† 1. a. Pungency of taste. b. Acidity, sourness.
1490. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 112. Alle maner auenturs … of alle the sayd wynes, lecage forth and egirnesse of the same oonly excepte.
1558. Warde, trans. Alexis’ Secr. (1568), 106 a. Sugre for to moderate the eygrenesse of the Alome.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XIX. viii. 31. It [Senvie] … stewed … in some convenient liquor, in such sort, as a man shal not … complaine of any eagernesse that it hath.
1713. Lond. & Country Brewer, II. (1743), 104. By … boiling, the Wort is … more able to resist Eagerness and Putrefaction.
† 2. Acerbity, bitterness, irritability. Obs.
1475. Bk. Noblesse, 4. Ire, egrenesse, and feersnesse is holden for a vertu in the lion.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. xviii. I. 56. Saul had persecuted him with greater furie and egrenesse than all the rest.
1624. Bedell, Lett., ii. 47. This eagrenesse is not mutuall.
† 3. Of metals: Defective temper, brittleness.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 289. It taketh away the eagrenesse of Brasse.
4. Keenness, swiftness.
1831. J. Holland, Manuf. Metals, I. 290. These stones [grindstones for cutlery] are of a peculiar grit, and cut with great eagerness.
† 5. Impetuosity, fierceness. Obs.
c. 1400. Melayne, 915. Aftir armours he askede tytte, For egernesse he loughe.
1485. Malory, Arthur, I. xv. (1817). They were so couragyous that many Knyghtes shoke … for egrenes.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Warrs, 417. Nor the Sea it self, can put a stop to their [bears’] eagerness.
1678. Earl Murray, in Lauderdale Pap. (1885), III. lxxx. 131. The Kinge … becaem paell and he shouke withe eagernes.
6. Keenness of appetite or desire; impatient haste to do or obtain something. Const. of, for, or inf.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, A vij b. Mony an hawke for egernesse when he shulde nomme a fowle he seesith bot the federis.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie (1869), 239. Industrie is a liuely and vnweried search and occupation in honest things, egernesse is an appetite in base and small matters.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl. (1669), 73. We … find not … that satisfaction, or that advantage, that the eagerness of our unruly Appetites promises us.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., Ded. ¶ 1 b. For you leave us in an eagerness of Learning more.
1741. Richardson, Pamela, I. 18. ‘What say’st thou my Girl?’ said he, with some Eagerness.
1870. Bryant, Homer, I. VI. 184. Let no man through eagerness for spoil Linger behind the rest.
