Forms: 4–6 corant(e, coraunt, 6 corrant, 4–8 currant, 5–6 curraunt, 6– current. [ME. corant, currant, a. OF. corant, curant (from 16th c. courant) running, pres. pple. of courir, OF. corre:—L. currĕre to run. The spelling of the Eng. word as currant (very common in 16th c.) gradually led to its complete conformation to L. current-em.]
1. Running; flowing. (Now rare.)
c. 1300. K. Alis., 3461. With him cam … mony faire juster corant.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 96. Like to the currant fire, that renneth Upon a corde.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 128. Se that there be no water standynge … but that it be alwaye currant and rennynge.
1596. Davies, Orchestra, lxix. Those current travases, That on a triple dactyl foot do run Close by the ground.
1651. T. Barker, Art of Angling (1653), 10. They will go currant down the River.
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 67. The current streame.
1756. Amory, Buncle (1770), I. 265. The water was current through the pond.
1830. W. Phillips, Mt. Sinai, I. 597. The current spring.
† b. Current ship: see quot. Obs.
1555. Eden, Decades, 120. The lyghtest shyp which maye bee a passinger betwene them: that lyke as we vse poste horses by lande so may they by this current shippe in shorte space certifie the Lieuetenaunt of suche thynges as shall chaunce.
† c. Her. = COURANT a. Obs.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, III. xv. (1660), 176. He beareth … three Unicornes in Pale, Current.
1681. T. Jordan, London’s Joy, in Heath, Grocers’ Comp. (1869), 542. Argent, three Greyhounds Currant Arm’d and Collard, Gules.
† d. Having a fall or inclination; sloping. Obs. (Cf. CURRENT sb. 3.)
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 128. To make them euen somwat dyscendynge or currant one waye or other.
1530. Palsgr., 441. This water avoydeth nat well; by lykelyhod the goutter is nat courrant.
e. Of handwriting: ‘Running,’ cursive.
1891. E. Maunde Thompson, in Classical Rev., Nov., 418/2. Ought our descendants then to infer that we knew nothing of a current hand?
2. fig. Smoothly flowing; running easily and swiftly; fluent, (Now rare.)
1586. J. Hooker, Girald. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 97. Mistrusting … that all went not currant.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, I. iv. (Arb.), 24. Speech by meeter … is more currant and slipper upon the tongue.
1659. Hammond, On Ps. vii. 4. Thus the sense is perspicuous and current.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. ii. 67. April 18. The Bill … was read the first time. Apr. 19. Read the second time…. Apr. 20. Read the third time, and passed the House. So current it seems this bill went.
1818. Byron, Juan, I. cc. (MS. reading), Other incidents … Which shall be specified … in current rhyme.
3. Running in time; in course of passing; in progress. Often used ellipt., as in the 10th current (abbreviated curt.), i.e., the 10th day of the current month. b. Belonging to the current week, month, or other period of time.
1608. Hieron, Defence, III. 131. There was not any long time current and past wherein it has been observed and made usuall.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), II. 7. I had yours of the tenth current.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 477. [It] does not imply the time fully run out, but that the last part thereof must then be current.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. III. i. (1743), 142. None is to be ordained … Deacon till he is at least twenty-three current.
1734. Berkeley, Lett., 17 March, Wks. IV. 218. I paid the curates for the current year.
1780. Burke, Sp. Econom. Reform, Wks. 1842, I. 230. No tax is raised for the current services.
1858. Herschel, Outlines Astron., xviii. § 927. A date … always expresses the day or year current and not elapsed.
1862. Ruskin, Munera P. (1880), 46. To enlarge his current expenses.
1868. Dickens, Lett. (1880), II. 387. We must call the current number for that date the Christmas number.
4. Of money: Passing from hand to hand; in circulation; in general use as a medium of exchange.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., III. xiv. 167. In the begynnynge of the Regne of Kynge Edward … was no monoye curraunt in englond but pens and halfpens and ferthynges.
1535. Coverdale, Gen. xxiii. 16. Currant money amonge marchauntes [Wyclif preued comune money].
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 286. The currantest money of all both in Venice itselfe and in the whole Venetian Signiory.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 501. In Kataia a coine is currant, made of the blacke rinde of a certaine tree.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., II. 66. Of the current coin of the empire.
1872. Yeats, Growth Comm., 33–4. Pieces of leather impressed with the government mark and passing current like our bank-notes.
= Locally current. (Cf. CURRENCY 4 b.)
1593. in Muniments of Irvine (1890), I. 79. The Burrow meillis … to be payit in Stirlling money … ar resavit in current money to our greit hurt.
† 5. Having the quality of current coin; sterling, genuine, authentic: opposed to counterfeit. Obs.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 73. Though others seem counterfeit in their deeds … Euphues will be alwayes currant in his dealings.
1599. Warn. Faire Women, II. 1555. To put your love unto the touch, to try If it be currant, or but counterfait.
1611. Cotgr., À Preuve de marteau, sound, currant, good, right stuffe.
1634. W. Tirwhyt, trans. Balzac’s Lett., 67. If the report which passeth be current.
1639. Horn & Robotham, Gate Lang. Unl., ix. § 85. With a touch-stone we try metals, whether they be good (currant) or counterfeit.
1744. Harris, Three Treat., III. I. (1765), 141. Do we not try [a piece of Metal] … by the Test, before we take it for Current?
6. Generally reported or known; in general circulation; in general use, prevalent.
1563. Mirr. Mag., J. Shore, xxiv. What I sayd was currant every where.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Ep. Ded. I doe now publish my Essayes; which, of all my other workes, haue beene most currant.
1631. J. Pory, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 271, III. 267. It is current in every mans mouth that the Kings journey into Scotland is putt off till another year.
1775. Burke, Corr. (1844), II. 40. I find it very current that parliament will meet in October.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 549. The stories which were current about both Seymour and the Speaker.
7. Generally accepted; established by common consent; in vogue. Often with mixture of sense 3: Accepted or in vogue at the time in question.
1593. Bilson, Govt. Christ’s Ch., 169. If laie Elders had bene currant in Gregories time.
1665. Glanvill, Sceps. Sci., 78. The current Theology of Europe.
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., Pref. A word which is not current English.
1713. Berkeley, Hylas & Phil., ii. Wks. 1871, I. 309. The current proper signification attached to a common name in any language.
1831. Sir J. Sinclair, Corr., II. 187. The commerce of Holland greatly depends on the current interest.
1884. H. Spencer, in Contemp. Rev., XLVI. 46. Current utilitarian speculation … shows inadequate consciousness of natural causation.
8. Phr. To pass, go, or run current (senses 5–7): to be in circulation or in common use; to be generally related, reported or accepted; to be received as genuine. (Formerly to pass or go for current.)
1596. Harington, in Metam. Ajax (1814), 12. And so now it passeth current to be spoken and written A JAX.
1600. Abp. Abbot, Exp. Jonah, 3. Which opinion hath gone so currant, that … some of the new writers haue accepted it for a truth.
1605. Camden, Rem. (1637), 16. But most true this may seeme which runneth currant every where.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., 4. Why the Translation of the Seuentie was allowed to passe for currant.
1618. Bolton, Florus, III. iii. (1636), 168–9. That invincible rage, and furious onset, which goes currant with the barbarous for true valour.
1629. J. Rous, Diary (Camden), 46. It went for currant that the Spanyards had killed the French and Dutche.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 210. It went current among the seamen that the Spanish Doctor was an Englishman and a protestant.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. xxi. 250. Their Language [Portuguese] goes current along most of the Sea-coast.
1828. Macaulay, Hallam, Ess. I. 54. If such arguments are to pass current it will be easy to prove [etc.].
