[f. the vb. + -ING1. Cf. MSw. undirstandning, Icel. -staðning.]
1. (Without article.) Power or ability to understand; intellect, intelligence. Sometimes spec. = c.
a. 1050. Liber Scintill., lxxxi. (1889), 221. Se þe þa on andʓyte inran understandincge [L. intelligentiæ] onfehþ.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 320. Minning es to [v.r. þe] fader cald, Þe sune es vnderstanding tald.
c. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 605. Man when he is til worshepe broght Right understandyng has he noght.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XII. 300. Ac þese lewede laborers of lytel understondynge Selde fallen so foule and so deepe in synne As clerkes of holy churche.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 135. By witte and connynge of vndyrstondynge a man may well chese the goode and lewe the ewill.
c. 1460. Wisdom, 245–6, in Macro Plays, 43. The iijde parte of þe soule ys ‘wndyrstondynge’; For by wndyrstondyng I be-holde wat Gode ys In hym selff.
1531. Elyot, Gov., III. xxiv. To perceyue more playnly, what thinge it is that I call understandynge. It is the principall part of the soule.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, v. 55. The beginner of all ends is vnderstanding, and in the most of these there is no vnderstanding.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. i. II. x. 40. Vnderstanding is a power of the Soule, by which we perceiue, know, remember, and Iudge.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 1127. For Understanding rul’d not, and the Will Heard not her lore.
1716. Hearne, Coll. (O.H.S.), V. 338. This Nibb is a man of so little understanding that he was never known to laugh.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scot., III. Wks. 1813, I. 245. Darnley was not superior to his father in understanding.
1779. Mirror, No. 64. I found a perfect equality of understanding and of importance.
1821. Shelley, Epipsych., 162. Love is like understanding, that grows bright, Gazing on many truths.
1894. A. Birrell, Ess., xi. 131. He had not enough understanding to obfuscate it by drink.
b. Of understanding, intelligent, capable of judging with knowledge. Similarly of some, of no, understanding.
1428. Munim. de Melros (Bann. Club), 520. At þe quhilk day þe saide assis askyt mar help of men of vndirstandyng.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Kings iii. 12. Beholde, I haue geuen the an hert of wyszdome and vnderstondynge.
1537. Bible (Matthew), Wisd. xii. 24. They wente astraye … as chyldren of no vnderstandynge.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy., III. 21. And what danger that were,… each man of reason or vnderstanding may iudge.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., V. iii. 135. Men of some vnderstanding, And wisedome.
1772. Boston Gazette, 3 Aug., 2/2. Men of understanding … view the Governor’s Speech … as an impertinent sophistical Piece of Toryism.
c. With the: The faculty of comprehending and reasoning; the intellect.
1388. Wyclif, Mark xii. 33. That he be loued … of al the vndurstondynge, and of al the soule.
1620. T. Granger, Div. Logike, 108. The Vniuersall notions of the vnderstanding.
1663. Bp. Patrick, Parab. Pilgrim (1687), 180. lt cannot exercise the Understanding without provoking the passions.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., I. i. § 1. The Understanding, like the Eye,… takes no notice of it self.
1701. Norris, Ideal World, II. iii. (1704), 128. The business of the understanding can be no other than to understand.
1754. Edwards, Freed. Will, I. ii. 12. Then the Understanding must be taken in a large Sense, as including the whole Faculty of Perception or Apprehension.
a. 1859. De Quincey, Knocking at Gate in Macb., Wks. 1860, XIV. 192. The mere understanding … is the meanest faculty in the human mind, and the most to be distrusted.
1872. Morley, Voltaire, 5. Manifold ways, of all of which the emotions can give good account to the understanding.
† d. Mind, purpose, intent. Obs. rare.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Pet. iii. 8. Alle of oon vndirstondinge, or wille [L. unanimes].
1531. Elyot, Gov., III. iv. (1883), II. 120. In euery couenaunt, bargayne, or promise aught to be … one playne understandinge or meaning betwene the parties.
2. The intellectual faculty as manifested in a particular person or set of persons.
1382. Wyclif, Phil. iv. 7. The pees of God … kepe ȝoure hertis and vndirstondingis in Crist Jhesu.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, I. Prol. (Skeat), l. 31. Right so … the understanding of Englishmen wol not strecche to the privy termes in Frenche.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xvii. 186. So moche hathe the Erthe in roundnesse … aftre myn opynyoun and myn undirstondynge.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 228. Here ys no mencyon of our lady by semyng to mony mennys vndyrstondyng.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Macc. ii. 30. He that begynneth to wryte a story for the first, must with his vnderstondinge gather the matter together.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 190. Haue these stately aduauncements of flourishing fortune, so blinded thine understanding?
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 59. Auicen … reproueth … that saying of our Sauiour … as being weake and ill fitted to vulgar vnderstandings.
1666. Bp. Parker, Free & Impart. Censure (1667), 77. A huge lushious stile … rather loaths and nauceats a discreet understanding, than informs and nourishes it.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, Brobdingnag, vii. It gave him … very mean opinion of our understandings.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., I. Wks. 1813, V. 167. Her understanding, always weak, was often disordered.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xv. The idea of parting from Miss Lucy … had never once occurred to the simplicity of his understanding.
1874. Carpenter, Ment. Phys., I. ii. § 88. 98. Those who have obtained most influence over the understandings of others.
† 3. Signification, meaning, sense. Obs.
13[?]. Cursor M., 14753 (Gött.). Vr lauerd Iesus þaim gaue ansuer, Bot þai ne wist quat vnderstanding it bar.
1340. Ayenb., 222. Huo þet ine þo onderstondinge yelt oþer acseþ zuiche dette, he ne zeneȝeþ naȝt.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 236. [Fiends] mak ay thair ansuering In-till dowbill vndirstanding, Till dissaf thame that will thane trow.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 51. When ȝe haue fully þe vnderstondynges of þe sentences,… þanne shal ȝe pursewe fully … ȝoure purpos desiryd.
1424. Paston Lett., I. 13. Billes … makyng mension and bering this undyrstondyng that the seyd William … schuld be slayn.
c. 1500. Melusine, 364. There were ryche pictures where as were fygured many a noble hystory, and the wrytyng vndernethe that shewed the vnderstandyng of it.
1538. Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), II. 152. As they be taught euery sentence of the same by rote ye shall expounde … the understandyng of the same vnto them.
1589. Puttenham, Engl. Poesie (Arb.), 189. Single words haue their sence and vnderstanding altered and figured many wayes.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 259. He and his fellowes were sent by … the Iewes, to learne the vnderstanding of some obscurer places of their law.
1635. Gram. Warre, C 10 b. Pasco receiued two vnderstandings, ‘to feed’ and ‘to bring vp.’
1728. Chambers, Cycl., Intendment of Law, the Understanding, Intention, and true Meaning of the Law.
† b. Reference or application (to something).
1433. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 451/2. Þat þis said worde Cloth … have relation and understondyng to hole Clothes.
4. † a. Intelligence, information. Obs.
1473. Warkw., Chron., 7. [He] had understondynge that Kynge Edwarde was in a vilage.
a. 1562. G. Cavendish, Wolsey (1893), 242. His servaunts … havyng understandyng of my lord’s departyng awaye,… began to grudge.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., I. xvii. 19 b. The day before he had vnderstanding, that the Frigate … was of Malta.
b. Comprehension of something. rare.
1548. Elyot, s.v. Intellectus, To atteyn to the knowlage or vnderstandyng of a thyng.
5. A good (or † right) understanding, amicable or friendly relations (between persons).
1649. Cromwell, Lett., 8 March (Carlyle). I trust there will be a right understanding between us, and a good conclusion.
1703. Steele, Tender Husb., V. i. I love to promote among my Clients a good Understanding.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 213. We came … to a better understanding about the frigate.
1762. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. I. 323. To cultivate a good understanding between the two countries.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Loom & Lugger, I. iii. 37. The little hope there was of establishing a good understanding between the Coast Guard and the people.
1868. E. Edwards, Ralegh, I. xii. 230. Ralegh strove to bring about a good understanding between Essex and Cecil.
transf. 1765. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, VII. xix. ’Tis an undercraft of authors to keep up a good understanding amongst words, as politicians do amongst men.
b. A mutual arrangement or agreement of an informal but more or less explicit nature.
1812. Lady Granville, Lett. (1894), I. 43. They have, I hear, what is called, come to an understanding.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xxiii. 164. With this understanding we parted for the night.
1876. Black, Madcap Violet, xv. I think it is better we should have a distinct understanding about that.
c. spec. (See quot.)
1826. Oxberry’s Dram. Biog., V. 97. 20 guineas per week and an understanding at Covent-garden. [Note] By this is meant, certain emoluments … that shall increase the real amount of her salary.
6. slang or colloq. a. pl. Foot-wear; boots or shoes.
1822. Mrs. Nathan, Langreath, I. 29. They have been seen in the act of adapting their nethermost understandings to the costume of the more wealthy.
1838. Jas. Grant, Sk. Lond., 87. His toes began to peep out between the soles and uppers of his ‘understandings’—as he sometimes facetiously called his boots.
1874. Slang Dict., 333. Men who wear exceptionally large or thick boots, are said to possess good understandings.
b. pl. Legs or feet.
1828. Lancet, 22 March, 920/1. His plump, well-formed, little ‘understandings’ twinkling in the lustre of black silk hose.
1844. ‘J. Slick,’ High Life N. York, II. 58. She had on a short petticoat that showed a … considerable chunk of understandings.
1856. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Rur. Sports, 381/2. Discount was … the perfection of a strong, well-bred horse,… if only his understandings had been sound.
