Forms: 3–5 chastete, 4–6 chastite, chastyte, 4–7 chastitie, 5 chastitee, chastiti, 6 chastytye, 6– chastity. [ME. chastete, -etie, a. OF. (13th c.) chastete, ad. L. castitāt-em under influence of the adj. chaste. The later spelling shows further assimilation to Latin; see -ITY.
This was the second adaptation of the L. word in OF.; at a much earlier date it had been taken in as *castetet, *castedet, which, under the regular operation of the phonetic laws, had passed through chastedet to chasteet, chasteé, and in ONF. to casteed, before it was anew adapted as chasteté.]
The quality or state of being chaste.
1. Purity from unlawful sexual intercourse; continence.
c. 1305. St. Edmund, 83, in E. E. P. (1862), 73. He ne miȝte neuere fynde non of so gret chastete.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 234. Chastete, which selde where Cometh now a daies into place.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 70. Chastyte, castitas, pudicacia.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, 19. So she concluded that she wold kepe her chastete.
1547–64. Bauldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), VII. vii. The first degree of chastity is pure virginity, and the second faithfull matrimony.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. iii. 23. [Una] … the flowre of faith and chastity.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. iv. 18. Hee hath bought a paire of cast lips of Diana … the very yce of chastity is in them.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), II. 75. The Mahometan keeps his wife faithful, by confining her person; and would instantly put her to death if he but suspected her chastity.
1798. Malthus, Popul. (1806), II. IV. ii. 323. The law of chastity cannot be violated without producing evil.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 149. Chastity was the supreme virtue in the eyes of the church, the mystic key to Christian holiness.
† b. fig. Obs.
1570. T. Norton, trans. Nowell’s Catech. (1853), 124. Whose chastity standeth in this, to be dedicated to God alone.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. lxxiii. 27. Wee define the spirituall chastitie of our minde to be a stedfast abyding faith, in calling upon God, in soundnesse of hart, and in obedience to ye word.
1762–9. Falconer, Shipwr., I. 317. He felt the chastity of silent woe.
2. Abstinence from all sexual intercourse; virginity, celibacy.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 6. Non ancre … ne schal makien professiun … bute þreo þinges, þet is, obedience, chastete, & studestaþeluestnesse.
138[?]. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 40. Frere menours … lyuynge in obedience, wiþ-outen propre, & in chastitie.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. vi. 311. Oonli vndir counseil he [St. Paul] profrid chastite to alle men that myȝten it take.
1538. Starkey, England, iv. 128. The law wych byndyth prestys to chastyte.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., IV. iii. 21. Vpon whose Graue thou vow’dst pure chastitie.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), I. 33. A nun, whom love seduced from her vow of chastity.
† 3. Ceremonial purity. (for L. castitas.) Obs. rare.
1388. Wyclif, 1 Macc. xiv. 36. Thei … defouliden alle thingis that weren in cumpas of hooli thingis, and ȝauen greet wounde to chastite.
1606. Holland, Sueton., 39. To enter into this rowme unlesse it be of necessitie & with devout chastitie, men make it scrupulous & are affraide.
4. Exclusion of meretricious ornament; purity of style, modesty, chasteness.
1760. Sterne, Serm., Yorick, III. 90. In our own church … there is the greatest chastity in the external parts of religion.
a. 1763. Shenstone, Odes (1765), 218. The engaging chastity of dress.
1837. Hallam, Hist. Lit., I. I. iii. § 37. Chastity and elegance of style.
5. Exclusion of excess or extravagance; moderation, restraint.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 480, ¶ 5. Indulge me, my Noble Master, in this Chastity of Renown.
