4 It is various degrees of punishment which are comprised in the word Death.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 158, ¶ 10. What should be comprised in the proposition.
1794. Sullivan, View Nat., II. 430. All the various titles that we find in the heathen mythology, we at last find comprized in Apollo, or the Sun.
† 7. To put together, draw up, compose (a treatise). Obs.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 21. Pepyn, and in especial charlemayn upon whome this werke is comprysed.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XIV. viii. A ryght greate boke he did truly compryse.
1628. M. Lok (title), The Famovs Historie of the Indies: Declaring the Aduentures of the Spaniards … with Varietie of Relations of the Religions, Lawes, Gouernments … of that People. Comprised into sundry Decads.
† 8. Of things: a. To take up, fully occupy (a space). Obs. rare.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., II. xxxiv. 144. Olde vesselles charged with stones … shal be drowned so that they shal compryse and fylle all the hauene.
b. To constitute, make up, compose. rare.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Philos., II. xvi. 238. The wheels and pinions comprizing the wheel-work.
1794. Paley, Evid., I. ix. (1817), 169. The propositions which comprise the several heads of our testimony.
9. The participles are used absolutely: = Including, included (cf. F. y compris); so the gerund.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., vii. 21. He had lost above three thousand and five hundred men, not comprising the wounded.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 37. One quarter of the Ionick Column, the Base and Capital comprised. Ibid., 56. Brick-layers will work … the inside for thirty three shillings, arches comprised.
1887. W. G. Palgrave, Ulysses, 179. [Phra-Bat] The edifice now before us is square, about thirty feet in dimension each way, without comprising the outer colonnade; but the pointed roof and spire above give it a total height of near a hundred feet.
Hence Comprised ppl. a., Comprising vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
c. 1575. Sir J. Balfour, Practicks (1754), 147. Redemptioun of comprysit landis. Marg. Difference betwix comprysit landis and wodset landis.
1603. Florio, Montaigne (1634), 295. If he be in himselfe, they are also two, the comprizing and the comprized.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 110. Comprisings of lands.
1691. E. Taylor, trans. Behmen, 316. Which breaketh the comprized Life again.
1879. Sir G. Scott, Lect. Archit., I. 229. The subdivisions … three or four under one comprising arch.
