Also 5 exsaulte, (8 exhalt). [ad. L. exaltāre, f. ex- (see EX- pref.1) + altus high. Cf. Fr. exalter (16th c. in Littré).
Vulgar Lat. had *exaltiare of similar formation and meaning, of which the regular phonetic descendant is OF. essalcier, essaucier, represented in mod.F. by the two vbs. exhausser to lift up, and exaucer to listen favorably to (a prayer): with the latter cf. 6.]
1. trans. To raise or set up on high; to lift up, elevate. In physical sense now arch. or rhetorical, or in humorously bombastic use.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Esdras xv. 53. Thou haddest … slayne my chosen, exaltinge the stroke of thy handes.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Matt. xi. 23. Thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted vp to heauen?
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., I. iii. 8. I haue seene Th’ambitious Ocean swell … To be exalted with the threatning clouds.
1613. T. Milles, trans. Mexia’s, etc., Treas. Anc. & Mod. T., 954. Exalting his Courtlax to strike the stroke.
1698. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), IV. 401. Yesterday one Hoyle was fined; as also to be exalted in the market place … instead of a pillory.
1712. Pope, Messiah, 86. Imperial Salem, rise! Exalt thy tow’ry head.
1808. J. Barlow, Columb., I. 325. Exalt your heads, ye oaks.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. xvii. (1865), 131. Exalting his umbrella over her poor basket of fruit.
1832. Blackw. Mag., Feb., 287. Let the rogues swing, And thus be exalted.
b. transf. To ‘lift up’ (the voice, a song). arch. Cf. ENHANCE 1 c.
1611. Bible, 2 Kings xix. 22. Against whome hast thou exalted thy voyce.
1709. Prior, Henry & Emma, 737. Now, Mars, she said, let Fame exalt her voice.
1762. Falconer, Shipwr., I. 642. The warbling birds exalt their evening lay.
1795. Agnes Musgrave, Cicely, I. 35. Jane exalting her voice, cried, [etc.].
2. In various fig. or non-material senses: a. To raise in rank, honor, estimation, power or wealth. † Formerly occas. with title as complement. † Also (rarely) with up.
a. 1400[?]. Chester Pl. (Shaks. Soc.), I. 9. The three tryalles in a throne, And trewe Trenitie, Be grounded in my God heade, Exsaulted by my excelencye.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, II. x. One she [Fortune] can high in riches exalte And an other plonge in pouertye.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. ccxix. 241. Wyllyam exalted the Normans, and gaue vnto theym the chief possessyons of the lande.
1565. Cdl. Allen, in Fulke, Confut. Doctr. Purgatory (1577), 377. Proue me that your mother Church prayeth not for the departed…, and you shall be exalted vp for euer.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 72. It seemeth likely that you will aspire to take his crowne from him, and to be exalted king yourselfe.
1611. Bible, Ezek. xxi. 26. Exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.
a. 1658. Waller, Poems, To my Ld. Protector, xxi. Still as you rise, the state, exalted too, Finds no distemper.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 736. Scepter’d Angels … whom the supreme King Exalted to such power.
1771. Junius Lett., lxvii. 330. Society can exalt the meanest and worst of men.
1861. May, Const. Hist. (1863), I. i. 10. He [George III.] came to the throne determined to exalt the kingly office.
† b. To elate with pride, joy, etc. Also intr. for refl. Obs.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), I v b. With a littell fauour ye wyl exalt, augement, and grow into gret prid.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 44. When the Empresse had … committed the king to warde … she was not therewith a little exalted.
1605. Shaks., Lear, V. iii. 67. Not so hot: In his owne grace he doth exalt himselfe, More then in your addition.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., II. (1843), I. 48/2. The covenanters … were very reasonably exalted with this success.
1708. Pope, Ode St. Cecilia, 27. Music … when the soul is press’d with cares, Exalts her in enlivening airs.
c. refl. To assume superiority. arch.
1611. Bible, 1 Kings i. 5. Then Adoniiah the sonne of Haggith exalted himselfe, saying, I wil be king.
1878. B. Taylor, Deukalion, III. i. Exalt thyself past limits of my law, I feed thee still.
transf. 1742. Lond. & Country Brewer, I. (ed. 4), 73. That the Salt does not exalt itself above the Sulphur.
d. To praise, extol, magnify. Also absol.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. v. He that lyst her name so hyghe exalte.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 59 b. And exalting it [his holy lyfe] moost hye, meke thyselfe in herte moost lowe.
c. 1532. Dewes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 1023. In Heven … they may laude and exalte with the saintes.
a. 1545. Croke, Ps. (Percy Soc.), 18. My tonge shall both daye and houre, Dewly exalte thy justice styll.
1611. Bible, Ps. xxxiv. 3. O magnifie the Lord with me, and let vs exalt his name together.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 132. Taking opportunely hold of an occasion … to exalt the valour of the younger [Prince].
1719. Watts, Ps. xcix. II. Exalt the Lord our God.
a. 1845. Hood, Tale Trump., 140. The brandy and salt We now exalt, Had made a noise in the public ear.
e. To raise to a higher class, a higher degree of value or excellence; to dignify, ennoble.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 4, ¶ 8. I shall not lower but exalt the Subjects I treat upon.
1788. Reid, Aristotle’s Log., iv. § 3. 80. A negative may be exalted into an affirmative.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, 5 April an. 1772. Men less exalted by spiritual habits.
1836. Emerson, Nat., Lang., Wks. (Bohn), II. 152. The moment our discourse … is … exalted by thought, it clothes itself in images.
f. To stimulate (powers) to higher activity.
1744. Thomson, Summer, 307. Each liquid … Inflames, refreshes, or exalts the taste.
1860. Geo. Eliot, Mill on Fl., VI. iii. Trivial causes had the effect of rousing and exalting the imagination.
† 3. In Alchemy and early Chemistry: To raise (a substance or its qualities) to a higher ‘degree’; hence, in wider sense, to raise in quality, refine, mature; to intensify, render more powerful (physical agents or effects). Also fig.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., X. in Ashm. (1652), 179. Than up to Hevyn they must Exaltyd be,… to be intronyzate, In Clowds of clerenesse.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., 8. A liquid Medicine whose Qualitie of heate is in the 4. degree exalted.
1610. B. Jonson, Alch., I. i. B ij a. Haue I … Sublim’d thee, and exalted thee, and fix’d thee I’ the third region, the high state of grace?
1691. Ray, Creation (1714), 92. Other Stones, being exalted to that degree [of Hardness].
1725–6. Pope, Odyss., XXIV. 400. The hours produce their [vines’] latent buds, and Sol exalts the juice.
1744. Berkeley, Siris, § 44. 22. Oil purified and exalted by the organical powers of the plant.
1762. Gentl. Mag., 269. The sun is known to exhalt the poison of the viper.
1790. A. Crawford, in Phil. Trans., LXXX. 402. A little strong vitriolic acid, by which the smell was exalted, and a slight effervescence was produced.
1795. Burke, Regic. Peace, iv. Wks. IX. 14. This is Jacobinism sublimed and exalted into most pure … essence.
1813. Sir H. Davy, Agric. Chem. (1814), 257. The seeds of plants exalted by cultivation.
† b. To volatilize, carry off in vapor. Obs.
1686. W. Harris, trans. Lemery’s Chem., III. iii. (ed. 3), 735. The fuliginosity which made it black will be exalted and leave the Harts-horn white.
4. To raise in degree, intensify, heighten.
1842. Grove, Corr. Phys. Forces (1850), 92–3. If this intensity be exalted to a certain point the sulphuret becomes luminous.
1859. Gullick & Timbs, Paint., 202. They [varnishes] enliven or exalt the colours by their colourless transparency.
1870. Eng. Mech., 4 Feb., 512/2. To colour gold, or as it is technically called, to exalt the colour of gold.
5. Astrol. in passive of a heavenly body: To be in the position of greatest influence.
1647. Almanak for 1386, 2. The Son is exalted and raised uppe in þe 19 gre of þe Ram, þe Mone is exalted in þe 3 gre of þe Bul.
1652. Culpepper, Eng. Physic., 41. Saturn being exalted in Libra the house of Venus.
1819. Jas. Wilson, Compl. Dict. Astrol., s.v. Exaltation, If power may be deemed exaltation, all planets must be exalted when they arrive at their northern nodes, and advance towards our zenith.
¶ 6. nonce-use. Of a deity: To grant (a prayer) [after OF. essalcier, F. exaucer].
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xvi. (1890), 61. The god almyghty Iupyter … wolde exalte his requeste.
