Also 7 -ance. [ad. med.L. concurrentia, f. concurrĕre (see CONCUR); or perh. immed. from concurrent: see -ENCE. In Fr. concurrent occurs from the 15th c. onward.]
† 1. Running together, confluence; meeting. Obs.
1634–5. Brereton, Trav. (1844), 125. There is a concurrence and confluence of three strong tides.
a. 1682. Sir T. Browne, Tracts, 165. Where to place that concurrence of waters.
† b. Confluence of people; concourse, meeting.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., V. 201. It is both large and populous which draweth a concurrance of all nations to it.
a. 1639. Wotton, in Gutch, Coll. Cur., I. 221. He drew a great concurrence, from that Kingdom.
1675. Ogilby, Brit., Introd. 8. Through which Passage a numerous Concurrence doth pass.
c. The meeting of lines, surfaces, etc.; in mod. Geom. the point of meeting of three or more lines.
1656. trans. Hobbes’ Elem. Philos. (1839), 184. Two strait lines, which are applied to one another … may be separated … in such manner, that their concurrence in one point will still remain.
1658. A. Fox, trans. Wurtz’ Surg., III. xiv. 260. This Symptome befals … all other joint wounds … where there is a concurrence of sinews and muscles.
1709. Berkeley, Th. Vision, § 5. The concurrence of the optic axes.
1881. J. Casey, Sequel to Euclid (1882), 10. The point of concurrence of [perpendicular]s from the [angle]s on the opposite sides, the point of concurrence of bisectors of sides, and the point of concurrence of [perpendicular]s at middle points of sides of a [triangle], are collinear.
2. Occurrence together in time, of events or circumstances; coincidence; a juncture.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. ii. § 2. So in states, arms and learning … have a concurrence or near sequence in times.
1647. May, Hist. Parl., II. i. 1. In such a concurrence of high affairs … nothing was so irksome to the people as delay.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 257, ¶ 8. Our Behaviour in every Concurrence of Affairs.
1756. Johnson, Lett. to J. Warton, 15 April, in Boswell. Except there be a lucky concurrence of a postday with a holiday.
1805. Foster, Ess., III. ii. 27. The most opportune concurrence of circumstances.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. App. 434. We have established the concurrence of the phænomena of cleavage and pressure.
b. Eccl. (See quot. 1879.)
1863. Neale, Ess. Liturg., 112. By the table of concurrences.
1879. Mrq. Bute, trans. Roman Breviary, I. p. xix. By Concurrence (as opposed to Occurrence, which is two Offices falling on the same day), is meant the case of the Second Vespers of one Office falling on the same evening as the First Vespers of another.
1889. Sarum Dioc. Kalendar. Tables of rules for Occurrences and Concurrences.
3. Combination in effecting any purpose or end, or in doing any work; cooperation of agents or causes.
1525. Bp. of Bath, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 87, I. 309. The Pope of Rome was never lyke a Pope tyll he had the concurrence off other Princes.
a. 1631. Donne, in Select. (1840), 83. Concurrence, and co-operation to our own salvation.
1635. Swan, Spec. M., v. § 2 (1643), 143. When there is a more unusuall concurrence of causes.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 112, ¶ 7. Their mutual Concurrence in doing good.
1855. Bain, Senses & Int., II. i. (1864), 85. The organization of the nervous centres, for the performance of actions requiring the concurrence of several of them.
4. Accordance, agreement; assent, consent.
1669. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. Introd. 1. I found a general concurrence of the Learned.
1794. Paley, Evid., I. ix. § 6. Their [Christians’] concurrence in the Canon of Scripture is remarkable.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., II. vii. He signified his concurrence in the views advanced.
ǁ 5. Pursuit of the same object; rivalry, competition. (Now a Gallicism: cf. CONCURRENT B 2.)
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 434. Appius Claudius was in election and concurrence against him for the office of Censourship.
1832. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1842), I. 57. The arguments against competition (concurrence) … all finally come aground on this rock.
1866. Lecky, Ration., II. 380. To reduce, by increased concurrence, the wages of the remainder.
1873. Browning, Red Cott. Nt.-c., 264. What say you … To trying a concurrence with La Roche, And laying down a rival oyster-bed?
6. = CONCURRENCY 4.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v. Court, The Archdeacon’s Court … jurisdiction is sometimes in concurrence with, sometimes in exclusion of, the Bishop’s Court of the diocese.
