Also 4–5 -cours, -curs, 6–7 -curse. [ME. concours, a. OF. concours, concoers (= It. concorso):—L. concurs-um (4th decl.) running together, f. ppl. stem of L. concurrĕre: see CONCUR. The forms concurs in Wyclif and concurse in 16–17th c. were prob. formed directly from the L., or assimilated thereto. Formerly accented concou·rse; still so in Milton; cf. discourse, recourse.]
1. The running or flocking together of people; the condition or state of being so gathered together. † To have concourse: to resort in crowds to, unto.
1382. Wyclif, Acts xxiv. 12. Makinge concurs [1388 concours], or rennyng to gidere, of the cumpany of peple.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., VII. (1520), 81 b/2. There was so myghty concours of people.
1555. Eden, Decades, I. ix. 45. They haue religious concourse to these caues, as wee are accustomed to goo on Pylgramage to Rome.
1558. Abp. Parker, Corr., 51. That I be not entangled now of new with the concurse of the world.
1596. Bell, Surv. Popery, I. IV. v. 131. Learned men of all nations had concourse unto him.
1601. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw. (1603), 133. Riga, a citty of great concourse.
1611. Bible, Prov. i. 21. Shee crieth in the chiefe place of concourse.
1642. Jer. Taylor, Episc. (1647), 380. Then was a concurse of all Nations to the Christian Synaxes.
1748. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 307. Neglected, in the hurry and concourse around them.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., III. 201. The main body is … increased by the accidental concourse of idle or dependent plebeians.
† b. Hostile encounter or onset. Obs.
1557. Paynel, Barclay’s Jugurth, 77. The other Numidyens at the first brunt, concourse or assaut wer put to flyght.
1600. Holland, Livy, VII. xxvi. 267. Between the formost, whose concurse had raised others, there was a sharpe conflict.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 641. Concours in Arms, fierce Faces threatning Warr.
2. An assemblage of people; a crowd, throng.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxxix. 157 (Harl. MS.). Þer was in the same cite a concurs of peple, by cause of a gret feyr.
1494. Fabyan, I. cxxxii. (R.). For this myracle great concourse of people yerely … commith with great deuocion.
1616. Bullokar, Concourse, a great assembly.
1636. Healey, Cebes, 106. A gate, about the which was a great concourse of people drawne.
1791. Cowper, Odyss., II. 16. The whole admiring concourse gazed on him.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., II. III. lxxiii. 598. Conventions … are not casual concourses, but consist of persons duly elected.
3. The running, flowing together, or meeting of things (material or immaterial); confluence.
Fortuitous concourse of atoms: a phrase applied after Cicero (cf. N. D., I. xxiv. 66 ‘concursus fortuitus’) to the action whereby according to the atomic theory of Leucippus and Democritus the universe came into being.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XII. v. (1495), 413. Some byholde concourse and metynge of dewes.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., 23. Of the … concurse, diuerse collation, and Application of these Harmonies.
1604. T. Wright, Passions, I. ix. 34. The Passions principally reside in the hearte, as wee perceyve by the concourse of humours thereunto.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., I. i. 26. The coalition of the good frame of the Universe was not the product of chance, or fortuitous concourse of particles of matter.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., ii. 42. The fortuitous concourse of Atoms.
1864. Bowen, Logic, xii. (1870), 384. The mere fortuitous concourse of atoms, in the lapse of a past eternity.
† b. Conjunction: esp. in Astrol.
1578. Chr. Prayers, in Priv. Prayers (1851), 534. Pestilent concourses of the heavenly lights.
1585. Greene, Apol. Astron., Wks. 1882, V. 23. Of the concurse of Venus and Mars.
1633. Gellibrand, in T. James, Voy., sign. R. We haue the Concurse of quicke pac’d inferiour Planets, with superiour slow ones.
† c. Conjunction of times or circumstances. Obs.
1642. Jer. Taylor, Episc. (1647), 21. By the concurse of story, place, and time, Diotrephes was the Man S. Iohn cheifly pointed at.
1667. Boyle, Orig. Formes & Qual. By a lucky concourse of other circumstances.
a. 1797. H. Walpole, Mem. Geo. III. (1845), II. i. 32. It once more fell into our hands by a concourse of ridiculous circumstances.
4. An assemblage of things brought together.
a. 1628. Preston, Breastpl. Faith (1630), 113. In Christ, there is … a concourse, a heape of all spirituall joy and comfort.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., I. v. 9. Made up of a Concourse of Fibres, Ligaments and very smal Nerves.
1671. Milton, P. R., IV. 404. Under some concourse of shades Whose branching arms thick intertwind [etc.].
1855. H. Reed, Lect. Eng. Lit., i. (1878), 29. It is a bewildering thing to stand in the midst of a vast concourse of books.
† 5. The meeting or junction of lines, surfaces, or bodies. ? Obs.
1570. Billingsley, Euclid, II. Def. xxv. 320. The concurse of the said triangles will be in twelue pointes.
1571. Digges, Pantom., I. v. C ij. The concourse or meeting of those two right lines that contayne the angle.
1605. Timme, Quersit., III. 185. When the vessells by concourse are so joyned together that one taketh in the mouth of the other.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., I. vi. 11. The Concourse or Anastomosis of the Veins.
1691. Ray, Creation, II. (1704), 292. The point of concourse of the Rays.
1738. Med. Ess. & Observ. (ed. 2), IV. 259. The Candle A is the small luminous object, B C d e the Eye and a the point of Concourse.
† b. ellipt. Point or place of meeting; junction.
1571. Digges, Pantom. (1591), 9. Fixe one foote of your compasse vpon the concourse or meeting of those two right lines.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. i. II. iv. The Middle ventricle, is a common concourse, and cavity of them both.
1704. Newton, Optics, II. (1721), 364. The Drop will begin to move towards the Concourse of the Glasses, and will continue to move with an accelerated Motion, till it arrives at that Concourse of the Glasses.
1811. J. Wood, Optics, vii. 148. A screen placed at the concourse of the refracted rays.
† 6. Concurrence in action or causation, cooperation; combined action. Obs.
1635. Swan, Spec. M., iv. § 2 (1643), 61. When there is a naturall concourse of causes to effect it.
1682. Scarlett, Exchanges, 316. Then the Possessor [of a Bill] must enter with him who paid him in part, into a concourse between themselves, and both demand [the sum] of the others.
1685. Boyle, Enq. Notion Nat., 79. An Individual Body … needs the Assistance, or Concourse, of other Bodies, to perform divers of its Operations.
1794. Sullivan, View Nat., II. 108. That this heat may burst into actual flame, the concourse of open air is absolutely requisite.
1836–7. Sir W. Hamilton, Metaph., II. xxi. 42. That their [mind’s and body’s] mutual intercourse can, therefore, only be supernaturally maintained by the concourse of the Deity.
† b. esp. in Theol. used of the divine concurrence in human action. Obs.
a. 1617. Bayne, On Eph. (1658), 145. Gods concourse working this or that.
a. 1680. J. Corbet, Free Actions, I. vi. (1683), 5. There is a concurse of God, as the Universal Cause, to every Act. Ibid. How the Divine concurse is yielded to sinful actions, shall be explained in its proper place.
18[?]. Lee, Thesaurus Theol., III. 315. The general Concourse of His Providence.
c. Sc. Law. Legal concurrence, esp. of an officer whose consent is necessary to a legal process.
1626. in Sir J. Balfour, Ann. Scot. (1824–5), II. 151. That you acquant the Lordes of Sessione and our aduocatts, as you shall haue occasione, and desyre ther concursse heirwnto.
1640–1. Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855), 92. To tak the advyse and requyer the concurs and assistance of the Committie of War.
1752. J. Louthian, Form of Process (ed. 2), 33. C. D. you are indicted and accused, at the Instance of A. B. with Concourse of D. F. his Majesty’s Advocate … of the Crimes after mentioned.
† 7. Course, process (of time). Obs.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 4360. She [Fortune] can writhe hir heed awey, This is the concours of hir pley.
1654. Earl Monm., trans. Bentivoglio’s Warrs Flanders, 13. In concourse of time it was discovered that [etc.]. Ibid. (1657), trans. Paruta’s Pol. Disc., 119. After the concourse of many years it was carried by Cyrus.
