a. Also 5 specius, speceows, 5–6 specyous, 7 spetious. [ad. L. speciōs-us fair, beautiful, fair-seeming, f. speciēs SPECIES. Hence also F. spécieux, -euse, It. spezioso, Sp. and Pg. especioso.]
1. Fair or pleasing to the eye or sight; beautiful, handsome, lovely; resplendent with beauty. ? Obs.
a. Of persons, their parts, etc., or of things.
(a) a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xxiii. 146. Heil ful of grace, eke Speciouse at al, Mayden wys and þerto Meke.
c. 1425. St. Elizabeth of Spalbeck, in Anglia, VIII. 115/45. Hir chere semiþ þen ful specyous and cleer & gracyous.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 184. Specyous & beautyfull is he aboue all the chylder of men.
1626. T. H[awkins], trans. Caussin’s Holy Crt., 45. Nicephorus relateth certaine lineaments of his stature, colour and proportion of his members,… in all parts louely and specious.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 265. Yet the wise men of Greece were not ashamed to pursue specious boyes.
a. 1670. Hacket, Cent. Sermons (1675), 422. There is thy Saviour … looking like a specious Bridegroom.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), I. xvi. 109. Disagreeable only as another man has a much more specious person.
1791. Cowper, Odyss., XVII. 547. Gods! how illiberal with that specious form!
1818. Hazlitt, Eng. Poets, i. (1870), 14. The Greek statues are little else than specious forms.
(c) 1402. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 98. The pore man at the specious ȝate praiede to the apostlis to parten of her almes.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., viii. 20. That oþer [way] specius and faire, sett aboute withe lileis and Rosis.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Acts iii. 10. He which sate for almes at the Specious gate of the temple.
1621. Brathwait, Nat. Embassie (1877), 188. Smooth to the touch, and specious to the sight.
1651. French, Distill., vi. 192. So will the Spirit … be coloured with a very specious blue colour.
1697. Aubrey, Brief Lives (1898), I. 77. The great Cardinal Richelieu, who lived both to designe and finish that specious towne of Richelieu.
1756. Burke, Subl. & B., Wks. 1842, I. 57. When any object partakes of the above mentioned qualities, or of those of beautiful bodies, and is withal of great dimensions, it is full as remote from the idea of mere beauty; I call it fine or specious.
transf. c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), III. 628. To me itt is a Ioye most speceows.
1631. Massinger, Emperor East, I. ii. Your specious titles Cannot but take her.
b. Of flowers, birds or their feathers, etc. In later use, having brilliant, gaudy or showy coloring. Also transf.
(a) 1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 3456. This rutilant gemme and specious floure [sc. the body of St. Werburge].
a. 1637. B. Jonson, Underwoods, Epitaph Master Corbet, Wks. (1640), 178. And adde his Actions unto these, They were as specious as his Trees.
a. 1682. Sir T. Browne, Misc. Tracts (1684), 93. Successive acquists of fair and specious Plants.
1731. Miller, Gard. Dict., s.v. Saxifraga, The fourth Sort is propagated for the Sake of its specious Flowers.
1800. Andrews, Bot. Rep., 87. This truly specious Ixia!
1812. New Botanic Gard., I. 29. The corolla specious, and purple in colour.
1837. P. Keith, Bot. Lex., 265. The novice in botany, who is attracted, perhaps, only by what is specious in the plant or flower.
(b) 1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 287. It can set up specious feathers on the crown of its head like a crest.
1688. Phil. Trans., XVII. 996. There be other sorts of Goldfinches variegated with red, orange and yellow Feathers, very specious and beautiful.
1786. S. Goodenough, in Mem. Sir J. E. Smith (1832), I. 184. Bees, several new ones, one very specious indeed.
1803. Shaw, Gen. Zool., IV. II. 603. Specious Mackrel, Scomber Speciosus. Ibid. (1809), VII. II. 364. Specious Jay, Corvus speciosus. Crested green Jay.
2. Having a fair or attractive appearance or character, calculated to make a favorable impression on the mind, but in reality devoid of the qualities apparently possessed.
In certain contexts passing into the sense ‘merely apparent.’
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus i. 16. Their actions, although neuer so good in themselues, neuer so specious vnto others,… yet are abhominable vnto God.
1644. Quarles, Judgm. & Mercy, 144. Let not the specious goodness of the end encourage me to the unlawfulness of the means.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., 746. A smooth pretence Of specious love, and duty to their Prince.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr., II. 264. The most specious Instances,… such as Martyrdom,… are no necessary Proofs of Charity.
1743. Francis, trans. Hor., Odes, II. i. 4. The specious Means, the private Aims,… how fatal to the Roman State!
1774. Reid, Aristotle’s Logic, iv. § 2 (1788), 72. The friends of Aristotle have shown that this improvement of Ramus is more specious than useful.
1807. Crabbe, Birth Flattery, 67. What are these specious gifts, these paltry gains?
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., v. I. 599. It appeared that this plan, though specious, was impracticable.
1873. W. H. Dixon, Two Queens, x. V. II. 179. What was done by him in Rome was merely specious.
absol. 1676. Dryden, Aurengz., Ep. Ded. A ij. But somewhat of Specious they must have, to recommend themselves to Princes.
b. Of pretences, pretexts, etc.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. viii. 499/2. Traiterous requests … which he was now willing to maske with the specious pretext of iustice and deuotion.
1632. Galway Arch., 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 478. The specious pretences you made.
1734. Col. Records Pennsylv., III. 546. Notwithstanding the specious and ample Professions made by the Governor of Maryland.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., X. III. 254. The specious pretexts which had formerly concealed his ambitious designs.
1836. Thirlwall, Greece, xvii. III. 4. Cimon seized this specious pretext for exterminating the people.
c. Of appearance, show, etc.
a. 1628. Preston, Effect. Faith (1631), 74. There be many works that have a specious and faire shew in the view of men; But … God regards them not.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IV. § 172. The law … being neglected or disesteemed (under what specious shews soever).
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 65. A discovery … which they … have found out through all the specious appearances to the contrary.
1735. Somerville, Chase, II. 313. To rob, and to destroy, beneath the Name And specious Guise of War.
a. 1827. Wordsw., Sonn. Liberty, II. vi. 10. Ere wiles and politic dispute Gave specious colouring to aim and act.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vii. II. 231. A policy which had a specious show of liberality.
1870. Mozley, Univ. Serm., iv. (1877), 74. We have even in the early Christian Church that specious display of gifts which put aside as secondary the more solid part of religion.
d. Of falsehood, bad qualities, etc.
1665. Glanvill, Scepsis Sci., xiv. 79. Such an Infinite of uncertain opinions, bare probabilities, specious falshoods.
1682. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., II. 955. Who Truth from specious falsehood can divide [etc.].
1728. Young, Love Fame, II. 68. If not to some peculiar end assign’d, Study’s the specious trifling of the mind.
1748. Melmoth, Fitzosborne Lett., lii. (1749), II. 63. Religion without this sovereign principle [generosity], degenerates into slavish fear, and wisdom into a specious cunning.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., xvii. In whose eyes the sincere devotion of a heathen is more estimable than the specious hypocrisy of a Pharisee.
1866. Mrs. H. Wood, St. Martin’s Eve, i. (1874), 4. Be not ensnared by specious deceit.
3. Of language, statements, etc.: Fair, attractive, or plausible, but wanting in genuineness or sincerity.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxi. 110. It is an easy thing, for men to be deceived, by the specious name of Libertie.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Wars, 371. The Prince,… by an evident demonstration, confuting specious words.
1670. Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 338. This motion seemed specious and welcome to the Committee.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 469, ¶ 5. Gratifications, Tokens of Thankfulness, Dispatch Money, and the like specious Terms.
1798. S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T., II. 230. She then imparted the specious tale of the Marquis’s loss at the gaming-table.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., v. I. 568. The meaning latent under this specious phrase.
1855. Motley, Dutch Rep., V. v. (1866), 748. The specious language of Philip’s former letters.
b. Of reasoning, arguments, etc.: Plausible, apparently sound or convincing, but in reality sophistical or fallacious.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xv. 73. This specious reasoning is neverthelesse false.
1656. trans. Hobbes’ Elem. Philos. (1839), 415. For the establishing of vacuum, many and specious arguments and experiments have been brought.
1726. Pope, Odyss., XIX. 8. To sooth their fears a specious reason feign.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xliv. IV. 378. A specious theory is confuted by this free and perfect experiment.
1791. Mackintosh, Vind. Gall., Wks. 1846, III. 107. Many subtle and specious objections are urged.
1856. N. Brit. Rev., XXVI. 23. Undoubtedly it is robust good sense which is here brought to bear upon a specious sophism.
1877. C. Geikie, Christ, xxvii. (1879), 308. He was not led away by such suggestions, however specious.
absol. a. 1850. Calhoun, Wks. (1867), III. 274. To this it may be traced that he [the Senator] prefers the specious to the solid, and the plausible to the true.
† 4. Apparent, as opposed to real. Obs.–1
1617. Moryson, Itin., II. 64. The Lord Deputie conceived the Earles surprise to bee an evill more spetious then materiall.
5. Of material things: Outwardly or superficially attractive or pleasing, but possessing little intrinsic worth; showy. rare.
1816. Sir J. Reynolds, Charac. of Painters of Italy, 136. [Michael Angelo] has rejected all the false, though specious ornaments, which disgrace the works even of the most esteemed artists.
1825. Macaulay, Ess., Milton (1851), I. 23. We shall, like Bassanio in the play, turn from the specious caskets…, and fix on the plain leaden chest.
6. Of persons: Characterized by conduct, actions, or reasoning, of a specious nature; † outwardly respectable.
1740. Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. 83. But now I have found you out, you specious hypocrite!
1798. Canning, New Morality, 84, in Poetry Anti-Jacobin (1799), 223. If Vice appal thee … Yet may the specious bastard brood, which claim A spurious homage under Virtue’s name,… rouse thee!
1799. W. Gilpin, Serm., v. 54. I propose next to describe that of the specious or decent man. By the decent man, I mean him, who governs all his actions by appearances.
1841. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xl. You are a specious fellow,… and carry two fans under your hood.
1884. Pall Mall Gaz., 14 May, 5/1. If we were to sum up similarly in one word the chief characteristics of their German rival, we should say that Von Hartmann was specious.
† 7. Of algebra: = LITERAL a. 1 c. Obs. (Cf. SPECIES 8 b.)
1670. Collins, in Rigaud, Corr. Sci. Men (1841), I. 154. A design to cause Diophantus to be turned into specious algebra.
1673. Kersey, Algebra, I. i. 2. Algebra is by late Writers divided into two kinds; to wit, Numeral and Literal (or Specious).
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Algebra, In 1590, Vieta … introduc’d what he call’d his ‘Specious Arithmetick,’ which consists in denoting the Quantities … by Symbols or Letters.
8. Psychol. Appearing to be actually known or experienced.
1890. W. James, Princ. Psychol., I. 642. We are constantly conscious of a certain duration—the specious present—varying in length from a few seconds to probably not more than a minute.
