Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Sublime
Sub-lime′
,Adj.
[
Com
par.
Sublimer
; sup
erl.
Sublimest
.] [L.
sublimis
; sub
under + (perhaps) a word akin to limen
lintel, sill, thus meaning, up to the lintel: cf. F. sublime
. Cf. Eliminate
.] 1.
Lifted up; high in place; exalted aloft; uplifted; lofty.
Sublime
on these a tower of steel is reared. Dryden.
2.
Distinguished by lofty or noble traits; eminent; – said of persons.
“The sublime Julian leader.” De Quincey.
3.
Awakening or expressing the emotion of awe, adoration, veneration, heroic resolve, etc.; dignified; grand; solemn; stately; – said of an impressive object in nature, of an action, of a discourse, of a work of art, of a spectacle, etc.;
as,
. sublime
scenery; a sublime
deedEasy in words thy style, in sense
sublime
. Prior.
Know how
To suffer and be strong.
sublime
a thing it isTo suffer and be strong.
Longfellow.
4.
Elevated by joy; elate.
[Poetic]
Their hearts were jocund and
Drunk with idolatry, drunk with wine.
sublime
,Drunk with idolatry, drunk with wine.
Milton.
5.
Lofty of mien; haughty; proud.
[Poetic]
“Countenance sublime and insolent.” Spenser.
His fair, large front and eye
Absolute rule.
sublime
declaredAbsolute rule.
Milton.
Syn. – Exalted; lofty; noble; majestic. See
Grand
. Sub-lime′
,Noun.
That which is sublime; – with the definite article
; as: (a)
A grand or lofty style in speaking or writing; a style that expresses lofty conceptions.
The
sublime
rises from the nobleness of thoughts, the magnificence of words, or the harmonious and lively turn of the phrase. Addison.
(b)
That which is grand in nature or art, as distinguished from the merely beautiful.
Sub-lime′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Sublimed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Subliming
.] 1.
To raise on high.
[Archaic]
A soul
sublimed
by an idea above the region of vanity and conceit. E. P. Whipple.
2.
(Chem.)
To subject to the process of sublimation; to heat, volatilize, and condense in crystals or powder; to distill off, and condense in solid form; hence, also, to purify.
3.
To exalt; to heighten; to improve; to purify.
The sun . . .
Which not alone the southern wit
But ripens spirits in cold, northern climes.
Which not alone the southern wit
sublimes
,But ripens spirits in cold, northern climes.
Pope.
4.
To dignify; to ennoble.
An ordinary gift can not
sublime
a person to a supernatural employment. Jer. Taylor.
Sub-lime′
,Verb.
I.
(Chem.)
To pass off in vapor, with immediate condensation; specifically, to evaporate or volatilize from the solid state without apparent melting; – said of those substances, like arsenic, benzoic acid, etc., which do not exhibit a liquid form on heating, except under increased pressure.
Webster 1828 Edition
Sublime
SUBLI'ME
,Adj.
1.
High in place; exalted aloft. Sublime on these a tow'r of steel is rear'd.
2.
High in excellence; exalted by nature; elevated. Can it be that souls sublime
Return to visit our terrestrial clime?
3.
High in style or sentiment; lofty; grand.Easy in style thy work, in sense sublime.
4.
Elevated by joy; as sublime with expectation.5.
Lofty of mein; elevated in manner. His fair large front and eye sublime declar'd
Absolute rule.
SUBLI'ME
,Noun.
The sublime rises from the nobleness of thoughts, the magnificence of words, or the harmonious and lively turn of the phrase--
SUBLI'ME
,Verb.
T.
1.
To raise on high.2.
To exalt; to highten; to improve. The sun--
Which not alone the southern wit sublimes,
But ripens spirits in cold northern climes.
SUBLI'ME
,Verb.
I.
Particles of antimony which will not sublime alone.