[f. as prec.]
1. Bastardy, illegitimacy. rare.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., 28.
1730. Bailey (fol.), Illegitimateness, unlawfulness, baseness of Birth, spuriousness.
1828–32. in Webster.
† 2. ? Irregular or abnormal condition. Obs.–1
1674. R. Godfrey, Inj. & Ab. Physic, 67. By enabling my stomach to master the food, whilst it destroy’d all inclinations to Spuriousness.
3. The state or quality of being spurious, false or counterfeit: a. Of documents, writings, etc.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., I. iv. 321. Several other Books … being unquestionably distinct from the Pæmander, and no signs of Spuriousness or Bastardy discovered in them.
1699. Bentley, Phal., Introd. 20. The Spuriousness of Phalaris’s Epistles.
1723. Waterland, 2nd Vind. Christ’s Div., 124. Some considerable Testimonies in Ruinart’s select Acts of Martyrs, which tho’ not so certainly genuine … have yet no certain Mark of Spuriousness.
1790. Paley, Horæ Paul., i. 15. The internal marks of spuriousness and imposture which these compositions betray.
1830. D’Israeli, Chas. I., III. vi. 91. [He] has been particularly anxious to assert the spuriousness of some writings assigned to the King.
1884. Manch. Exam., 4 Nov., 5/1. The wretched article from the Paris paper, which carries the brand of spuriousness on its face.
b. In other contexts.
1818. Bentham, Parl. Ref. Catech., 65. The necessity of secrecy, for securing freedom, and preventing spuriousness of suffrage.
1822–7. Good, Study Med. (1829), I. 325. The pierres de Goa … were, at least generally, factitious bezoars of this kind; and their spuriousness was capable of proof.
1878. Dowden, Stud. Lit., 40. In his romantic poems there is … a note of spuriousness.
