a. Also 6 innormous. [f. L. ēnorm-is (see ENORM) + -OUS.]
† 1. Deviating from ordinary rule or type; abnormal, unusual, extraordinary, unfettered by rules; hence, mostly in bad sense, strikingly irregular, monstrous, shocking. Obs.
1531. Frith, Judgm. on Tracy (1829), Pref. 246. So shall this enormous fact be looked upon with worthy correction.
1590. Barrow & Greenwood, in Confer., 43. Innumberable enormous Canons & Constitucions of Antichrist.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, viii. 174. Whether the appetite be enormous, or too irregular.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 297. Nature here plaid at will Her Virgin Fancies, pouring forth more sweet, Wilde above rule or Art; enormous bliss.
1733. Pope, Ess. Man, III. 14/242.
| Who first taught Souls enslav’d, and Realms undone | |
| Th’ enormous Faith of Many made for one? |
1774. T. Warton, Hist. Eng. Poetry, xvi. II. 370. Entered the choir in a military habit, and other enormous disguises.
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages (1872), II. 149. The absurd and enormous provisions of the spurious constitution.
b. Extending beyond definite limits; redundant. Obs.
1704. Newton, Opticks (1721), 88. The enormous part of the Light in the circumference of every lucid Point ought to be less discernible in shorter Telescopes than in longer.
† 2. Of persons and their actions: Departing from the rule of right, disorderly. Of a state of things: Disordered, irregular. Hence, excessively wicked, flagitious, outrageous. Obs.
Expressions like ‘enormous wickedness’ are now felt as belonging to sense 3, perh. with some slight mixture of the older sense.
1593. Bilson, Govt. Christ’s Ch., 146. Auoyd the companie of such enormous persons.
1612. Shaks. & Fl., Two Noble K., V. i. (1621), 72. O Great Corrector of enormous times.
1631. Weever, Anc. Fun. Mon., 363. Such were the Popes rapines and enormous proceedings in those dayes, all which this stout Bishop withstood to the vttermost of his power.
1665. J. Sergeant, Sure-footing, 91. If the motives he had to keep him good were very strong and efficacious, he is still more enormous.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm. (1810), I. 168. Constantine … chose Christianity as the only religion, that promised impunity and pardon for his enormous practices.
1737. Hervey, Mem., II. 241. Speaking of the enormous behaviour of the City of Edinburgh in this transaction.
1744. Johnson, L. P., Savage, Wks. III. 321. The enormous wickedness of making war upon barbarous nations because they cannot resist.
1827. Pollok, Course T., VI. Some last, enormous, monstrous deed of guilt.
1827. Southey, Hist. Penins. War, II. 65. The enormous wickedness with which they abused their victory. Ibid., II. 112. The enormous guilt of destroying the city and its inhabitants.
3. Excessive or extraordinary in size, magnitude or intensity; huge, vast, immense.
This is the only current sense, and appears to have influenced the later use of senses 1 and 2.
1544. Phaër, Regim. Lyfe (1560), I iij. Paine of the stone is one of ye moste enormous paynes that the body of man is vexed with.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 511. Titan Heav’ns first born with his enormous brood.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 31. The urus … of the large enormous kind of Lithuania.
1827. Pollok, Course T., I. Worn and wasted with enormous woe.
1836. Macgillivray, trans. Humboldt’s Trav., xxvii. 421. The line of enormous cracks and fissures.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 190. The fortress of Tangier … was repaired and kept up at an enormous charge.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 2. 11. These avalanches … consist of enormous blocks of ice.
† b. Overgrown in power or importance. Obs.
1641. Milton, Ch. Discip., I. (1851), 11. Doe wee suffer misshapen and enormous Prelatisme … thus to blanch and varnish her deformities.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scot., II. 97. This great princess and her enormous subject.
4. quasi-adv.
1566. Drant, Wail. Hierim., K viij. My peoples crymes … were more innormous vyle Then Sodom sinne.
