appointment|əˈpɔɪntmənt|Also in 6 appunctuament; for other forms see appoint v.[a.OF.apointement: see appoint v. and -ment. In 15–16th c. often assimilated tomed.L. appunctā-, appunctuā-mentum.]†1.A pointing out, indication. Obs.rare.c1425WyntounCron. viii.Prol.12,I haf stablit myne entent Now to mak here apoyntment Qwhen þe succession lynealle Endit.
†2.The action of agreeing, or coming to an arrangement; an agreement, pact, contract. Obs.a1440PastonLett.25 I. 39Accordyng to poyntment that ye made.
1461Ibid.408 II. 35Without agrement or apoyntement taken.
1526Acts James V (1814) 310 (Jam.)Ratifijs and appreuis the contract and appunctuament made.
1631QuarlesSamson in Farr S.P. 128The long stay Betwixt th' appointment and the mariage-day.
1745De FoeEng.Tradesm. I. xix. 182The ordinary appointment of people to meet either at place or time.
†3.spec.The act of capitulating, or coming to terms with an opponent; terms of capitulation. Obs.1494Fabyan vi. clxxxi. 179Delyuered y⊇ cytie by appoyntement, that he with the people myght departe thens without bodely harme.
1521ArnoldChron.(1811)Introd.48The Kynge..lyed syege to the cyte of Torney, and wan it by poyntment.
1533BellendeneLivy iv. 326Sic appunctment as the victoure plesis to gif.
1603–5Sir J. MelvilMem.(1735) 240They would have taken any reasonable Appointment.
4.spec.An agreement or arrangement for a meeting; engagement, assignation. (Cf.quot.1745 in 2.) Also attrib., as appointment book.c1530J. HeywoodInterlude (1846)Introd.40,I and ij or thre Of my frendes made an appoyntement..That in a place we wolde sup together.
1583StanyhurstAeneis ii. (Arb.) 67With mee shee kept not apoinctment.
1598Shakes.Merry W. iii. i. 92For missing your meetings and appointments.
1745De FoeEng.Tradesm. I. xix. 181A promise or appointment for a further day.
1864DickensMut.Fr.I. viii. 65Would you take a seat..while I look over our Appointment Book?
1879ReadeDrink,I shall break an appointment.
1950T. S. EliotCocktail Party ii. 91The Nurse-Secretary enters, with Appointment Book.
†5.Resolution, purpose. Obs.1529MoreComf.agst.Trib.ii.Wks.1199/2The proude man himself hath no certain purpose or appointment.
1606Shakes.Ant.&Cl.iv. x. 8Where their appointment we may best discover, And looke on their endeuor.
6.The action of ordaining or directing what is to be done; direction, decree, ordinance, dictation.c1440Generydes 2100These princes hadde vj thowsand knyghteȝ In ther poyntement.
1574tr.Marlorat's Apocalips 15All things are done and disposed by his determination and appoyntment.
1583StanyhurstAeneis i. (Arb.) 27By Gods forwarned apoinctement.
1651Father Sarpi (1676) 96Making one of his Writers read to him, or write at his appointment.
1736ButlerAnal.i. i. 19According to a natural order or appointment.
1833H. MartineauTale of Tyne iv. 67The wind also failed,..a more merciful appointment than if it had blown a great storm.
7.Law. The act of declaring the destination of any specific property, in exercise of an authority conferred for that purpose.1601Act 43Eliz.iv. §1Such giftes, limitacions, assignements, and appoyntments.
1768BlackstoneComm.II. 119An appointment by tenant in tail of the lands entailed, to a charitable use.
1874G. FarwellPowers 2The ordinary power of appointment among children in a marriage settlement where personalty is vested in trustees.
1876DigbyRealProp.vii. §2. 326Powers of appointment, that is, conferring on a person a power of disposing of an interest in lands quite irrespective of the fact whether or not he has any interest in the land himself.
8.The action of nominating to, or placing in, an office; the office so given. Esp. inphr.by appointment, by or as by royal warrant.1658–9Ld.Lambert in Burton Diary III. 333By your appointment agree the Government. Then appoint officers.
1863CoxInst.Eng.Govt.ii. iii. 342The appointment of incompetent judges.
Ibid.These appointments are made by the ministers of the Crown.
1864DickensMut.Fr.I. v. 33He..settled it with himself..that he was errand-goer by appointment to the house at the corner.
1868Geo.Eliot F. Holt 36A poor baronet, hoping for an appointment.
1874DavidsonConcise Preced. 477Appointment of new trustees of a will.
1878LeckyEng.in 18th C. I. iii. 426His appointment to the lucrative office of Joint Vice-Treasurer of Ireland.
1962Guardian 2 Dec. 12/1A list of Royal Warrant holders..shows that only two firms are now permitted to style themselves ‘By Appointment to the late Queen Alexandra’.
9.Equipment, equipage, outfit, accoutrement, furniture, or any article thereof. Now usually pl.1575LanehamLett.(1871) 48Hiz honorz exquisit appointment of a beautifull garden.
1593Shakes.Rich.II, iii. iii. 53That from this Castles tatter'd Battlements Our faire Appointments may be well perus'd.
1658EvelynCorr.8 Nov.,To allow him[him son]an appointment so noble and considerable as does become his greatness.
1759–67SterneTr. Shandy (1802) III. xxii. 335,I have not one appointment belonging to me which I set so much store by, as I do by these jack-boots.
1864BoutellHeraldry xxiv. 402Royal blazonry upon the appointments as well of his horse as of his own person.
†10.An allowance paid to anyone, especially to a public officer. Obs.1715BurnetOwn Time an. 1674 (R.)He had the appointments of an ambassador.
1727–51ChambersCycl.s.v.,Appointments differ from wages, in that the latter are fixed and ordinary..whereas appointments are annual gratifications granted by brevet for a time uncertain, and are paid out of the privy purse.
1753HanwayTrav.(1762) II. i. ix. 51The appointment of the stadt-holdership..is one hundred thousand guilders.
1761SmollettGil Blas i. xvii. (1802) I. 109His parents will turn thee away..perhaps even without paying thee thy appointments.
