[n. of action f. TRANSPORT v. + -ATION. Cf. L. (post-Aug.) transportātiōn-em transmigration, and F. transportation (1519 in Hatz.-Darm.).]
1. The action or process of transporting; conveyance (of things or persons) from one place to another.
Much used in 17th c. down to c. 1660; afterwards gradually given up for transport, prob. to avoid association with penal transportation, sense 2 c.
1540. Act 32 Hen. VIII., c. 14 § 2. For the fraight transportation conveyaunce or cariage of anny warres.
a. 1600. in Hakluyt, Voy., III. 174. By reason of the transportation of raw wooll of late dayes more excessiuely then in times past.
1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 371. Looke how the case stood with their transportation out of Ægypt into Canaan.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 26. Here is a Ferry for transportation into Asia.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann., VI. (1658), 331. Finding no ships there, for his transportation, he divided his army.
1679–88. Secr. Serv. Moneys Chas. & Jas. (Camden), 16. To the Bishop of London, for transportac’on of three Chaplains to the Leward Islands … 60 0 0.
1707. E. Chamberlayne, Pres. St. Eng., I. vii. (ed. 22), 63. Upon the Three Articles of Exportation, Transportation or Re-exportation, and Importation, no Kingdom or State in the World can any ways match us.
1827. Steuart, Planter’s G. (1828), 264. It must make the Tree … more troublesome to be balanced during the transportation.
1855. Prescott, Hist. Philip II., I. 118. The transportation of the troops was going … on.
1890. Wisconsin Hist. Soc. Prospectus. Upon any gift to the Society, transportation will be cheerfully paid.
b. Geol. The movement of land-waste by rivers, ocean-currents, glaciers, wind, etc.
1830. Lyell, Princ. Geol., I. 81. A geologist, who … sees the decomposition of rocks, and the transportation of matter by rivers to the sea.
1877. Le Conte, Elem. Geol., III. v. (1879), 516. The general direction of the scorings corresponds with that of transportation of the bowlders.
2. spec. a. Sc. Ch. The translation of a minister from one charge to another.
1562. in Row, Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.), 24. Transportation declared lawfull where there is reason for it.
1663. Blair, Autobiog., ii. (1848), 46. That assembly sets a note upon the act of my transportation.
1717. T. Boston, in A. Thomson, Life (1895), 129. In a time wherein there is so little need of transportations.
b. Sc. Eccl. Law. Transportation of a church, removal of the site of the church to a different part of the parish.
1838. W. Bell, Dict. Law Scot., s.v. Transportation of Churches, The form of applying for transportation is by a summons raised before the Teind Court, concluding for authority to transport, and to have the new church declared the regular parish church.
c. Removal or banishment, as of a criminal to a penal settlement; deportation.
1669. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 95. If … the said Rice Havard [a condemned felon] doe give in security for his transportacion as before mentioned.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. II. 197. Neither Chains, nor Transportation, Proscription, Sale, nor Confiscation.
1727. Gay, Begg. Op., I. xiii. Were you sentenc’d to Transportation?.
1879. McCarthy, Own Times, II. xviii. 33. The sentence of death was changed into one of transportation for life.
3. transf. Means of transport or conveyance. U.S.
1861. Times, 29 July. We captured … all the enemy’s camp equipage and transportation.
1869. T. W. Higginson, Army Life (1870), 236. There was no transportation to take us. At last, a boat was notified.
1890. Century Mag., Feb., 564/1. A lot of miscellaneous transportation, composed of riding horses, ambulances, and other vehicles.
1894. Outing (U.S.), XXIV. 234/2. Transportation is furnished for the horses of mounted officers.
b. A ticket or pass for travelling by a public conveyance. U.S.
1909. in Cent. Dict. Suppl.
1911. in Webster.
† 4. Transport (of feeling), rapture, ecstasy. Obs.
1617. Collins, Def. Bp. Ely, II. vii. 286. Not onely in extasie and transportation … but in the daily forme of prayer.
1660. Stanley, Hist. Philos., IX. (1701), 373/1. A soul disturbed with anger or pleasure, or any other unbefitting transportation.
1690. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), II. 68. Which those poor people received with great transportations of joy.
5. attrib., mostly in sense 1, as transportation agent, company, money, rate, sentence, system, etc.
1573–4. Privy Council Acts (1894), VIII. 212. To aunswer the conduct, transportacion money and wages acording to her Majesties usuall entertainement.
1844. Emerson, Lect., Yng. American, Wks. (Bohn), II. 303. The private transportation-shop.
1883. G. B. Goode, Fish. Indust. U.S., 67 (Fish. Exhib. Publ.). The construction of refrigerating transportation cars.
1888. Bryce, Amer. Commw., II. App. 670. All railroad, canal, and other transportation companies are declared to be common carriers.
1891. Athenæum, 26 Dec., 862/3. There is not much in it about Siberia,… and the work is, in fact, one on the Russian transportation system.
1897. P. Warung, Tales Old Regime, 148. Her home record was bad, and most likely her transportation-sentence was life.
Hence Transportational a., of, belonging or pertaining to transportation; Transportationist, one who favors the transportation of criminals.
1888. J. T. Gulick, in Linn. Soc. Jrnl., Zool., XX. 230. Transportational segregation, caused by activities in the environment that distribute the organism in different districts.
1840. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1812), V. 26. On the whole, we seem to have flurried the transportationists.
