Forms: 4–5 famows(e, 4–6 famouse, 5 famus, 4– famous; superl. 6 famoust, 6– famousest. See also FAMOSE. [a. AF. famous, OF. fameus (mod.F. fameux), ad. L. fāmōs-us, f. fāma: see FAME and -OUS.]
1. Celebrated in fame or public report; much talked about, renowned. Const. for. Also † famous of renown.
a. of persons, their attributes, etc.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3302.
| ‘I was frekke in my faithe,’ he said, ‘whilles I one fowlde regnede, | |
| Ffamows in fferre londis, and floure of alle kynges.’ |
c. 1450. Life of St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 6421.
| At mailros boisill’, a famus man | |
| Was prior of þe abbay þan. |
1512. Act 4 Hen. VIII., 91. His moste noble fadre of famouse memorye.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. xix. (Arb.), 242.
| So farre my Princesse praise doeth passe, | |
| The famoust Queene that euer was. |
1641. Milton, Reform., I. (1851), 15. The whole generall Councel of Nicæa the first and famousest of all the rest.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 191.
| But once again the batter’d Horse beware, | |
| The weak old Stallion will deceive thy care. | |
| Though Famous in his Youth for force and speed, | |
| Or was of Argos or Epirian breed, | |
| Or did from Neptune’s Race, or from himself proceed. |
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), III. 387. The body of this famous cardinal lies at Rome.
1832. W. Irving, Alhambra, II. 154. The queen … retained the famous Italian singer, Farinelli, about the court as a kind of royal physician.
1833. Tennyson, The Blackbird, 15.
| Plenty corrupts the melody | |
| That made thee famous once, when young. |
b. of things.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1440, Hypsipyle and Medea.
| That thou this famous tresor mightest winne, | |
| And bringen hit my regioun with-inne. |
14[?]. The Ephyphanye, in Tundale’s Vis. (1843), 103. To see this ster most famows of renown.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxii. 338. There also was hir famousest Temple, where shee stoode in wedding attyre.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-Countrey Warrs, 255. Steeneberg, famous of old for a Harbour.
1674. Boyle, Excell. Theol., I. iii. 83. The famous answer given by an excellent Philosopher.
1748. Anson’s Voy., I. ii. 16. This Island of Madera, where we are now arrived, is famous through all our American settlements for its excellent wines, which seem to be designed by Providence for the refreshment of the inhabitants of the Torrid Zone.
1782. Cowper, History of John Gilpin, 4.
| A train-band captain eke was he | |
| Of famous London town. |
1850. M’Cosh, Div. Govt., II. i. (1874), 117. The three famous laws of Kepler.
1868. Q. Victoria, Life Highl., 35. The stream of which [the Tummel] is famous for salmon.
† 2. Of good repute, reputable. Sc. Obs.
1555. in Balfour, Practicks (1754), 145. Twa or thré of his nichtbouris, famous and unsuspect men.
1683. Act Justiciary, 8 Aug., in Wodrow, Hist. Suff. Ch. Scot. (1721), II. 309. For proving of this, adduced several famous Witnesses.
† 3. In a bad or neutral sense: Notorious. Obs. exc. arch.
1388. Wyclif, Matt. xxvii. 16. He hadde tho a famous man boundun, that was seid Barrabas.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., I. iv. 48. Menacrates and Menas famous Pyrates.
1680. Morden, Geog. Rect. (1685), 452. Amongst several others of eminent Quality, was that famous infamous English Rebel Stuckley slain.
1691. Tillotson, Serm., 1 John iv. 9, Sermons, 1704, II. 460. The Death of the Cross … was the Death of famous [later edd. infamous] Malefactours.
1728. J. Morgan, Algiers, I. iv. 160. The Infamously famous Count Julian.
1817. Cobbett, Wks., XXXII. 367. A famous falsehood, which has appeared in the Morning Post.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev. (1872), II. V. ii. 174. Make the name of Mountain famous infamous to all times and lands.
† b. Of utterances, etc.; after L. famosus: Libellous, slanderous. Obs.
1543. in Balfour, Practicks (1754), 537. That na maner of man mak, write, or imprent ony billis, writingis, balladis, famous or sclanderous to ony persoun, spiritual or temporal, under the pane of death.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, I. xxiv. (Arb.), 62. If it be vniustly taken away, as by vntrue and famous libels, the offenders recantation may suffise for his amends.
† 4. That is matter of common talk; common, ordinary, usual. Obs.
1528. Paynell, Salerne’s Regim., B iv. Coler vnnaturall … is called famous or notable: by reason hit is ofte engendred.
1672. Baxter, Bagshaw’s Scand., ii. 9. Analogous … words … are to be taken in the most common or famous sense.
1680. Morden, Geog. Rect. (1685), 43. Afterwards their mention is very frequent and famous during the Race of the French Kings of the Caroline Line.
1727–44. Lewis, Pecocke, 17. Taking the word preach in its most famous signification.
5. Used (chiefly colloq.) as an emphatic expression of approval: Excellent, grand, magnificent, splendid, ‘capital.’
1798. Southey, Battle Blenheim, 36. ‘But every body said,’ quoth he, ‘That ’twas a famous victory.’
1836. Backwoods of Canada, 141. My Irish maid … soon roused up famous fires, and set the house in order.
1890. Spectator, 6 Sept., 308/2. It is a famous place for a fair, being nearly the size and shape of Eaton Square, with two rows of plane-trees running round it, but otherwise unenclosed.
