Obs. [ad. med.L. terrestritās (a. 1330 in Du Cange), f. terrestri-s earthly: see -TY, -ITY. Hence F. terrestrité, -eté, Eng. terrestrity. In 16th c. the L. form was altered to terrestreitās (1533 in Du Cange), app. after words properly in -eitās, from adjs. in -eus, as terreitās, paneitās, vineitās, etc., and this was imitated by It. terrestreità (Florio), F. terrestréité (Roquefort), Eng. terrestreity. Terrestriety is an individual error.] The quality or condition of being earthy, or of containing earthy matter; usually concr. earthy matter; applied esp. to gross or residual substances.
α. 1568. Turner, Of Wines, B viij. Rhennish wyne … hath fewer dregges and lesse terrestritie [mispr. in Arb., Garner, II. 114 terresity] or grosse earthlynesse than the Clared wine hath.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 658. Referring all to the terrestrity of the sea: for that in sea water there is mingled much earthlie substance.
1605. Timme, Quersit., II. ii. 107. Salt peeter pure and seperated from all terrestritie and heterogeneal … substance.
β. 1605. Timme, Quersit., III. 153. The spirit of vitriol, seperated from all terrestreitie.
1662. Merrett, trans. Neri’s Art of Glass, iii. 12. The salt yields no more terrestriety, or dregs.
1681. Phil. Collect., XII. 105. That all the terrestreity thereof comes to be separated.
1683. Salmon, Doron Med., II. 392. Freed from all its terrestreity [mispr. -terity].
1750. trans. Leonardus’ Mirr. Stones, 42. From their own terrest[r]eity [orig. (1533) suæ terrestreitatis] they will sink in water.
