a. Now chiefly dial. and arch. Forms: 1 longsum, 1–4, 6 Sc. langsum, (2 lonsum, 6 Sc. layngsum, 7 longsom), 6– longsome, Sc. langsome. [OE. langsum, f. lang LONG a. + -sum -SOME. Cf. OS. langsam (Du. langzaam), OHG., MHG. lancsam (G. langsam).] Long, lengthy; long-lasting; esp. tediously long; † tardy, dilatory, slow.
Beowulf (Gr.), 134. Wæs þæt ʓewin to strang, lað and longsum.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 210. Þonne seo unʓefelde aheardung þære lifre to langsum wyrð.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 111. Þa dusian him sculen efre adredan elles ne bið his rixlunge ne fest ne lonsum.
c. 1300. Cursor M., 28471. I haue halden quen i was sett langsum setes at my mete.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxvii. (Machor), 1237. It ware langsum for to say the wondir þat god in þe way wrocht.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. Prol. 133. Quhat is, bot turment, all his langsum fair, Begun with feir, and endit in dispair?
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (1858), II. 3. With soir travell than baith with barne and wyfe, Richt mony da leidand ane langsum lyfe.
1563. Winȝet, Four Scoir Thre Quest., Wks. 1888, I. 60. We ar offendit be his layngsum delay.
1575. Gascoigne, Dan Bartholomew, Posies 99. A Lampe … With oyle and weecke to last the longsome night.
1599. James I., Βασιλικον Δωρον (1603), 118. Take no longsome workes in hande, for distracting you from your calling.
a. 1656. Bp. Hall, Rem. Wks. (1660), 401. To demonstrate this in particulars, were a long-some task.
1661–2. Marvell, Corr., xxxiv. Wks. 1872–5, II. 78. You may perhaps think us longsome in giuing you an account of your businesse.
c. 1704. Prior, Henry & Emma, 371. We tread with weary steps the longsome plain.
1728. Ramsay, Lure, 55. She is not langsome In taking captives.
1842. Mrs. Trollope, Visit Italy, I. i. 4. The longsome interval between leaving Paris and arriving at Lyons.
1859. Helps, Friends in C., Ser. II. II. ii. 27. Men contrive to make their pleasures as dull, longsome, and laborious as any part of their daily task-work.
1861. W. Barnes, in Macm. Mag., June, 135. Many a cheek has been paled … by longsome hours of over-work.
1893. Stevenson, Catriona, 87. The way there was a little longsome.
