Also 7 emminency. [ad. L. ēminēntia: see prec. and -ENCY.]
I. In physical senses.
† 1. Height; prominence, elevation above surrounding objects. Obs. rare.
1635. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., II. vii. 105. The ordinary Eminency of the hight of the Earth aboue the Waters.
1657. Austen, Fruit Trees, II. 137. Mighty hils and Mountaines in eminency.
1663. Charleton, Chorea Gigant., 48. One … stone exceeding the rest in eminency.
† 2. concr. A projection or prominence; a protuberance. Obs.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., III. ix. 148/2. Towards the Temples there grows a certain eminency like a covering.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 15. You do off the Eminencies or Risings.
1718. J. Chamberlayne, Relig. Philos. (1730), I. x. § 9. The Muscle … runs about the Eminency, like a Rope in a Pulley.
† 3. An elevation on the earth’s surface; a rising ground, hill. Also an elevated object. Obs.
1662. Gerbier, Princ., 10. A Church or Steeple, or some other eminency.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus., 67. The Church of the holy Sepulcher if founded upon Mount Calvary, which is a small Eminency or Hill upon the greater Mount of Moriah.
1737. Whiston, Josephus Wars, VII. viii. § 5. A certain eminency of the rock.
1748. Anson, Voy., II. xii. (ed. 4), 354. On the tops of some small eminencies there are several look-out towers.
II. In non-material senses.
† 4. Distinguished superiority, elevation above the common standard in social position, wealth, power, reputation, or attainment, or in the possession of any special quality; = EMINENCE 4. Obs.
1628. Earle, Microcosm., lxi. 166. Men of parts and eminency.
1642. C. H., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 282, III. 302. Though we have lost some, yet few of eminency, save some prisoners.
1698. Sidney, Disc. Govt., iii. § 28 (1704), 351. Commoners, who in antiquity and eminency are no way inferior to the chief of the titular Nobility.
1727. De Foe, Hist. Appar., v. 48. This woman was a witch of some eminency.
† b. Of things, of places, towns, etc.: Importance. Obs.
1622. Misselden, Free Trade, 6. To finde out a fit remedy is of high eminency.
1640. Wilkins, New Planet, vii. (1707), 217. There are but two places of any eminency, the Circumference and the Centre.
1651. trans. De-las-Coveras’ Don Fenise, 296. We arrived at the doore of an house of eminency.
1673. Vain Insolency of Rome, To Rdr. A iij b. The first greatness of Rome was founded in the eminency of the City.
† 5. As a title of honor, borne esp. by cardinals; = EMINENCE 5. Obs.
1655. Milton, Lett. State (1851), 331. I intreat your Eminency to give him entire Credit.
1670. G. H., Hist. Cardinals, I. III. 72. The rest of their Eminencies were all astonish’d at the Election of such a person.
† 6. Acknowledgement of superiority, homage, deference; = EMINENCE 6. Obs.
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler (ed. 3), 47. Equity is as due to People, as Eminency to Princes.
† 7. That in which a person (or thing) excels or is remarkable; esp. in good sense, an excellence, special talent, honorable distinction. Obs.
1602. Fulbecke, Pandectes, 62. He hath beene accompted ignoble, who hath not beene … noted for some eminency.
1608. Topsell, Serpents, 6. Therefore it followeth vnauoidably, that the eminencie of their [serpents’] temperament, is cold in the highest degree.
a. 1617. P. Bayne, On Eph. (1658), 51. Again, this Adoption is called by the name of a dignity, or eminency.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., Wks. 1716, I. 298. Reason and discretion are the singular eminencies of men.
† 8. Superiority in degree or measure; intensive magnitude. By (way of) eminency: see EMINENCE 8 c. Obs.
1608. S. Hieron, Defence, III. 159. Some eminency of greatnes, power, or goodnes.
1622–62. Heylin, Cosmogr., III. (1682), 51. Not only for distinctions sake, but in way of eminency.
1643. Burroughes, Exp. Hosea, ix. (1652), 307. The Sabbath is called an everlasting Covenant by way of eminency.
1651. Fuller’s Abel Rediv., Life Luther (1867), I. 38. The eminency of his good parts did more and more show themselves.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus., 24. The people of the Country call it Junia, that is, the Plain, which name they give it by way of Eminency, upon account of it’s vast extent.
9. Prominence, or relative importance, in mental view.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess. Art, Wks. (Bohn), I. 147. This rhetoric, or power to fix the momentary eminency of an object.
1873. M. Arnold, Lit. & Dogma, 367. Christian Churches do recommend the … secret of Jesus, though not … in the right eminency.
¶ 10. Confused with IMMINENCY. Cf. EMINENT 6.
1680. Life Edw. II., in Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793), 37/1. The Spencers … saw the eminency of their own dangers.
