Also 7 æquipage, equippage, 8 ecquipage. [a. F. équipage, f. équiper: see prec. and -AGE. (The Sp. equipaje, It. equipaggio, are ad. Fr.)]
I. The action or process of equipping; the state or condition of being equipped.
† 1. The action or process of fitting out (a ship), of providing (a soldier) with accoutrements, etc.
1611. Chapman, Iliad, I. 2–3/65. And rulde the Equinpage, Of th’Argiue fleete to Ilion.
1654. trans. Scudery’s Curia Politiæ, 69. After the compleate Equipage of this mighty royall Navy.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Equipage, a dighting or setting forth of a man, horse, or ship-furniture.
1684. Lond. Gaz., No. 1926/1. Count Vecchi hastens the Equipage of the Galleys and other small Vessels.
† 2. The state or condition of being equipped; equipment. Obs.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xxxii. To march in ranckes of better equipage.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), II. lxiii. 95. It cost Sir Walter Rawleigh much more to put himself in equipage for that long intended voyage.
1649. Milton, Eikon., Pref. (1851), 331. The force and equipage of whose Armes they have so oft’n met victoriously.
1652. Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., 209. A Fleet which attended in gallant Equipage to back his Forces.
1658. Cleveland, Rustick Ramp., Wks. (1687), 420. Their Equipage and Order were not comely.
II. All that is needed for military operations, travelling, a domestic establishment, etc.
3. Apparatus of war, artillery, stores, and means of transport; tackle of a ship. Camp equipage: tents and furniture required for encampment. Field equipage: whatever is required to facilitate the movements of an army. Siege equipage: the train of battering guns, with ammunition, etc.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard., I. (1599), 28. By reason of which great equipage … the army departed out of Naples, with great hope of the victory.
c. 1652. Milton, Sonn., xvii. To advise how war may … Move … In all her equipage.
1683. Brit. Spec., 98. Having with this Equipage crossed the Channel, he directly joyned Plautius.
1790. Beatson, Nav. & Mil. Mem., I. 30. With the guns, sails, rigging, and other equipage.
1810. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), I. 192/1. To provide himself with camp equipage.
1849–50. Alison, Hist. Europe, III. xiii. 40. The superb siege equipage … was sent on to Valenciennes.
1853. Sir H. Douglas, Mil. Bridges (ed. 3), 139. An equipage of 20 boats was also collected.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., s.v., Camp equipage consists of tents, furniture, cooking utensils, &c.
† 4. Military garb, uniform, accoutrements, trappings. Obs.
1633. Shirley, Yng. Admiral, III. i. Put thy body in equipage, and beg of the princess to be one of these brave fellows.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., VI. (1843), I. 320/1. All the trained bands of London [were] led out in their brightest equipage upon the heath next Brentford.
1672. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 269. There a Don-Quixot in an equipage of differing pieces.
1818. Scott, Leg. Montr., ii. The equipage of a well-armed trooper of the period.
† b. Apparel, attire, costume, dress, ‘get up.’
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1655), I. 265. He never saw … Gentlemen … in a neater equipage.
1646. F. Hawkins, Youth’s Behav. (1663), 62. Commanding the common Hangman to do his office in that Equipage [yellow starch’d Bands and Cuffs].
1794. Godwin, Cal. Williams, 255. It is unnecessary to describe the particulars of my new equipage.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. xviii. (1865), 140. He never dressed for a dinner party but he forgot his sword … or some other necessary part of his equipage.
fig. 1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xxvi. 100. They which came to fetch water, seeing us set there in so sad an equipage, returned with their pitchers empty.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., I. vi. § 5. Published them in the equipage they are in.
1665. J. Mall, Offer of F. Help, 111. You see the compleat Christian in his equipage for sufferings.
1732. Pope, Ess. Man, II. 44. Strip off all her equipage of pride.
5. Outfit for a journey, expedition, etc.
1616. Bullokar, Equipage, furniture or provision for horsemanship, especially in triumph, or tournaments.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1843), I. 6/1. Such an equipage prepared, as might be fit for the prince of Wales.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, I. II. viii. 160–1. The Queen had ordered a little Equipage of all things necessary while I was in her Service.
1820. Scott, Monast., II. 250. A small scrip and bottle, which hung at his back, with a stout staff in his hand, completed his equipage.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Jrnls. (1872), I. 34. A few carpet-bags and shawls, our equipage for the night.
6. Small articles of domestic furniture, esp. china, glass and earthenware. Breakfast-, tea-equipage: a breakfast-, tea-service. arch.
1672. Crowne, City Politics, I. i. That Rogue! my patch upon my nose, my pillow and sick equipage, quickly.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 86, ¶ 3. I had no sooner set Chairs … and fixed my Tea-Equipage, but [etc.].
1724. Lond. Gaz., No. 6297/2. A Toilet Equipage of Plate for his Lady.
1756. Nugent, Gr. Tour, Germany, II. 195. A tea-table, and all its equipage of solid gold.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. I. xi. 174. Household furniture, and what is called Equipage.
1825. Mrs. Sherwood, Lady of Manor I. (ed. 2), v. 149. The tea-equipage which they were then using … was convenient and genteel.
1833. De Quincey, Wks., XIV. 297. The whole breakfast equipage … set out … for no greater personage than myself.
1888. Durham Univ. Jrnl., 24 March, 36. The ‘tea equipages’ might be cleared away during the dinner hour.
7. Articles for personal ornament or use; a collection of such articles.
1716. Lady M. W. Montague, Basset-Table, 29. Behold this Equipage, by Mathers wrought.
1741. Richardson, Pamela, II. 349. My Lady’s … fine Repeating-Watch and Equipage.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xv. Without the aid of dressing case and tiring equipage.
1846. Mrs. Sherwood, Fairchild Family, II. 17. An equipage was a little case which held a thimble, scissors, a pencil, and other such little matters, and … hung to the girdle to balance the great watches worn by the grandmothers and great grandmothers of people now living.
† 8. Apparatus in general. lit. and fig. Obs.
1648. H. G., trans. Balzac’s Prince, 118. That long equipage of Debauchery, which the Voluptuous leade after them.
1677. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, II. III. 180. The Papists have transferred to their Saints al the equipage of the Pagan Gods.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 249–50. All the Equipage of Substantial Forms and of Qualities.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), II. 353. By all the appurtenances and equipage of a voluptuous and effeminate life.
b. (See quot.)
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 146. The weight of the upper mill-stone E P, joined to the weight of the spindle C D, and the trundle x, (the sum of which three numbers is called the equipage of the turning mill-stone,) should never be less than 1550 pounds avoirdupois.
III. The appurtenances of rank, office, or social position.
† 9. Formal state or order; ceremonious display; the ‘style’ of a domestic establishment, etc.
1612. Heywood, Apol. Actors, Author to Bk. 3. The earth a Stage,… Kings haue their entrance in due equipage.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., I. xii. 4. Marching in tragick state, and buskin’d equipage?
1682. Bunyan, Holy War, 167. They perceived in what equipage, and with what honour they were sent home.
a. 1714. Burnet, Own Time (1766), I. 239. She made an equipage far above what she could support.
1756. Nugent, Gr. Tour, Netherl., I. 273. Here are also sharpers … with greater equipage than the sharpers in England.
† 10. What is required to maintain an official establishment. Also attrib., as in equipage-money.
1668. Temple, Let. Sir J. Temple, Wks. 1731, II. 122. They … brought down the Equipage Money of Ambassadors from three thousand Pounds … to 1500 Pounds.
1679–88. Secr. Serv. Money Chas. & Jas. (Camden Soc.), 149. To Sr John Trevor, Speaker of the House of Com’ons, bounty, for his equipage.
1769. Junius Lett., xxiii. 110, note. He received three thousand pounds for plate and equipage money.
† 11. Train of retainers or attendants, retinue, following. Obs.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Oct., 114. Teache her [the Muse] tread aloft in buskin fine, With queint Bellona in her equipage!
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, IX. xliv. 168. With you take some part Of these braue soldiers of mine equipage.
1641. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 16. On the 27th April, came over … the young Prince of Orange, with a splendid Equipage.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Cambridgesh., I. 150. Dido had a piece of State in her Court peculiar to her self, (which may be called an Equipage indeed) where she had a hundred servants in ordinary attendance all of the same age.
1731. Swift, Corr., Wks. 1841, II. 648. How many days will you maintain me [Swift] and my equipage?
transf. and fig. 1599. T. M[oufet], Silkwormes, 34. Their seuerall parts and feates thereon to play, Amidst the rest of natures equipage.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 472, ¶ 4. Distinct Suns, and their peculiar Equipages of Planets.
1806. Wordsw., Ode on Intim. Immortal., 106. The Persons … That Life brings with her in her equipage.
12. A carriage and horses, with the attendant servants; in later use sometimes applied to a carriage alone.
1721–1800. Bailey, Equipage … is frequently used for a Coach and Number of Footmen.
a. 1762. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., lxxvii. 126. All the fine equipages that shine in the ring.
1765. in Ld. Malmesbury’s Priv. Lett., I. 158. As for an equipage, I should do well … [if Mr. Walpole has not sold his] to buy it; otherwise to make an English chariot here.
1787. ‘G. Gambado,’ Acad. Horsem. (1809), 44. A waggon or any tremendous equipage.
1811. Miss L. M. Hawkins, C’tess & Gertr., I. 78. Her equipage was a travelling post-chaise with one pair of horses.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 377. The frequent mention therefore of such equipages [a coach and six] in old books is likely to mislead us.
1860. Hawthorne, Marb. Faun, I. xii. 129–30. Here … roll and rumble all kinds of equipages.
IV. † 13. Transl. of Fr. équipage, the crew of a ship. Obs. rare.
1728. Morgan, Algiers, II. ii. 221. When got to Sea, he opened his Mind to the Chiefs of his Equipage. Ibid., II. iv. 261. Her Equipage might have been all saved had they held out till the storm abated.
1752. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., Equipage, in navigation. See Crew.
† V. 14. In the phrase To go (march, walk) in equipage, the original sense was prob. ‘to walk in military array with’ (cf. 2); but in our examples (all fig.) the sense is ‘to keep step with,’ so that the sb. becomes synonymous with EQUIPACE. Hence the word equipage was in 17th c. often supposed to be formed with the prefix equi-, and in many passages it occurs in the sense: Equality of position, rank or importance.
[1589. Nashe, in Greene’s Menaphon (Arb.), 14. Whose Amintas, and translated Antigone may march in equipage of honour, with any of our ancient Poets.
1600. (see 2).]
1607. Schol. Disc. agst. Antichr., I. i. 37. As the Papists are in equipage with former Pagans so likewise with all moderne aliens.
1613–6. W. Browne, Brit. Past., I. ii. His worke, not seeming fit To walke in equipage with better wit.
1631. R. H., Arraignm. Whole Creature, Ep. Ded. A 4 b. And that your vertue & goodnes might march in æquipage with your State and Authority.
1635. Swan, Spec. M., vii. § 3 (1643), 322. According to … the best Authours, and nearest equipage to truth, the starres are called lights.
1655. Sanderson, Serm., II. Pref. 7. Nor doth it sound well, that the examples of men … should … stand in so near equipage with the commands of God.
