[ad. (directly or through Fr. adoption) L. adoptiōn-em n. of action, f. obs. ppl. stem adopt-, whence also adoptā-re to ADOPT. In late L. adoptio was used instead of adoptātio, the n. of action, from adoptā-re.]
1. The action of voluntarily taking into any relation; esp. of taking into sonship. a. viewed actively.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls Ser.), V. 213. Þe sacrament of adopcioun [sacramento adoptionis] i.e. baptism.
1483. Caxton, Cato, a iiij. The second [kind of cousin] is legale, the whiche cause is by adopcyon.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 15. The Lawiers … define Adoption to be a legitimate act imitating nature, found out for their solace and comfort, which haue no children.
1602. Shaks., Haml., I. iii. 62. The friends thou hast, and their adoption tride, Grapple them to thy Soule, with hoopes of Steele.
1755. Sherlock, Disc., I. viii. 230. The Spirit itself, that is the Spirit of Adoption, which Christians receive, is one Witness.
1875. H. E. Manning, Holy Ghost, i. 18. We are made sons of God by adoption.
b. fig.
1644–58. Cleveland, Gen. Poems, &c. (1677), 118. As Chickens are hatcht at Grand Cairo, by the Adoption of an Oven.
c. viewed passively, The fact of being so adopted; adopted relation or condition.
1382. Wyclif, Rom. viii. 23. We vssilf sorwen withynne us for the adopcioun of goddis sones, that is … the staat of Goddis sones bi grace [Tindale adopcion, Cranmer adopcyon, Genevan, Rheims, 1611 adoption].
1494. Fabyan, VII. ccxxxiii. 268. The kynge shulde take hym for his sone of adopcion, and ryghtefull heyre.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. xxii. (1865), 388. It could not taste of death, by reason of its adoption into immortal palaces.
2. The act of taking up and treating as one’s own; acceptance, espousal.
1598. Shaks., Merry Wives, II. ii. 309. I shall … stand vnder the adoption of abhominable termes.
1769. Burke, Pres. State Nat., Wks. II. 121. They may add to the publick calamity of their own measures, the adoption of his projects.
1821. Craig, Drawing & Paint., vi. 347. I cannot, therefore, recommend this mode of miniature painting to your adoption.
1878. Seeley, Stein, III. 550. The country of his own adoption.
b. Philol. (as used in this Dict.) The taking of a word belonging to a foreign language into regular use in our own, without (intentional) change of form; a special instance of this process.
Thus: The English word hotel is an adoption of the modern French (as hostel was of the Old French) living descendant of Latin hospitāle; in hospital we have a French and English adaptation of the Latin word itself. These facts are thus symbolized: Eng. hotel, a. mod. Fr. hôtel:—OFr. hostel:—L. hospitāle. Eng. hospital, a. OFr. hospital, ad. L. hospitāle.
c. passively, The fact of being so taken up and accepted; the being adopted.
1755. Johnson, Dict., Pref. Which [words] … must depend for their adoption on the suffrage of futurity.
1879. in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 10/2. The great advantages of their adoption in all great metropolitan centres.
