Also 4–7 -acie, 5 -acye. [ad. L. contumācia, n. of quality f. contumāx: see next and -ACY. Cf. CONTUMACE sb.]
1. Perverse and obstinate resistance of or disobedience to authority; rebellious stubbornness.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 317. Strif, contumacie, presumpcion.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 316. His contumacy agayne ye churche.
1574. Whitgift, Def. Aunsw., ii. Wks. 1851, I. 245. If [we offend] through contempt or contumacy, it is to be reproved.
1656. Bramhall, Replic., 32. If contumacy against one lawfull single superiour be schismaticall.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 1027. Such acts Of contumacie will provoke the highest.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, ii. His entertainer took not the contumacy of the young apprentice with so much patience.
1860. Pusey, Min. Proph., 177. Direct contumacy to God’s known voice.
1871. Blackie, Four Phases, i. 148. They passed sentence of death upon the philosopher for contumacy towards themselves.
† b. rarely in good or neutral sense: Refusal to comply, obstinate resistance. Obs.
1618. Bolton, Florus, I. vii. 18. All other the gods … leaving the place, Juventus and Terminus only, would not stir. This contumacie of the powers divine pleased the Soothsayers well.
1656. trans. Hobbes’ Elem. Philos. (1839), 395. The contumacy which the motion, they have already, gives them against the reception of all other motion.
1655–60. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 90/1. With a free contumacy proceeding not from Pride, but the greatness of his Mind.
† 2. Of diseases, etc.: Reluctance to yield to treatment; stubborn or unyielding nature. Obs.
1541. R. Copland, Galyen’s Terap., 2 D iv. Some vlceres and diseases are contumacy and rebellyon to heale.
1634. T. Johnson, Parey’s Chirurg., VII. xviii. (1678), 183. The contumacy of the humour which gives no place to the resolving Medicins.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., 366. By reason of … contumacy of the matter, it expelleth nothing out of the mouth, except a thin and waterish humour.
3. Law. Willful disobedience to the summons or order of a court. † To put in contumacy: to pronounce (in legal form) contumacious.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. viii. 764. For his [Balliol’s] wylful contwmacy.
1483. Caxton, Cato, A viij. Holden for a rebelle … and put into contumacye.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard., III. (1599), 140. To put the Duke of Myllan in contumacie, it were necessary to haue interpellation.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 200. If any of the King’s tenure be called before their Ordinaries … if they be excommunicate for their manifest contumacy.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. III. iii. 332. They were pronounced guilty of contumacy in not obeying the summons of the council.
4. An act or instance of willful disobedience.
1726. Ayliffe, Parerg., 159. These Certificates … mention the Parties Contumacies.
1868. Milman, St. Paul’s, vii. 133. He corrected all excesses, and contumacies.
† 5. To hold the contumacy: see quot. Obs.
[1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, I. 16. Which they call doing Contumaccia, or Quarantine.]
1762. trans. Busching’s Syst. Geog., IV. 236. A Lazaretto, in which travellers in the time of a plague must perform quarantine, or as they term it here, hold the contumacy.
6. attrib., as in contumacy fees.
1685. Conset, Pract. Spirit. Courts, 322. His contumacy fees being paid.
