venemous

English

Adjective

venemous (comparative more venemous, superlative most venemous)

1. Obsolete spelling of venomous.
   • c. 1515–1516 (date written; published 1568), John Skelton, “Against Venemous Tongues Enpoysoned with Sclaunder and False Detractions, &c.”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 134:

     More venemous and much more virulent / Then any poyſoned tode, or any ſerpent.

   • 1580, Iohn Lyly [i.e., John Lyly], Euphues and His England. […], London: […] [Thomas East] for Gabriell Cawood, […], →OCLC, folio 99, verso:

     […] I vvill at large proue, that ther is nothinge in loue more venemous then méeting, vvhich filleth the minde with griefe, and the body vvith diſeaſes: […]

   • c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], signature K2, recto:

     Some diuell vvhiſper curſes in my eare, / And prompt me that my tongue may vtter forth, / The venemous mallice of my ſvvelling hart.

   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 9, page 425:

     For that beaſtes teeth, vvhich vvounded you tofore, / Are ſo exceeding venemous and keene, / Made all of ruſty yron, ranckling ſore, / That vvhen they bite, it booteth not to vveene / VVith ſalue, or antidote, or other mene / It euer to amend: […]

   • 1597, Richard Hooker, “The Misinterpretations, which Heresie hath Made of the Maner how God and Man are United in One Christ”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], 2nd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, book V, page 292:

     [T]hat Confeſſion […] remayneth at this preſent hovver a part of our Churchliturgie, a memoriall of their fidelitie and zeale, a ſoueraigne preſeruatiue of Gods people from the venemous infection of hereſie.

     A figurative use.

   • 1610, William Camden, “Yorke-shire”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, page 707:

     […] King VVilliam the firſt built a faire Abbay in memorie of Saint German, vvho happily confuted that venemous Pelagian hæreſie, vvhich often times (as the ſerpent Hydra) grevv to an head againe in Britaine.

   • 1642, Tho[mas] Browne, “The Second Part”, in Religio Medici. […], 4th edition, London: […] E. Cotes for Andrew Crook […], published 1656, →OCLC, section 10, page 159:

     [T]here are in the moſt depraved and venemous diſpoſitions, certain pieces that remaine untoucht, vvhich by an Antiperiſtaſis become more excellent, or by the excellency of their antipathies are able to preſerve themſelves from the contagion of their enemies vices, and perſiſt intire beyond the generall corruption.

   • 1653, Iz[aak] Wa[lton], chapter VII, in The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing, […], London: […] T. Maxey for Rich[ard] Marriot, […], →OCLC; reprinted as The Compleat Angler (Homo Ludens; 6), Nieuwkoop, South Holland, Netherlands: Miland Publishers, 1969, →ISBN, page 146:

     [T]he biting of a Pike is venemous and hard to be cured.

   • 1658, Thomas Browne, “To My Worthy and Honored Friend Nicholas Bacon of Gillingham [i.e., Sir Nicholas Bacon, 1st Baronet, of Gillingham] Esquire”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: […] Hen[ry] Brome […], →OCLC:

     The Antients venially delighted in flouriſhing Gardens; […] Some commendably affected Plantations of venemous Vegetables, ſome confined their delights unto ſingle plants, and Cato ſeemed to dote upon Cabbadge; […]

   • 1713, W[illiam] Derham, “[A Survey of the Terraqueous Globe.] The Great Variety and Quantity of All Things upon, and in the Terraqueous Globe, Provided for the Uses of the World.”, in Physico-Theology: Or, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from His Works of Creation. […], London: […] W[illiam] Innys, […], →OCLC, book II (Of the Terraqueous Globe It Self, in General), footnote 4, pages 56–57:

     [M]any, if not moſt of our European venemous Animals carry their Cure, as vvell as Poiſon in their ovvn Bodies. The Oil, and I doubt not, the Body of Scorpions too, is a certain Remedy againſt its Stroke.

Middle English

Adjective

venemous

1. Alternative form of venymous