[f. prec.; cf. Fr. égaler.]
1. To make equal, equalize; to bring to the same level. Const. with, or simply. arch.
1594. Daniel, Cleopatra, Ded. Wherby great Sidney & our Spencer night, With those Po singers being equalled, Enchaunt the world.
1611. Bible, 2 Sam. xxii. 34. Hee maketh my feet like [marg. equalleth] hindes feet: and setteth mee vpon my high places.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 248. Him … Whom reason hath equald, force hath made supream Above his equals. Ibid., III. 33. Those other two equal’d with me in Fate.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., I. 456. Rebellion equals all.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr., I. 52. Persons equalled in the Favour of God.
1868. Whittier, Among the Hills, xvii. The fair democracy of flowers That equals cot and palace.
† b. To proportion. Obs.
1618. Latham, 2nd Bk. Falconry (1633), 24. Compare or equall so your meat with the length or shortnesse of time, as that she shall neuer be ouer emptie, yet [etc.].
† c. To make (ground) level; to level (a building) to, with the ground; to make (a ditch) level by filling up. Obs.
1629. R. Hill, Pathw. Piety (1849), II. 45. The goodliest cities have been equalled with the ground.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Jas. III., Wks. 39. The fortress … is demolished and equal’d with the ground.
1681. R. Knox, Hist. Ceylon (1817), 89. He employs his people … equalling unequal grounds.
1715. Leoni, Palladio’s Archit. (1742), II. 61. Equalling Ditches with raised or even Ground.
† 2. To consider or represent as equal; to liken, compare, Obs.
1586. T. Rogers, 39 Art. (1607), 28–9. To them which with Gods word doe equall their owne doctrines [etc.].
1635. Pagitt, Christianogr., I. iii. (1636), 89. Their Dogmaticail Traditions, which they Equall with the holy Scriptures.
a. 1672. Sterry, Freed. Will (1675), 150. As equalling God in savage cruelness to the most arbitrary Tyrants.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 114, ¶ 9. To equal robbery with murder, is to reduce murder to robbery.
1799–1805. S. Turner, Anglo-Sax., I. IV. iii. 282. Not content with equalling the pleasures of war to social festivity.
3. trans. To be or become equal to; to ‘come up to,’ match, rival.
1590. Marlowe, 2nd Pt. Tamburl., V. iii. Let earth and heaven his timeless death deplore, For both their worths will equal him no more.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. ii. 249. On me [Richard], whose All not equals Edwards Moytie?
1611. Bible, Job xxviii. 17. The golde and the chrystall cannot equall it.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 40. He trusted to have equal’d the most High, If he oppos’d.
1792. Anecd. W. Pitt, IV. App. 268. He came very young into Parliament, and … soon equalled the oldest and ablest actors.
1812. Sir H. Davy, Chem. Philos., 105–6. The weight of the carbonic acid gas exactly equals the weight of carbonic oxide and the oxygene gas.
1826. Scott, F. M. Perth, xxxiv. There are enough of brave men around me, whom I may imitate if I cannot equal.
1876. Green, Short Hist., vii. 355. The courage of the Queen … was only equalled by her terrible revenge.
1880. Haughton, Phys. Geog., vi. 281. They [Dinoceras] nearly equalled the elephant in size, but had shorter legs.
4. To produce or achieve something equal to, to match. † Also intr. To cope on equal terms with (obs. rare).
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., I. iii. 67. I thinke we are a Body strong enough (Euen as we are) to equall with the King.
c. 1610. Women Saints (1886), 154. It is a difficult matter, to equall my sisters vertues with my speache.
a. 1745. W. Broome, To Pope, 26. A rival hand recalls from ev’ry part Some latent grace, and equals art with art.
a. 1832. Mackintosh, Machiavel, Wks. 1846, II. 480. Historical genius had risen … to a height which has not been equalled among the same nation in times of greater refinement.
b. To reciprocate in equal measure.
1697. Dryden, trans. Virgil Æneid, VI. 641. [She] sought Sicheus, through the shady grove, Who answer’d all her Cares, and equal’d all her Love.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XIII. ix. The ardent passion … the extreme violence of which if he failed to equal [etc.].
