a. Also 7 cordat. [In sense 1 ad. L. cordāt-us wise, prudent, sagacious, f. cor, cord- heart, in sense of judgment; in sense 3, ad. mod.L. cordātus (Linnæus), in sense analogous to that of ovātus egg-shaped: see -ATE2 2.]
† 1. Wise, prudent, sagacious. Obs.
1651. Fuller’s Abel Rediv., Life Colet, 105. The Bishop assisted by two of his brethren, almost as learned and Cordat as himselfe.
a. 1734. North, Lives (1890), III. 91. He was cordate in his practice, and I believe never in all his life betrayed a client to court a judge. Ibid., 125. To allow him assistants … that he shall think faithful and cordate.
† 2. Hearty, cordial. Obs. rare.
1669. Maynwaring, Pharm. Physician’s Repos., 116–7. Unanimous concurrence and cordate adherence to one another. Ibid. (1671), Anc. & Mod. Physick, 45. Cordate esteem for all those who have contributed their endeavours for so happy a restitution.
3. (Chiefly in Nat. Hist.) Heart-shaped; resembling in form a longitudinal section of a heart, i.e., with outline generally rounded, but pointed at one end and having an indentation at the other.
1769. J. Wallis, Nat. Hist. Northumbld., I. xi. 393. The depressed cordate Echinus, or Sea-Egg.
1794. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., v. 52. The form of these petals … is usually cordate or heart-shaped.
1854. Woodward, Mollusca, II. 290. Shell regular, equivalve, free, cordate.
1882. Vines, Sachs’ Bot., 476. The leaves of Selaginella … are usually cordate at the base.
b. Prefixed to another adj. = ‘cordate and …,’ or ‘with a combination of the cordate form’; as in cordate-amplexicaul, -lanceolate, -oblong, -sagittate, etc. See also CORDATO-.
1845. Lindley, Sch. Bot., vi. (1858), 86. Floral leaves broad-ovate, at the base cordate-amplexicaul.
1870. Hooker, Stud. Flora, 310. Polygonum Convolvulus; leaves cordate-sagittate.
Hence Cordately adv., in a cordate form.
1828. in Webster; and in later Dicts.
