a. and sb. Obs. [ad. L. convīvāl-is pertaining to a feast, f. convīva one who feasts with others, f. convīvĕre to live together.]
A. adj. Belonging to a feast; = CONVIVIAL.
1650. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. xxv. Yet as Herodotus tells us … the same [horse flesh] was a convival dish, and solemnly eaten at the feasts of their nativities.
1662. Pearson, Creed, art. xii. 431, note. It is an old inscription, ‘Amici, dum vivimus vivamus’; as in the convivall wish, Ζήσειας.
1755. Johnson, Convival, Convivial.
1755. T. H. Croker, trans. Ariosto’s Orl. Fur., XIV. cix. Dulcet relicks of convival treat.
B. sb. One who partakes of a feast; a guest.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 78. The number of the conuiuals at priuate entertainments exceeded not nine, nor were vnder three.
