Forms: 4–6 extremite(e, ex(s)tremyte(e, 6–7 extreamitie, -ty, 7– extremity. [ad. F. extrémité, ad. L. extrēmitāt-em, f. extrēmus (see EXTREME a.).]
1. The extreme or terminal point or portion of anything; the very end.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 155. Þe round extremite of þis boon.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, III. lxxi. 412–3. Branches … hauing at their extremities or endes certayne whites.
1607. Shaks., Timon, IV. iii. 301. The middle of Humanity thou neuer knewest, but the extremitie of both ends.
1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., 204. The extremities of their wings are blunt.
1661. Boyle, Style of Script., 75. In the Mariner’s Compasse, the Needle’s extremity, though [etc.].
1726. trans. Gregory’s Astron., I. 47. From these Extremities F, D, draw the very small right Lines FE, DC.
1828. Stark, Elem. Nat. Hist., II. 296. Antennæ thickening towards their extremity.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Extremities. The stem and stern posts of a ship.
1870. F. R. Wilson, Ch. Lindisf., 81. At the extremity of the east end is a mausoleum.
b. pl. The uttermost parts of the body; the hands and feet.
1460–70. Bk. Quintessence, 17. He schal waische al his body and his extremytees wiþ brennynge watir ofte tymes.
1707. Floyer, Physic. Pulse-Watch, 438. Cold in the Extremities.
1768. W. Gilpin, Ess. Prints (ed. 2), 105. His heads are ill set on; his extremities incorrectly touched.
1804. Abernethy, Surg. Obs., 185. His extremities were cold. His feet were put into hot water.
1870. Emerson, Soc. & Solit., Courage, Wks. (Bohn), III. 109. Bodily pain is … seated usually in the skin and the extremities.
† 2. The two things that are at the extreme ends of a scale; the ‘extremes’ as opposed to the ‘mean.’ Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 336. Vorschip Extremyteis has twa; Fule-hardyment … And … cowardiss.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6528. Richesse and mendicitees Ben clepid two extremytees.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 179/3. Thextremytees of Justyce ben cruelte and defaulte.
1598. Barckley, Felic. Man (1631), 620. For the extremities of estates, specially the highest, are more subject to those things that are hinderance to felicitie, than the meane estates.
3. The extreme or utmost degree, that which reaches the utmost point. † Also in phrases In, to (an, the, that) extremity. Obs. = EXTREME sb. 4.
1543–4. Act 35 Hen. VIII., c. 12. The kynge … is forced … to prosecute his saide ennemies, with the sworde to the extremitie of his power.
1552. Huloet, Extremitye of the lawe. Summum Ius.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., I. i. 142. Haplesse Egeon whom the fates haue markt To beare the extremitie of dire mishap. Ibid., Mids. N., III. ii. 3. Which she must dote on, in extremitie.
1638. Rouse, Heav. Univ., iii. (1702), 23. Having none of them to suffer extremities of Penury and Want.
1653. Walton, Angler, I. xvi. (1676), 230. In Derby-shire … the waters … are clear to an extremity.
1692. Dryden, Cleomenes, Pref. Farce, the Extremitie of bad Poetry.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (ed. 3), I. 55. I pull’d off my Cloaths, for the Weather was hot to Extremity. Ibid. (1722), Plague (1754), 173. It was encreased to such a frightful Extremity.
1776. Gibbon, Decl. & F., I. xxiv. 708. The last extremities of thirst and hunger.
1882. Farrar, Early Chr., I. 449, note. No more violent extremity of sin … can be described.
† b. The utmost penalty. Obs.
1591. R. Turnbull, St. James, 103. Before the iudgement seates … they will haue the extremitie of them.
† 4. Extreme or inordinate intensity or violence (of passion, action, suffering, labor, etc.); an instance of this; a violent outburst. Obs.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XVI. li. Great extremyte Of feruent loue.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. ii. 38. With equall measure she did moderate The strong extremities of their outrage.
1596. Edward III., III. i. 35, E 3 b. Or when the exalations of the aire, Breakes in extremitie of lightning flash.
1621. Bp. Hall, Heaven upon Earth, § 4. An vnwonted extremitie of the blow shall fetch blood.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 20. The Admirall … burst out like a child into an extremitie of weeping.
1669. Marvell, Corr., cxxix. Wks. 1872–5, II. 293. Having the favor to sit by reason of his extremity of the gout.
b. Extreme stress or severity (of weather).
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 197. All such Extremities of Weather.
1692. Luttrell, Brief. Rel. (1857), II. 348. The extremity of the weather … prevented it.
1716–8. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., I. xxi. 65. It is now the very extremity of the winter here.
1797. Bewick, Brit. Birds (1847), I. 75. The extremity of the weather.
† 5. Extravagance in opinion, behavior or expenditure; an instance of this. Obs.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), I v b. Ye women are so extreme in all headlong extremitees.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., IV. ii. 169. If I … shew no colour for my extremity: Let me … be your Table-sport.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., II. ix. 86. Many notorious for extremities may find favourers to preferre them.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xlvi. 468. This Extremity in Apparel … tended to the Confusion of the Degrees of all Estates.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 426, ¶ 4. All the Extremities of Houshold Expence.
† 6. Extreme severity or rigor. Obs.
15[?]. Hours of Virgin, 100. Entreating me wth like extremitie As if I were Thy mortall enemie.
1580. Baret, Alv., E 505. To vse extreamitie … Iure summo agere.
1599. Shaks., Com. Err., V. i. 397. Oh times extremity! Hast thou so crack’d and splitted my poore tongue [etc.].
1639. Massinger, Unnat. Combat, I. i. B iv b. We sit ingag’d to censure him with all Extremitie and rigour.
7. A condition of extreme urgency or need; the utmost point of adversity, embarrassment or suffering. Phrases, To † bring, drive, † put, reduce to (the last) extremity or extremities. † Upon an extremity: on an emergency.
c. 1425. Hoccleve, Minor Poems, i. (1892), 208. In swich an houres extremitee.
c. 1542. Udall, in Ellis, Orig. Lett. (1843), 3. Considre in what extremitee and distresse I am constitute.
1560. A. L., trans. Calvin’s Foure Serm. Songe Ezech., iv. Sometimes thei are brought to such extremitie that onles they digge the earth … they haue not a droppe of water to drinke.
1597. T. Morley, Introd. Mus., 21. He vsed it vpon an extremitie.
1608. Topsell, Serpents, 8. A Serpent was the first originall of all his extremities.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., 159. A daring Pilot in Extremity.
a. 1691. Flavel, Sea-Deliverances, Wks. 1731, II. 608. We knew that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (ed. 3), I. 129. I was not driven to any Extremities for Food; but rather Plenty, even to Dainties.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., III. 165. Florence was reduced to the last extremity.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 95. Driven to extremity.
b. (To resist, etc.) to the last extremity: to the death. † To expect the extremity: to be prepared for the worst or for death.
1684. Lond. Gaz., No. 1969/2. The Besieged … seem resolved to expect the Extremity.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Aristocracy, Wks. (Bohn), II. 80. The English tenant would defend his lord to the last extremity.
8. A person’s last moments; the ‘article of death.’ arch.
1602. Warner, Alb. Eng., XIII. lxxvi. (1612), 315. Yea … in extremeties, thou touchest on his name.
a. 1628. Preston, New Covt. (1629), 109. At the day of death, at the time of extremitie.
1753. N. Torriano, Gangr. Sore Throat, 51. Many Children sick of this Disease, to whom I could give no Help, being not called till the very Extremity.
1838. G. P. R. James, Louis XIV., III. i. 14. Letters from Mazarin announcing that the King was at extremity.
1863. Sala, Last Crusader, 218. Saint Louis … being in extremities … receives extreme unction.
9. An extreme measure; the utmost point of severity or desperation. Chiefly in pl.
1639. Massinger, Unnat. Combat, II. i. Look, therefore, for extremities … I will … kill thee As a serpent swollen with poison.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), VIII. XIX. ix. 250. Urge me to extremities.
1862. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., xii. 165. In case matters were pushed to the extremity of a civil war. Ibid., xv. 234. The extremities to which the leaders went against the King.
1890. Sat. Rev., 19 April, 483/1. Putting him up as if to be shot, knowing all the while that he could not legally proceed to extremity.
10. The quality of being extreme (in the current senses of the adj.); extremeness, Somewhat rare.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 555. The extremity of the danger drew Sancroft forth from his palace.
1861. Tulloch, Eng. Purit., 99. The very extremity of their views gave them strength of the field.
1862. Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. xvii. 328. This exact description … required by the very extremity of its destruction.
