Also 4 concelement, (5 councelement), 6 conceylement. [a. OF. concelement, f. concéler to hide: see -MENT.]
1. The concealing or keeping secret (of any information). In Law, The intentional suppression of truth or fact known, to the injury or prejudice of another; Concealment of birth: see quot. 1874.
[1292. Britton, I. ii. § 5. Et si le Corouner … eyt suspecioun de concelement de la verité.]
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 297. Þorgh fals concelement William did his wille.
1479. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 416. I shall … do no councelement of the kynges rightes.
c. 1521. Cdl. Wolsey, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 64, I. 179. Committed to the Towre … for a smale conceylement proceding of negligence.
1553. Grimalde, Cicero’s Offices, III. (1558), 142. Such maner of concealmentes cannot all be comprehended in the ciuil lawe.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), IV. 479. Where any fraud or concealment is practised by the vendor, by which the estate is evicted … a bill in Chancery … will lead to a better discovery of the concealment, and the circumstances attending it.
1848. Arnould, Mar. Insur. (1866), I. II. ii. 520. Concealment, in the law of insurance, is the suppression of a material fact within the knowledge of the assured, which the Underwriter has not the means of knowing.
1874. A. S. Taylor, Man. Med. Juris., xliv. (ed. 9), 486. The concealment of pregnancy is no offence in the English Law, but the concealment of delivery or of the birth of a child is a misdemeanour … Any person tried for the murder of any child, and acquitted thereof, may be found guilty of concealment of birth.
b. esp. The holding of land against the king’s rights, without a proper title. Patentees or grantees of concealments: i.e., persons to whom patents or grants of concealed lands were given.
1623. Act 21 Jas. I., c. 2. An act for the general quiet of the subjects against all pretences of concealment whatsoever. Ibid., [Persons] … Claiming or pretending to have any … claime … to the same [lands] by force or colour of any Letters Patents, Grants, vpon suggestion of Concealement or wrongfull detaining or not being in Charge, or defectiue Titles. Ibid. All Patentees, or Grantees of Concealements or defectiue Titles. Ibid. By reason of any Commission, or other authoritie to find out Concealements, defectiue Titles, or Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, out of charge.
1691. T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., p. lxxiv. Raking for old Debts, the number of Informations, Projects upon concealments, I could not find … ever to advantage the Crown.
fig. or allusively. 1613. Fletcher, etc., Honest Man’s Fort., V. iii. Their penance, sir, I’ll undertake, so please you To grant me one concealment. Ibid. (a. 1625), Hum. Lieut., II. i. They say she keeps an office of concealements.
2. gen. The action of concealing or keeping secret.
a. 1600. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., VI. iv. § 4. Confession doth … abate the weight of men’s offences, concealment doth make them heavier.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. iv. 115. She neuer told her loue, But let concealment like a worme i’th budde Feede on her damaske cheeke.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., V. iv. (1675), 309. A modest Concealment of [ones Excellencies].
1698. C. Mather, Present from a Farr Countrey, 9. I do it, with all due caution and concealment, of any circumstances, that may procure any damage to the poor Prisoner of the Lord: There having been a greater hazard unto his concerns in his own Writing, and Sending the Letter, than in our thus Publishing of it.
1792. Anecd. W. Pitt, III. xxxix. 39. I know that all concealments are vain and useless.
1861. Tulloch, Eng. Purit., ii. 193. He made no concealment of his opinions.
† 3. Secret knowledge; a secret, a mystery. Obs.
1597. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. i. 167. A worthy Gentleman, Exceeding well read, and profited in strange concealments.
1622. T. Scott, Belg. Pismire, 47. What skils it, whether my soule departs with many concealments which might have bettered others.
4. The action of hiding anything from view.
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. ix. 21, ’Twere a concealement worse then a Theft.
1745. P. Thomas, Jrnl. Anson’s Voy., 64. He commanded … that every Man’s Chest and Hammock should be search’d to prevent Concealments. Ibid., 306. A general Search was made on board both Ships … for Concealments of Money, Plate, or Jewels.
b. The condition of being hidden from sight, or from recognition by disguise. Esp. in the phr. in concealment: hidden, in hiding, in a hiding-place.
1605. Shaks., Lear, IV. iii. 54 (Globe). Some dear cause Will in concealment wrap me up a while.
1794. S. Williams, Vermont, 143. A superiority in situation, numbers, concealment or some other circumstance.
1802. Mar. Edgeworth, Moral T. (1816), I. 202. She has a lover … in concealment … you won’t betray him.
Mod. He has absconded, and is still in concealment.
c. The capacity of concealing; in pl. quasi-concr., conditions or surroundings that conceal.
1728. Thomson, Spring, 590 (1738). The clefted tree Offers its kind concealment to a few [birds].
1848. H. Miller, First Impr., v. (1857), 79. A gang of coiners were suspected of harbouring among its concealments.
1857–8. Sears, Athan., 88. The concealments and envelopments of this material body.
