Forms: 4–7 erronious(e, 5–6 erronyous(e, (5 arronious, eronyous, 6 erreoneous, ironyos, 7 erroneus), 4– erroneous. [? ad. OF. erroneus, f. L. errōneus (whence mod.F. erroné) vagrant, wandering (post-class. also ‘erroneous’), f. errōn-em vagabond, f. errāre to wander: see -OUS.]
† 1. Wandering, roving; moving aimlessly, vagrant. Also quasi-adv. Obs.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 252. The bischoppis … opened no mouth to berk ageyn these erroneous doggis.
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 20. On th’ Aleian Field I fall Erroneous, there to wander and forlorne.
1704. Newton, Optics (1721), 91. This Circle, by being placed here, stopped much of the Erroneous Light.
a. 1777. Fawkes, trans. Halley’s Eulogy on Newton. With what proportion’d force The Moon impels, erroneous in her course, The refluent main.
† b. Straying from the proper course. Obs. rare.
1731. Arbuthnot, Aliments, 165. An erroneous Circulation (that is, when the Blood strays into the Vessels destin’d to carry Serum or Lymph).
† 2. Straying from the path of right or virtue, morally faulty, criminal. Obs. or arch.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., II. v. 90. What Stragems? how fell? how Butcherly? Erreoneous, mutinous, and vnnaturall.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 55. The Prophet vsed to lay this stone on the shoulders of the erronious.
1777. Dodd, in Boswell, Johnson (1848), 542. My life for some few unhappy years has been dreadfully erroneous.
a. 1797. H. Walpole, Mem. Geo. II. (1845), I. vii. 95. The probability was, that himself had been erroneous.
1819. Byron, Juan, III. xii. Shut The book which treats of this erroneous pair.
† 3. Straying from the ways of wisdom or prudence; under the influence of error, misguided. Obs. or arch.
1512. Act 4 Hen. VIII., c. 19. Pream., The seid Frensche kyng … abydyng in his … erronyous mynde.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 55. He … sleeth by confessyon the wormes of the scrupulous and erronyous conscience.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. iv. 200. Erroneous Vassals.
1640. Lond. Petit., in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1692), I. 94. The great encrease of Leud and Dissolute, Ignorant and Erroneous Men in the Ministry, which swarm like the Locusts of Egypt over the whole Kingdom.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 64, marg. ’Tis difficult getting of good Doctrine in erroneous Times.
1685. Baxter, Paraphr. N. T. (1701), Matt. vi. 22. If thy judgment then be blind which must guide thee, what a miserable erroneous wretch wilt thou be.
1759. Goldsmith, Miscell. Wks. (1837), III. 246. Leibnitz … being very erroneous himself, cannot be expected to have bequeathed precision to his followers.
1775. Johnson, Tax. no Tyr., 87. That erroneous clemency.
1810. Crabbe, Borough, xx. And should have strengthened an erroneous heart.
1829. Southey, Sir T. More, I. 133. He who shows himself grievously erroneous upon one important point must look to have his opinions properly distrusted upon others.
absol.
1601. Cornwallyes, Ess., II. xxix. (1631), 42. He will never instruct the erronious for a frowning reply, quailes him.
1649. Alcoran, 188. God prolongeth the life of the erroneous.
4. Of doctrines, opinions, statements, etc.: Containing errors; of the nature of error; incorrect, mistaken, wrong.
c. 1400. Test. Love, I. 277/2. See ye not everie wight that to these erronious opinions were assentaunt.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 539. [The] erronyouse opynyons of ye sayd heresy [Wyclif’s].
c. 1530. More, Answ. Frith, Wks. (1557), 833/1. A letter of sir Thomas More knight impugning the erroniouse wryting of John Frith agaynst the blessed sacrament of the aulter.
1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (1852), 63. What an ironyos oppynyone is this unto the leye pepulle.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 969. How little weight my words with thee can find, Found so erroneous.
1711. J. Greenwood, Eng. Gram., 246. Mr. Ray says this Spelling is erroneous, and that they [flood and blood] ought to be written flud, blud.
1757. Burke, Abridgm. Eng. Hist., Wks. (1842), II. 529. His astronomy is … imperfect and grossly erroneous.
1822. Imison, Sc. & Art, II. 2. Formerly, air, earth, fire, and water, were supposed to be the elements of which all bodies were formed; but modern chemistry has shown that this was an erroneous supposition.
1845. Budd, Dis. Liver, 53. The erroneous impression that abscesses exist in the liver only.
b. Of a legal proceeding: Faulty in law, irregular; chiefly, vitiated by ‘error’ in the technical sense: see ERROR 4 c.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 59. Pream., For so muche as the same utlagarie is arronious.
1601–2. Fulbecke, 1st Pt. Parall., 58. Otherwise the iudgment is erronious.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), V. 109. The same lands were granted to two different persons, which was repugnant and erroneous.
1848. Wharton, Law Lex., 226/2. Any matter appearing on the face of the record, which shews the judgment to be erroneous.
