a. [ad. F. urbain (141h c.), or L. urbān-us URBAN a. For the difference, in form and stress, between urban and urbane, cf. human and humane.]
1. Of or pertaining to characteristic of or peculiar to, a town or city. Now arch. or Obs.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, I. xx. (S.T.S.), I. 114. Siclike vrbane & civil laubouris. Ibid., V. v. II. 161. Thus had al þe romare tentis almaist bene replete of seditioun vrbane.
1570. Levins, Manip., 19. Vrbane, vrbanus.
1607. R. C[arew], trans. Estienne’s World Wond. 233. They see greater cunning and dexteritie, and a more ciuill and vrbane kind of life.
1681. Stair, Inst. Law Scot., XVII. 343. Negative Urbane Servitudes, do chiefly concern the light view or prospect of Tenements.
1788. Trifler, No. 26. 344. In the simple beauty of the country the once wealthy merchant of Bassora lost the recollection of urbane magnificence.
1809–14. Wordsw., Excurs., VIII. 71. A poor brotherhood who walk the earth,… Raising … savage life To rustic, and the rustic to urbane.
† b. Exercising jurisdiction over, dwelling or residing in, a town or city. Obs.
1651. Howell, Venice, 16. Among the Urbane or Cittie Magistrats the Judges are rankd.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 373. M. Æmilius, the urbane prætor.
1658. J. Harrington, Oceana, Introd. B j b. The Urbane Tribes or Rome consisting of the Turbaforensis [etc.].
1681. H. Nevile, Plato Rediv., 61. The Rustik Tribes being twenty seven, and the Vrbane nine.
c. Following the pursuits, having the ideas or sentiments, characteristic of town or city life.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 54. The Citizens are urbane, being trained up to Commerce.
1870. Lowell, Study Wind. (1871), 177. The same combination of circumstances produced Béranger, an urbane or city poet.
2. Having the manners, refinement, or polish regarded as characteristic of a town; courteous, civil; also, blandly polite, suave.
1623. Cockeram, I. Vrbane, ciuill, courteous.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Urbane,… civil in curtesie,… pleasant in behaviour and talk.
1796. T. Holcroft, trans. Stolberg’s Trav., lxii. I. 483. The urbane youth … gave due praise to the country of Menelaus.
1827. Lytton, Pelham, xv. We took advantage of our acquaintance with the urbane Frenchman to join his party.
1873. Dixon, Two Queens, IV. 139. In Eustace Chapuys, master of requests, he had a man of law,… urbane, alert, unscrupulous.
1882. Stevenson, Mem. & Portr., xi. (1887), 170. I feel never quite sure of your urbane and smiling coteries.
b. Characterized by urbanity, courtesy, or politeness.
1679. Marg. Mason, Tickler Tickled, 2. To treat a Lady of Mrs. Ellen Rigby’s Quality, with the name of Bitch-Fox,… is not at all Urbane.
1800. W. Tooke, Cath. II., III. 105, note. A man remarkable for his talents and urbane manners.
1832. W. Irving, Alhambra, II. 289. His manners were gentle, affable, and urbane.
1860. W. Collins, Wom. in White, II. 279. Stepping forward in the most urbane manner.
1871. Browning, Balaust., 1839. To guests, a servant should not sour-faced be, But do the honours with a mind urbane.
3. Refined in expression; politely expressed.
1806. W. L. Bowles, Pope’s Wks., I. 298. The latter part of it [sc. an epistle] is certainly urbane, elegant, and unaffected.
1876. Lowell, Among my Bks., Ser. II. 139. We miss the point, the compactness, and above all the urbane tone of the original.
Hence Urbanely adv.; Urbaneness (Bailey, 1727).
1822. Monthly Rev., XCVII. 540. This taste is so finely polished and so urbanely expressive.
1881. ‘Rita,’ My Lady Coquette, xiii. ‘I am going to the wood,’ he answers urbanely.
