Now rare. Also 7 vellet-. [ad. L. vēlitātio, n. of action f. vēlitārī, f. vēlit-, vēles: see next.]
1. A slight or preliminary engagement with an enemy; a skirmish.
1616. Bullokar, Eng. Expos.,, Velitations, skirmishes, fightings.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. iv. I. iv. Let him read those Pharsalian fields fought of late in France for religion, their massacres,… and he shall find ours to be but velitations to theirs.
1692. O. Walker, Grk. & Rom. Hist., 160. If any one killed an Enemy in any Velitation or pickering when they fought man to man, he was rewarded with a Spear without a head, call’d Hasta pura.
1832. J. P. Kennedy, Swallow B., xxix. (1860), 265. In which latter species of employment it was his luck to hold frequent velitations with the enemy.
2. fig. A wordy skirmish or encounter; a controversy, debate or dispute not carried to extremes. (Very common in 17th cent.)
1607. B. Barnes, Divils Charter, II. i. D 4 b. Forbeare your idle velletations.
1657. W. Morice, Coena quasi Κοινὴ, xxiv. 249. In all these velitations against their dear brethren … the Apologists … have not drawn much blood.
1679. Jenison, Narr. Popish Plot, Pref. 9. This Censure is but a light Velitation, if compar’d with that black charge of guilt.
1702. C. Mather, Magn. Chr., VII. ii. (1852), 503. All the velitations were peaceably furled up in this result.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., iii. § 4. That question in Plato may have place among the velitations of philosophers; but a man can scarce propose it seriously to himself.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, viii. While the ladies … were engaged in the light snappish velitation, or skirmish, which we have described.
1831. De Quincey, in Blackw. Mag., XXIX. 905. The very best of his performances being mere velitations, skirmishes, or academic exercises.
