Forms: 4–5 corporell(e, 5 (corperall), 5–7 corporall, 5 -al. [a. OF. corporal (12th c.), later corporel, ad. L. corporāl-em bodily, f. corpus, corpor- body. See -AL.]
1. Of or belonging to the human body; bodily.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6759. Swynke he with his hondis corporelle.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, 7. The corporal or bodelye sight. Ibid. (1490), Eneydos, xxix. 113. Fayre yeftes of nature, as is beaulte corporelle.
c. 1510. Barclay, Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570), D iv. His members corporall.
1547. Act 1 Edw. VI., c. 3. If they should be punished by death and with other corporall paine.
1641. in Nalson, Impart. Collect. (1683), II. 482. It is this day ordered by the Commons…. That all Corporal bowing at the Name (JESUS) … be henceforth forborn.
1671. Milton, P. R., IV. 299. In corporal pleasure he, and careless ease.
1762. Gibbon, Misc. Wks. (1814), IV. 131. A favourite topic of ancient raillery was corporal defects.
1868. Gladstone, Juv. Mundi, v. (1870), 118. The achievements of Heracles are personal, indeed corporal.
b. Personal.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xx. 104. When the Victor hath trusted him with his corporall liberty.
1754. Richardson, Grandison (1781), I. xxvi. 189. Taking his corporal leave of her.
1767. Blackstone, Comm., II. 173. Since by a devise a freehold may pass without corporal tradition or livery of seisin.
1876. Grant, Burgh Sch. Scotl., I. i. 22. The chancellor has given him [Master John Homyll in 1418] corporal and real possession of the foresaid benefice.
† c. Having a body, embodied. Obs.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., VIII. in Ashm. (1652), 172. The Spryt may Corporall be, And become fyx wyth hyt and substancyall.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 142. There they suppose Enoch and Elias are corporall to this day.
1647. W. Browne, trans. Polexander, II. 257. There are corporall Angels on earth.
† 2. Of the nature of body or matter; corporeal, material, physical. Obs.
1519. Interl. Four Elem., in Hazl., Dodsley, I. 12. Though the form and fashion of any thing That is a corporal body be destroyed.
1529. More, Dyaloge, I. Wks. 115/2. The worshipping of god with golde and siluer, & suche other corporall thinges.
1592. West, 1st Pt. Symbol., § 50 D, Corporal things are such as of their own nature may be felt or seen.
1605. Shaks., Macb., I. iii. 81. What seem’d corporall Melted, as breath into the Wind.
1653. H. More, Antid. Ath., I. viii. (1712), 23. Either God, or this corporal and sensible World must of itself necessarily exist.
1702. Echard, Eccl. Hist. (1710), 644. Two principles; the one Good … the other Evil, from whence proceeded the evil soul of man; together with the body, and all corporal creatures.
1726. trans. Gregory’s Astron., I. 475. The two Planets observed in Corporal Conjunction (that is where the one seems to touch or cover the other).
† b. Relating to material things; material. Obs.
1535. Coverdale, Zech., Contents ch. x. Thorow corporal promises, the prophet ledeth men vnto the promises that are fulfilled in Christ.
† 3. Large of body. Obs.
c. 1475. Partenay, 4456. Sin þat gret thikke is, wonder corporall.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 202. As for flesh-meat, I thinke that a Hawke in England eats more in a moneth, than … a sufficient corporall Burger does in six weekes.
† 4. Having solidity; solid. Obs.
a. In early Chem.
1667. Boyle, Orig. Formes & Qual. One little Masse or Bead of corporal or yellow (though perhaps somewhat palish) Gold. Ibid., 131. In some grosse, or, as they speak, corporal Salts, such as Sea-salt, Salt-petre.
b. Corporal number: a number pertaining to cubic or solid measure.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., I. xxvi. (ed. 7), 59. A Cubique or Corporall number, having both length, breadth, and depth.
5. Phrases. a. Corporal oath [med.L. corporale juramentum; cf. corporaliter jurare, also BODILY Oath]: an oath ratified by corporally touching a sacred object, esp. the gospels, but sometimes the consecrated host, or relics of saints, and in heathen times the altar, etc., of an idol, as distinguished from a merely verbal oath, to which the body was, as it were, not a party. arch.
As the consecrated host or corpus Dei was sometimes the thing corporaliter tactum, the attributive ‘corporal’ has been held by some to refer to the host; but this is not historically tenable. See the treatment of the subject by Maskell, Monum. Rit. (1882), II. pp. li–liii; also the mediæval examples in Du Cange, s.v. Jurare, the Italian quots. in the Vocab. Della Crusca (1878), s.vv. Corporale, Corporalmente, etc.
[c. 1300. Thorn, Chron. (in Decem Script. II. 1966). Forma fidelitatis faciendæ. Ego N. de C. juro ad hæc sancta Dei evangelia, præstito corporaliter sacramento, quod [etc.].
c. 1300. Robert, Bp. of Glasgow, in Rymer, II. 867 (Du Cange). Et cest serment avons nous fet sur le cors notre Seigneur.]
1534. in W. H. Turner, Select Rec. Oxford, 128. By vertue of corporall othe gyven to the Universitie.
1548. Hall, Chron., 29 b. Eche of theim takyng a corporall othe upon the holy Evangelistes.
1585. Abp. Sandys, Serm. (1841), 323. The eldest … servant of his house … (for he had rule over all which Abraham did possess), was not permitted to deal in this matter without taking a corporal oath beforehand [cf. Gen. xxiv. 2].
1633. T. Stafford, Pac. Hib., iii. (1821), 241. Untill he had taken his corporal oath (upon a booke) that he would [etc.].
1675. trans. Machiavelli’s Prince (Rtldg., 1883), 252. He would … take his corporal oath his … life was tedious.
1755. Magens, Insurances, I. 269. He … confirmed the Truth of the … written Deposition with his Corporal Oath, before us.
b. Corporal punishment: punishment inflicted on the body; originally including death, mutilation, branding, bodily confinement, irons, the pillory, etc. (as opposed to a fine or punishment in estate or rank). In 19th c. usually confined to flogging or similar infliction of bodily pain.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., I. xii. (1602), 57. Corporall punishment, is eyther capitall, or not capitall.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 431. Imprisonment is a corporall punishment.
1714. Act 1 Geo. I., St. 2. c. 18 § 14. To be kept to hard Labour, and suffer such corporal Punishment as the said Justice or Justices … shall think fit.
1724. Act 11 Geo. I., c. 26 § 10. Any Crime, importing a Capital or any other Corporal Punishment.
1827. Hansard, Parl. Deb., XVI. 679. 26 Feb., Mr. Hume proposed … that it should be unlawful to inflict corporal punishment, by stripes or lashes, upon any soldier.
1836. O’Connell, Ho. Comm., 14 April. They talked of ‘corporal punishment’; they did not choose to use its right name—‘flogging.’
1838. Act 1–2 Vict., c. 17 § 7. (Mutiny Act) That a General Court-martial … may sentence any Soldier to Corporal Punishment, not extending to Life or Limb, for Immorality, [etc.].
1868. G. Duff, Pol. Surv., 26. The last reform … is the abolition, a few weeks ago, of corporal punishment in the army.
c. Corporal works of mercy: works of mercy to the bodies of men, of which seven are reckoned.
15[?]. Manuall of Prayers, The Workes of mercy Corporall. To feed the hungry. To giue drinke to the thirsty. To cloathe the naked. To visitt and ransome the Captiues. To harbour the harbourlesse. To visitt the sicke. To burie the dead.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xxi. 711. He was ready to do the last corporal work of mercy to his departed sovereign.
† B. as sb. pl. (elliptical.). Obs.
1659. Fuller, Appeal Inj. Innoc., III. 66. Naturals, corporals, morals, civils, intellectuals.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 821. When the soul goes out of this body, whether it be carried into any corporal places, or to incorporals like to corporals.
