Also 8 levy, 9 levée. [ad. F. levé, variant of lever (Littré lever sb. 3) rising (subst. use of lever inf. to rise): cf. COUCHEE.
All our verse quotations place the stress on the first syllable. In England this is the court pronunciation, and prevails in educated use. The pronunciation (lĭvī·) or (levī·), which is given by Walker, is occasionally heard in Great Britain, and appears to be generally preferred in the U. S.]
† 1. The action of rising, spec. from one’s bed. Obs.
1700. Congreve, Way of World, IV. i. O, nothing is more alluring than a Levee from a Couch, in some Confusion.
1727. Philip Quarll (1816), 75. An old monkey … quietly waiting his levee, to entice him to come.
1784. R. Bage, Barham Downs, I. 129. Their levee was honoured with the presence of the constable.
1796. Stedman, Surinam, II. xviii. 55. He [the planter] is next accosted by his overseer, who regularly every morning attends at his levee.
1827. R. Pollok, Course T., VII. Birds, In levee of the morn, dawn’s advent hailed.
2. A reception of visitors on rising from bed; a morning assembly held by a prince or person of distinction.
1672. Dryden, Marr. à la Mode, II. i. You shall be every day at the king’s levee and I at the queen’s.
1697. Vanbrugh, Relapse, I. iii. Sure my Gentleman’s grown a Favourite at Court, he has got so many people at his Levee.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills (1872), I. 110. At his Levy no Crowds you see.
1732. Pope, Ep. Bathurst, 58. Sir, Spain has sent a thousand jars of oil; Huge bales of British cloth blockade the door; A hundred oxen at your levee roar.
1765. Goldsm., Double Transform., 54. Fond to be seen, she kept a bevy Of powder’d coxcombs at her levy.
1819. Byron, Juan, I. cxxxix. Without a word of previous admonition, To hold a levee round a lady’s bed.
1820. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Christ’s Hosp. The Lions in the Tower—to whose levee … we had a prescriptive title to admission.
1874. Green, Short Hist., x. § 1. 716. The levees of the Ministers were crowded with lawn sleeves.
! 1887. E. Dowden, Life Shelley, I. i. 7. Louis XVI.’s last levée—a brilliant spectacle.
b. In Great Britain and Ireland, an assembly held (in the early afternoon) by the sovereign or his representative, at which men only are received.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1792), I. 110. The minister had afterwards introduced him to his majesty in full levee.
1770. Publ. Advertiser, 10 March. His Majesty’s Levee began at a quarter past two.
1797. Mad. D’Arblay, Lett. to Dr. Burney, 13 Sept. A levee is announced for Wednesday … and a drawing-room on Thursday.
1809. G. Rose, Diaries (1860), II. 411. At the Levée … Mr. Wellesley Pole kissed hands.
1825. Jefferson, Autobiog., Wks. 1859, I. 63. My presentation, as usual, to the King and Queen, at their levées.
1834. Macaulay, Ess. Pitt (1851), 301. The King would be civil to him at the levee.
1837. Thackeray, Ravenswing, vii. He goes to the Levée once a year.
1896. Law Times, C. 408/1. On the occasion … of Lord Cadogan’s first Viceregal levée in Dublin Castle.
c. A miscellaneous assemblage of visitors, irrespective of the time of day; applied (U.S.) to the President’s receptions.
1766. M. Cutler, in Life, etc. (1888), I. 12. A second grand levee at Ellis’ Inn.
1831. Sir J. Sinclair, Corr., II. 100. Several ladies attended the evening levee of the Minister of the Home Department.
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. Amer., III. 96. The President’s levee presents many facilities for ridicule.
1842. Dickens, Amer. Notes, viii. It was on the occasion of one of those general assemblies which are held on certain nights, between the hours of nine and twelve o’clock, and are called, rather oddly, Levees.
transf. 1825. Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 993. The dogs … held a levee.
† 3. The company assembled at a levee; attendance of visitors. Obs.
1701. Farquhar, Sir H. Wildair, II. i. They were fisted about among his dirty Levee of Disbanded Officers.
1717. L. Howel, Desiderius (ed. 3), 180. Sanctify my heart, that I may be worthy to be one of thy divine Levy.
1753. Hanway, Trav. (1762), I. III. xxix. 127. I was again honored with a numerous levee.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, I. 171. Charlemagne received his levee in a great bath.
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl., 5 June. Going round the levee, [he] spoke to every individual.
4. attrib. and Comb., as levee-day, -dress, -haunting, -hunting, -man, -morn, -room, vow.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, III. vi. At every *levee-day repeat the same operation.
1789. Hamilton, Wks. (1886), VII. 44. The President to have a levee day once a week for receiving visits.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, xl. The day after his arrival … was a levee day.
1897. Geneal. Mag., Oct., 325. All gentlemen present wore *levée dress.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 547, ¶ 5. Such as are troubled with the Disease of *Levee-haunting.
1744. Warburton, Rem. Occas. Refl. 143. *Levy-hunting.
1721–2. Amherst, Terræ Filius, xiii. (1726), 67. To domineer over their masters’ clients, and *levee-men.
1812. Moore, Intercepted Lett., ii. 20. Last *Levee-morn he look’d it through.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), III. 133. The earl left his young friend a while in the *levee-room.
1836. in Byron’s Wks. (1846), 533/2. On entering the levee-room at Holyrood.
1763. Churchill, Duellist, III. 48. The private squeeze, the Levee vow.
