[ad. L. lātitūd-o, f. lātus broad, wide: see -TUDE. Cf. F. latitude.]
I. Breadth, width.
1. Transverse dimension; extent as measured from side to side; breadth, width of a surface, as opposed to length; also occas. spaciousness. Now only jocular.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 39. Þe latitude of a climat is a lyne ymagined from north to south þe space of the erthe, fro the byginnyng of the firste clymat vnto the verrey ende of the same climat.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. xxiv. (1495), 335. Orion … his lengthe and longitude stretchyth nyghe to the brede and latitude of thre sygnes.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, III. xxvi. Twenty pase was the latytude.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., II. xi. in Ashm. (1652), 137. Altytude, Latytude, and Profundyte.
1559. W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 25. The latitude and bredth of the Zodiack is .xij. degrees.
1571. Digges, Pantom., I. xxv. H b. The square of ye ditches latitude.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 2. The Gulph of Venice … being seuen hundred miles in length, and seuen score in latitude.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, 364. The great latitude and capacity of the Temple consisted in the outward Courts.
a. 1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., I. ii. 64. Though his [sc. man’s] Feet, the Basis of the Pillar of his Body, be much narrower than the latitude of his Body.
1692–4. R. L’Estrange, Fables, ccclvii. (1708), 375. ’Tis a Field of a Huge Latitude that the Devil has to Dance … in.
1713. Pope, Frenzy J. Dennis, Miscell. (1732), III. 4. The Latitude of whose Countenance was not a little eclips’d by the Fullness of his Peruke.
1739. New Builder’s Dict. (ed. 3), s.v. Building, The Longitude, Latitude and Crassitude of Ground-plates.
1830. T. Hamilton, Cyril Thornton (1845), 99. His beaver was … distinguished by an unusual latitude of brim.
† b. A tract or area as defined by its breadth; a wide compass or extent. Obs.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 81. Mony multitudes of peple may sytte vnder the latitude of oon figge tre.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. vii. § 1 (1873), 52. Fruitful showers … serve but for that season, and for a latitude of ground where they fall.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, II. iii. 95. A chace with a vengeance all the latitude of the land, the Canaanites flying as far as sea or mountains would give them leave.
1675. Brooks, Gold. Key, Wks. 1867, V. 59. What a vast distance is there betwixt the east and west! of all visible latitudes, this is the greatest.
1791. Cowper, Yardley Oak, 21. Thy yet close-folded latitude of boughs.
2. Extent, range, scope. Also, great or full extent. Now rare.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. xxv. § 9 (1873), 258. It is a thing of great use well to define what, and of what latitude those points are.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Atheism (Arb.), 337. Even those Barbarous People, have the Notion, though they have not the Latitude, and Extent of it.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. viii. 33. For his great learning and latitude of knowledge sirnamed Magnus.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., II. ii. § 77. Grant this Miracle of Oswald’s Hand literally true in the Latitude thereof.
1674. Playford, Skill Mus., III. 16. They have assumed the nature of some part for a Note or two, and so want the full latitude of a Bass in those Notes.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., Wks. 1716, II. 123. The Greek word in the latitude of its signification … comprehendeth all these senses.
1691. Ray, Creation, I. (1692), 167. To compass and comprehend the whole Latitude of Learning.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 105, ¶ 1. The latitude to which this design may be extended.
1776. R. King, in Life & Corr. (1894), I. 22. Had the scheme been executed with success, in its greatest latitude.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., I. i. 16. If this record be taken in its full latitude.
1851. Mansel, Prol. Logica (1860), 40. The often quoted passage of Locke … when understood in its proper latitude.
† b. The range within which anything may vary.
1533. Elyot, Cast. Helthe (1541), 52 a. Meate but a lyttel excedynge temperance … may yet kepe the body within the latitude or boundes of helthe.
1645. Fuller, Good Th. in Bad T. (1680), 68. I find myself in the latitude of a fever: I am neither well nor ill.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. Disc. ix. 110. Our love to God consists not in any one determinate degree, but hath such a latitude, as best agrees with the condition of men.
1717. J. Keill, Anim. Oecon. (1738), 247. The Latitude of a natural Perspiration is from a Pound and half to three Pound.
1796. Kirwan, Elem. Min. (ed. 2), I. 160. Few stones admit of a greater latitude of composition.
† C. Local range; wide diffusion or prevalence.
1612. Davies, Why Ireland, etc. (1787), 177. The execution of all these laws had no greater latitude than the Pale.
1638. Chillingw., Relig. Prot., I. vi. § 42. 363. If you should contend for latitude with any one Religion, Mahumetisme would carry the victory from you.
3. Freedom from narrow restrictions; width or liberality of construction or interpretation; tolerated or permitted variety of action or opinion.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. iii. § 2 (1873), 99. Allowing … that latitude which is agreeable and familiar unto divine prophecies; being of the nature of their author, with whom a thousand years are but as one day.
1642. Charles I., in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1692), III. I. 595. The Latitude they allow us of granting or denying of Pardons.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., VI. § 198. A latitude of Judgement no Court can challenge to it self in any Cases.
1648. Eikon Bas., xiv. 115. In such latitudes of sens, I believ manie that love Mee and the Church well, may have taken the Covenant, who [etc.].
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 246. A greater latitude there must be left in doctrinals then practicals.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., IX. i. § 51. Christ went down to Hell (to preach to the Spirits there), which last clause is left out in these Articles, and men left to a latitude concerning the cause, time, and manner of his Descent.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., III. 160. Your sons of latitude that court your grace. [Cf. l. 187 Your sons of breadth.]
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 44, ¶ 8. There is a much greater Latitude for comick than tragick Artifices.
1726. De Foe, Hist. Devil, I. ii. (1840), 28. The devil has some little latitudes and advantages for mischief.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XV. ix. He gave a latitude to his friends tongue, and desired him to speak plainly what he knew.
1753. Hanway, Trav. (1762), I. II. xvi. 70. A latitude to kill might subject the innocent to great inconveniencies.
1779. J. Moore, View Soc. Fr. (1789), I. x. 68. The greatest ease and latitude allowed in behaviour and dress.
1838–9. Hallam, Hist. Lit., IV. iv. IV. § 27. 165. Natural good has been defined by Cumberland with more latitude than has been used by Paley.
1858. Ld. St. Leonards, Handy-bk. Prop. Law, ii. 7. The latitude which a court of equity allows itself in enforcing agreements against the letter.
1863. Kinglake, Crimea (1877), I. xi. 150. In regard to time the Emperor grants you no latitude.
1868. Stanley, Westm. Abb., iv. 325. Courayer’s ‘Last Sentiments,’ which were of the extremest latitude in theology.
† b. Laxity of conduct or principle. Obs.
1670. G. H., Hist. Cardinals, II. I. 127. They live with that latitude and licentiousness, as if there were neither God, nor Justice for them.
1679. Penn, Addr. Prot., I. iii. (1692), 7. Which way soever this ungodly Latitude came in.
1702. Eng. Theophrast., 237. If statesmen … worked their heads, there would be no occasion for Latitude and insincerity.
c. attrib. † latitude man = LATITUDINARIAN.
1662. S. P. (title), Brief Account of the new Sect of Latitude-men. Ibid., 5. In opposition to that hide-bound, strait-lac’d spirit that did then prevail, they were called Latitude-men.
II. In Geography and Astronomy.
4. Geog. a. Angular distance on a meridian: only in degree, minute, etc., of latitude. b. The angular distance on its meridian (of any place on the earth’s surface) north or south from the equator; quantitatively identical with the elevation of the pole above the horizon, and with the declination of the zenith.
For circle, parallel of latitude, see those words.
[In their original geographical use latitude (L. latitudo, Gr. πλάτος) and longitude (L. longitudo, Gr. μῆκος) meant quite literally the ‘breadth’ and ‘length’ of the oblong map of the known world; this literal sense remained even in the expression ‘degrees of latitude and longitude’ (μοῖραι πλάτους καὶ μήκους). By a natural development the terms afterwards came (in late Latin, app. not yet in Greek) to denote the distance of any place, in the breadthwise and lengthwise direction respectively, from the circle assumed as the origin of measurement.]
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., Prol. A suffisaunt astralabie as for owre orizonte, compowned after the latitude of Oxenford. Ibid., II. § 22. The latitude of any place in a regioun is the distance fro the senyth vnto the Equinoxial.
1527. R. Thorne, in Hakluyt, Voy. (1589), 253. This latitude is the measure of the world from North to South.
c. 1550. Disc. Common Weal Eng. (1893), 13 b. How could you knowe towarde what coste ye be sea driven withoute knowledge of the latitude of the place by the poolle and the lengthe by the starres?
1559. W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 123. Ther shalbe so many, as there are paralleles of latitude, whose nombre as I saide was .90.
1622. Drayton, Poly-olb., xix. 316. To fortie three Degrees of North’ly Latitude.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., IV. iv. 157. How to correct the Account, when the Dead Latitude differs from the Observed Latitude … if the Difference of Latitude be less by Estimation than it is by Observation [etc.].
1698. Keill, Exam. Theory Earth (1734), 107. The Latitude of Paris being 48° · 45′.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), s.v., Whenever a Ship sails to or from the Equinoctial on either side, her way thus gain’d is call’d her Difference of Latitude.
1836. Marryat, Midsh. Easy, xxxviii. We have made a famous run. It’s twelve o’clock, and if you please I’ll work the latitude.
1867. Denison, Astron. without Math., 9. A degree of latitude measured on any meridian is about 69 miles everywhere.
c. A locality as marked or defined by parallels of latitude; usually in pl. = regions, climes, parts of the world. Also fig.
1632. Massinger, City Madam, II. ii. They serve For any latitude in Christendom.
1704. Lond. Gaz., No. 3988/1. A French Privateer … which he took in this Latitude.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. vi. (1840), 101. I was something chilly, which I knew was not usual in that latitude.
1760–2. Goldsmith, Cit. of the World, cxiv. (Globe), 265/1. A lady’s whole cargo of smiles, sighs, and whispers, is declared utterly contraband, till she arrives in the warm latitudes of twenty-two.
1845. Ford, Handbk. Spain, I. 59. Very little meat and wine are necessary in these hot latitudes.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. v. (1857), 75. The flag of Castile was seen in the remotest latitudes,—on the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the far-off Indian seas.
1871. Morley, Carlyle (1878), 157. Men who have long since moved far away from these spiritual latitudes.
1882. W. R. Greg, Misc. Ess., Ser. I. v. 103. Those latitudes and altitudes where no crops will grow.
1885. J. Martineau, Types Eth. Theory, I. 115. Leaving blank vast latitudes on the map of human thought.
5. Astron. The angular distance of a heavenly body from the ecliptic: called spec. celestial latitude. (See also ASCENDING vbl. sb., GEOCENTRIC a. 1, HELIOCENTRIC a. 1, HELIOGRAPHIC a. 1.)
The history of this sense appears to be as follows. Orig. the word was applied, on the analogy of the geographical use (see 4) to denote the angular distance of a point in the celestial sphere from the equator, measured along a secondary to the latter. This, however, was not accurately distinguished by name from the distance of a point from the ecliptic, the terms ‘latitude’ and ‘declination’ being employed indiscriminately with reference to both these ways of indicating position. (Cf. quot. 1391.) In mod. use, the terms have been differentiated, declination being appropriated to what was originally and with historical propriety called ‘latitude,’ while latitude became the name for distance from the ecliptic.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 17. Fro the Equinoxial may the declinacion or the latitude of any body celestial be rikned, after the site north or south,… & riht so may the latitude or the declinacion of any body celestial, saue only of the sonne … be rekned fro the Ecliptic lyne.
1551. Recorde, Cast. Knowl. (1556), 176. Proprelye they doo call that the Latitude of the Planetes, when they swarue from the Ecliptike line.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., III. I. xi. (1636), 298. The Latitude is counted from the said Ecliptique line towards any of the Poles of the Zodiaque.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 11. Mars in his latitude leaueth the eclipticke line foure halfe degrees.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), s.v., Apparent Latitude, is the Distance of the apparent, or seeming Place of any Planet from the Ecliptick; and True Latitude is the Distance of its real Place from the same Ecliptick.
1868. Lockyer, Elem. Astron., § 555. 269. The right ascension and declination are then easily converted by calculation into celestial longitude and latitude if required.
