Chiefly poet. Also -aunce. [f. JOY v. + -ANCE.
App. formed by Spenser; rare before 1800, and considered ‘obsolete’ by Johnson; reintroduced by Coleridge and Southey, and in 19th cent. a favorite word with poets and writers of imaginative prose. The corresponding word derived from OF. was the obsolete JOUISANCE.]
1. The state of feeling or action of showing joy; rejoicing; delight; enjoyment.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. xii. 18. Chearfull, fresh and full of ioyance glad, As if no sorrow she ne felt, ne drad.
1607. Trag. of Nero, K ij b.
| Though Iulia sware and vow’d it should be so, | |
| And made great ioyance, that it should be so. |
1742. Shenstone, Schoolmistr., 228. Ne for his fellows’ joyaunce careth aught.
c. 1796. Coleridge, Autumnal Even., 24. Chaste Joyance dancing in her bright-blue eyes.
1820. Shelley, To a Skylark, 76. With thy clear keen joyance Languor cannot be.
1859. Tennyson, Elaine, 1314. Then would I … Estate them with large land and territory … To keep them in all joyance.
b. Enjoyment of something. rare.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., VI. xi. 7. Which gave him hope … That he in time her joyance should obtaine.
1850. Mrs. Browning, Poems, I. 20. God, who gave the right and joyaunce of the world Both unto thee and me,—gave thee to me.
2. The action of enjoying or disporting oneself; disport, festivity, merrymaking.
c. 1586. Spenser, Astrophel, 25. His sports were faire, his ioyance innocent.
1662. Gunning, Lent Fast, 168. They abstained from … public joyances.
1797. Southey, King Charlemain, xi. Now merriment, joyaunce, and feasting again Enliven’d the palace of Aix.
1878. Masque Poets, 20. There too are jousts and joyance rare And beauteous ladies debonair.
3. Joyous character or quality; delight, charm.
1847. Disraeli, Tancred, I. i. The … illusion of an illimitable distance of sylvan joyance.
a. 1865. Bamford, Poems, Farew. Cottage. Where I … met early spring with her buskin of dew, As o’er the wild heather a joyance she threw.
