[f. STOUT a. + -LY2.]
1. Valiantly, bravely, with courage and energy; manfully.
13[?]. Sir Beues, 683. Beues stoutliche in þat stounde Haf vp is heued fro þe grounde.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XI. 158. In ilkane war weill ten thousand, That thoucht thai stalwardly suld stand in the battale and stoutly ficht.
1422. Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., 134. Thay hath longe afor wel deseruyd in battaille and dyuers Stowres stowtly demenet ham-Selfe in grete yonge-man-hode.
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, III. i. N iv b. He … playeth his parte stoutely or lyke a man.
1549. Coverdale, etc., Erasm. Par. 1 Tim. iii. 8–13. Lyke as in a seculer commen wealthe he is called to be a Mayor, that before vsed himselfe stowtely in the wardenshyp.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1209. Faint not faint heart, but stoutlie say so be it.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, I. xi. 21. Whole armies … went stoutly to these slaughters.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Brooke Farm, vi. 78. I … walked as stoutly as any of them to where the surgeons were.
1904. Verney Mem., II. 342. When a traveller of unwonted courage stoutly defeated the gentlemen who meant to rob him.
† b. By means of valor. Obs.
1649. J. H., Motion to Parl., 13. You have done great things for us, and equall to what hath been done in any Nation, either stoutly or fortunately.
† 2. Haughtily, proudly, arrogantly. Obs.
a. 1547. J. Croke, Thirteen Ps. (Percy Soc.), 13. And when I slyde, both hele and toes, Then stowtly they of me do speake.
1572. Huloet (ed. Higins), Stoutly, proudly, or arrogantly, superbè, elatè, arroganter [etc.].
1632. Milton, L’Allegro, 52. While the Cock … Stoutly struts his Dames before.
3. Resolutely, firmly, uncompromisingly.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 3521. And ȝyf he wyl nat with feyre lere, Þan mayst þou speke stoutly to hym withoute wraþþe, wurdys ful grym.
a. 1533. Frith, Disput. Purgat., Wks. (1573), 19/1. Rastell … would stoutely affirme that the body suffereth neither well nor woe, ioy nor payne, good nor euill.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 777. Sithence he had once begonne, he would stoutly go thorowe.
1579. E. K., in Spenser’s Sheph. Cal., Gen. Argt. It is … stoutely mainteyned with stronge reasons of the learned, that the yeare beginneth in March.
1682. Norris, Hierocles, Pref. 3. To rail stoutly against Popery.
a. 1703. Burkitt, On N. T., John ix. 38. Behold this blind man … stoutly defending the gracious author of his cure.
1779. Mirror, No. 34. Miss Betsy denied stoutly that she ever sung at all.
1840. Thackeray, Catherine, vii. She stoutly swore that no parents could ever desert their children.
1858. Trollope, Dr. Thorne, xxxiv. The doctor … at once resolved stoutly that he would not go.
1880. ‘Ouida,’ Moths, I. i. 21. ‘What for should they not listen?’ said Fräulein Schroder stoutly.
1891. Speaker, 2 May, 564/1. The admiration even of those who were most stoutly opposed to his political opinions.
† 4. Stubbornly, contumaciously. Obs.
15[?]. Wyf of Auchtirmwchty, 100, in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Club), 345. Scho hard him, and scho hard him not, Bot stowtly steird the stottis abowt.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, I. § 22. 30. Others would be emboldened … to carrie themselves stoutly against God.
5. Vigorously, with might and main, lustily. ? Obs.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, I. 114. Ȝe cleued to knavis … Þat … stirid ȝou stouttely till ȝe stombled all.
c. 1482. J. Kay, trans. Caoursin’s Siege of Rhodes, ¶ 10 (1870). They casted agaynes the tour thre hondred grete stones of bombardes and brake the toure stoutely and put it in a grete danger to be ouerthrawn.
1684. Otway, Atheist, IV. i. 42. I’ll swinge her the stoutlier, for alienating his Affections from his natural Father.
1709. T. Robinson, Vind. Mosaick Syst., 90. [Wood-Ants] with Burthens of green Leaves upon their Backs, so big that one can scarce see the Insect for the Burthen, and yet they march stoutly.
1773. Goldsm., Stoops to Conq., I. ii. Drive up the yard, and call stoutly about you.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. vi. The gallant stag swam stoutly o’er. Ibid. (1815), Guy M., xlv. Dinmont, I say, fell stoutly upon the good cheer.
† b. with reference to drinking. Obs. (Common in 17–18th c.)
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 5. The Novocomians [are said] to eate without end and drinke stoutly.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., III. 24. To let the World see that he could drink stoutly, on the Top of his Pyramid there is a large Stone-cup.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII. xiii. These two therefore sat stoutly to it, during the whole evening.
6. Strongly, massively, solidly; so as to be stout or thick, or with the addition of something stout.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1950. Alle on stalworþ stedes stoutliche i-horsed.
1604. Shaks., Oth., II. i. 48. His Barke is stoutly Timber’d.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Spile, a wedge of wood stoutly pointed with iron.
1891. E. Brunetti, in Hardwicke’s Sci.-Gossip, XXVII. 55. The species are rather more stoutly built than the Tipulinæ and Limnobinæ.
1892. Lady F. Verney, Verney Mem., II. 193. They … manufactured a wooden cannon from an elm tree, stoutly hooped with iron.
7. Comb.
1648. J. Beaumont, Psyche, VII. ccx. Dark Bats,… Surprised by a stoutly-flashing Flame. Ibid., XVI. i. Whose stoutly-paradoxick Essence founds Its dearest Health upon its deepest wounds.
1833. Nyren, Yng. Cricketer’s Tutor (1902), 94. He was a short and rather stoutly-made man.
1872. Coues, N. Amer. Birds, 216. A large stoutly-built hawk.
1881. Cassell’s Nat. Hist., V. 359. Bees … are generally rather stoutly-built insects.
