[f. APE sb. + -RY, or APER- + -Y. In sense treated partly like mocker-y, partly like fine-ry, partly like rook-ery.]
1. The practice of an aper; aping; pretentious or silly mimicry.
1616. Hayward, Sanct. Troubled Soule, II. § 6 (1620), 133. An outward Apery of Religion.
c. 1700. Gentlem. Instr. (1732), 152. Hate … Hypocrisy as Poison, and a base Complaisance as meer Apery.
1844. Marg. Fuller, Woman in 19th C. (1862), 145. Women, dressed … in apery, or as it looked, in mockery of European fashions.
2. concr. A pretentious imitation. rare.
1812. Colman, Two Parsons, xxxiv. His rooms were crowded with Etruscan aperies.
3. A silly or apish action or performance.
1851. Carlyle, Sterling, III. iii. (1872), 195. The … sickly superstitious aperies and impostures of the time. Ibid. (1858), Fredk. Gt., I. III. xx. 265. A young Fritzchen’s cradle, who … will speak and do aperies one day.
4. A collection or colony of apes. rare.
1862. Kingsley, Water-Bab., in Macm. Mag., Nov., 8/1. Were more apish than the apes of all aperies.
