(and adv.). Obs. [ad. L. fīx-us, pa. pple. of fīgĕre to fix, fasten; the immediate source may have been OF. fix (13th c. in Hatzf.). Cf. mod.F. fixe (16th c. in Littré), Sp. fijo (earlier fixo), Pg. fixo, It. fisso.]

1

  A.  adj. = FIXED in various senses: a. As applied to the stars. b. Firmly placed or settled; not easily moved; not liable to fluctuation or change. c. Of a substance: Not volatile.

2

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, I. 298.

        And of her loke in him there gan to qwykyn
So grete desire, with so strong affeccion,
That in his hertis botme hit gan to stykyn,
Of her his fixe and depe impression.
    Ibid. (c. 1391), Astrol., II. § 3, heading. The sterres fixe.

3

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems, 235.

        Alle thes thynges considred that I tolde,
  Man, wher evir thu holdist thy passage,
Toward Jhesu alwey that thu beholde,
  With eye fyx looke on his visage.

4

c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., 393. Curatis, upon which alle these othere statis ben bildid, schulden haue a stable fix endewing of lyflode.

5

c. 1532.  Dewes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 1054. All the starres fixe.

6

1660.  trans. Paracelsus’ Archidoxis, I. x. 142. Take then the fix Element that remained after the Separation of the Three Imperfect Elements.

7

1673.  Phil. Trans., VIII. 5188. Those Salts being rendered so fix, that by a gentle fire they are not so much as at all moved.

8

  B.  adv. Fixedly, steadily.

9

1601.  T. Wright, Passions (1621), 305. Why cannot many abide that you looke fixe in their eies.

10