[f. FRUITFUL + -NESS.] The quality, fact, or state of being fruitful, in senses of the adj.
1. Fertility in crops; exuberant production.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. lxi. (1495), 637. The fygge tree … hath that name of fruitfulnesse, for it is more fruytfull than other trees.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. xvi. (1634), 85. As though the fruitfulnesse of one yeare were not the singular blessing of God.
1601. J. Weever, The Mirror of Martyrs, B ij.
| These Deities liu’d in so rare a ground | |
| Which thrice a yeere her fruitfulnes did show, | |
| Yet plow nor planting did her forehead wound, | |
| No other winde but Zephyrus did blow. |
1695. Ld. Preston, Boeth., I. 18, note. Named Felix … famous for its Fruitfulness and Number of Cities.
1775. Adair, Amer. Ind., 184. The vine was … a symbol of fruitfulness.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., I. 245. Some idea of its [banana’s] fruitfulness may be gathered from the statement [etc.].
concr. 1649. R. Roberts, Clavis Bibliorum, 80.
| He made him ride with glory great, | |
| On Earth’s High places, He did yeeld, | |
| And plentifully he did eate | |
| The fruitfulnesses of the field. |
2. Fertility in offspring; fecundity.
1624. Gataker, Transubst., 138. For Gods blessing is a well-doing; not a praying, as ours; but an effecting, as appeareth, when hee blessed the beasts: for by that blessing hee bestowed fruitfulnesse vpon them.
1647. Fuller, Good Th. in Worse T. (1841), 120. That water … proved like the spa unto her, so famous for causing fruitfulness.
1702. Addison, Dialogues upon … Medals, ii. 93. The Cornu-copiæ in her hand is a type of her fruitfulness.
1846. McCulloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 420. The increase … must … be attributed to an increased fruitfulness of the female sex.
3. Productiveness in general:
a. of material things. ? Obs.
1630. R. Johnson, Relations of the Most Famous Kingdoms, etc., 237. The fruitfulnesse of the Mines is no whit diminished.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., II. 103. The milkie fruitfulnesse of the Cow.
b. of immaterial things. Also, profitableness, utility; occas. † liberality.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XI. xxxvii. He shal attaste the well of frutefulness Which Vyrgyl claryfied.
1551. Bible, Ps. xxxvi. note. The fertilitie and fruitfulnes of the holy Ghoste.
1576. A. Fleming, A Panoplie of Epistles, 266. Called vpon of nature to heale that vp by the fruitfulnesse of physicke, whiche is in great daunger to perishe and putrifie.
1604. Shaks., Oth., III. iv. 38.
| Oth. This argues fruitfulnesse, and liberal. heart: | |
| Hot, hot, and moyst. |
1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), III. 87. It [woad] giveth them [colours] truth and fruitfulness, who without it prove fading and hypocritical.
1702. Addison, Dialogues upon … Medals, ii. 52. Shows at the same time the great fruitfulness of the Poet’s fancy that could turn the same thought to so many different ways.
1833. Lamb, Elia, Product. Mod. Art. To the lowest subjects … the Great Masters gave loftiness and fruitfulness.
1881. J. R. Illingworth, Serm. Coll. Chapel, 150. The fruitfulness of the fragmentary lives of old.
