Mostly in pl. confines. Also 4 confynye, 6 confyne, pl. confins. [a. F. pl. confins (in 14th c. also confines) = It. confini, -e, Sp. confines, med.L. confīnēs bounds, in L. confīnia bounds, pl. of confīnium, and of confine neuter of confīnis, CONFINE a. In Shaks. the plural is co·nfines in senses 1–2; the sing. is always confi·ne, but this usually in the sense ‘confinement’ or ‘place of confinement’ (a sense also possible in the few instances of pl. confi·nes); in this sense the sb. may be viewed as a direct derivative of the verb.]
I. 1. pl. Boundaries, bounds, frontiers, borders; the bordering or bounding regions, border-lands.
1548. Hall, Chron., II. 171 b. Which … animated ye Scottes to make Rodes and Incursions, into the confines and marches of the Reelme.
1555. Eden, Decades, Pref. (Arb.), 51. Thextreme confines of Egypt.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. i. 6. When he enters the confines of a Tauerne.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 399. The confines of the River Niger … are well watered.
1694. R. Molesworth, Acc. Denmark in 1692 (ed. 3), 34. The Elbe which is rather to be esteemed one of the Confines and Boundaries of his Territories.
1748. Anson’s Voy., I. x. 100. We had … arrived in the confines of the southern Ocean.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, III. 160. As far as the western confines of China.
transf. 1787. ‘G. Gambado,’ Acad. Horsem. (1809), 31. The flap of your saddle … chafing you between the confines of the boot and breeches.
† b. Formerly in sing. Bounding line or surface.
1552. Huloet, Confyne or bordoure, Confinium.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 206. Which is the beginning and confine of the state and realme of Serifo the king of Mecca.
1609. Bible (Douay), Ezek. xlvii. 20. The great sea from the confine directly, til thou come to Emath.
1675. Newton, in Brewster, Life (1831), I. vi. 133. I thought light was reflected … by the same confine or superficies of the ethereal medium which refracts it.
1715. Cheyne, Philos. Princ. Nat. Relig., I. 81. In the confine of Air and Sal-Gem [reflexion] is stronger than in the confine of Air and Water.
† 2. Region, territory. Rarely in sing. Obs.
c. 1400. Maundev., xvii. (1839), 183. Fro Jerusalem unto other confynyes of the superficialtee of the erthe beȝonde.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. iv. 3. Heere in these Confines slily haue I lurkt. Ibid. (1601), Jul. C., III. i. 302. Shall in these Confines. with a Monarkes voyce, Cry hauocke, and let slip the Dogges of Warre.
1646. G. Daniel, Poems, Wks. 1878, I. 24. Free, as Musæus, & ye clearest Heads Of that blest confine.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 395. Neerer our ancient Seat; perhaps in view Of those bright confines.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, I. II. 55. Some advised him to advance with his Army out of his own Confines, and there to expect, and fight the Enemy.
3. fig. a. pl. The limits or bounds within which any subject, notion, or action, is confined.
1548. in Strype, Eccl. Mem., II. App. R. 62. Princes have less confines to their wills.
1611. Tourneur, Ath. Trag., III. iii. Within the confines of humanitie.
1677. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, II. IV. 244. Doth not the very nature of a Definition exclude the Deitie from its confines?
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., III. vi. Beyond the confines of geography.
b. pl. The borders or ‘border-land’ between two regions of thought, classes of notions, portions of time, etc.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1328. Natures neuter and meane … situate in the confines betweene gods and men.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., ix. 318. The narrow dubious confines between Virtue and Vice.
1698. Dryden, Virg. Æneid, VII. 579. Betwixt the Confines of the Night and Day.
1810. Southey, Kehama, xx. 7. Just on the confines of the day.
1854. Brewster, More Worlds, ix. 146. Our author finds himself on the confines of a mystery.
sing. 1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., II. 37. It is no more a happiness, than it is an unhappiness; upon the confine of both, but neither.
II. 4. Confinement; limitation. poet.
1597. Shaks., Lover’s Compl., 265. Vow, bond, nor space, In thee [love] hath neither sting, knot, nor confine. Ibid. (1604), Oth., I. ii. 27. I would not my vnhoused free condition Put into Circumscription, and Confine.
c. 1785. Burns, Winter Nt. Think on the dungeon’s grim confine.
1794. Mathias, Purs. Lit. (1798), 300. Such is the Poet: bold, without confine, Imagination’s ‘charter’d libertine!’
1875. Browning, Inn Album, 1. Each stanza seems to gather skirts around, And primly, trimly, keep the foot’s confine.
† 5. A place of confinement, confining or enclosing place; enclosure. Obs.
1600. Shaks., Sonn., lxxxiv. In whose confine immured is the store Which should example where your equall grew. Ibid. (1602), Ham., I. i. 155. At his [the cock’s] warning,… Th’ extrauagant, and erring Spirit, hyes To his confine. Ibid., II. ii. 252. A goodly one, in which there are many Confines, Wards, and Dungeons. Ibid. (1610), Temp., IV. i. 133. Spirits, which by mine Art I haue from their confines call’d to enact My present fancies.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., II. xix. Sends back again to what Confine it listeth.
1650. T. Bayly, Herba Parietis, 124. Virtues … temple as it is a thorow-fare to honours, I like full-well; but as it is a confine, I like the seat no more than if he had sate me upon the stoole of sad repentance.
