[ad. late L. furiōsitat-em, f. furiōsus FURIOUS: see -ITY.]
1. The quality or state of being furious; fury; an instance of this. Now rare.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 69. His owne madnes and cruell furiositie.
1560. Rolland, The Court of Venus, III. 578.
| Cheptour we reid greit furiositie | |
| Of slauchter maid be Leui and Simeon. |
1727. Bailey, vol. II., Furiosity, furiousness.
1894. Phil. Robinson, Miss Guy Fawkes, of the Zoo, in Monthly Packet, LXXXVII. Feb. 152. But Jingo is only a stripling at present, and his furiosities do not count for much.
2. Madness, esp. in Sc. Law (see quot. 1882). Brieve of furiosity: a BRIEVE directing an inquiry as to a person’s sanity.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), IV. 371. After the dethe of whom, Claudius … as in furiosite, wolde say oftetymes, and inquire … why Messalina his lady come not to table.
1475. Sc. Acts Jas. III. (1814), II. 112. Þat in tyme tocum þe said brefe be reformit and a clauss put þarin to Inquere of þe foly and furiosite.
1557–75. Diurn. Occurr. (Bannatyne Club), 75. The quenis grace commandit him to pas to the castell of Edinburgh induring hir will, to appeis the furiositie foirsaid.
1707. in Athenæum, 1 Feb. (1896), 143/1. A person, because of her Furiosity, unfitt to be dealt with according to Discipline.
1752. J. Louthian, Form of Process (ed. 2), 286. Services of Idiotry and Furiosity to pay as General Services.
1814. Scott, Wav., xii. As it is expressed in the breves of furiosity.
1861. W. Bell, Dict. Law Scotl., Furiosity; or madness, by which the judgment is prevented from being applied to the ordinary purposes of life, is one of the grounds on which a curator may be appointed to manage the affairs of the person labouring under that infirmity.
1868. Act 31 & 32 Vict., c. 100 § 101. The brieves of furiosity and idiotry hitherto in use are hereby abolished.
