Forms: 5 bankat, 5–6 -ett(e, 6 bancket, -ette, -it, bancquet, -ett, 6–7 banket, 6– banquet. [a. F. banquet (15th c. in Littré), dim. of banc bench, corresponding to It. banchetto, dim. of banco ‘table’; cf. table, board, in sense of ‘meals.’ The development of sense in It. has yet to be investigated: possibly sense 2, or 3, will prove to have preceded 1.]
1. A feast, a sumptuous entertainment of food and drink; now usually a ceremonial or state feast, followed by speeches.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 246/2. He there bayned and made bankettis in etyng and drynkyng.
1502. Arnold, Chron. (1811), Introd. 41. There the Kinge helde ryal iustis, turnais, and bankettis.
1555. Fardle Facions, I. iv. 48. In bancquettes of honour … they serue in rawe flesh very finely minced.
1604. T. Wright, Passions, V. § 2. 163. Depriue great bankets of musicke, and the feast is not intire.
1711. Pope, Temp. Fame, 382. Ours is the place at banquets, balls and plays.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iii. The halls of the great companies were enlivened by many sumptuous banquets.
1885. Daily News, 4 June, 6/8. Last evening the Lord Mayor … gave a banquet to her Majesty’s Judges.
b. transf. and fig.; sometimes ironical.
c. 1495. Dunbar, Twa Mariit Wom., 430. To furnyse a bancat [v.r. bankat] In Venus chalmer.
1542. Elyot (title), The Bankette of Sapience.
1580. Sidney, Arcadia, III. 280. Had trayned out the Princesses to their banket of miserie.
1613. R. C., Table Alph., Pittance, short banquet.
1791–1824. D’Israeli, Cur. Lit. (1866), 16. Thus a single point, by the hand of a skilful artist, may become a varied banquet.
c. Applied to the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper.
1563. Homilies, II. Sacram., II. (1859), 449. O heavenly banquet, then so used.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxvii. § 11. Christ assisting this heavenly banquet with his personal presence.
† 2. A slight repast between meals. Sometimes called running banquet. (Often transf. and fig., as in prec. sense.) Obs.
1509. Fisher, Wks. I. 294. Eschewynge bankettes, reresoupers, joncryes betwyxe meles.
1552. Huloet, Banquet before supper, Antecœnium.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., III. iv. 69. Besides the running Banquet of two Beadles [i.e., a whipping] that is to come.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, v. 91. At banquets betweene meales, when the stomache is empty.
1657. Jordan, Walks Isling., Prol. A Play of Walks, or you may please to rank it, With that which Ladies love, A running Banquet.
3. A course of sweetmeats, fruit, and wine, served either as a separate entertainment, or as a continuation of the principal meal, but in the latter case usually in a different room; a dessert. Obs. in gen. use; but cf. ‘cake and wine banquet’ in Scotland, ‘fruit banquet’ in northern counties.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cccciii. He gaue dyners, suppers, and banketes to ladyes and damosels.
1588. Cogan, Haven Health, ccxii. (1612), 191. Yea, and after supper for feare lest they bee not full gorged, to haue a delicate banquet, with abundance of wine.
1610. Barrough, Physick, III. xxx. (1639), 151. Let his banket be Almonds.
1703. Lond. Gaz., No. 3943/4. A Ball, which … ended in a very handsome Banquet of Sweetmeats.
† b. A sweetmeat, a dainty dish; collect. sweetmeats, dessert.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), D iiij. To inuent newe maner of meates and bankettes.
1681. Lond. Gaz., No. 1623/4. Four Tables, covered with high Piramids of all sorts of Banquet.
a. 1700. Sedley, Poems, Wks. 1722, I. 36. Some with full Cups, with Banquets some attend.
† 4. A wine-drinking carousal. Obs.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Macc. xvi. 15. Where he made them a bancket [Gr. πότον].
1552. Huloet, Banquet called a rere banquet or drynkynge, repotium.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 612. A banket, where they shall be put to quaffe and carrouse in their turne.
1719. Young, Busiris, I. i. (1757), 19. The drunken banquet.
5. attrib., as in banquet-beagle, -chamber, -hall, etc.
1535. Coverdale, Eccles. vii. 2. It is better to go into a house of mournynge, then into a bancket house.
1599. B. Jonson, Ev. Man out of Hum., Dram. Pers. A good feast-hound, or banquet-beagle, that will scent you out a supper some three miles off.
1837. Lytton, E. Maltrav., V. viii. The lamps are dead in the banquet-room of yesterday.
1852. Tupper, Prov. Philos., 385. The grave, that dismal banquet-hall.
See also BANQUETTE.
