[ad. L. consolidātiōn-em, n. of action f. consolidāre to CONSOLIDATE: cf. F. consolidation (16th c. in Littré).]
1. The action of making solid, or of forming into a solid or compact mass; solidification.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1346. Those temperatures, heats, tinctures, and consolidations (if I may so say) which have beene talked of.
1695. Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, II. 96. The Consolidation of the Marble, and of the Stone,… did not fall out at random.
1848. Carpenter, Anim. Phys., 29. Formed simply by the consolidation of fibrin.
1871. Tyndall, Fragm. Sc. (ed. 6), ix. 303. Think of the ages which the molten earth required for its consolidation.
2. fig. A making firm or strong; confirmation.
1611. Cotgr., Consolidation, a consolidation, a strengthening, sound-making.
a. 1648. Ld. Herbert, Hen. VIII. (1683), 11. He first offered a League to Henry the seventh, and for consolidation thereof, his Daughter Margaret.
1787. Jrnl. Convention, 368, in Story, Comm. Const. U. S., I. 256. We kept steadily in view that which appeared to us the greatest interest of every true American, the consolidation of our Union.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, II. 588. The prosperity and consolidation of the British Empire in India.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), I. iv. 231. A time of comparative peace, which he devoted to the consolidation of his power.
3. Combination into a compact mass, single body, or coherent whole; combination, unification.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., I. ii. 45. The union and consolidation of the vegetable juice to the divers parts of the individual.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. xxiii. (R.). Wherein consisted the union or consolidation of the part of those bonds or of that cement.
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages (1872), I. 305. Are we to infer that no consolidation of the German clans … had been effected.
1871. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 247. The first germs of social consolidation and growth.
4. In various specific applications:
† a. Surg. The uniting of the fractures of a broken bone, of the lips of a wound, etc. Obs.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 35. Be war þat … no þing ellis þat lettiþ consolidacioun falle bitwene þe lippis of þe wounde. Ibid., 48. Þe boon may neuere wiþ verri consolidacion be consowdid.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg. There is .ij. manners of consolydacyon, one is trewe.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 267.
b. The uniting of two benefices or offices.
1511–2. Act 3 Hen. VIII., c. 17 § 14. The appropriacion unycion or consolidacione of the same Patronage … to the said Abbot and Convent.
1545. Act 37 Hen. VIII., c. 21 § 3. An Union or Consolidation of two Churches in one.
1712. Prideaux, Direct. Ch.-Wardens (ed. 4), 62. The lawful Reasons for a Consolidation were, 1. The vicinity of the Churches.
1796. Pegge, Anonym. (1809), 444. Consolidation, or the union of divers places in the person of one man, is a great obstacle to justice and equity.
c. Civil Law. ‘The uniting the possession, occupancy, or profits, etc. of land with the property, and vice versa’ (Wharton). Feudal Law. ‘The reunion of the property, or dominium utile, with the superiority, or dominium directum, after they have been feudally disjoined’ (Bell, Dict. Law Scot.).
1641. Termes de la Ley, 78. In this case a consolidation is made of the profits and propertie.
d. Legislation. The combination of two or more bills, acts, or statutes in one; the bringing together in one act of a number of enactments or provisions bearing upon a certain subject.
1721. J. Aislabie, Sp. Ho. Lords, 19 July (T.). It was some surprize to me to find myself translated all on a sudden into this bill against the directors, under the new-fashioned term of consolidation.
1846. Penny Cycl., Suppl., II. 661/1. To remedy these inconveniences several acts were passed in the session of 1845, which are now commonly called the ‘Consolidation Acts.’ The first is the ‘Companies’ Clauses Consolidation Act’ by which were consolidated all the provisions which had usually been inserted in acts with respect to the constitution of companies incorporated for carrying on undertakings of a public nature.
e. Law. The merging of two or more actions at law by a court or judge, in order to avoid the expense and delay arising from the trial of a multiplicity of actions upon the same question.
1817. W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4), II. 923. In actions upon a policy of assurance against several underwriters, the court, by consent of the plaintiff, will make a rule, on the application of the defendants, which is called the consolidation rule, for staying the proceedings in all the actions except one, upon the defendants undertaking to be bound by the verdict in that action.
f. Finance. The combining of two or more sources of revenue into a common fund, or of varied forms of public indebtedness into a stock bearing interest at a uniform rate.
1785. Burke, Sp. Nabob Arcot’s Debts, 28 Feb. Wks. IV. 210. Collected into a second debt from the nabob of Arcot, amounting to two millions four hundred thousand pounds, settled at an interest of 12 per cent. This is known by the name of the Consolidation of 1777. Ibid., 250. When this consolidation of 1777 was first announced at the Durbar, it was represented authentically at 2,400,000l.
1845. McCulloch, Taxation, II. v. (1852), 236. In 1787 … Mr. Pitt introduced and carried his famous measure, the 27 Geo. III. cap. 13, for the consolidation of the customs duties.
1870. Daily News, 14 Feb. The Bill for the consolidation of the [Prussian] debt.
g. Bot. = ADNATION.
1851. G. Mantell, Petrifactions, 48. Formed by the confluence and consolidation of the bases of the petioles.
