[ad. L. concīs-us cut up, concise, pa. pple. of concĕdĕre to cut up, cut to pieces, f. con- + cædĕre to cut. Cf. F. concis in same sense (16th c. in Littré).]
1. Of speech or writing: Expressed in few words; brief and comprehensive in statement; not diffuse.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., i. 110. I that have with concise syllogisms Gravell’d the Pastors of the German Church.
1636. B. Jonson, Discov., Wks. (Rtldg.), 758/2. The concise style, which expresseth not enough, but leaves somewhat to be understood.
1715. Leoni, Palladio’s Archit. (1742), II. 58. To compile this … Treatise, in the concisest manner possible.
1745. De Foe’s Eng. Tradesman, ii. (1841), I. 13. A tradesman’s letters should be plain, concise, and to the purpose.
1828. Whately, Rhet., in Encycl. Metrop., 242/1. Other arguments may occur to him … more clear or more concise.
b. applied to persons.
1604. Drayton, Moses, II. (R.). Lest too concise injuriously we wrong Things that such state and fearfulness impart.
1693. Shadwell, Volunteers, III. i. Pr’ythee why? be concise.
1814. Jane Austen, Mansf. Park (1851), 177. If he wrote to his father, no wonder he was concise.
c. transf. Occupying little time; brief, direct.
1785. Paley, Mor. Philos. (1818), II. 401. He who has the benefit of a conciser operation, will soon outvie and undersell a competitor who continues to use a more circuitous labour.
17[?]. Cowper, Moralizer Corrected, 6. His hours of study clos’d at last, And finish’d his concise repast.
† 2. ? Containing much in little space, small and compact. Obs. nonce-use.
1614. J. Cooke, Tu Quoque, in Hazl., Dodsley, XI. 234. A pretty concise room; Sir Lionel, where are your daughters?
† 3. (See quot.) Obs. [L. concīdĕre to cut down, kill; to beat severely.]
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Concise, brief, beaten, cut, mangled, or killed.
