[F. connoisseur, former spelling of connaisseur:—OF. conoiseor:—L. cognōscitōr-em, agent-n. from cognōscĕre: see COGNOSCE.]
† 1. One who knows, one versed in a subject. Obs.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., V. § 27. Commendation of Honour and Good-nature: but the former of these, by Connoisseurs, is always understood to mean nothing but Fashion.
a. 1734. North, Lives (1826). By his Perpetual inquisitiveness … he became no ordinary connoisseur in the sciences.
2. spec. A person well acquainted with one of the fine arts, and competent to pass a judgment in relation thereto; a critical judge of art or of matters of taste.
1714. Mandeville, Fable of Bees (1723), 374. There are Parties among Connoisseurs, and few of them agree in their esteem.
1719. J. Richardson (title), Two Discourses on the Art of Criticism, as it relates to Painting and the Sciences of a Connoisseur.
1753. Hogarth, Anal. Beauty, 3. Painters and connoisseurs are the only competent judges.
a. 1764. Lloyd, Cit’s C. Box, Poet. Wks. 1774, I. 44. Blest age! when all men may procure, The title of a Connoisseur.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), II. 13. Now impudent, and now demure, Now blockhead and now connoisseur.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 9. In the connoisseurs of music, or in the lovers of theatricals.
b. transf. A critic or judge in other matters of taste (e.g., of wines, delicacies, etc.).
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 192. The cyder made from [the crab apple] is admired by connoisseurs.
1838. Lytton, Alice, 59. Merton was a connoisseur in ladies’ dress.
1883. G. Lloyd, Ebb & Flow, I. 46. Looked … as a connoisseur does at a bottle of rare wine.
Hence Connoisseur v. (nonce-wd.)
a. 1828. Blake, in Gilchrist, Life (1880), I. 259. Every man … who has not been connoisseured out of his senses.
