Obs. Also 7 erron. temerity. [f. timerous, TIMOROUS, app. on mistaken analogy of temerity from temerous ‘rash’; it may also sometimes have been a corruption of timidity.
As timerous and temerous ran together in use, so temerity was sometimes put for timerity, as n. of quality from timerous, TIMOROUS, as well as from temerous ‘rash.’]
Fear, timidness, timidity.
1582. Munday, Disc. E. Campion, F viij. The great timeritie and unstable opinion of his conscience … would not suffer him to utter it.
1601. Chester, Love’s Mart. (1878), 8. Nature was struck with pale temeritie, To see the God of thunders lightning eyes.
1618. Latham, 2nd Bk. Falconry (1633), 2. Without much timeritie or fearfulnesse.
a. 1660. Contemp. Hist. Irel. (Ir. Archæol Soc.), I. 248. Such was the timeritie and cowardize and feare of all men there.
