a. Forms: 4–7 vsual, -all (6 vsial, wsuall), 6– usual (6–7 -all, 7 usewal); 4–7 vsu-, usuale; 4–5 vsu-, usuell. [a. OF. usual (1298 in Godef.), usuel (F. usuel), or ad. L. (post-class.) ūsuāl-is (whence It. usuale, Sp. and Pg. usual, Pr. uzual), f. ūsus USE sb.]
1. That is in ordinary use or observance; having general currency, validity, or force; commonly observed or practised; current, prevalent.
1396. in Scottish Antiq., XIV. 218. xix. marcis of vsuale moneth.
1396–7. in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1907), XXII. 296. Oure usuel presthod þe qwich began in Rome.
c. 1450. Godstow Reg., 553. Robert yaf to him xij. shillings of vsuall money.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 43, Preamble. Noe gretter fees … but such [as] at this tyme be usuell.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 36 b. F. G. … payeth vnto the lordes at the termes their vsuels sixtene shillynges.
1575. Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1848), II. 24. Fortie markis wsuall money of Scotland.
a. 1577. Sir T. Smith, Commw. Eng., II. xii. (1589), 67. In this court [of Chancery] the vsuall and proper forme of pleading of England is not vsed.
1620. Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1848), II. 368. Tua vsuall termis in the yeir, Witsonday and Martimes.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 278. He never goes up thither but at the usual hours, unless it be [etc.].
1747. Berkeley, Lett., Wks. 1871, IV. 315. Pray give him the usual fee for the best lawyer.
1848. Wharton, Law Lex., Usual terms, a phrase in the common law practice, which means pleading issuably, rejoining gratis, and taking short notice of trial.
1855. Poultry Chron., II. 580/2. At half the usual rates of charge.
1897. Daily News, 10 April, 7/2. Stay of execution for a fortnight upon ‘the usual terms.’
† 2. a. Of a year: Solar. Obs. rare.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 37. For þe Iewes in tretys and couenauntes haueþ a ȝere vsual, and bygineþ in Ianuarie. Ibid. (1398), Barth. De P. R., IX. iii. (Tollem. MS.). Some ȝere is clepid usuale, as is þe ȝere of þe sonne.
† b. Of a month: Calendar. Obs.–1
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., III. I. xlv. (1597), 172 b. The vsuall month is that number of daies which are set downe in our common Kalenders.
3. Ordinarily used; constantly or customarily employed; in common use; ordinary, customary.
c. 1444. Pecock, Donet, 34. He must take þe eukarist, not as oþire comoun or vsual meete and drynk.
a. 1479. Caxton, Epil. Boeth., 92 b. Maister Geffry Chaucer hath translated this sayd werke oute of latyn in to oure vsual and moder tonge.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 621/1. He turned the vsuall englyshe woordes of churche, priest, and penaunce, to congregacyon, senior, and repentaunce.
1550. Bale, Eng. Votaries, II. 40. A Consuetudynary or vsuall boke of the churche.
1579. Fulke, Refut. Rastel, 781, Thou perhaps wilt say, my bread is common and vsual bread.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 673. From whence there is an usuall passage over into Ireland.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., I. 37. Earth-quakes, which (according to the usuall scandall) … were ascribed as a punishment to the Christians.
1671. Milton, P. R., IV. 316. They … Rather accuse him [sc. God] under usual names, Fortune and Fate.
1729. T. Innes, Crit. Essay (1879), 236. He reforms the bard Forchern’s story of it (according to the usual custom of posterior bards).
1776. Trial Nundocomar, 24/2. What was Selabut’s usual method of attesting papers as a witness?
1797. Monthly Mag., III. 519. The sheriff shall make … proclamations … at or near to the most usual door of the church, or chapel.
1836. W. Irving, Astoria, II. 31. He began by the usual expressions of friendship.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. ix. 61. We reached the place by the usual route.
1883. Manch. Exam., 30 Oct., 8/4. Beer in the usual stately German flagons with pewter covers.
† b. Habitually done or made. Obs. rare.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., A ij b. Often reading, and usual marking the epistles of Tullie. Ibid. 2 Sundry Gentlemen, that haue usual resort to my house.
1572. Harrison, England, II. iii. (1877), I. 81. One thing onlie I mislike in them, and that is their vsuall going into Italie.
c. Of persons: Commonly employed or serving in a particular capacity.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., V. i. 35. Where is our vsuall manager of mirth?
Mod. He sent the money by his usual messenger. Our usual postman did not come to-day.
4. That ordinarily happens, occurs, or is to be found; such as is commonly met with or observed in ordinary practice or experience; common, wonted.
1577. Misogonus, IV. i. Gods providence in shewinge mercye to his servauntes is alwayes vsiall.
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 248. It was a verie vsuall thing in the East countrie, for a man to haue two or three wiues.
1638. Junius, Paint. Anc., 8. So is it likewise an usuall thing in … our life, that we … study alwayes to [etc.].
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxii. 122. The usuall meeting of men at Church, or at a publique Shew, in usuall numbers.
1759. R. Brown, Compl. Farmer, 91. The usual signs that precede their swarming.
1784. Cowper, Task, II. 61. And th’ old … earth has had her shaking fits More frequent, and forgone her usual rest.
1831. G. P. R. James, Phil. Augustus, III. v. A table groaning under a repast not very usual on the boards of a prison.
1855. J. Phillips, Man. Geol., 204. The usual hardening of sandstone and shale, carbonization of coal, &c., occur.
b. Customary on the part of a person or persons to do something Dec.
1605. Verstegan, Dec. Intell., ix. 310. It hath … grown somwhat vsuallin England, to giue vnto children … the surnames of their Godfathers.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 183. It is usuall with all the Gauls … to constraine Travellers (though unwilling) to stay.
1716. Addison, Freeholder, No. 10, ¶ 5. It was usual for him to shew the Delicacy of his Taste by [etc.].
1719. London & Wise, Compl. Gard., 312. It is very usual to meet with those.
1825. Encycl. Metrop. (1845), XVII. 36/1. In most Pigeon-houses it is usual to have a Salt-cat.
1839. Hallam, Hist. Lit., IV. vii. 506, note. It is not usual for … [a] woman to turn it into drollery.
c. Common or habitual to a person or thing.
1655. Mrq. Worcester, Cent. Inv., § 18. Several shapes and effects usual to Fountains of pleasure.
1693. Congreve, Old Bach., I. i. Why truth on’t is, these early Sallies are not usual to me.
d. As (or than) usual, as (or than) is or was customary or habitual. (Cf. USUALLY adv. 1 b.) As per usual: see PER prep. III. I.
[1617. Moryson, Itin., I. 114. Living things cast into that caue, and held there for longer time then is vsuall.]
1716. Addison, Freeholder, No. 22, ¶ 2. Our Conversation opened, as usual, upon the Weather.
1725. Fam. Dict., s.v. Pulse, When the Strokes are much smaller than usual.
1795. Gentl. Mag., 539/2. The blights were this year … more destructive than usual.
1854. Poultry Chron., II. 348/2. The poultry department was, as usual, the principal attraction.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. xiv. The huddled buildings looked lower than usual.
1876. [see USUALNESS].
† 5. Usual fruit, = USUFRUIT, USUFRUCT. Sc.
1558. Knox, First Blast (Arb.), 46. God wold not suffer that the commoditie and vsuall frute … shulde passe to an other [tribe].
† 6. Of persons: Customary, regular. Obs.
1579. Southampton Crt. Leet Rec. (1906), II. 167. Owen symons is a vsuall convayor of wood beyond the seas.
† b. Habitually resorting. Obs.–1
1597. J. Payne, Royal Exch., 27. The devill perswades sum carnall and viciouse parsons that there tyme ys well spent, beinge vsuall in the taverne.
7. absol. a. The (his, etc.) usual, what is usual, customary, or frequent (esp. with a person or persons).
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Deronda, V. xxxv. III. 22. To be an unusual young man means for the most part to get a difficult mastery over the usual.
1892. E. Reeves, Homeward Bound, 189. Nothing in Naples is so clean as the horses’ harness, and to-day the drivers outdid their usual.
1897. Daily News, 23 Dec., 3/5. Coroner: How much whisky did he drink?—Witness: Eighteen half quarterns a night … was his usual.
b. colloq. Customary state of health.
1887. Annie S. Swan, Gates of Eden, xx. Aunt Susan is in her usual, I know.
Hence Usualness.
1653. H. More, Antid. Ath., I. x. 30. The usualnesse of such dangers have made them loose the sense of the danger.
1705. Clarke, Evid. Nat. & Rev. Relig., xiv. (1716), 297. ’Tis only usualness or unusualness that makes the distinction.
1727. Bailey (vol. II.), Frequentness, oftenness; usualness.
1876. Mrs. Whitney, Sights & Ins., II. ix. 405. They had been two days together, as usual; and usualness is a great power.
