a. Obs. Also 6 venereus. [f. L. venere-us (whence It., Sp., Pg. venereo) + -OUS. Cf. OF. venereeux and VENERIOUS a.]
1. Of persons (or animals): Addicted to, desirous of, sexual enjoyment; libidinous, lustful.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 115. Venereous people haue all their whole pleasaunce Their vice to nourishe by this unthrifty daunce.
1562. Legh, Armory, 95. The gote, saieth Isidore, is very venereus, but fighteth not therefore.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 300. There is no kind (man only excepted) that is so venereous and nimble in generation as is a Horsse or Mare.
1662. J. Davies, trans. Olearius’ Voy. Ambass., 94. The Muscovites are extremely venereous.
1713. Derham, Phys.-Theol. (1727), 391. The Males are less than the Females [and] are very venereous.
2. = VENEREAL a. 1.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 204. The acte of venereous copulation.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 182. The Conserve of the floures thereof … putteth away all venereous dreames.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., iv. 307. In that heate and moisture are the parents of venereous desires.
1650. Hubbert, Pill Formality, 138. His sinful and venereous thoughts must carry him on.
1681. H. More, in Glanvill, Sadducismus, 36. Their having any lustful or venereous transactions with them.
1795. Macknight, Apost. Epist. (1810), IV. 360. This signifies not only the gratification of venereous desires, but the luxury of the table, and all intemperance in the enjoyment of sensual pleasures.
b. = VENEREAL a. 2.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., 11. The greene caustick oil of brasse, cureth venereous pushes.
3. Exciting or stimulating sexual desire.
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 268. As for thine eyes, shut them and turne them aside from those venereous Venetian objects.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 546. Upon the same reason Mushrooms are a Venereous meat.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. xxix. 146. Salads, wholly made up of venereous Herbs and Fruits.
4. Dedicated to Venus. rare–1.
1592. R. D., Hypnerotomachia, 79. Such hayre as Berenice did never vow to in the Venereous Temple for her Tholemæus.
Hence † Venereously adv.; † Venereousness.
1659. H. More, Immort. Soul, III. viii. 408. Theocritus merrily sets out the Venereousness of the Goatheard he describes.
1665. M. N., Med. Medicinæ, 65. Let a man that hath the Gout be venereously infected.
