Frigidity

[a. F. frigidité, ad. L. frīgiditāt-em, f. frīgidus: see FRIGID and -ITY.]

  1.  The state or condition of being frigid; intense coldness.

c. 1420.  Pallad. on Husb., IV. 124.

1630.  J. Taylor (Water P.), Fight at Sea, Wks. III. 37. Neither the parching heat of Lybia and Æthiopia, or the benumming frigiditie of Groenland.

1659.  D. Pell, Impr. Sea, 274. There is such an intolerable frigidity in some parts under the Poles, as that they cannot bee discovered.

1795.  Gentl. Mag., July, 539/2. It had seemed probable, that the intense frigidity of the Winter would have destroyed the animalculæ that in spring-tide often almost obscure the sun itself.

  b.  In old Physiology: The quality of being frigid or producing frigidness; = COLDNESS 1 b.

1574.  Newton, Health Mag., 44. The great frigiditie and coldnesse of it [Purselayne] (if wee shoulde at any time chaunce to eate it) may be tempered and qualefied with Minte or with Fenell.

1610.  Healey, St. Augustine, Of the Citie of God, 438. Our Astronomicall diuines, say that Saturnes frigidity proceedeth from those waters: ridiculous as though all the starres of the eighth spere are not cooler then Saturne!

1634.  T. Johnson, Parey’s Chirurg., XXVI. vii. (1678), 633. If to the same frigidity remaining in Fruits, a certain humidity accrew.

1750.  trans. Leonardus’ Mirr. Stones, 100. As it is of an exceeding cold Nature, it does, with its Frigidity, convert the Air, which continually touches it, into Water.

  c.  Lack of natural heat or warmth (of the body).

1631.  Gouge, God’s Arrows, II. i. 131. Before David died, such frigidity fell upon him, as with cloathes they could not keepe him warme, but were faine to bring a yong virgin to lie in his bosome.

1665.  Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica, xiv. 82. The frigidity of decrepit Age is as much its enemy, not only through penury of spirits, but by reason of its dulling moisture.

  2.  transf. Want of generative heat; impotence.

1586.  Ferne, Blaz. Gentrie, II. 58. His 1. wife, was Constancia Duches of Britaine, who was deuorced from him, for cause of frigiditye, as she pretended.

c. 1645.  Howell, Lett. (1650), I. 4. His Articulate Lady, called so, for articling against the frigidity and impotence of her former Lord.

1645.  Milton, Colast., Wks. 1738, I. 299. Why are we suffered to divorce Adulteries, Desertions, or Frigidities?

1658.  Rowland, Moufet’s Theat. Ins., 992. Forasmuch as Eunuchs, old men, and old women, make most noise and greater than young persons that are more hot, therefore frigidity cannot be the cause.

  3.  fig. Want of warmth of feeling or enthusiasm; apathy, coldness, indifference.

a. 1631.  Donne, in Select. (1840), 220. This heat may ouercome my former frigidity and coldness.

1771.  Johnson, Lett. to Mrs. Thrale, 20 July. I dare neither write with frigidity nor with fire.

1841.  F. Myers, Cath. Th., III. § 45. 173. To enter into the mere minds and natural feelings of the writers, there is need that the frigidity of the scholar be exchanged for the genial nature of the dweller in the open sunshine of heaven.

1860.  Holland, Miss Gilbert, xvii. 318. ‘She is not, sir,’ replied Fanny with excessive frigidity.

1870.  Emerson, Soc. & Solit., Success, Wks. (Bohn), III. 128. I have seen scores of people who can silence me, but I seek one who shall make me forget or overcome the frigidities and imbecilities into which I fall.

  b.  Lack of imagination; deficiency in fire or spirit; flatness, insipidity; also quasi-concr.

1642.  Milton, An Apology against Smectymnuus, vi. 33. Having begun loftily in heavens universall Alphabet he fals downe to that wretched poorenesse and frigidity as to talke of Bridge street in heav’n, and the Ostler of heav’n.

1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. ix. 37. Driving at these as at the highest elegancies, which are but the frigidities of wit, and become not the genius of manly ingenuities.

1763.  Fordyce, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 286. Even a French lady, if I mistook not the person, who has been used to all the polite frigidity of the French drama, was moved and melted in the most sensible manner.

1846.  Hawthorne, Mosses, I. i. 17. The frigidity of the modern productions, on the other hand, was characteristic and inherent, and evidently had little to do with the writers’ qualities of mind and heart.