Also 7 æmulate. [f. L. æmulāt- ppl. stem of æmulā-ri to rival.]
1. trans. Of persons: To strive to equal or rival (a person, his achievements or qualities); to copy or imitate with the object of equalling or excelling.
1589. Warner, Alb. Eng., Prose Addit. (1612), 347. So much doe I emulate, not enuie thy glorie.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., V. ix. (1669), 361. The disparity of Circumstances betwixt their own Condition, and that of those they Æmulate.
1694. Dryden, To Sir G. Kneller, 80. Contemn the bad, and Emulate the best.
1752. Hume, Ess. & Treat. (1777), I. 224. ‘Formerly,’ says JUVENAL, ‘science was confined to GREECE and ITALY. Now the whole world emulates ATHENS and ROME.’
1883. F. M. Peard, Contrad., I. 12. When will you emulate Sir Archibald in the art of saying pretty things?
2. Implying some degree of success: To vie with, rival, attain or approach to equality with.
1807. G. Chalmers, Caledonia, I. III. iii. 341. He emulated the Scottish kings in splendour.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xiii. My royal nephew will soon emulate his father’s wisdom.
1872. Yeats, Growth Comm., 52. Many of the Greek states emulated Tyre in commerce and opulence.
b. Of things: To vie with, rival, equal or closely approach in any quality.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., III. iii. 58. I see how thine eye would emulate the Diamond.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys.-Mech., xxxvii. 307. They were wont … to emulate … the apparition of Light.
1661. Boyle, Examen, iii. (1682), 21. The Corpuscles … tend to … emulate a spring.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Sycomore, The Liquor emulates that of the Birch.
1833. Miss Mitford, in L’Estrange, Life, III. i. 2. Lady Madalina Palmer is working one [a carpet] which emulates the paintings of Van Huysum.
† 3. intr. To make it one’s ambition, strive in a spirit of rivalry (to do or obtain something). Const. inf. Obs.
1597. J. Payne, Royal Exch., 40. Emulate to be nerer there good begynnings.
1619. H. Hutton, Follie’s Anat., 49. Vulcan … did not strive, Or emulate to be superlative.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. V., ccxvi. He … Emulated more to Dye.
† 4. trans. To desire to rival (a person, his fortune, achievements, etc.); hence, to be jealous of, envy, feel a grudge against. Obs.
1611. Tourneur, Ath. Trag., V. ii. L 2 b. I begin to emulate thy death.
1624. Heywood, Gunaik., IV. 207. An opposite faction which emulated his goodnesse.
1654. Trapp, Comm. Ps. lxxiii. 3. I æmulated, and stomached their prosperity.
5. In occasional uses: † a. ? To woo, contend emulously for (obs.). ¶ b. To excite the emulation of. rare–1.
1603. Drayton, Bar. Wars, I. xlvii. 17.
| As when we see the early rising sunne | |
| With his faire beames to emulate our sight. |
1804. Monson, in Owen, Wellesley Disp., 529. Each emulated the other to deeds of glory.
