v. [ad. L. as-, ad-sūmĕre to take to oneself, adopt, usurp, f. ad to + sūmĕre to take. In 15–16th c. the pa. pple. was ASSUMPT.]
I. To take unto (oneself), receive, accept, adopt.
1. trans. To take to be with one, to receive into association, to adopt into partnership, employment, service, use; to adopt, take.
1581. Savile, Tacitus’ Agric. (1622), 186. Into whose train being assumed hee was … well liked.
1607. Schol. Disc. agst. Antichr., I. i. 44. Paule forbiddeth to assume the weake to the controuersies of disputation.
1642. H. Thorndike, Prim. Govt. Ch., 113. [He] assumed S. Augustine to assist him.
1674. Playford, Skill of Mus., III. 29. The lowest note of that fifth assume for your Key.
1861. Trench, Sev. Ch. Asia, 94. Revealed religion assumes them into her service.
1868. Perthsh. Jrnl., 18 June. Mr. Mark … has been assumed as a Partner in the Edinburgh Branch of the Business.
b. esp. To receive up into heaven. (The earliest use in Eng.; cf. ASSUMPTION 1, 1 b). arch. or Obs.
1436. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 204. He us assume, and brynge us to the blisse.
a. 1520. Myrr. Our Ladye, 309. Thow arte assumpte aboue all thynges, wyth Iesu thy sonne, Maria.
1600. Abp. Abbot, Exp. Jonah, 189. As when Enoch and Elias were assumed up into heaven.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Assumption, The Holy Virgin was assumed or taken into heaven.
† c. Of things, rare.
1508. Fisher, Wks., I. 134. Whan stones be assumpte for the reedyfyenge of cytees or toures.
1695. Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, II. (1723), 85. All these [bodies] were assumed up into the Water, and sustained in it.
† 2. To adopt, choose, elect, to some position. (So in L.) Often with the idea of elevation; cf. ASSUMPTION 2. Obs.
1502. Arnold, Chron., 28. He was assumpte to the state of cardynal.
1621. Quarles, Esther (1717), 96. Her Unkles love assum’d her for his own.
1670. G. H., trans. Hist. Cardinals, II. III. 177. He was assum’d to the Papacy.
† 3. To take into the body (food, nourishment, etc.). So in L.; cf. ASSUMPTION 4. Obs.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, viii. 184. Afterwards vpon meats taken againe, let there be assumed a draught of … Beere.
1657. Phys. Dict., Assumed, taken inwardly.
II. To take upon oneself, put on, undertake.
4. trans. To take upon oneself, put on (a garb, aspect, form or character).
1447. Bokenham, Lyvys of Seyntys, 46. That be hem oure nature assumpt shul be To ye secunde persone of ye trinite.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., Prol. 6. Then should the Warlike Harry … Assume the Port of Mars.
1659. Pearson, Creed (1839), 229. Thus the whole perfect and complete nature of man was assumed by the word.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 587. The slipp’ry God will … various Forms assume.
1780. Cowper, Progr. Err., 582. Habits are soon assumed.
1791. Hamilton, Berthollet’s Dyeing, I. I. I. i. 4. Mercury with a larger quantity of oxygen assumes a red colour.
1860. Motley, Netherl. (1868), I. i. 5. The Netherland revolt had therefore assumed world-wide proportions.
b. To invest oneself with (an attribute).
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 318. Reign for ever, and assume Thy merits.
1797. Godwin, Enquirer, I. vi. 38. Intellect assumed new courage.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., IV. § 11. 245. These Doctrines assume at once a reasonableness and an importance.
5. To take to oneself formally (the insignia of office or symbol of a vocation); to undertake (an office or duty).
1581. Savile, Tacitus (1596), 214. Assuming the markes and ornamentes of the Roman gouernors.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 7 b. Which title of Dominus Hiberniæ, he assumed.
1640. in Rushw., Hist. Coll., III. (1692), I. 44. Mr. Speaker assumed the Chair.
1786. Burke, Art. W. Hastings, Wks. 1842, II. 156. Justified in immediately assuming the government.
1863. Mrs. Oliphant, Salem Chapel, i. 6. The community which he had assumed the spiritual charge of.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), III. xii. 180. He assumed the monastic habit.
† b. with upon and refl. pron. (Cf. ‘To take upon oneself’). Obs.
1530. Palsgr., 439/1. To assume upon the this great charge.
1578. Thynne, Perf. Ambass., in Animadv., Introd. 60. I could not … assume such enterprize upon me.
1675. Brooks, Gold. Key, Wks. 1867, V. 224. The curse … he assumed upon himself of his own accord.
6. (with inf.) in Law. To undertake, give an undertaking.
1602. Fulbecke, 2nd Pt. Parall., 21. That A. … did assume to carrie his horse … ouer the water of Humber sound and safe.
1641. [see ASSUMPSIT].
1795. Wyllie, Amer. Law Rep., 74. The appellee pleaded that he did not assume.
III. To take as being one’s own, to arrogate, pretend to, claim, take for granted.
7. trans. To take to oneself as a right or possession; to lay claim to, appropriate, arrogate, usurp.
1548. Hall, Chron. Hen. VII., an. 1 (R.). This Lambert might assume … the person and name of one of kyng Edward the fourthes chyldren.
1627. Feltham, Resolves, I. vi. Wks. 1677, 7. In such, as being conscious of their own deficiency, think there is no way to get Honour, but by a bold assuming it.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1766), I. 345. Murray assumed to himself the praise of all that was done.
1833. I. Taylor, Fanat., x. 461. That disposition … to assume … intolerant jurisdiction over other men’s conduct.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 126. The king assumed to himself the right of filling up the chief municipal offices.
8. To take to oneself in appearance only, to pretend to possess; to pretend, simulate, feign.
1602. Shaks., Haml., III. iv. 160. Assume a Vertue, if you haue it not.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 14. Ignorant both of the character they leave, and of the character they assume.
1853. Lytton, My Novel, VI. xxiv. The scepticism, assumed or real, of the ill-fated aspirer.
9. (with inf.) To put forth claims or pretensions; to claim, pretend.
1714. Spect., No. 630, ¶ 16. As Gentlemen (for we Citizens assume to be such one day in a Week).
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., lviii. Witnesses who had or assumed to have knowledge of the fact.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. xxiv. (1865), 406. Sage saws assuming to inculcate content.
10. trans. To take for granted as the basis of argument or action; to suppose: a. that a thing is, a thing to be.
1598. Barckley, Felic. Man (1631), 680. Plotinus alwaies assumeth that beatitude and eternity goeth ever together.
1660. Barrow, Euclid, I. xlviii. Schol., We assumed in the demonstration of the last Proposition CD = BC.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., III. § 25. 91. To assume that we have the most accurate possible translation.
1868. Peard, Water-Farm., x. 103. The entire length of our farm is assumed to bo about thirty-two miles.
b. a thing.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 273. His labours are rationall, and uncontroulable upon the grounds assumed.
1790. Paley, Hor. Paul., i. 1. Assuming the truth of the history.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), III. xiii. 294. William assumes the willingness of the Assembly.
11. Logic. To add the minor premiss to a syllogism. Cf. ASSUMPTION 12.
1628. T. Spencer, Logic, 294. The antecedent is assumed, when the words of it are barely repeated in the second proposition, or assumption.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., IX. vi. § 25. V. 86. Thus the Major may propound what it pleaseth, and the Minor assume what it listeth.
1837. Sir W. Hamilton, Logic, xv. (1866), I. 285. The distinctive peculiarity of the minor premise,—that of being a subordinate proposition,—a proposition taken or assumed under another.
