Also 6 solidyte, 6–7 soliditie. [ad. F. solidité (= It. solidità) or L. soliditāt-em, f. solidus SOLID: see -ITY.]
1. The quality of being solid or substantial, in various figurative or transferred senses.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 720/2. The trouth of Goddes woorde … hath his solidyte, substaunce and fastnesse of and in it selfe.
a. 1610. Healey, Cebes (1636), 150. The Genius bids them, neuer giue credence vnto her, neuer to imagine any solidity in her bounties.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 166. No Kingdom … in the solidity … of the Laws … was more Secure than England.
1788. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 542. Assure me of the solidity of your recovery.
1804. Gouv. Morris, in Sparks, Life & Writ. (1832), III. 213. Prussia has grown up so fast that there is a want of solidity.
1866. Seeley, Ecce Homo, iv. (ed. 8), 36. Human relations gained a solidity and permanence which they had never before seemed to have.
1871. Tyndall, Fragm. Sci. (1879), II. ii. 39. That unsubstantial pageant of the imagination to which the solidity of science is opposed.
b. Of persons, in respect of learning, judgment, character, etc.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 495. Now I know such is the solidity of divers Readers and people, that [etc.].
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), II. 14. Men resembled him to one of the ships-royal … called the Swiftsure, such his celerity and solidity in all affairs.
1695. Ld. Preston, Boethius, IV. pr. i. (1712), 176. These … things … may put an end to thy Complaints, and strengthen thee with all Firmness and Solidity.
1723. Wodrow, Corr. (1843), III. 33. The King expressed at that time an uncommon esteem of Mr. Henderson for his learning, piety, and solidity.
1756. Mrs. Calderwood, in Coltness Collect. (Maitland Club), 148. One must admire them for their solidity, industry, and pains-taking in every thing.
1821. Rich, Journ. Persepolis, 12 Sept., in Babylon & P. (1839), 268. The Persians are unthinking, perpetually joking, and deficient in solidity.
1869. McLaren, Serm., Ser. II. vii. 120. Without that armour, there will not be solidity enough in our character.
c. Of argument, demonstration, etc.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. vi. (1686), 15. Establishing their assertions with great solidity.
1667. Poole, Dial. betw. Protest. & Papist (1735), 70. Not for any Solidity of Argument (that had been pedantick).
1677. Owen, On Justific., xii. Wks. 1851, III. 263. Such niceties have more of philosophical subtlety than theological solidity in them.
1775. Johnson, in Boswell (Oxf. ed.), I. 560. That the Colonists could with no solidity argue … that they should not now be taxed.
1826. Kent, Comm., 19. In cases where the principal jurists agree, the presumption will be very great in favor of the solidity of their maxims.
1865. Pusey, Truth Eng. Ch., 136. A remarkable response, objecting to the decree with much solidity and clearness.
d. Of judgment.
1727. Bailey (vol. II.), Soundness,… Solidity of Judgment.
1774. Reid, Aristotle’s Logic, ii. § 2. 28. In proportion to the solidity and accuracy of a man’s judgment.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 23. Good sense, perspicuity, accuracy, and solidity of judgment.
1882. Hinsdale, Garfield & Educ., I. 116. Close observation, high analytical … ability, solidity of judgment.
2. The quality or condition of being materially solid; compactness and firmness of texture, structure, etc. Also fig.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1302. A land altogether barren and unfruitfull, by reason of hardnesse and stiffe soliditie.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 238. Tunnie;… in taste something resembling flesh, as in colour and soliditie.
1663. S. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr. (1687), 381. We may discern between hardness and softness, a middle temperament, which is called solidity and firmness.
1704. Norris, Ideal World, II. i. 46. Solidity, according to the vulgar and popular sense of it, wherein it is used for hardness.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), VI. 213. They have the solidity of the hardest bone.
1841. T. R. Jones, Anim. Kingd., 446. A fibro-cartilaginous substance … fills the interior of each mandible, and thus gives it sufficient solidity for all required purposes.
1842. S. Lover, Handy Andy, ix. When they came to take the haystack to pieces, the solidity of its centre rather astonished them.
b. Of buildings, edifices, etc.
1662. Gerbier, Principles, Title-p., The three chief Principles of Magnificent Building, viz. Solidity, Conveniency, and Ornament.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 72. They load the edifice of society, by setting up in the air what the solidity of the structure requires to be on the ground.
1833. Ritchie, Wand. Loire, 25. The château … strikes the spectator by its solidity and magnificence.
1867. Emerson, Lett. & Soc. Aims, Wks. (Bohn), III. 227. Our … architecture [is] tent-like, when compared with the monumental solidity of mediæval … remains in Europe and Asia.
3. a. Geom. The amount of space occupied by a solid body; volume, cubic or solid content.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., a iij b. To vnderstand the Soliditie, and content of any bodily thing:… is called Gaging.
1642. H. More, Song of Soul, II. I. ii. 42. [The soul] finds out Phæbus vast soliditie By his diametre.
1674. Jeake, Arith. (1696), 524. If a Right Cylinder have the Diameter 14, and the Height … as much; then shall the Area of each Base be 154,… and the Solidity 2156.
1743. Emerson, Fluxions, 127. To find a Cone of the greatest Solidity under a given convex Surface and Base b.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 551. Find the solidity of the trench in cubic feet, and divide it by 27.
1834–47. J. S. Macaulay, Field Fortif. (1851), 304. The solidity of the frustrum will be equal to the solidity of the whole cone.
b. Relative density or mass.
1698. Keill, Exam. Th. Earth (1734), 33. The surfaces of bodies not increasing in the same proportion with their solidities or weights.
1718. Quincy, Compl. Disp., 2. Attraction in all Bodies is cæteris paribus as their Solidities.
1740. Cheyne, Regimen, 2. It is probable, that animated Bodies act according to their Solidities.
4. a. The property of occupying a certain amount of space.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. iv. (1675), 52. That which thus hinders the approach of two Bodies, when they are moving one towards another, I call Solidity.
1777. Priestley, Phil. Necess., 177. A substance that has no properties besides extension and solidity.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 270. The solidity of matter … expresses that property which every body possesses of not permitting any other body to occupy the same place with it at the same time.
1884. trans. Lotze’s Metaph., 304. He mentions Lambert’s account of Solidity as a necessary property of all material existence.
b. Extension in the three dimensions of space.
1855. Bain, Senses & Int., II. ii. § 5. It is this dissimilarity of the pictures that is the chief optical sign of solidity or of three dimensions.
1886. J. Sully, Handbk. Psychol., viii. 140. That the eye has little knowledge of solidity.
5. A solid thing or body. Also fig.
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. iv. 49. Heauens face doth glow, Yea this solidity and compound masse … Is thought-sicke.
1665. Surv. Affaires Netherlands, 194Œ5. Their Apparel was plain, and their Ambition onely upon Realities and Solidities.
1728. R. Morris, Ess. Anc. Archit., 43. It has a greater Force to sustain the Solidity it supports.
1771. Luckombe, Hist. Print., 324. By convenience is meant a firm solidity to place the end of the Braces against.
1844. Hood, The Turtles, 36. Fruits, victual, drink, solidities, or slops.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt, ix. A man … owed a great deal more to himself as the mainstay of all those solidities, than to feelings … quite unsubstantial.
6. = SOLIDARITY 3.
1706. trans. Dupin’s Eccl. Hist. 16th C., II. IV. ix. 431, note. Solidity in the French Law is a joint Obligation entred into by several Creditors, by which every one of the Obligees binds himself to pay what they all owe in Common, upon the default of the rest.
1818. Colebrooke, Treat. Obligations & Contracts, xiv. 149. This solidity in respect of creditors is very rare: it is not to be confounded with indivisibility of obligation. Ibid. The effects of solidity towards creditors, when it does occur, are as follow. Each of the creditors, being so for the whole, may consequently demand the whole [etc.].
