a. Forms: α. 3–4 gelus(e, 4 -os, 4–5 -ows, 4–6 -ous(e, 5 -uce, 6 gealous. β. 4–5 ielus, 4–7 -ous(e, 6 -ose, (-oux); 6–7 iealous(e, 7– jealous. γ. 5 ielius, 6 -ious, -yus, -yous, 6–7 iealious. δ. 4–6 ialous(e, 6 -ouss. ε. 5–6 iolyce, -yous, -ious, -yus, ioyluse. [ME. gelos, etc., a. OF. gelos (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), mod.F. jaloux, -ouse, = Pr. gelos, It. geloso, Sp. zeloso:—late L. zēlōs-us, f. late L. zēl-us a. Gr. ζῆλος emulation, zeal, jealousy: see -OUS. The Romanic j or ge for Gr. ζ, shows the analysis of Gr. ζ as dz, dʓ, dj, di, evidenced in other words, in late L.]
† 1. Vehement in feeling, as in wrath, desire or devotion: a. Wrathful, furious (rare); b. Devoted, eager, zealous. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Deut. xxix. 20. The woodnes of hym [the Lord] shal wax feers, and gelows aȝens that man.
1535. Coverdale, Ecclus. li. 18. I will be gelous to cleue vnto the thinge yt is good.
1560. Bible (Genev.), 1 Kings xix. 14. I haue bene very ielous for ye Lord God of hoste.
1661. Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1872–5, II. 66. Mr. Recorder and Mr. Vaux, persons as jealous in your service as I myselfe.
† 2. Ardently amorous; covetous of the love of another, fond, lustful. Obs. (But cf. 4.)
c. 1430. Syr Gener., 1070. The Quene had a ful licorous eye And a hert ful amerous; On Generides she wax gelous.
1555. Bradford, in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. xlv. 130. I sawe certayne letters sent from th’ Emprour … wherin was contayned theise privities … the good simple Quene is so jelous over my sonne … we shall make her agree vnto all our requestes [etc.].
3. Zealous or solicitous for the preservation or well-being of something possessed or esteemed; vigilant or careful in guarding; suspiciously careful or watchful. Const. of (for, over).
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, III. v. (Skeat), l. 38. Some maner of ielousy, I wot wel is euer redy in al the hertes of my trew seruauntes, as thus: to be ielous ouer him self, lest he be cause of his owne disease.
1526. Tindale, 2 Cor. xi. 2. I am gelous over you with godly gelousy.
1555. Pole, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. II. 192. Myn helth … wherof I am the more jelose now then I am commonly at other tymes.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., II. xiv. (1848), 142. I am … brought … to set a high Value upon Health, and be a very Jealous Preserver of so great a Blessing.
1738. Wesley, Ps. XIII. vii. Be jealous for thy glorious Name.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xxvii. The chief is young, and jealous of his rank.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., I. xxv. 378. The people, jealous of their hardly-won liberties.
4. Troubled by the belief, suspicion or fear that the good which one desires to gain or keep for oneself has been or may be diverted to another; resentful towards another on account of known or suspected rivalry: a. in love or affection, esp. in sexual love: Apprehensive of being displaced in the love or good-will of some one; distrustful of the faithfulness of wife, husband or lover. Const. of, arch. over (the beloved person, or the suspected rival); also of (the attentions of another, etc.).
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1075. He was so gelus of his wive, That he ne miȝte … I-so that man with hire speke.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1794. O lauerdschipp was þar na strijf, Was naman Ielus of his wijf.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 38. Ialous [v.rr. ielous, gelous] he was, and heeld hire narwe in cage For she was yong and wylde and he was old.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XII. xvii. (MS. Bodl.), lf. 121 b/1. The Cock … fiȝteþ for heere [a hen] specialliche as þouȝe he were Ielous.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 23. She loued hym so moche that she was ielous ouer alle women that he spake with.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Alfonce (1889), 12. A blynd man whiche had a fayre wyf of the whiche he was moche Jalous.
1592. Greene, Upst. Courtier, B j. The yellow daffadil, a flowre fit for gelous Dottrels, who through the bewtie of their honest wiues grew suspitious.
1611. Bible, Num. v. 30. When the spirit of ielousie commeth vpon him, and hee be ielous ouer his wife.
1717. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to C’tess Mar, 1 April. It is impossible for the most jealous husband to know his wife when he meets her.
1819. Byron, Juan, I. clv. So young a husband’s jealous fears.
1888. Miss Braddon, Fatal Three, I. I. iii. 27. Mrs. Fausset … had been jealous of the new-comer, and resentful of her intrusion from the outset.
b. in respect of success or advantage: Apprehensive of losing some desired benefit through the rivalry of another; feeling ill-will towards another on account of some advantage or superiority that he possesses or may possess; grudging, envious. Const. of (the person, or the advantage).
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 331. Ffor hate or for Ielous ymagynyng.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 32. Alle were ialous of him. But Iason neuer thought on none of them.
1563. B. Googe, Eglogs, vii. (Arb.), 59. You iudge but of malicious hart, and of a Ialouse brayne.
c. 1601. Sir C. Hatton, in Hatton Corr. (Camden), 2. My many iealious observers prevent my presence.
a. 1732. Atterbury, Serm. Isa. xl. 22 (Seager). It is certain that they looked upon it with a jealous eye.
1838. Thirlwall, Greece, xxiii. III. 289. Several of the leading persons in the state were jealous of his glory.
1897. I. S. Leadam, in Eng. Hist. Rev., Jan., 152. The church was, as early as 1254, becoming jealous of the civil law.
c. In biblical language, said of God: Having a love that will tolerate no unfaithfulness or defection in the beloved object.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 90. Vnderstond, ancre … hwas spuse þu ert; & hu he is gelus of alle þine lates.
1382. Wyclif, Exod. xx. 5. I forsothe am the Lord thi God, strong gelows [1388 a stronge gelouse louyere].
1535. Coverdale, Ibid. For I the Lorde thy God am a gelouse God. Ibid., Josh. xxiv. 19. He is an holy God, mightie, and gelous, which spareth not youre trangressions and synnes.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 6. Our very God is in a good sence said to be iealous:… you shall ever find the chastest Weomen, desiring an husband vertuously iealous.
1853. Maurice, Proph. & Kings, vii. 119. God is contemplated as jealous over his people.
5. Suspicious; apprehensive of evil, fearful. Const. of, or with subord. clause. Now dial.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 921. A man doutfull and suspect of jelous (soupeconeus).
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 800 (1594), F iiij. Let not the iealous daie behold that face.
1607. Middleton, Five Gallants, I. i. A ij. My Maister is very iealous of the pestilence.
1622. Wither, Mistr. Philar., in Arb., Garner, IV. 420. Never did the jealous ’st ear Any muttering rumour hear.
a. 1639. Wotton, in Reliq. (1651), 524. The jealous Trout, that low did lie, Rose at a wel-dissembled Flie.
1755. B. Martin, Mag. Arts & Sc., III. xiii. 398. I am jealous of some baneful Experiment to follow.
1868. Atkinson, Cleveland Gloss., Jealous, apprehensive, ready to anticipate something … more or less unpleasant in its nature.
† b. Doubtful, mistrustful. Obs.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., I. ii. 162. That you do loue me, I am nothing iealous.
1682. Scarlett, Exchanges, 216. When … the Acceptant afterwards repents, and is jealous whether the Drawer will really accept of his Re-draughts.
6. Suspiciously vigilant against, or to prevent, something (expressed or understood); vigilant in scrutinizing.
1601. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw. (1603), 215. They are very iealous to shew themselues fearefull or base minded in worde or deede.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 51. The Princesse … was jealous lest her griefe [for her brother’s death] should grow to be displeased with her, for adventuring her selfe to the gust of a curious sight.
1709. Strype, Ann. Ref., I. l. 499. They were very jealous of any Popish prince to become her husband.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, lxi. (1824), 641. He examined with a jealous eye the emotions he witnessed.
1843. Poe, Purloined Let., Wks. 1864, I. 268. The most jealous scrutiny of the microscope.
1866. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, I. xxi. 549. Measures [of weight, etc.] were subject to jealous supervision.
b. transf. Requiring suspicious or careful vigilance; delicate, ticklish. ? Obs.
1600. E. Blount, trans. Conestaggio, 127. The difficultie and impossibilitie to finde a trustie person in so dangerous and iealous a cause as this is.
1672. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 267. Nor shall I dwell too long upon so jealous or impertinent a subject.
† 7. Jealous glass, an old name for glass which is translucent, but cannot be seen through: see quots., and cf. JALOUSIE. Obs.
1703. T. N., City & C. Purchaser, 153. Jealous Glass … is a sort of wrinkled Glass of such a Quality, that one cannot distinctly see what is done on the other side of it.
1726. R. Neve, Builder’s Dict., s.v. Glass, This Jealous Glass … is commonly used in and about London, to put into the lower Lights … where the Windows are low against the Street.
[1879. Centenary Birmingham Libr., 32. A curious question arose [in 1821] as to the use of ‘jealous glass’ in the windows towards the bank, as provided by the original lease.]
8. Comb., as jealous-headed, -eyed, etc.
1679. M. Rusden, Further Discov. Bees, 122. To answer these jealous-headed persons.
1704. Steele, Lying Lover, II. i. (1725), 17. That’s the common Practice of your jealous-headed Fellows.
1719. Savage, Love in Veil, I. i. 9. Some jealous pated Father or Brother must interfere.
1815. Woman’s Will, II. i. I am told he is a cursed silly, jealous-pated fellow.
