a.; also agreable, aggreable, aggreeable. [a. Fr. agréable capable of pleasing, f. agréer to please: see AGREE and -ABLE.] At a very early date aphetized to GREEABLE.
1. To one’s liking or taste; affording pleasure; pleasing, pleasant.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. of Fame, 1097. But for the ryme is lyght and lewed Yit make hyt sumwhat agreable.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, IV. xx. (1483), 68. Fyercer than the fyre he fyndeth the and nothyng agreable.
c. 1500. Doctr. Good Serv. (1842), 4. Speke lytell and be agreable.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 969/2. This man … had doone to the king and realme right agreeable services.
1716. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., 2. I. 10. Nothing can be more agreeable than travelling in Holland.
1742. H. Baker, Microsc., II. xxv. 201. The minute Spiders appear very agreeable in the Microscope.
1779. J. Moore, View of Soc., II. 176. Two very agreeable French gentlemen.
1813. Marshall, Gardening, xix. (ed. 5), 363. Christmas rose is very hardy, a plant or two potted is agreeable enough at such a season.
1859. Lewes, Physiol. Com. Life, I. i. § 6. 27. The sensation of Hunger is at first rather agreeable, but it quickly becomes unpleasant if prolonged.
1874. Daily News, 3 June, 5/5. Mr. Disraeli’s definition of an agreeable man—he who agrees with us.
b. with to.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Lawes T., 767. An heir moore agreable than this to my likynge.
1481. Caxton, Myrrour, III. xvi. 170. That he myght conduyte hym that it myght be to god agreable.
1732. Law, Serious Call (ed. 2), 77. Neither of which can be any longer agreeable to God.
1863. Sat. Rev., 273. That painful manufacture of common-places which is called ‘making yourself agreeable to a lady.’
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., I. 650. They made themselves too agreeable to the English women.
2. Of a person: Having a liking (to anything); favorable, propitious; kindly disposed, pleased, contented (to do anything). Now colloquial.
1467. Sir J. Paston, in Lett., 570, II. 300. I kannot in no wyse fynde hyr a greable that ye scholde have her dowter.
1494. Fabyan, V. lxxxiii. 61. To whose request the kynge was aggreable.
1509. Barclay, Ship of Fooles (1570), 87. God is not sone agreable To heare their cry.
1524. Henry VIII., in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1822), I. II. 43. The kings highnes is agreable to be a mediator.
1623. J. Bingham, Xenophon, 113. The sacrifice [personified] was not agreeable that day.
1850. Thackeray, Pendennis (1863), 329. ‘Well, sir, if Ann ’s agreeable, I say ditto.’
† 3. Agreeing together; of one mind. Obs.
1552. Huloet, Agreable, of one consente, mynde, or wyll. Concors.
1567. Jewel, Def. Apol. (1611), 105. The agreeable multitude of many Bishops.
1601. Holland, Pliny (1634), I. 270. The same fishes in certaine set moneths, are good friends and agreeable enough.
† 4. Of things (rarely of persons): Corresponding, conformable, suitable, fitting. a. Mutually corresponding, answering to each other. Obs.
1551. Recorde, Pathw. Knowl., II. xx. You see the agreable sentence of these iij. theoremes to tende to this purpose.
1661. Hist. Parismus, II. 80. To see whether his valour and his boastings were Agreable.
1692. Molyneux, in Locke’s Lett. (1708), 14. These two places have been stumbled at by some as not consistent. To me they appear, and are, very agreeable.
† b. Answering to the circumstances, or to the general order of things; suitable, fitting. Obs.
1601. Dolman, Fr. Acad. (1618), 691. Which consideration is every whit agreeable in each part of the zodiacke.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 70. ’Tis agreeable, that we cannot otherwise have the heaven, in the world, than as to sence above us.
1682. Grew, Anat. Plants, III. II. iii. § 14. And so make a vessel of a wider, as a more agreeable bore.
† c. with with: In accordance, in harmony; harmonious, congruous, consistent. Obs.
1557. Recorde, Whetst., T iij. Their lengthe is agreable with their bredthe, and so thei make square figures.
1594. Carew, trans. Huarte’s Trial of Wits (1616), 102. That which is agreeable with his naturall abilitie.
1655. Culpepper, Riverius, I. i. 5. Blood-letting is not agreeable with Flegmatick Diseases.
1783. Boswell, Johnson (1816), IV. 249. Your anxiety about my health is … very agreeable with your general kindness.
d. with unto, to: Conformable (to a standard or design), corresponding, answering; suitable; in accordance with. Now only of things immaterial.
c. 1385. Chaucer, Leg. G. Wom., 668. Most agreable unto myn entent.
1547. Bale, Sel. Wks. (1849), 232. Though in faith she were not agreeable to the world’s wild opinion.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Paraphr. Matt. iii. 4. His dyet was agreable unto his apparell.
1625. Burges, Pers. Tithes, 22. This is neither agreeable to Religion nor conscience.
1699. Bentley, Phalaris, § 2. 28. About LXXX Years later: Which is agreeable to Suidas, who places him ‘about the LII Olympiad.’
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. I. v. 48. It rarely happens that these are exactly agreeable to their standard.
1855. Bain, Senses & Intell., II. ii. § 11 (1864), 195. It is agreeable to all experience.
5. In this sense it is often used adverbially for AGREEABLY: In a manner answering to, in accordance with, in conformity with; according to.
1549. Latimer, 7 Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (1869), 25. To accomodate hymselfe and hys matter a greeable vnto the comforte, and amendemente of the audience.
1614. Selden, Titles of Honor, 285. They haue also, agreeable with the identitie of Thane and Steward, certain Stewarties at this day.
1710. Palmer, Proverbs, 249. Rakes and clowns … will … treat you agreeable to their own humour.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, III. 173. The Earl entered, agreeable to the Prince’s summons.
† 6. subst. (as in mod. Fr.) a. An agreeable person. Cf. An incapable. Obs.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 511, ¶ 1. There were as many ugly Women as Beauties or Agreeables.
b. pl. Agreeable things. Cf. eatables, valuables, etc.
1812. Henry, Camp. agst. Quebec, 94. Accompanied by all those agreeables which render the cultivator of the earth the most happy of human beings.
1822. Coleridge, Lett., Convers., II. 99. Superficial Advantages and outside Agreeables.
