a. Also 5 crymynous, 6 crimynous, cryminous, Sc. criminois. [a. Afr. criminous = OF. crimineux (15th c. in Godef.), ad. L. crīminōsus, f. crīmen CRIME.]
† 1. Of the nature of a crime; full of or marked by crime or grave offence; criminal. ? Obs.
1483. Caxton, Æsop (1889), 63. The sayd shepherd commysed a crymynous dede.
1562. Act 5 Eliz., c. 23 § 1. To continue their sinful and criminous Life.
1593. Norden, Spec. Brit. M’sex, I. 8. Carping at euerie fault, holding the smallest errour … verie criminous.
1674. P. du Moulin, Papal Tyranny, 47. A deeply criminous forgery.
1858. Sat. Rev., VI. 204/1. My criminous iambics.
2. Of persons: Guilty of crime. Now chiefly in the technical criminous clerk (see CLERK sb. 1).
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., III. 535. Of his men War criminois vther nyne or ten.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 107. To giue sentence … vpon any criminous person.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. vi. (1632), 504. That Clerks criminous should be tried before secular Judges.
1659. Hammond, On Ps. li. 4 Paraphr. 262. The most criminous rebell.
1722. Bp. Wilson, in Keble, Life, xvi. (1863), 497. Tending to the encouragement of the criminous and refractory.
1847. Maskell, Mon. Rit., III. p. cxxix. Of punishing criminous clerks.
1892. Times, 29 April, 9/2. Bishops at present have to get rid of criminous clerks at a cost which is almost prohibitory.
† 3. Of or relating to crime; accusing of crime; involving crimination. Obs.
1533. More, Debell. Salem, Wks. 995/2. Concerning great crimynous wytnesses to be taken in great criminal causes.
1600. Holland, Livy, II. vii. 48. Exposed unto criminous slanders.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 124. Some … dare to make this criminous proposition against very Nature.
