a. Forms: 4–6 ardaunt, 5 hardaunt, ardant, 5– ardent. [a. OF. ardant:—L. ardēntem, pr. pple. of ardēre to burn, subseq. assimilated to L.: see -ANT.]
1. Burning, on fire, red-hot; fiery, hot, parching.
c. 1440. Morte Arth., 193. Sewes … Ownd of azure alle over and ardant þem semyde.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., II. xviii. 107. Fyre so ouer moche ardaunt hote.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (1847), Introd. 36. Though thou shouldest perishe for very ardent thirst.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 160. Ardent feuers.
1794. Sullivan, View Nat., II. 118. Receptacles of molten ore, and ardent liquids within the cavities of mountains.
1882. Nature, XXVI. 504. The sun was not very ardent.
2. Inflammable, combustible. Obs. exc. in the phr. ardent spirits, in which the meaning of ardent is now usually referred to their fiery taste: cf. L. ardentis Falerni pocula.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., in Ashm. 1652, 190. Waters corrosyve and waters ardent [i.e., acids and spirits].
1674. Petty, Disc. bef. R. Soc., 93. The Spirituosity of Liquors, or in what proportions several Liquors contein more or less of inflameable or ardent parts.
1684. T. Burnet, Th. Earth, II. 63. Inflammable salts, coal and other fossiles that are ardent.
1833. Brewster, Nat. Magic, iv. 79. Spirits of wine, or any ardent spirit.
† 3. That burns like vitriol; corrosive. Obs.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, II. 437. An Ardent Water to engrave Steel deeply … Take a sponge, dipt into ardent water.
4. Glowing or gleaming like fire; flaming, fierce.
1603. Holland, Plutarch (1657), 117. Fixing his eyes fast upon a fiery and ardent mirror.
1718. Pope, Iliad, III. 525. From rank to rank she darts her ardent eyes.
1827. Hood, Mids. Fairies, 3. Fish, Quenching their ardent scales in watry gloom.
5. fig. Glowing with passion, animated by keen desire; intensely eager, zealous, fervent, fervid: a. of persons and their faculties; transf. of ships.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., IV. iii. 121. Ȝif he [be] ardaunt in auarice.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 288/2. He was the more ardaunt to martirdome.
1538. Starkey, England, 144. Yf we desyre wyth pure affecte and ardent mynd.
1539. Tonstall, Serm. Palm Sund. (1823), 51. He was of all the apostels moste ardent in fayth.
1777. Watson, Philip II. (1793), II. XIV. 221. Ardent to behold him, after an absence of several years.
1848. Mariotti, Italy, II. i. 20. Many an ardent patriot.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-Bk., Ardent, said of a vessel when she gripes or comes to the wind quickly.
b. of emotions and their expression.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., III. xii. 106. Þe most ardaunt loue of hys wiif.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 1. Their grete strength and ryght ardaunt courage.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xxxii. 196. He finds an ardent desire to speak.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., VIII. 721. Pray’r ardent opens Heav’n.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 174. His zeal for Episcopacy … was now more ardent than ever.
