Also 5 solitari(e, solytarye. [Substantive use of the adj.]
1. a. One who retires into, or lives in, solitude from religious motives; a hermit or recluse.
1435. Misyn, Fire of Love, 32. The holy solitari forsoith,… an excellent, goldy seet in heuyns he sall take emangis ordyrs of Aungels.
c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 92. I went vnto a man þat hight Pachonius, þat dwelte in wyldernes a solitarie.
1651. trans. De-las-Coveras’ Don Fenise, 140. He told him … the course of her life untill the time she had retired her selfe into that solitude, at which the solitary much wondred.
1699. Evelyn, Acetaria (1729), 166. Those ancient and truly pious Solitaries, who … were driven from their Countries and Repose by the Incursions of barbarous Nations.
1753. Challoner, Cath. Chr. Instr., 178. From these Beginnings the Desarts of Egypt and of Thebais soon were peopled with innumerable Solitaries.
1813. Eustace, Class. Tour (1821), III. iii. 69. An hermitage, that seems from its situation to be the cell of one of the holy solitaries of times of old.
1864. Kingsley, Rom. & Teut., 239. The solitaries of the Thebaid found that they became selfish wild beasts, or went mad, if they remained alone.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1877), II. App. 599. Wythmann at last, after a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, died a solitary.
b. One who lives by himself in seclusion or retirement; one who avoids, or is deprived of, the society of others.
a. 1763. Shenstone, Ess., Vision (1868), 118. The first meditation of a solitary, is the behaviour of men in active life.
1795–1814. Wordsw., Excursion, VI. 1062. I noted that the Solitary’s cheek Confessed the power of nature.
1816. Scott, Bl. Dwarf, xvi. The door opened, and the Solitary stood before her.
a. 1854. H. Reed, Lect. Brit. Poets, vi. (1857), 224. His [Milton’s] life … as a student, as a statesman, and as a solitary.
1898. Westm. Gaz., 24 March, 4/1. Hardy pioneers, solitaries who had lived on far-off creeks.
† 2. A solitude, lonely place. Obs.
1594. ? Peele, Battell of Alcazar, II. iii. C ij. I will go hunt these cursed solitaries.
† 3. = SOLITAIRE sb. 5 a. Obs. rare.
1708. trans. F. Leguet’s Voy. Rodriguez, etc. (Hakl. Soc.), I. 64. We left the Dates for the Turtles and other Birds, particularly the Solitaries. Ibid., 77–80.
4. = SOLITAIRE sb. 3. Also attrib.
1798. M. & R. L. Edgeworth, Pract. Educ., i. I. 20. At the solitary-board they must … fix their attention solely upon the figure and the pegs before them.
1806. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life, XVI. (1807), 94. For want of better employment, playing at Solitary.
