Forms: 3–6 avaunce, 3–5 avaunse, (4 avonci), 4–7 avance, 5 avanse (awawns Sc.), 5–6 advaunce, 6 avawnce (awance Sc.), 6– advance. [a. OFr. avance-r, avancie-r:—pop. L. abanteā-re, f. late L. abante (Fr. avant) away before, f. ab off, away + ante before. The form advance, due to mistaking initial a for a representative of L. ad, as in a(d)venture, occasional in 15–16th-c. French (in which, the d being mute, it was merely an artificial spelling) has been established in Eng. as a permanent perversion of the word. So in advantage. See AD- 2.]
I. To move forward in place.
1. trans. To move, put or push (a thing) forward. Also fig.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXIII. xvi. His glave he did agaynst me advaunce.
1611. Heywood, Gold. Age, III. i. 48. Brauely aduance your strong orbicular shields.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 682. Execrable shape, That dar’st, though grim and terrible, advance Thy mis-created Front athwart my way.
1718. Pope, Iliad, XI. 721. Who spread their bucklers, and advance their spears.
1844. Disraeli, Coningsby, VI. v. 240. The sofa which Sidonia had advanced to the middle of the room.
1875. H. Rogers, Superh. Orig. Bible, ix. (ed. 3), 386. Man has advanced the frontier of physical science.
† b. refl. To move (oneself) forward. Obs.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 19/2. I shal avaunce me and goo to fore you into galylee.
a. 1528. Skelton, Bowge of Courte, 88. Auaunce yourselfe to aproche.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 60. He … avanced himselfe before the ensignes on foot.
2. intr. (by omission of refl. pron.) To move or go forward; to proceed.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VI. x. 116. Agane returnis he, and thay auance.
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. iv. 25. Aduance, braue Titus.
1645. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 161. After we were advanced into this noble and altogether wonderful crypt.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 330. They had by swimming and wading together advanced about a mile.
1839. Keightley, Hist. Eng., II. 43. The duke of Norfolk, as general of the royal forces, advanced to Doncaster.
1860. Tyndall, Glaciers, I. § 10. 65. The crevasses as I advanced became more deep and frequent.
3. intr. fig. To go forward or make progress in life, or in any course.
c. 1698. Locke, Cond. Underst. (1741), 72–3. They who would advance in Knowledge … should … not … take Words for things, nor suppose that Names in Books signifie real Entities in Nature.
1775. Johnson, in Boswell (Routl.), xxv. 224. As a man advances in life, he gets what is better than admiration,—judgment.
1865. Ruskin, Sesame, 107. He only is advancing in life, whose heart is getting softer, whose blood warmer.
1866. Crump, Banking, i. 14. We are surprised that neither the Greeks nor the Romans advanced further than they did [commercially].
4. trans. To forward any process or thing that is in course; to further, promote, help on, aid the success, completion or perfection of.
c. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 156. Ðet tet swuðest auaunceð & furðreð hit, þet is onlich stude.
1297. R. Glouc., 503. Thine cause … We auauncieth.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 187. Wherof men ought ensample take The gode lawes to avaunce.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 1144. Thi bakhous therwith all thou maist avance.
1538. Starkey, England, 3. To study to maynteyn and avaunce the wele of thys same your cuntrey.
1655. Culpepper, Riverius, To Reader. All which wil very much advance the cure.
1799. Wellesley, Desp., 90. He advanced his hostile preparations.
1856. Kane, Arctic Explor., I. 20. The officials … vied with each other in efforts to advance our views.
5. refl. and intr. Of a process or thing in course: To go on towards completion or perfection.
1644. Milton, Educat. (1788), I. 149. If there were any secret excellence … [these ways would] give it fair opportunities to advance itself by.
1855. Tennyson, To F. D. Maurice, 39. How gain in life, as life advances, Valour and charity more and more?
1875. Fortnum, Maiolica, iv. 38. From 1520 to 1540 the art constantly advanced in this duchy.
1879. C. Hibbs, in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 117/1. Tightened up with screws as the work advances.
6. To put forward (a statement, suggestion or claim) for notice or acceptance; to put forth, to bring forward; to offer, propose, present.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XII. v. Evermore they [poets] do to them avaunce Nurture, maner, and al gentylnes.
1665. J. Spencer, Proph., 29. They presently become considerable, are advanced the common Subjects of Discourse.
1699. Bentley, Phalaris The very learned Mr. Dodwell has advanced some other Arguments.
1718. J. Chamberlayne, Relig. Philos. (1730), II. xix. § 45. It may be safely advanced that there falls about 20 inches of Rain yearly.
1829. Southey, All for Love, ix. Wks. VII. 207. Claim to him as thy Bondsman thou Canst never more advance.
1848. Ruskin, Mod. Painters, I. I. I. i. § 4. 5. I have accordingly advanced nothing in the following pages but with accompanying demonstration.
II. To move forward in time.
7. trans. To make earlier (an event or date); to hasten, accelerate.
1481. Caxton, Myrrour, III. X. 153. They abregge their dayes and auaunce their deth.
1549. Chaloner, trans. Erasm. Moriae Enc., G iii b. Elde and horenes which his own wilfull studie avaunced to him before his tyme.
1611. Tourneur, Ath. Trag., V. ii. 149. All the wealthie benefits My death aduances you.
1854. J. Abbott, Napoleon, xxxvii. (1855), I. 569. To advance the moment when the public rights of Europe … will be definitely established.
8. To make earlier the date of a payment; to pay before it is legally due. Hence, to pay or lend on security, either real or personal, of future re-imbursement.
1679–88. Secr. Serv. Moneys (1851), 63. For interest and gratuity for advancing the Duchess of Portsmouth’s quarter … 25 daies £12 5s. 5d.
1820. Carey, Guide to Funds, 27. The Bank advanced £400,000 more to government.
1882. Charter-party, One third to be advanced in cash, on account of Freight, if required on signing Bill of Lading.
Mod. The pawnbroker declined to advance more than 3 shillings on the article. I will advance him £50 on your note-of-hand.
b. absol. with on.
1866. Crump, Banking, iii. 84. Dock-warrant and bills of lading are frequently advanced on.
III. To move upward.
9. trans. To raise or lift up. lit. and fig. arch.
1475. Bk. of Noblesse (1860), 22. Put forthe youre silf, avaunsing youre corageous hertis to werre.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. iv. 134. Thare happy chance So gan the breistis of the vtheris awance [v.r. avance].
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 408. The fringed Curtains of thine eyes aduance.
1624. Heywood, Gunaik., III. 156. Advancing his wife from the earth.
1697. Potter, Antiq. Greece, III. ix. (1715), 78. The signal to be given … was a Purple Coat, which was to be advanc’d in the Air.
1712. Pope, Messiah, 25. See lofty Lebanon his head advance.
1814. Wordsworth, Wh. Doe of Ryl., III. 158. At need he stood, advancing high The glittering, floating Pageantry.
10. trans. To raise or promote (a person) in rank or office, to prefer. Hence gen. To put in a better or more advantageous position.
1297. R. Glouc., 77. And bihet hym, þat, ȝef þer of wel auaunsed he were To ȝelde more god to Rome.
1366. Maundevile, v. (1839), 38. Whan the Soudan will avance any worthi Knyghte, he makethe him an Amyralle.
1461–83. Lib. Nig. Dom., in Househ. Ord. (1790), 50. The King’s grace avaunceth these preests and clerks by prebends, churches [etc.].
1538. Elyot, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 142, III. 115. My saide Lord Cardinal … advauncid me to be Clerk of the Counsayle.
1576. Thynne, in Animadv. (1865), 113. Good vertue hym advanced above the reste.
1611. Bible, Esther iii. 1. Ahasuerus … aduanced him, and set his seate aboue all the princes.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 148. Determin’d to advance into our room A Creature form’d of Earth.
1728. Young, Love of Fame, iii. (1757), 106. The man that’s nearest, yawning, they advance.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., II. ix. 314. His eagerness to advance his family may well have offended others.
† b. construction transposed. Obs.
1623. W. L’Isle, Testim. Antiq., Pref. Oswald avoided out of the most notable Churches the Clarkes, and advanced the same places with men of the order of Monkes.
c. refl. To push oneself forward in rank or station.
1340. Ayenb., 2. Hy ne þencheþ ne studieþ bote ham zelue to auonci.
1475. Bk. of Noblesse (1860), 46. They alway avaunsid hem forthe withe the formost.
1563. Homilies, II. (1859), 480. It shall make us not to avaunce ourselves before our neighbour.
11. Law. To provide for children, especially in anticipation of the provisions of a settlement or will.
1411. Sir T. Langeforde, in E. E. Wills (1882), 17. And it falle þat sche deie, or scheo be a-vauncyd, þan wille y þat þe forseyd C li. be don for my sowle.
1574. trans. Littleton, Tenures, 55 b. Shee shall haue nothing in the remenaunt for that … she is sufficientlye advaunced.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v. Hotchpot, If a child advanced by the father, do after his father’s decease challenge a child’s part with the rest.
† 12. fig. To extol, to magnify (in words). refl. To boast. Obs. Cf. AVAUNT, VAUNT.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, III. iii. (1483), 51. Ful wel myght the bocher auauncen hym self, and seyn that al other bochers had nought so moch flesshe hangynge in theyr howses.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 267/1. He had no more wylle to auaunce hym.
c. 1526. Frith, Disput. Purgat. (1829), 153. Bless the Lord; praise and advance him for ever.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utopia (1869), 44. You shall in vaine aduaunce your selues of executing iustice vpon fellons.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 477. Thou advancest thyselfe to be as that glorious Cherub which covereth the Ark of God.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Worthy Commun., i. § 5. 97. Let no man advance the preaching of the word of God, to the disparagement … of the Sacraments.
† 13. To raise in amount or number, increase. Obs.
1576. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 271. Lanfranc advaunced the number of the Monkes from 30 to 140.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah Sight, IV. iv. 66. What a mass of money might he have advanced for himselfe.
14. To raise in rate or price.
1691. Petty, Polit. Arith., iv. 67. The Rent of Land is advanced by reason of Multitude of People.
Mod. The Bank of England has advanced the rate of discount to 5%.
15. intr. To rise in price.
1882. Daily News, 19 Aug., 7/1. Brush Light shares advanced in a prominent manner … Indian Rupee Paper has fractionally advanced.
† 16. intr. To be over in amount; to be in excess. (Cf. It. avanzare.) Obs.
1557. North, Dial. of Princes (1582), 26. To speake truely, in princes houses there is more offence in that that avaunceth then in that that wanteth.
1601. Sir A. Sherley, Trav. to Persia (1613), 71. All his Goods and Lands, should be sold, for the satisfaction of those men … If anything advanced, it should be giuen to his children.
IV. To advantage.
† 17. trans. To advantage, benefit, profit (any one). Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 246. It may not avance, As for to delen with no swiche pouraille.
† 18. intr. To be advantaged; to benefit, profit. Obs.
c. 1440. Cokwolds Daunce, 165, in E. P. P., 45. Ffor any cas that may be tyde, Schall non ther of a vanse.
