A. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to a lord or lords; consisting of lords; administered by lords. Now rare.
a. 1000. in Napier, O. E. Glosses (Anecd. Oxon.), 187/1. Heroicus, id est nobile, hlafordlic.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 23. Chireche … is cleped on boc kiriaca .i. dominicalis, þat is on englis louerdlich hus.
c. 1450. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 623/14. Herilis, lordlyche.
1530. Palsgr., 317/2. Lordlyke belongyng to a lorde.
1645. J. Cotton, Way Ch. Now Eng., 36. The Government of his [Christ’s] Kingdome is not Lordly, but Stewardly and Ministeriall.
1653. J. Hall, Paradoxes, 4. Lordly or absolute Monarchy is the best and most natural Government.
1841. Miall, in Nonconf., I. 241. Pensioning off supernumerary members of lordly houses.
1862. R. Vaughan, Nonconformity, 392. The more learned of this class were ardent in their support of a lordly prelacy.
2. Of persons: Having the character, attributes, appearance or demeanor of a lord. Of actions: Befitting a lord; honorable, noble.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 138. Thow arte þe lordlyeste lede þat ever I one lukyde. Ibid., 396. Þe conquerour … Alowes þame gretly theire lordly a-vowes.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), G vij. Some will be so lordely and valyaunt in vertues.
1829. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1842), I. 124. The … aggregate of good which arises to the lordlier part of the creation.
1840. Carlyle, Heroes (1858), 263. It is truly a lordly spectacle how this great soul takes in all kinds of men and objects, a Falstaff, an Othello, a Juliet, a Coriolanus.
1859. C. Barker, Associat. Principle, i. 28. Falconry and the chase afforded to the abbot … the most lordly recreation of the time.
1886. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. cxxxvi. 3. He is more lordly than all emperors and kings condensed into one.
b. Haughty, imperious, lofty, disdainful.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. III. 166. Lawe is so lordeliche and loth to make ende.
1530. Palsgr., 661/1. Are you waxen so lordely that you can nat plucke of your hosen your selfe?
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Rich. III., 39. Whome he … had … compelled by lordely and streite commaundemente.
1588. J. Udall, Demonstr. Discipl. (Arb.), 45. A minister may not be Lordly ouer Gods people [1 Pet. v. 3].
1600. Holland, Livy, XLV. xxxv. 1225. He was an imperious and lordly commaunder.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus iii. 2. (1619), 582. It suffereth not the Minister to be lordly in his doctrine or discipline.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Warres, 151. The Lordly domineering of the English, was not forgotten in France.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., 454. And like a Lion … He … with a Lordly Rage, his Hunters tears.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), I. 625. The lordly West-Indian tortures his poor Negroes.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iii. I. 303. The Captain … treated the Master with lordly contempt.
1862. Mrs. Browning, Ragged Schools, ix. Lordly English, think it o’er.
1880. L. Stephen, Pope, iv. 93. Swift, indeed, had … a lordly indifference to making money by his writings.
3. Of things: Suitable for a lord; hence, grand, magnificent, noble.
1535. Coverdale, Judg. v. 25. She … broughte forth butter in a lordly diszshe.
1570. B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., I. 6 b. In placeing of his kinsemen hie, in loftie Lordely chayre.
1604. Drayton, Owl, 37. Under th’ extensure of whose lordly arms, The small birds warbled their harmonious charms.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. xiv. On this bold brow, a lordly tower.
1832. Tennyson, Pal. Art, i. I built my soul a lordly pleasurehouse.
1890. H. G. Dakyns, Xenophon, I. p. lxxxviii. Cyrus was flying at lordlier game than certain irrepressible hill tribes.
4. absol. (In early use quasi-sb., a lordly person.)
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 1276. To that lordly on loft that lufly can lout.
1535. Coverdale, Job xxxiv. 19. He hath no respecte vnto the personnes of ye lordly.
1849. G. P. R. James, Woodman, iv. No meeting of the high, the rich, and the lordly.
1849. C. Brontë, Shirley, xvi. 244. He still advocated the lordly, liberal, and effective.
5. Comb.
1860–6. Patmore, Angel in Ho., II. II. iii. I am so proud of Frederick, He’s so high-bred and lordly-like With Mrs. Vaughan!
B. adv. After the manner of a lord; in a lordly manner (both in good and bad sense).
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XX. 241. Lordliche for to lyuen, and likyngliche be clothed.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. clxxx. (1495), 722. By his socour … that … sauyth all lordly and myghtly.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 489 (Douce MS.). And at þe listes one þe lande lordely done liȝte.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 312/2. Lordly, dominanter.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 61. To rebuke him for tyrannising so Lordlie ouer the boies.
1728. Savage, Bastard, 45. Lordly neglectful of a worth unknown.
1812. Combe, Picturesque, VII. (Chandos), 26. ‘If I’ said he, ‘remember right, I was most lordly drunk last night.’
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., II. III. 279. In a land where few were poor, if none Were lordly rich.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 467. Love is his tyrant, and lives lordly in him.
Comb. 1864. Dasent, Jest & Earnest (1873), II. 263. Who is yon lordly-dressed man who is walking along the street?
