Busy, adj., 1) employed with earnestness, active; used of persons and things: Ven. 383. Lucr. 1790. Sonn. 143, 6. Tp. III, 1, 15 (corr. pass.). Ado I, 2, 3 “(he is very b. about it).” Ado I, 2, 3 III, 5, 6. As III, 4, 62. Shr. V, 1, 15. V, 2, 81. H4B V, 2, 76. H5 IV Prol. 13. H6B I, 4, 11. III, 1, 339. R3 I, 3, 145. V, 3, 18. H8 II, 2, 81. Troil. IV, 2, 8. Rom. IV, 3, 6. Caes. II, 1, 232. Oth. IV, 1, 241 (he's b. in the paper).
2) in a bad sense, == officious, prying, meddling: “on meddling monkey or on b. ape,” Mids. II, 1, 181. “the b. meddling fiend,” H6B III, 3, 21. “thou findest to be too b. is some danger,” Hml. III, 4, 33. “too b. in my fears,” Oth. III, 3, 253. “some b. and insinuating rogue,” IV, 2, 131.
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
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