[a. Fr. animalité, n. of quality f. animal adj.: see -ITY. Cf. humanity, also L. æquālitās, carnālitās.]
1. The sum of the qualities and functions that are the attributes of an animal; the animal nature, constitution or system; vital power.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 40. Then followeth presently a sencelesse dulnes, and a priuation of the Animality, if I may so speake.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 111. Lifesomness or animality.
1796. W. Taylor, in Month. Rev., XX. 567. Empedocles … had no doubt of the animality of the earth.
1829. [J. L. Knapp], Jrnl. Naturalist, 241. Having mingled with it just that portion of vital air which brisks up animality, without consuming the sustenance of life.
1840. Blackw. Mag., XLVIII. 490/2. The luxuriant fulness of blooming animality.
2. The quality or condition of the inferior animals; the merely animal nature, as distinguished from the moral and spiritual; animalhood.
1646. S. Bolton, Arraign. Errour, 158. There is something of animality, of the beast in man.
1653. H. More, Conject. Cabbal. (1713), 14. Every man … hath these two Principles in him … Divinity and Animality, Spirit and Flesh. Ibid. (1667), Div. Dial., IV. iv. (1713), 294. To gratifie our corrupt Animality.
1836. For. Q. Rev., XVII. 166. In woman, humanity, as contradistinguished to animality, in form, structure, and development, has attained its zenith.
1868. in F. G. Lee, Valid. Holy Ord., 494. Russian country clergy, who are commonly reported to be sunk in the lowest depths of ignorance and animality.
1878. Dowden, Stud. Lit., 114. The development of the entire human race from animality and primitive barbarism.
3. Animal nature, animal life, as opposed to that of vegetables or of inorganic matter.
1647. H. More, Poems, 88. It’s more plain in animalitie.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Phil., I. x. 429. Without it [fire] there would be neither vegetation, nor animality.
1858. T. R. Jones, Aquar. Natur., 137. Jussieu … at last declared his complete faith in the animality of these creatures [the Zoophytic races].
1879. Lewes, Stud. Psychol., 54. It passes from Vegetality to Animality, and through Animality to Humanity.
4. The animal series, the animal world.
1770. Wesley, Nat. Phil. (1784), IV. V. viii. § 14. 190. [The polypus] is too much an animal to be the last term of animality.
1841. Douglas, in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club, I. ix. 245. In search of rarities in any class or kingdom of animality.
1869. Eng. Mech., 11 June, 262/1. Animality has no principle of cohesion in its members.
