a. [ad. L. exūberant-em, pr. pple. of exūberāre, f. ex- (see EX- pref.1) + ūberāre to be fruitful, f. ūber fertile, connected with ūber udder. Cf. F. exubérant.]
1. Luxuriantly fertile or prolific; abundantly productive. Also fig.
1645. Evelyn, Diary, 29 Jan. Vines … so exuberant that … one vine will loade 5 mules with its grapes.
1728. Morgan, Algiers, II. v. 313. A paltry Recompense for the exuberant Rhodes.
1759. B. Martin, Nat. Hist. Eng., I. 12. The Earth has been so exuberant in the Production of this Metal.
1768. W. Gilpin, Ess. Prints (ed. 2), 155. His fancy is exceedingly fruitful…. It is indeed too exuberant.
1854. Emerson, Lett. & Soc. Aims, Poet. & Imag., Wks. (Bohn), III. 168. We know Nature, and figure her exuberant … in her fertility.
1871. Rossetti, Jenny, Poems 109. Love’s exuberant hotbed.
2. Growing luxuriantly; produced in superabundance or excess.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 607. A pure perfyte plante … Merveylous by growynge … with dyuers proprytes, of grace exuberaunt.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort., August (1679), 22. Cleanse your vines from exuberant branches.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), III. 583. Both … may perish with hunger in the midst of our exuberant crops.
1842. Prichard, Nat. Hist. Man, 99. Races bearing an exuberant growth of hair.
a. 1862. Buckle, Civiliz. (1869), III. i. 9. An exuberant and therefore a restless population.
¶ Misused for ‘superfluous.’
1667. Waterhouse, Fire Lond., 157. An Exuberant Servant … is better spared, than a Charity to one of these.
3. Of a fountain, stream, etc.: Overflowing. [Cf. Virg. Æn. VII. 465 exuberat amnis.]
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 595. He as it were an Exuberant Fountain, this as a Stream derived from him.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, I. xvi. 105. Even the Sextile … is found at times to usher in exuberant Flouds.
1876. Blackie, Songs Relig. & Life, 18. Life’s exuberant sea.
4. fig. a. Of affections, joyous emotions, beneficence, vitality, health, or their manifestations: Overflowing, abounding.
1648. Boyle, Seraph. Love, xi. Such exuberant goodness as may justly ravish us to an amazement.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 169, ¶ 8. Such an exuberant Love to Mankind.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 616. An exuberant health without any judgment to guide it, will never make either a happy or a useful man.
1828. Macaulay, Hallam, Ess. 1854, I. 59. An age of exuberant zeal.
1863. Kinglake, Crimea (1876), I. vi. 85. The English in their exuberant strength.
b. Of persons, their actions or expressions: Effusive in display of feeling. Now more usually, Abounding in health and spirits, overflowing with delight.
1503. Hawes, Examp. Virt., vii. 131. I vnto you must be well exuberaunt.
1753. Johnson, Adventurer, No. 58, ¶ 3. Exuberant praise bestowed by others.
1815. W. H. Ireland, Scribbleomania, 48, note. He has been by far too exuberant in his encomiums upon individuals.
1863. Miss Braddon, Eleanor’s Vict., i. She seemed an animated … exuberant creature.
1866. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., III. 323–4. Here is an exuberant letter from Charles Kingsley. Exuberant letters, more of them than I can ever hope to answer.
1874. Helps, Soc. Press., xxv. 395. After exuberant demonstrations to me.
c. Of diction or composition: Copious, diffuse, lavish in ornament.
1654. Fuller, Ephemeris, Pref. 6. Here may they observe the variety of eloquence in severall persons, some large, copious and exuberant.
1715. Pope, Iliad, Pref. D ij b. His Similes have been thought too exuberant, and full of Circumstances.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola, III. xxxviii. Exclamations of joy and wailing, mingled with exuberant narrative.
d. Of wealth or stores: Overflowing, abundant. Of expenditure or display: Lavish, profuse.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, III. iv. 499. Our Collections are more exuberant than Stow’s.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 101, ¶ 4. My fortune being by no means exuberant.
1796. Burke, Regic. Peace, Wks. 1842, II. 349. The exuberant display of wealth in our shops.
1869. Lecky, Europ. Mor., II. i. 99. The exuberant charities of the church.
