Forms: see SWEET a. [OE. swétnes (suoet-): see -NESS. Cf. MDu. soetenisse; also SOOTNESS (OE. swótnes).] The quality of being sweet, concr. something sweet.
1. Of taste or flavor.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xvii. 125. & eac sceal bion on ðæm breostum ðæs monnan swetnes.
1340. Ayenb., 55. Þe zuetnesse or þe mete.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 89. One [oil] for þe rednes and swetnez is called sanguis veneris.
1477. Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 68. The bittrenesse of the aloe tre distroyeth the swettenesse of the hony.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 110. These apples … haue a certeyne sweetnes myxte with a gentell sharpnes.
1588. Kyd, Househ. Philos., Wks. (1901), 247. The Malmesey and Greeke and Romain Wines … haue some kind of sweetnes.
1704. Swift, Batt. Bks., Wks. 1841, I. 128/2. Instead of dirt and poison, we have rather chosen to fill our hives with honey and wax, thus furnishing mankind with the two noblest of things, which are sweetness and light.
1781. Cowper, Charity, 190. Has God then giv’n its sweetness to the cane … in vain?
1855. Bain, Senses & Int., II. ii. § 9. The sweetness of every kind of fruit [etc.] is known to arise from sugar.
¶ Phr. Sweetness and light, taken from Swift (see quot. 1704 above) and used with æsthetic or moral reference (cf. 6, 7).
1869. M. Arnold, Cult. & An., 28. Their ideal of beauty and sweetness and light, and a human nature complete on all its sides.
1879. Farrar, St. Paul (1883), 410. He [Gallio] was pre-eminently endowed with that light and sweetness which are signs of the utmost refinement.
b. concr. Something sweet to the taste; a sweet substance.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), A 524. Ambrosea, suoetnis.
1382. Wyclif, Joel ii. 18. And it shal be, in that day mounteyns shuln droppe swetnes.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. xliii. (W. de W.). Swetnesse layed to the tonge openyth moderatly and hetyth moderatly.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 42. Who hath not of sowrenes felte the bitter tast, is not worthy of swetenes to take his repast.
1655. G. S., in Hartlib, Ref. Commw. Bees, 27. There is worthily a great difference to be acknowledged between Honey and other inspissated sweetnesses.
1890. Opelousas (Louisiana) Democrat, 20 Dec., 2/1. Sweetness by the barrel, bon-bons, sugar plums [etc.].
2. Of smell or odor: Fragrance.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. x. (1890), 292. Micel swetnes wundorlices stences.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 145. Þer scal beon … smellinge mid swetnesse.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 750. Ut of his ðrote cumeð a smel … ðat ouer-cumeð haliweie wið swetnesse.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 216. Whanne men schullen … smelle … þe swettenesse & good odour of herbis.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 120. Floures … Of swich suetnesse and swich odour ouer al.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 489. I thinke Rosemary will leese in Sweetnesse, if it be set with Lauender.
1750. Gray, Elegy, 56. Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
1870. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. xlv. 8. All his dress is fragrant with all sweetness.
3. Of sound: Melodiousness, musical quality.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxiii. (Bodl. MS.). Orpheus … plesid treen wodes hulles and stones with swetnes of his voice.
1448–9. Metham, Amoryus & Cleopes, 410. Syngyng in ther lay With mornyng joy in sqwetnes off songe.
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet. (1580), 30. The swetenesse of the tongue, the wholsomnesse of the aire in other countries.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. xii. 6. The rare sweetnesse of the melody.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., To Rdr. There’s a sweetness in good Verse, which Tickles even while it Hurts.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, i. The sweetness and fine expression of her voice.
1836. Dubourg, Violin, ix. (1878), 273. His violoncellos … are … not so strong … as old Forster’s, but, in sweetness and purity, excelling them.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., i. I. 30. Rude societies have versification, and often versification of great power and sweetness.
b. A sweet sound or tone, rare.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 342. There was wellit to wale water full nobill,… with plentius stremes, With a swoughe and a swetnes sweppit on þe grounde.
1632. Milton, L’Allegro, 140. With many a winding bout Of lincked sweetnes long drawn out.
1651. Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Year, Summer, xix. 238. It is not the eye that sees the beauties of the heaven, nor the ear that hears the sweetnesses of musick.
1895. F. Thompson, New Poems, 107. The wailful sweetness of the violin Floats down the hushèd waters of the wind.
4. In specific uses, denoting various desirable physical qualities, e.g., freshness (as opp. to saltness, putridity, etc.), mellowness (of soil), etc.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), i. 7. The Watre of the See is fressche and holdethe his swetnesse 20 Myle within the See.
1607. Markham, Caval., II. (1617), 52. It giueth libertie to the tongue,… and keepeth the mouth in tendernesse and sweetnesse.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 25 Jan. 1645. These [beds] are in a very long rome having an inner passage … with as much care, sweetenesse, and conveniency as can be imagin’d.
1733. W. Ellis, Chiltern & Vale Farm., 46. The Remedy of this is, to give it constantly its due Course of Fallowings, whereby it may enjoy a thorough Sweetness.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 355. This powder will also restore the sweetness of flesh-meat but slightly tainted with putridity.
1844. Stephens, Bk. Farm, III. 1046. Oil-cake … is an excellent medicine for live-stock,… giving to the hide a sweetness of coat unattainable by other means.
1894. Walrond, Archery, xvii. 297. No bow can come up to a good self for sweetness, softness, and steadiness in the hand when it is loosed.
5. Pleasantness to the senses generally, esp. the sight; pleasantness of aspect, artistic effect, etc.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem., II. (Arb.), 138. The right forme … fit and dew, to the dignitie of a man, to the bewtie of a woman, to the sweetnes of a yong babe.
1617. Moryson, Itin., I. 118. Baie, an ancient Citie, and for the sweetnesse preferred to Rome by Horace.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), I. 224. It is confessed that Oxford far exceeds it [sc. Cambridge] for sweetness of situation.
1707. Mortimer, Husb. (1721), I. 285. The use that is made of it [sc. wax] for Lights, the clearness and sweetness of which makes it preferr’d before all other Sorts.
a. 1822. Shelley, Pr. Wks. (1888), I. 407. The curved lines of her fine limbs flow into each other with a never-ending sinuosity of sweetness.
1888. Miss Braddon, Fatal Three, I. v. The house and gardens had all the sweetness and freshness of a scene to which one is restored after absence.
b. as a technical term of Art.
1695. Dryden, trans. Dufresnoy’s Art Paint., etc., 220. He painted with great Strength, great Heightning, great Sweetness, and liveliness of Colours.
1706. Art of Painting (1744), 68. His colouring had not the vigour and sweetness of Giacomo Bassano’s.
1816. Sir J. Reynolds, Life Raffaello, etc., 156. The gliding motion of his [sc. Correggio’s] outline, and the sweetness with which it melts into the ground.
1816. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 770. The pen should have a diamond point, which … imparts an admirable degree of regularity and sweetness to the work.
6. Pleasantness to the mind or feelings; delightfulness.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. xxiv. (1890), 346. Bi swetnesse þæs heofonlecan rices he moniʓ leoð ʓeworhte.
971. Blickl. Hom., 37. Swa we sceolon eac ure heortan ʓefyllan mid þære swetnesse godcundra beboda.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., xxv. 68. Iesu, suete is the love of the,… Al that may with eȝen se, Haveth no suetnesse aȝeynes the.
1340. Ayenb., 92. Þe more þet lykeþ þe zuetnesse or þe wordle þe lesse me wylneþ þe zuetnesse of god.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 57. Thei … resten as hem liketh best In all the swetnesse of delices.
c. 1440. York Myst., xlvii. 137. All kynnys swetnesse is þer-in.
1528. Tindale, Obed. Chr. Man, 15 b. To translate it welfaveredly, so that it have the same grace and swetnesse … in the latyne, as it hath in the hebrue.
1585–7. T. Rogers, 39 Art., xi. (1625), 55. Neither shall they bee partakers of the sweetnesse of this truth which say, that [etc.].
1699. T. Baker, Refl. Learn., iv. 38. He … to whom he gives the Force of Demosthenes, the Sweetness of Isocrates, and the Copia of Plato.
1748. J. Geddes, Comp. Antients, 7. The two things then, which every good writer either in prose or verse is to aim at, are sweetness and dignity.
1840. J. H. Newman, Par. Serm. (1842), V. xxii. 365. Even sorrow must have a sweetness, if love be in it.
b. Pleasant feeling, delight, pleasure; also, a source of delight or pleasure. Now rare or merged in other senses.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 102. Þes cos … is a swetnesse & a delit of heorte, so unimete swote & swete.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 7. Swuch swettnesse þu schalt ifinden in his luue & in his seruise … þet [etc.].
a. 1240. Ureisun, in O. E. Hom., I. 183. Ihesu min hali loue min sikere swetnesse [printed spetnesse].
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 192. Salomon seith That … ‘the conseil of trewe freendes yeueth swetenesse to the soule.’
a. 1400. Prymer (1891), 51. Heyl queene mooder of mercy, oure lyf and oure swetnesse.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 280. Whan þin herte is harde as a stone, & hath no deuocyoun to god, ne loue, ne dreed, ne swetnesse.
c. 1485. Digby Myst., Mary Magdalene, 794. O lord Iesu, ower melleflueus swettnesse.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 159 b. To … use ye maner of prayer … in ye whiche he fyndeth moost swetnes. Ibid., 287. Swetenesses of grace.
1612. Brinsley, Lud. Lit., 9. They feele such a sweetnesse in play and idlenesse, as they can hardly bee framed to leaue it.
1863. Pusey, Serm. Matt. v. 4, 6. Rather it is an abiding sorrow, sweeter than all life’s sweetnesses.
1870. Bryant, Iliad, I. III. 102. Such glow of love Possesses me and sweetness of desire.
1886. Pall Mall G., 14 Sept., 5/2. She was one of those brave souls who have fought the good fight with little help of spiritual sweetnesses.
7. Of disposition, manner, or conduct: Graciousness, gentleness, kindliness, mildness.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Th.), xxx. 21 [xxxi. 19]. Hu micel … is seo mycelnes þinre swetnesse.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 254. Jesu Cristes deorewurðe wordes & werkes, þet weren alle ine luue & ine swetnesse.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9803. Mikel it was his suetnes þan, Mikel reuth he had þat sith o man.
1340. Ayenb., 145. Mansuetudo oþer beningnitas þet is zuyetnesse of herte.
c. 1366. Chaucer, A. B. C., 51. Glorious mayde and moder … ful of swetnesse and mercy euer.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 220. Aȝeynes passyon he schowyd louyng swetenes.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., II. i. So full of man, and sweetnesse in his carriage.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., II. 102. Grace of Regeneration … introduceth gracious habits of sweetnesse, peace and love.
1680. Otway, Orphan, I. i. They’re both of Nature mild, and full of sweetness.
1784. Cowper, Task, II. 708. In his speech was heard Paternal sweetness, dignity, and love.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xxxiv. She repaid Miss Crawley’s engoûment by artless sweetness and friendship.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, x. In his eyes and mouth there was an expression of honesty and sweetness which endeared him to the heart of the lonely prince.
† 8. Addiction to sweet things; self-indulgence. Obs. rare.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxx. 110 (Harl. MS.). He yaf him so much to this swettnes, that he wolde not thens, but yete hony, and made him murye.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., II. iv. 45. To remit Their sawcie sweetnes, that do coyne heauens Image In stamps that are forbid.
