a. [f. Gr. ἀνώνυμος (whence also in L. anōnymos, anōnymus), f. ἀν priv. + ὄνομα, in Æolic ὄνυμα, name; + -OUS. Often used in Gr. form early in 17th c.]
1. Nameless, having no name; of unknown name.
1601. Holland, Pliny (1634), II. 274. Anonymos, finding no name to be called by, got therupon the name Anonymos. A Plant this is brought out of Scythia to vs.
1631. Whimzies, 22. Hee is anonymos, and that wil secure him.
1675. Ogilby, Brit., 24. The confluence of an Anonimous Rill with the Tame.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 546, ¶ 4. Amongst the crowd of other anonymous correspondents.
1794. Paley, Evidences, II. vi. § 41. These altars … were called anonymous, because there was not the name of any particular deity inscribed upon them.
1866. G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., xxxiii. 560. Clothed in the coat of darkness of an anonymous writer.
b. Hence subst. A person whose name is not given, or is unknown.
1603. Harsnet, Pop. Impost., 49. Killico, Hob and a third anonymos, are booked downe for 3 graund Commaunders.
1654. Whitlock, Mann. Eng., 208. It were … wisdome it selfe, to read all Authors as Anonymo’s, looking on the Sence, not Names of Books.
1807. Miss Porter, Hungarian Bro., I. 65. To become certain that my anonymous is a woman.
2. transf. Bearing no author’s name; of unknown or unavowed authorship.
1676. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), II. 111. An anonymous book, called Naked Truth.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 576. Observations from an anonymous pamphlet.
1831. Brewster, Newton (1855), II. xv. 65. The anonymous attacks upon Newton.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., III. § 17. 62. Many of the books which they [the Jewish Scriptures] contain are anonymous.
3. Unacknowledged, illegitimate. rare.
1881. Daily News, 1 Feb., 5/8. The anonymous daughter of a King, who became enamoured of her mother while on a visit to Paris.
