Forms: 4–5 habunde, 4–6 habound(e, 4– abound(e. Pr. pple.: 4 abundende, 5 abowndand. [a. OFr. abunde-r, abonde-r, habonde-r:—L. abundā-re to overflow; f. ab from + undā-re to flow in waves; f. unda a wave. Afterwards erroneously connected with habē-re to have, and spelt with an initial h both in Fr. and Eng.] To overflow as water does from a vessel; or as a vessel does with water.
1. To be present in overflowing measure; to be plentiful; to prevail widely.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Cor. ix. 8. Forsoþe god is myȝty for to make al grace abounde in ȝou.
1481. Caxton, Myrrour, I. v. 22. By the helpe of our Lorde of whom all science groweth and haboundeth.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froissart, I. cccxci. 672. Bycause of the great plenty and welthe that haboundeth in those parties, the people are all ydell.
1590. Shaks., Mid. N., II. i. 105. Rheumaticke diseases doe abound.
1611. Bible, Phil. iv. 17. I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 312. In thee Love hath abounded more than glory abounds.
1845. Ford, Handbk. of Spain, i. 48. The trial becomes greater in proportion as hardships abound.
1850. McCosh, Div. Govt. (1874), III. ii. 395. The discontent which abounds in the world.
† 2. To be full, to be rich or wealthy; to have to overflowing. (Of persons.) Obs.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Mac. iii. 30. And he aboundide [1388 was riche] ouer kyngus that weren bifore hym.
c. 1400. Apol. for Lollards, 51. Þat he life lustili, or habunde after hienes of the world.
1611. Bible, Phil. iv. 18. But I have all and abound.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., I. i. 83. Kinsmen of mine … that haue By this, so sicken’d their Estates, that neuer They shall abound as formerly.
1713. Steele, Englishm., No. 21. 137. He cannot bear to see any man want whilst he abounds.
1765. Harris, Three Treat., III. i. 153. Each supply where he is deficient by exchanging where he abounds.
3. To abound in: To be plentiful, wealthy, or copious in; to possess to a marked extent, so as to be characterized by; to have wealth of. (Used of persons and things, in reference to inherent qualities, characteristic attributes, or things whereby the subject is made wealthy, eminent, or distinguished.)
1382. Wyclif, 2 Cor. vii. 4. I abounde (or am plenteuous) in ioye in al oure tribulacioun.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. x. 337. These haboundiden in greet doctrine.
1535. Coverdale, Jer. vi. 6. Like as a condyte aboundeth in water, euen so this cite aboundeth in wickednesse.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., II. i. 120. When you shall know your Mistris Has deseru’d Prison, then abound in Teares.
1676. Clarendon, Surv. Leviathan, 21. In which kind of Illustrations … his whole Book abounds.
1798. Ferriar, Illustr. of Sterne, iv. 101. Some languages … abound in figurative expressions.
1869. Buckle, Civil., III. iv. 259. At the christening … the Scotch were accustomed to assemble their relations,… in whom, then as now, they much abounded.
4. To abound with (of obs., cf. Fr. abonder de): To be filled with, teem or swarm with, to be rife with, to possess in great numbers. (Used chiefly of things, in reference to accidental or unessential properties, or such as do not essentially add to the ‘abundance’ of the subject. ‘The ship abounds in conveniences, but it abounds with rats.’)
¶ A place abounds with all those things, which abound in it; it abounds in those things only which by their abundance give it a character, or add to its resources.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boethius (1868), 82. Whiche water habundeþ most of rede purpre. Þat is to seyen of a maner shelfisshe.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIII. 716. Hys cuntre Haboundyt weill off corne.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. xxii. 34. Elizabeth Qwene of England Of gret Tresore abowndand.
1513. Douglas, Virgil’s Æneis (1710), VII. 46. Hir figure sa grisly grete haboundis, Wyth glourand ene.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis (1880), II. 62. Thee shoars of Dardan for her oft with bloodshed abounded.
1611. Bible, Prov. xxviii. 20. A faithfull man shall abound with blessings.
1705. Addison, Rem. on Italy (pref.). It abounds with Cabinets of Curiosities.
1756. Burke, Vind. Nat. Soc., Wks. I. 38. The palaces of all princes abound with such courtly philosophers.
1846. T. Wright, Mid. Ages, II. xix. 256. Warton’s history is very incomplete, and abounds with inaccuracies.
† 5. To go at large, be at liberty, revel, expatiate: in the phr. To abound in one’s own sense (late L. abundare in suo sensu, Fr. abonder dans son sens): to follow one’s own opinion, use one’s liberty of judgment.
1382. Wyclif, Rom. xiv. 5. Ech man habunde or be plenteuous in his witt (Vulg. Unusquisque in suo sensu abundet).
1552. Taverner, Proverbes, 14. For the excludynge of contencyon we suffre euery man to abounde in his owne sence.
1601. Holland, Pliny (1634), I. 145. I wil not greatly busie my head thereabout, but suffer euery man to abound in his own sence.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, to Reader, 4. How abounding in their owne sense, and stiffe in their owne conceit.
1651. Cartwright, Cert. Relig., I. 42. In those points … the Church leaves every man to abound in his own sense.
1775. Burke, Sp. Concil. with Am., Wks. III. 95. I was resolved … to let others abound in their own sense, and carefully to abstain from all expressions of my own.
† 6. trans. To overflow with, to pour forth.
1591. Troubles. Raigne of K. John, 62. [He] foretelleth famine, aboundeth plentie forth.
1631. A. Craige, Pilgrime and Heremite. An hoarse hoarie Heremite … Whose boyling Breast nought but blacke baile abounded.
¶ In the following, abaundon = devote, is the true reading:
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., 639. He that lovith God, wol … abounde himself, with alle his might, wel for to doon. [3 MSS. abunden, habunden; 2 abaundone, abawndone; 1 enforce.]
