a., adv., and sb. [f. FOUR + -FOLD.]

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  A.  adj.

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  1.  Consisting of four things; made up of four parts.

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c. 1275.  Lay., 1354.

        To þan lond hii verden
þare hii leof folk funden
fouruald ferde.

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a. 1300.  Cursor M., 28974 (Cott.).

        Chastiyng o flexs foure fald to tak,
In praier, fasting, wand, and wak.

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1660.  Boyle, New Exp. Phys. Mech., ix. 70. We should from the smallness of our Receivers receive a four-fold Advantage.

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1823.  H. J. Brooke, Introd. Crystallogr., 58. A four-fold cleavage, or one in four directions, will produce a tetrahedron, an octahedron, or a perfect hexagonal prism.

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1838.  Thirlwall, Greece, II. xi. 4. The fourfold distribution of the country is the foundation of another tradition, which distinctly asserts the absolute independence of the several parts.

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1877.  A. B. Edwards, Up Nile, xii. 341. The fourfold surroundings of Philæ—the cataract, the river, the desert, the environing mountains.

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  2.  Four times as great or numerous; quadruple.

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c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Luke xix. 8. Gif ic æniȝne bereafode ic hit be feowerfealdum agyfe.

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1557.  Recorde, Whetst., B ij. Quadrupla. 4 to 1:8 to 2:12 to 3:16 to 4. Fowerfolde.

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a. 1650.  May, Old Couple, IV. i. 2nd Neigh. All happiness betide you. 3rd Neigh. And a reward four-fold in th’ other world.

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  3.  Comb., as fourfold-visaged adj.

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1667.  Milton, P. L., VI. 845.

        Nor less on either side tempestuous fell,
His arrows, from the fourfold-visag’d Foure.

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  B.  adv. In fourfold proportion.

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1535.  Coverdale, 2 Sam. xii. 6. The shepe also shal he make good foure folde.

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1873.  B. Stewart, Conserv. Energy, i. 14. If a ball have a double velocity, its penetrating power is increased nearly fourfold.

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1875.  Scrivener, Lect. Text N. Test., 7. Those noted up to the present epoch amount to at least fourfold that quantity.

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  C.  sb. A fourfold amount. † Also spec. in U.S., ‘A quadruple assessment for neglect to make return of taxable estate’; hence Fourfold v., ‘to assess in a fourfold ratio’ (Webster, Compend. Dict., 1806).

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c. 1380.  Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 209. Ȝif Y have ouȝt bigiled ony Y ȝelde aȝen þe forefold.

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1611.  Bible, Luke, xix. 8. If I haue taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him foure fold.

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1779.  Vermont St. Papers (1823), 296. The listers shall add the sum total of such additions and four-folds, to the sum total before mentioned.

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