Forms: 4–6 quantite, -yte, (4 -itee, -ytee, 5 whantite), 6 quauntit, 6–7 quantitie, (6 -etie), 6– quantity. [a. OF. quantité, ad. L. quantitās, -ātem, f. quant-us how much, how great: see -ITY.]
I. 1. Size, magnitude, dimensions. In widest sense implying magnitude in three dimensions, but sometimes contextually limited to (a) thickness or stoutness, (b) extent of surface, area, (c) linear extension, length, height. Obs. exc. Math.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 49. Asia is most in quantite, Europa is lasse.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxi. 96. Þare er oþer also of less quantitee, as it ware of þe mykill of a mannes thee.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 5845. Sawh thow euere … Off manhys herte the quantyte?
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, V. viii. A grete gyaunt … whiche was a man of an huge quantyte and heyghte.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. lxix. 102. The roote is long of the quantitie of ones fingar. Ibid., II. v. 153. White huskes … of the quantitie of a groote, or Testerne.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., VI. 298. A Dromidore, and Camel differ much in quality, but not in quantity, being of one height, bredth, and length.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., V. 17. How to find the just Quantity or Content of any Piece of Ground in any Form.
1682. R. Burton, Admirable Curios., (1684), 30. Diamonds are found in many places,… their quantity is from a Pease to a Walnut.
1830. Kater & Lardner, Mech., i. 4. The quantity of a surface is called its area, and the quantity of a line is called its length.
† b. A dimension. Obs. rare–1.
1590. J. Stockwood, Rules Construct., 48. Whether the word of measure do signifie, either the depth, height, length, thicknes, squarenes, roundnes, or any such other quantitie of a thing?
† c. An amount equal to the volume of. Obs.
1610. B. Jonson, Alch., II. i. D j. But taking, once a weeke, on a kniues point, The quantitie of a grayne of Mustard, of it.
1694. Salmon, Bate’s Dispens. (1713), 151/1. Of this Balsam … the Patient may take the Quantity of a pretty large Chestnut.
2. Amount, sum. a. Of material things not subject to, or not usually estimated by, spatial measurement.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxi. 142. Of þaim þai gader boumbe in grete quantitee.
1533. Elyot, Cast. Helthe (1539), 36 a. Ale and bere … do ingender more grosse vapours, and corrupt humors, than wine doth, beinge drunke in lyke excesse of quantitie.
1683. Tryon, Way to Health (1697), 205. Of the Quantity of Children’s Food.
1769. De Foe’s Tour Gt. Brit. (ed. 7), II. 64. Fern, which formerly grew in great Quantity there.
1849. Noad, Electricity (ed. 3), 188. The quantity of the Electric current bears a relation to the size of the plates.
b. Of immaterial things.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, x. (Matthew), 576. Nothire for þe ennormyte of þe syne, na þe quantyte.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 106. Chese a sotell man … to shewe þe quantyte of þy hynes.
1432. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 403/1. There should no man ben amerced bote after the quantite of his trespas.
c. 1485. Digby Myst., IV. 621. After the whantite of sorofull remembrance.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. ii. 17. I loue thee … How much the quantity, the waight as much, As I do loue my Father.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. liii. (1739), 94. Fine and Pledges shall be according to the quantity of the offence.
1780. Bentham, Princ. Legisl., xvii. § 15. Any punishment is subservient to reformation in proportion to its quantity.
1827. Pollok, Course T., VIII. He prayed by quantity.
† c. Of money, payment, etc. Obs.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., vi. (1885), 121. The iiijth or the vth parte of the quantite of his expenses.
1528. Galway Arch., 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 403. That some or quauntit of such monye as they playe for.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 223 b. The fees of canonizyng of a kyng, wer of so great a quantitie at Rome [etc.].
1600. Hamilton, in Cath. Tract. (S.T.S.), 219. The qualitie and quantitie of the oblation.
1714. Fortescue-Aland, Pref. Fortescue’s Abs. & Lim. Mon., 48. The Lord was to forfeit 30s. which was then near as much in Quantity as 5l. now.
1775. Johnson, Tax. no Tyr., 15. The quantity of this payment.
† d. Number, numbers. (Cf. 9.) Obs. rare.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 10. The cristin men … war all persewit and put to dede in grete quantitee.
1581. N. Burne, in Cath. Tract. (S.T.S.), 135. To mak Chalices of gold and siluer in mair quantitie and aboundance nor befoir.
3. Length or duration in time. Now only in the legal phrase Quantity of estate, the length of time during which the right of enjoyment of an estate is to continue.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 7. Rekne thanne the quantite of tyme in the bordure by-twixe bothe prikkes. Ibid., § 9. To knowe the quantite of the day vulgare.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., G vij. According to the quantitie of the yere, obserueit in that age to contene 304 dayes.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), II. 354. The alteration in the particular estate … must amount to an alteration in its quantity.
1841. Penny Cycl., XIX. 46/1. Where the word Estate is used in its technical sense, it … [means] the quantity and quality of enjoyment of the thing.
b. Pros. Length or shortness of sounds or syllables, determined by the time required to pronounce them. Chiefly used with reference to Greek and Latin verse, in which the metres are based on quantity. False quantity: see FALSE a. 2.
1563–7. Buchanan, Reform. St. Andros, Wks. (1892), 9. Thys classe sal reid … sum buik of Ouide, and the quantiteis of syllabes.
1586. W. Webbe, Eng. Poetrie (Arb.), 69. As for the quantity of our wordes, therein lyeth great difficultye.
a. 1637. B. Jonson, Eng. Gram., iii. All our vowels are … In quantity (which is time) long or short.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., The quantity of the syllables is but little fixed in the modern tongues.
1774. Warton, Hist. Eng. Poetry (1840), I. Diss. ii. 108. King Chilperic … wrote two books of Latin verses … without any idea of the common quantities.
1859. Thackeray, Virgin., v. George knew much more Latin … than his master, and caught him in perpetual … false quantities.
1887. Ruskin, Præterita, II. 275. A rightly bred scholar who knew his grammar and his quantities.
c. Mus. Length or duration of notes.
1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 9. The quantitie of euery note and rest in the song.
1674. Playford, Skill Mus., I. vii. 24. Measure in this Science is a Quantity of the length and shortness of Time.
1811. Busby, Dict. Mus., s.v., Quantity, in music … does not signify the number of notes, or syllables, but their relative duration.
4. In the most abstract sense, esp. as the subject of mathematics: That property of things which is involved in the questions ‘how great?’ or ‘how much?’ and is determinable, or regarded as being so, by measurement of some kind.
In this sense continuous and discrete quantity are distinguished: see DISCRETE 2. ‘Quantity’ is the second of the ten Aristotelian categories.
1530. Palsgr., Introd., 144. Some [adverbs] betoken quantite.
1570, 1687, etc. [see DISCRETE].
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., IV. iii. (1695), 314. The Ideas of Quantity are not those alone that are capable of Demonstration and Knowledge.
1756. Burke, Subl. & B., III. ii. All proportions, every arrangement of quantity, is alike to the understanding.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XV. 741/1. Mathematics is … employed in discovering and stating many relations of quantity.
1864. Bowen, Logic, vii. 185. Mathematics is the science of pure quantity.
5. Logic. a. The extension or intension of a term, distinguished as extensive and intensive quantity (see the adjs.). b. The degree of extension that a proposition gives to the term forming its subject, and according to which it is said to be universal, particular, singular, and indefinite or indeterminate (see these words).
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., III. i. 306. Another, A certain one, Some one, are for their Quantities, Singulars or Particulars indeterminate.
1697. trans. Burgersdicius’ Logic, I. xxix. 115. In Respect to Quantity an Enunciation is divided into Universal, Particular, Indefinite, and Singular.
1725. Watts, Logic (1726), 160. Both particular and universal Propositions which agree in Quality but not in Quantity are call’d Subaltern.
1836–8. [see INTENSION 5, EXTENSIVE 5].
1843. Mill, Logic, I. II. ii. § 1. According to what are called the quantity and quality of propositions.
1864. Bowen, Logic, v. 120. We may inquire concerning the number of objects about which we judge, and thus determine the Quantity, or Extension, of the Judgment. [See also EXTENSION 8 b.]
† 6. Relative or proportional size or amount, proportion. Obs. rare.
1551. Recorde, Cast. Knowl. (1556), 146. Euery darke body giueth shadowe accordinge to the quantitie that it beareth to that shyning body, which giueth the light.
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. ii. 177. For womens Feare and Loue, holds quantitie, In neither ought, or in extremity:… And as my Loue is siz’d, my Feare is so.
7. Great or considerable amount or bulk.
1753. Hogarth, Anal. Beauty, vi. 29. Windsor castle is a noble instance of the effect of quantity.
1877. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 175. Only the smelting-ores have been extracted in quantity.
II. 8. A (specified) portion or amount of an article or commodity. Also transf. of immaterial things. (Cf. 2 above.)
c. 1325. Poem times Edw. II. (Percy), xlii. Give the goodman to drink A gode quantite.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), viii. 31. Of þis liquour þai giffe a lytill quantitee til pilgrimes.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Alfonce, xi. A grete dele or quantite of mostard.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 64. A lytell quantite of sande in an other lytell bagge.
1602. Shaks., Ham., V. i. 293. Fortie thousand Brothers Could not (with all there quantitie of Loue) Make up my summe.
1696. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), IV. 4. Having received great quantities of broad money from Exeter in order to clip it.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 203, ¶ 10. A certain quantity or measure of renown.
1793. Beddoes, Calculus, 223. A small quantity of azotic air.
1825. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. Stage Illusion. A sufficient quantity of illusion for the purposes of dramatic interest.
1863. Q. Rev., July, 78. A certain quantity of snow.
b. An indefinite (usually a fair or considerable) portion or amount; † a small piece, fragment.
c. 1325. Song of Yesterday, in E. E. P. (1862), 134. Of his strengþe he leost a quantite.
c. 1400. Song Roland, 585. Offred them every chon a quantite of gold.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, C vij. Take a quantyte of poorke … and butter.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Sam. xxx. 12. They … gaue him a quantite of fygges, & two quantities of rasyns.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., IV. iii. 112. Away thou Ragge, thou quantitie, thou remnant. Ibid. (1597), 2 Hen. IV., V. i. 77. If I were saw’de into Quantities I should make foure dozen of such bearded Hermites staues.
1731. Arbuthnot, Aliments, VI. vii. § 2 (1735), 182. Warm antiscorbutical Plants taken in Quantities will occasion stinking Breath.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., xxxiii. 299. Taking a quantity of cotton from her basket, she placed it in his.
1883. Manch. Guard., 18 Oct., 4/8. Yesterday … a quantity of wreckage was cast up at Southport.
c. With def. article: The portion or amount (of something) present in a particular thing or instance.
1611. Bible, 2 Esdras iv. 50. As the fire is greater then the smoke:… so the quantity which is past, did more exceede.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. ix. I resolv’d to sow just the same Quantity every Year.
1780. Bentham, Princ. Legisl., xviii. § 44. The quantity of sensible heat in a human body.
1837. Penny Cycl., IX. 343. The total quantity of electricity in the charge of an electrised body.
1876. Preece & Sivewright, Telegraphy, 2. We can speak of the quantity of sound caused by the explosion of a cannon. Ibid. The force of attraction is found to increase with the quantity of electricity present.
9. A specified, or indefinite (= fair, considerable), number of persons or things.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 235. [He] slew of thame a quantite.
14[?]. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 36. Gadyr a good quantyte of snayles.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 57. Almaist mycht nane persave that ony quantitee of peple eschapit fra the bataill.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 3. The moost quantyte of the people vnderstonde not latyn.
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 169. There is a farre greater quantity of buildings in this [the Rialto] then in ours.
1750. Beawes, Lex Mercat. (1752), 8. A Quantity of small marshy Isles.
1852. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., II. 198. Four chairs and a quantity of pillows.
1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 241. I … find in it a quantity of pools.
10. A certain space or surface; a portion of something having superficial extent. Now rare.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 30. Swych a quantite of latitude as [sheweth] by thyn Almykanteras.
1464. Rolls Parlt., V. 519/2. A Graunte … of a pece or a quantite of Lande.
1611. Cotgr., Quartellée, a certaine quantitie of, or measure for, ground.
1758. S. Hayward, Serm., xiv. 408. In a race there is a quantity of ground laid out.
1792. Burke, Lett. to R. Burke, Corr. IV. 26. You would make them a grant of a sufficient quantity of your land.
1812–6. Playfair, Nat. Phil. (1819), II. 214. A fixed star … occupies exactly the same place … within a quantity so small as to be hardly measurable.
† 11. In adverbial phrases: Great quantity, by or to a large amount or extent; to a great distance. A quantity, to some extent, considerably. A little quantity, a little way. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8816. Vp þai lifted oft-sith þe tre, It was to scort gret quantite.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 76. Endlang the vattir than ȝeid he On aithir syde gret quantite.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIX. 372. Þere nas no crystene creature þat kynde witte hadde … That he ne halpe a quantite holynesse to wexe.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xxiii. 253. Thei leyn upon the hors gold and silver gret quantytee.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., XI. 157. Ek lyfte her plaunte a litel quantite.
12. Math. A thing having quantity (see 4 above); a figure or symbol standing for such a thing. Imaginary quantity: see the adj. 1 c.
1570. Billingsley, Euclid, XI. def. i. 312. A superficies is a quantitie of greater perfection then is a line.
1581. Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 24. So doe the Geometrician, and Arithmetician, in their diverse sorts of quantities.
1700. Moxon, Math. Dict., 133. Those Quantities are said to be commensurable, which have one Aliquot part … but Incommensurable Quantities have no Aliquot parts.
1806. Hutton, Course Math., I. 201. Range the quantities according to the dimensions of some letter.
1831. Brewster, Newton (1855), II. xiv. 11. He considered quantities not as composed of indivisibles, but as generated by motion.
1881. Maxwell, Electr. & Magn., I. 11. There are certain cases in which a quantity may be measured with reference to a line as well as with reference to an area.
transf. 1864. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XII. xi. (1872), IV. 245. This Holy Romish Reich … has been more and ever more becoming an imaginary quantity.
1870. Rogers, Hist. Gleanings, Ser. II. 9. Such a monarchy was a mere geographical quantity.
1883. Stevenson, Silverado Sq., 134. Her husband was an unknown quantity.
III. 13. attrib. and Comb., chiefly in terms relating to quantity of electricity, as quantity armature, battery, effect, fuse, galvanometer, inductor; also quantity-mark, a mark indicating the quantity of a vowel or syllable; quantity-surveyor, a surveyor who estimates the quantities of the materials required for any work.
1838. Morn. Chron., in Noad’s Electricity (1849), 401. The decomposing power of the quantity inductor.
1849. Noad, Electricity (ed. 3), 397. One … is used for quantity effects, such as igniting platinum wire. Ibid., 399. The quantity armature is constructed of stout iron.
1873. Jenkin, Electr. & Magn., 190. The term … ‘quantity galvanometer’ [is used to signify] an instrument with few turns of thick wire [in its coil].
1884. H. Sweet, in 13th Pres. Addr. Philol. Soc., 92. When … quantity- and accent-marks are neglected.
1896. Daily News, 5 Aug., 9/5. The plans of the buildings … will be now submitted to the quantity surveyor, with a view to the quantities being taken out.
