Forms: 5 eloquens, elloquence, 4– eloquence. [a. Fr. éloquence, ad. L. ēloquentia, f. ēloquent-em ELOQUENT.]
1. The action, practice, or art of expressing thought with fluency, force, and appropriateness, so as to appeal to the reason or move the feelings. Also concr. eloquent language.
Primarily of oral utterance, and hence applied to writing that has the characteristics of good oratory. In mod. use the notion of impassioned utterance is more prominent than in the early examples.
1382. Wyclif, Cor., Prol. Summe [were overturned] of wordy eloquence of philosofie.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., I. xxi. 71 (Harl. MS.). Wise men … by deceyuable eloquence and takyng of money deceyueth.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., III. i. 83. And naught esteemes my aged eloquence.
1665–9. Boyle, Occas. Refl., Ded. A 5. Those Celebrated Ladies, who by their Triumphant Eloquence … taught their Children to Sway those Rulers of the world.
1709. Tatler, No. 70, ¶ 2. Eloquence, set off with the proper Ornaments of Voice and Gesture.
1840. H. Rogers, Ess. (1874), II. v. 224. To give a brief definition of … this truest style of eloquence … it was ‘practical reasoning,’ animated by strong emotion.
1847. Grote, Greece (1862), IV. II. xlvi. 108. His eloquence was irresistibly impressive.
b. fig.
1593. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. ii. Our safest eloquence concerning him [God] is our silence.
1713. Young, Last Day, III. 129. The dreadful eloquence of pain, Our only song.
1715–20. Pope, Iliad, XIV. 252. Silence that spoke and eloquence of eyes.
1814. S. Rogers, Jacquel., 56. Her tears her only eloquence.
1822. Hazlitt, Table-t., II. iii. 37. That undisturbed silence of the heart which alone is perfect eloquence.
c. in pl. arch.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), B iiij. People came to Rome to se the eloquences of the bokes.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., V. XIX. v. 495. Suasive eloquences and advices.
† 2. Speech or verbal expression in general. Obs.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 7541. Your wikked thought … That mooveth your foule eloquence.
1658–9. N. St. Nicholas, in Burton’s Diary (1828), III. 119. I wish we do not draw God’s judgment by such light eloquence.
3. The quality of being eloquent, as an attribute of speakers or writers, their utterances or style.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (1840), 5. Alle to declare I have noone eloquence.
c. 1450. Crt. of Love, 2. Of cunning naked, bare of eloquence.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 1 b. My insuffycyency and ignoraunce … lacke bothe lernynge and eloquence.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., III. i. § 15. 403. This particular argument … is managed with a great deal of eloquence and reason.
1704. Swift, T. Tub, xi. 129. This I have produced as a Scantling of Jacks great eloquence.
1831. Lytton, Godolphin, 6. Her father’s eloquence had descended to her.
Mod. A passage of unsurpassed eloquence.
4. = RHETORIC.
1623. Cockeram, Eloquence. The Art of Rhetoricke.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 525. Professor of … eloquence.
1852. Sir W. Hamilton, Discuss., 6, note. Abraham Remi … Professor Royal of Eloquence.
† 5. An alleged technical term denoting a company of lawyers. Obs. rare–1.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, F vij a. An Eloquens of laweyeris.
