a. [a. F. consecutif, -ive, on L. type *consecūtīv-us, f. consecūt- ppl. stem: see CONSECUTE and -IVE.]
1. Following continuously; following each its predecessor in uninterrupted succession.
1611. Cotgr., Consecutif, consecutiue, or consequent; next or immediatly succeeding.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. xxi. § 56. The actions of a Man consecutive to Volition.
1685. Boyle, Salubr. Air, 57. The Summers of differing, and yet perhaps immediately consecutive, years.
1779–81. Johnson, L. P., Blackmore, Wks. 1816, X. 197. In the structure and order of the poem … the greater parts are properly consecutive.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., I. vi. 296. It rained blood for three consecutive days.
1882. Vines, Sachs’ Bot., 549. Occasioned … by the superposition of consecutive whorls.
2. Consisting of elements following in order; characterized by consecution or logical sequence.
1755. Johnson, Dict., Pref. ¶ 50. When the radical idea branches out into parallel ramifications, how can a consecutive series be formed of senses in their own nature collateral?
1838. Sir W. Hamilton, Logic, xxvi. (1866), II. 38. The ground of a consecutive reasoning.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 424. Cebes is the … more consecutive thinker.
† 3. Following as a consequence or effect; consequent (to). Obs.
1647. Jer. Taylor, Lib. Proph., xx. 261. Accused of accidentall and consequutive Blasphemy and Idolatry.
c. 1705. Berkeley, Commonpl. Bk., Wks. IV. 477. The freedom of doing as they please, wch freedom is consecutive to the will.
b. Path. Occurring after or during the decline of a disease, without forming part of it; as consecutive symptoms or phenomena.
1869. Parkes, Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3), 490. It is probable that a certain number are consecutive to dysentery.
4. Gram. Expressing consequence or result.
1871. Public Sch. Lat. Gram., § 74. Subordinate Conjunctions are:—(1) Consecutive; (2) Final; (3) Causal, etc. Ibid., § 168. Consecutive Clauses are so called because they express consequence or result: ita miser est ut fleat, he is so wretched that he weeps. Ibid., § 170. The Consecutive use of the Relative and its Particles with a Subjunctive Verb.
1874. Roby, Lat. Gram., § 1678.
5. Mus. Applied to the immediate succession of intervals of the same kind (esp. fifths or octaves) occurring between two voices or parts in harmony. (Also as sb. in pl. = Consecutive fifths or octaves.)
1819. Rees, Cycl., Consecutive Chords, The same applies to all consecutive intervals whatever.
1875. Ouseley, Harmony, i. 12. By the laws of strict counterpoint, every consecutive fifth or octave … is altogether forbidden.
1880. Parry, in Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 391. The forbidden consecutives are most objectionable in vocal music, or music for solo instruments in combination.
6. Math. Consecutive points: see quot.
1884. Williamson, Diff. Calculus (ed. 5), 257, note. Two points which are infinitely close to each other on the same branch of a curve are said to be consecutive points on the curve.
7. Magnetism. Consecutive points or poles: successive points in the length of a magnetized bar, at which the direction of the magnetization is reversed, the effect being as if the whole consisted of a number of magnetized bars connected by their similar poles at these points. Also called consequent points.
1832. Nat. Philos., II. Magnetism, i. § 43. 11 (Usef. Knowl. Soc.). The points where the polarities thus change from the one kind to the other have been called consecutive points.
1870. R. M. Ferguson, Electricity, 9. This method [Double Touch] … communicates a powerful, but sometimes irregular magnetism, giving rise … to consecutive poles (Ger. Folgepuncte)—that is, to more poles than two in a magnet.
1890. S. R. Bottone, Dynamo (ed. 6), 90. Coiling the wire so as to secure ‘consecutive’ poles at the pole pieces.
