For forms see LIKE a. and -NESS. [OE. (Northumb.) lícnes, shortened form of ʓelícness I-LIKENESS.]
1. The quality or fact of being like; resemblance, similarity; an instance of this. Const. to; † formerly in the same sense, const. of (or genitive of pron.), with.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 9515. Wite cloþes heo dude hire on … ilich þe snowe, Þat me ne ssolde hire uor þe liknesse ise ne iknowe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3332. Licknes to corbin had he nan.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., II. xv. (1495), 40. The lykenesse of god is shewed in a lower maner in the lowest ordres of angels.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VII. xxviii. The vertu of my rynge … that is reed it wil torne in lykenes to grene.
1551. Turner, Herbal, I. K v b. It may be called … ciste sage, of the lyknes that it hath with sage.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., V. iii. 8. The Lord of Stafford deere to day hath bought Thy likenesse.
1601. Sir W. Cornwallis, Ess. (1632), ix. Confounding a Gentleman, and a Peasant with the likenesse of salutation.
1612. W. Colson, Gen. Treasury, title, The practise … to adde and substract all vsuall Fractions vnlike, without reduction into likenesse.
1651. Howell, Venice, Pref. Moreover if likenes may beget love, England hath reason to affect Venice more than any other.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1724), I. 51. His other writings being such that no man from a likeness of style would think him capable of writing so extraordinary a book.
1818. J. C. Hobhouse, Hist. Illustr. (ed. 2), 386. Neither of them has a shadow of likeness with the lyric poetry of Petrarch.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., lxxiii. As sometimes in a dead man’s face,… A likeness,… Comes out—to some one of his race.
1855. Bain, Senses & Int., III. ii. § 23 (1864), 499. There is scope for the detection of likenesses in the midst of diversity.
1866. G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., vii. (1878), 103. It was a likeness to her little boy that had affected me so pleasantly.
2. That which resembles an object; a like shape or form, a semblance. Hence gen. form, shape, esp. in phrase in likeness of. † In OE. = figure, stature.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. vi. 27. Huælc … iurre ʓeðences mæʓe to-ece to licnesse [c. 1000 anlicnesse] his elne enne.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18823. Bot of his licknes þat he bar Quils he went prechand here and þare Þan mai we sai.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 332. Þan may men his liknes se Chaunged, als it had never bene he.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1142, Dido. Cupido … Hadde the liknesse of the child I-take.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 27. Þe fleisch is not hoot, but it is moist & haþ þre maner lijknes.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 1861. In liknes of brede and wyne gaf crist his blode and flesshe.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxx. 47. Ane fieind he wes in liknes of ane freir.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. i. 104. In this borrowed likenesse of shrunke death Thou shalt continue two and forty houres.
1611. Bible, Ezek. i. 5. Out of the midst thereof came the likenesse of foure liuing creatures, and this was their appearance: hey had the likenesse of a man.
1634. Milton, Comus, 84. I must … take the Weeds and likenes of a Swain.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Fables, ccccxix. 395. It is safer yet to stand upon our Guard against an Enemy in the likeness of a Friend, then [etc.].
1815. Shelley, Demon World, 270. The likeness of a throned king came by.
1881. Freeman, Subj. Venice, 180. Spalato is putting on the likeness of a busy modern town.
3. The representation of an object; a copy, counterpart, image, portrait. Phr. to take a person’s likeness: to make a portrait of him. Also of persons: One who closely resembles another.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. Contents (Sk.) 21/10. Imaginis licnessa.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2641. Hamones likenes was ðor-on.
1340. Ayenb., 49. Prelas, þet ssolden bi licnesse and uorbysne of holynesse … to al þe wordle.
1414. Brampton, Penit. Ps. (Percy Soc.), 4. Turne the, Lord, and tarye nowȝt, Thin owen lyknes to helpe and save.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., III. iv. 73. Thou old Adams likenesse, set to dresse this Garden.
1611. Bible, Deut. iv. 16. Lest yee … make you a grauen image … the likenes of male, or female.
1647. Cowley, Mistress, My Picture (1687), 50. Here, take my Likeness with you, whilst ’tis so.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 450. What next I bring shall please thee, be assur’d, Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self.
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, xix. (1697), 412. All creatures do vehemently desire to bring forth their Likenesses.
1729. T. Cooke, Tales, Proposals, &c. 22. Whose Sire … Had all bequeath’d … To the dear Likeness of himself his Son.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint., IV. (1786), 2. At most he gave himself the trouble of taking the likeness of the person who sat to him.
1781. Cowper, Charity, 434. Such was the portrait an apostle drew,… Heaven held his hand, the likeness must be true.
1815. Jane Austen, Emma, I. vi. 34. Did you ever have your likeness taken?
1857. Willmott, Pleas. Lit., xx. 115. History’s … portraits ought to be likenesses.
1885. Clodd, Myths & Dr., II. xii. 223. They believe that their names and likenesses are integral parts of themselves.
1889. Pater, G. de Latour (1896), 32. Her sacred veil…, which kings and princes came to visit, returning with a likeness thereof … for their own wearing.
† b. A sculptured image, a statue. Obs.
c. 1200. Ormin, 1057. Off þatt an, off Cherubyn, Þeȝȝ haffdenn liccness metedd Uppo þatt oferrwerrc þatt wass Abufenn þarrke timmbredd.
c. 1275. Lay., 1267. He wolde … wrchen hire … on licnesse of ræde golde.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 678. Nilus king Made likenesse, for muni[gin]g After his fader.
† 4. A comparison; hence, a parable. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Luke v. 36. He seide to hem also a liknesse [Vulg. similitudinem].
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 1984. And shewed hem ensamples and lyknesse.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton), II. lviii. (1859), 56. ‘What reson hath the fyre to pleyne vpon the wode, which … hit brenneth in to asshes?’… ‘No cause,’ quod I … ‘but between the and me this maner of lykenes is not comparable.’ ‘Sothly,’ qwod this body, ‘this lykenes is accordaunt.’
† 5. Probable amount; = LIKELIHOOD 2 c. Obs.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., x. (1885), 131. Now that the lykennes off the kynges charges ordinarie and extraordinarie bith shewid [etc.].
