Level v.¹

Inflected levelled, levelling (U.S. leveled, leveling). Also 5–7 levell, (6 levelle, leavell, -ill, leyvel). [f. LEVEL sb.]

  I.  1. trans. To make (a surface) level or even; to remove or reduce inequalities in the surface of. † Also, to spread or distribute in a flat layer.

c. 1440.  Jacob’s Well, 3. Levell þi ground of þi welle be-nethe wyth þe leuell of equyte.

1509.  in Bury Wills (Camden), 112. That y^e hygheway … be made and levelde at my cost and charge w^t grawell and stonys.

1530.  Palsgr., 609/2. I levell, as a carpenter or mason dothe his grounde, or their tymber, or stones or they square them, with a lyne … This florthe is well leavelled: cest astre est bien aplanyée.

1641–2.  in Swayne, Sarum Churchw. Acc. (1896), 213. Leveling y^e ground in y^e body of y^e Ch.

1703.  Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 257. The Foundation being all made firm, and levelled.

1795.  J. Phillips, Hist. Inland Navig., Add. 40. The rubbish, &c. dug in making the canal, is to be leveled on the adjoining ground in a proper manner.

1856.  Emerson, Eng. Traits, Aristocr., Wks. (Bohn), II. 87. The road that grandeur levels for his coach.

1874.  Green, Short Hist., ii. § 6. 92. Street and lane were being levelled to make space for the famous Churchyard of S. Paul’s.

  fig.  1812.  Gen. Hist., in Ann. Rev., 132. Inflammatory writings inculcating levelling notions.

  b.  To level out: to extend on a level; † fig. to contrive, procure (an opportunity).

1606.  G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Iustine, XVI. 65 b. [Demetrius hoped] to leauell out fit opportunity himselfe to inuade the kingdome.

1644.  Milton, Divorce, II. xiv. 59. To limit and level out the direct way from vice to vertu, with straitest and exactest lines on either side.

c. 1850.  Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 129. Levelled-out, a line continued out in a horizontal direction from the intersection of an angle; or where the cant-timbers may intersect the diagonal or riband lines.

  † c.  To balance, settle (accounts). Obs.

1660.  in 1st Cent. Hist. Springfield, Mass. (1898), I. 270. Theire last Rate did not Levell all aco^ts, But … there is still £2 17s. 4d. for y^e Towne to allow, for y^e clearing of all aco^ts.

  d.  Dyeing. To make (color) uniform or even.

1874.  Crookes, Dyeing, etc. 549. This liquid [tartar] is employed by some dyers for ‘levelling’ certain colours … upon woollen and worsted goods.

  2.  To place (two or more things) on the same level or (horizontal) plane. Also fig.

1563.  Hyll, Art Garden. (1593), 14. You shall leuell your beds and borders of a height and breadth by a line laide out, whereby to weede the hearbes.

1599.  Broughton’s Let., xiii. 44. The two passages were leuelled vpon one floore, the one leading into Elysium, the other into Tartarus.

1863.  W. Phillips, Speeches, iii. 44. Gunpowder leveled peasant and prince.

1867.  ‘Ouida,’ C. Castlemaine, 1. Cecil Castlemaine was the beauty of her county and her line … her face levelled politics, and was cited as admiringly by the Whigs … as by the Tories.

  3.  fig. To level (a person or thing) with (now rare), to, † unto: to bring or reduce to the level or standard of; to put on a level, equality or par with. Also occas. intr. for pass., to be on a par with (? obs.).

1603.  Jas. I., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. III. 79. Sa mon ye levell everie mannis opinions … unto you as ye finde thaime agree or discorde with the reulis thaire sett doun.

1604.  Shaks., Oth., I. iii. 240. With such Accomodation and besort As leuels with her breeding.

a. 1626.  Middleton & Rowley, Changeling, I. ii. To levell him with a Headborough, Beadle, or watchman, were but little better then he is.

1667.  Causes Decay Chr. Piety, v. 85. Those brutish appetites which would … level its superior with its inferior faculties [etc.].

1671.  Flavel, Fount. Life, v. 13. The Arians denied his Deity levelling him with other men.

1769.  De Foe’s Tour Gt. Brit. (ed. 7), I. 86. To see a Person of Distinction … level himself with a Groom … is a Thing scarce credible.

1800.  Mrq. Wellesley, in Owen, Desp. (1877), 739. In the nature of their duty, they are levelled with the native and Portuguese clerks.

1824.  B. Travers, Dis. Eye, (ed. 3), 327. It levels with the proposal to extract through the sclerotica.

1828.  Sewell, Oxf. Prize Ess., 31. His arrogance levelled the slave with the brute creation.

1849.  Prescott, Peru (1850), II. 204. Its heaven-descended aristocracy was levelled almost to the condition of the peasant.

1879.  Dixon, Windsor, II. xiii. 137. The recently created dukes were levelled to their ancient rank.

  b.  To level up, down: to bring up, down to the level of something (expressed or implied). Also absol., and intr. for refl.

1763.  Johnson, in Boswell, 21 July. Sir, your levellers wish to level down as far as themselves; but they cannot bear levelling up to themselves.

1809.  Sir J. Anstruther, Sp. Ho. Commons, 11 May, in Cobbett, Pol. Reg., 20 May, 754. Another party … whose object was to level down all public men to their own very humble state.

1873.  Hamerton, Intell. Life, III. viii. (1876), 111. To which he may level up.

1897.  Morley, Speech, 16 Jan. To level up the beer and spirit duties.

  c.  simply. To lower the position of, bring down.

1712.  Steele, Spect., No. 485, ¶ 1. ’Tis infinite pleasure to the majority of mankind to level a person superior to his neighbours.

  4.  To bring to the level of the ground; to lay low, lay ‘even with the ground,’ to raze. Also to level to or with the ground, in the dust.

1614.  Raleigh, Hist. World, I. iii. § 5. 41. All downe-right raines doe … beate down and leuell the swelling and mountainous billow of the Sea.

1618.  Bolton, Florus, III. x. (1636), 205. He … levelled Alexia to the ground with fire.

1684.  Otway, Windsor Castle (1685), 13. The Hero levell’d in his humble Grave.

1713.  Warder, True Amazons (ed. 2), 33. Here twice ten thousand Houses levell’d are.

1794.  Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, xxxiii. Many noble trees were levelled with the ground.

1807.  G. Chalmers, Caledonia, I. III. vii. 395. Many of those tumuli have been levelled of late.

1870.  Bryant, Iliad, I. IV. 106. Should I design to level in the dust Some city.

1878.  Browning, Poets Croisic, 12. May-dawn dews Saw the old structure levelled.

  b.  To knock (a person) down. Cf. LEVELLER.

1760–72.  H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), IV. 94. I ran one of the assassins through the body, Tirlah levelled two more with his oaken staff.

1816.  Sporting Mag., XLVIII. 187. The unfortunate Mordecai, who had been levelled very often by the rough son of Neptune.

  c.  transf. and fig. To reduce or remove (inequalities).

1642.  Rogers, Naaman, 3. Preparing and levelling their rough and high spirits for the Lord Jesus.

1812–6.  J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 82. These inequalities are soon levelled by a file.

1821.  Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Imperfect Sympathies. The mercantile spirit levels all distinctions.

1856.  Sir B. Brodie, Psychol. Inq., I. vi. 220. Circumstances of trial, which, more than anything else, level all artificial distinctions.

  5.  Surveying. To ascertain the differences of level in (a piece of land); to ascertain the vertical contour of, ‘run’ a section of; hence, to lay out. Also absol. or intr., to take levels.

1598, etc.  [see LEVELLING vbl. sb. 2].

1712.  J. James, trans. Le Blond’s Gardening, 118. Taking the Profil of a Mountain, is, to level the Slope of it exactly. Ibid., 189. You may level the Hill according to the following Practice.

1727–41.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Levelling, We are now able to level distances of one or two miles, at a single operation.

  II.  6. To aim (a missile weapon); to ‘lay’ (a gun); also rarely, to bring (a spear) to the proper level for striking. Also to level one’s aim. (Freq. in fig. contexts.) Const. at, against, † toward, † to, † unto.

1530.  Palsgr., 609/2. He leavelleth his crosse bowe to shote at some dere.

1586.  Hooker, Hist. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 130/1. He charged his peece, and leueled the same vnto the said Peter Carew.

1599.  Shaks., Much Ado, IV. i. 239. If all ayme but this be leuelld false.

1655.  Marq. Worcester, Cent. Inv., viii. A way how to level and shoot Cannon by night as well as by day.

1667.  Milton, P. L., II. 712. Each at the Head Level’d his deadly aime.

1695.  Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, I. (1723), 48. They [the Means] were both levell’d wide, and fell all short of the Mark.

1757.  Burke, Abridgm. Eng. Hist., Wks. 1842, II. 586. The papal thunders, from the wounds of which he was still sore, were levelled full at his head.

1810.  Scott, Lady of L., II. xxxii. Against his sovereign, Douglas ne’er Will level a rebellious spear.

1845.  Darwin, Voy. Nat., x. (1879), 219. In the very act of levelling his musket.

1879.  J. Burroughs, Locusts & Wild Honey (1884), 57. Levelling his bill as carefully as a marksman levels his rifle.

1883.  R. W. Dixon, Mano, I. xv. 43. Forth from Ravenna’s fort he levelled aim Against the popedom.

  † b.  To shoot (a missile) out (of a weapon). Obs.

1592.  Stow, Ann., 235. [He] leuelled a quarrel out of a cros bowe.

1610.  Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 250. A bullet levelled out of a great piece of ordnance.

1664.  Floddan F., viii. 72. Roaring Guns … levell’d out great leaden lumps.

  c.  To direct (one’s looks); to dart (rays).

1594.  J. Dickenson, Arisbas (1878), 40. To … leuell the eye … at a gainefull, though inglorious obiect.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IV. 543. The setting Sun … Against the eastern Gate of Paradise Leveld his eevning Rayes.

1725.  Pope, Odyss., XXI. 459. The chord he drew, Thro’ ev’ry ringlet levelling his view.

1749.  Fielding, Tom Jones, IX. v. The fair one … hastily withdrew her eyes and levelled them downwards.

1817.  Byron, Beppo, lxvii. Others were levelling their looks at her.

  d.  fig. To aim, direct, point.

1576.  Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 273. All our actions are leveled … unto two ends.

1591.  Spenser, M. Hubberd, 772. All his minde on honour fixed is, To which he levels all his purposis.

1690.  Locke, Toleration, ii. Wks. 1727, II. 279. You proportion your Punishments … contrary to the Common Discretion,… which levels the Punishments against refractory Offenders.

1704.  Hearne, Duct. Hist. (1714), I. 383. Pompey … made two Laws particularly levelled against him [Cæsar].

1742.  Fielding, J. Andrews, I. xvii. This fellow’s writings … are levelled at the clergy.

1856.  Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), II. ix. 325. Considerable sarcasm has been levelled at the assumption by Henry of this title.

1894.  Solicitor’s Jrnl., XXXIX. 2/2. It is not necessary for the official receiver to level an accusation of fraud against any individual.

  † e.  Const. inf. To aim at doing something; to intend to. Obs.

1708.  Swift, Sentim. Ch. Eng. Man, Wks. 1755, II. I. 65. A few men, whose designs … were levelled to destroy the constitution both of religion and government.

1752.  Beawes, Lex. Mercat. Rediv., 257. My endeavours have been levelled … to obtain this satisfaction.

1809.  Malkin, Gil Blas, V. i. ¶ 12. This exclamation produced all the astonishment it was levelled to excite in the old citizen.

  7.  absol. or intr. To aim with a weapon; † occas. said of the weapon. Also freq. transf. and fig. as in 6 (with the same const.). Somewhat arch.

c. 1500.  Three Kings’ Sons, 75. That … they shold leuelle & shote alle at ones.

1579.  Spenser, Sheph. Cal., March, 85. I leuelde againe, And shott at him with might and maine.

1579.  Gosson, Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 59. A wanton eye is the darte of Cephalus, where it leueleth, there it lighteth.

1590.  Greene, Orl. Fur. (1599), B 3 b. I, so they gesse but leuell farre awry.

1597.  Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., III. ii. 286. The foe-man may with as great ayme leuell at the edge of a Pen-knife.

1604.  T. Wright, Passions, I. i. 1. There can be no man, who works by right reason but … he aymeth at some end, he levels at some good.

1626.  T. H., trans. Caussin’s Holy Crt., 6. Euery Christian is obliged to leuell at perfection.

1664.  Butler, Hud., II. iii. 449. He to his engine flew … And rais’d it till it levell’d right.

1699.  Pomfret, Poems (1724), 31. He levels blindly, yet the mark does hit.

1699.  Dampier, Voy., II. I. 72. When they shoot at a mark, they level, and fire at first sight.

1704.  Pope, Windsor For., I. 129. He lifts the tube and levels with his eye.

1728.  T. Sheridan, Persius, iv. (1739), 54. The Author in this Satyr levels at Nero.

1879.  Browning, Martin Relph, 103. They level: a volley, a smoke and the clearing of smoke.

  † b.  To guess at. Obs.

1580.  Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 227. If thou couldest as well conceiue the cure of a father as I can leuel at the nature of a child. Ibid., 289. Since your eyes are … so cunning that you can leuell at the dispositions of women whom you neuer knew.

1596.  Shaks., Merch. V., I. ii. 41. As thou namest them [my suitors], I will describe them, and according to my description leuell at my affection.