Forms: 4 barynes, 4–5 bareynes(se, 5 -ines, -aynesse, 6 barenes, barraynesse, -ennis, -ennes, 7 -ennesse, -eness, 7– barrenness. [f. as prec. + -NESS.]
1. Incapacity for child-bearing; sterility as regards offspring. The opposite of fertility.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. xlvii. 9. Comen shal to thee … bareynesse and widewehed.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst., 75. My barynes he may amend.
1526. Tindale, Rom. iv. 19. Nor yet considered he … the barenes of Sara.
1615. Bp. Hall, Contempl. N. T., I. i. Among the Jewes, barrennesse was … a reproach.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., II. 141. Providence had not pronounced against the marriage by a sentence of barrenness.
2. Unproductiveness or sterility of the earth; hence, dearth, scarcity, famine.
1388. Wyclif, Gen. xxvi. 1. Hungur roos on the lond aftir thilke bareynesse.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxxxi. 247. For defaute of rayne ther was grete barines of corn.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., III. ii. 123. Where Scotland? Dro. I found it by the barrennesse, hard in the palme of the hand.
1611. Bible, Ps. cvii. 34. A fruitfull land into barrennesse.
1866. J. Murphy, Comm. Ex. xvi. 4. The very barrenness of the wilderness gave way to the bountiful hand of the Lord.
3. fig. Unproductiveness; hence, poverty of supply, lack of fullness or copiousness, bareness, scantiness, meagerness, poverty.
1586. Thynne, in Animadv., Introd. 70. Carping at my barrennes in writing, because I omit manie things.
a. 1617. Hieron, Wks., II. 337. Such a generall barrennesse in mens hearts … that they know not what to say vpon such occasions.
a. 1797. H. Walpole, Mem. Geo. II. (1847), I. iv. 94. Great hesitation in his elocution, and a barrenness of expression.
1879. Froude, Cæsar, xvii. 286. The barrenness of practical results.
4. Lack of intellectual capacity; mental poverty, slowness, dullness.
1552. Huloet, Barrennes properlye of capacitie, segnities.
1599. Thynne, Animadv., 2. The barrennesse of my feble skyll.
1750. Johnson, Rambl., No. 19, ¶ 8. The barrenness of his fellow students forced him … into other company.
1837. Whewell, Hist. Induct. Sc. (1857), I. 238. The prevalent feebleness and barrenness of intellect.
5. ‘Aridity, want of emotion or sensibility.’ J.
a. 1667. Jer. Taylor, Wks. (1835), III. 732/1 (J.). The greatest saints … sometimes are fervent, sometimes feel a barrenness of devotion.
