Perfection, 1) the state of being perfect, supreme degree of development and excellence: “whose full p. all the world amazes,” Ven. 634. Ven. 634 “no p. is so absolute,” Lucr. 853. “every thing holds in p. but a little moment,” Sonn. 15, 2. Gent. II, 4, 66. Gent. II, 4, 66 II, 7, 13. III, 1, 177. IV, 1, 57. Merch. V, 108. All's V, 3, 18. Tw. II, 4, 42. John II, 440. R3 IV, 4, 66. Rom. II, 2, 46. Abstr. for the concr.: “right p. wrongfully disgraced,” Sonn. 66, 7. “divine p. of a woman,” R3 I, 2, 75. “p. so could err,” Oth. I, 3, 100. “she is indeed p.” II, 3, 28.
2) an excellent quality or endowment: “to put a strange face on his own p.” Ado II, 3, 49. “would turn their own p. to abuse,” H4B II, 3, 27. which (bearing well) “is the prescript praise and p. of a good and particular mistress,” H5 III, 7, 50. “she did make defect p.” Ant. II, 2, 236. Plur. “--s:” Gent. II, 4, 211. LLL II, 6. Tw. I, 1, 39. I, 5, 315. H6A V, 5, 12. H6C III, 2, 86. Hml. IV, 7, 29. Per. I, 1, 11. Per. I, 1, 11
3) excellent manner, exemplariness: “I would with such p. govern,” Tp. II, 1, 167.
4) execution, performance: “my honey lost, and I, a drone-like bee, have no p. of my summer left,” Lucr. 837. “it will grow to a most prosperous p.” Meas. III, 1, 272. “vowing more than the p. of ten and discharging less than the tenth part of one,” Troil. III, 2, 94. “no p. in reversion shall have a praise in present,” Troil. III, 2, 94 “you knot of mouth-friends! smoke and lukewarm water is your p.” Tim. III, 6, 100 (cf. Troil. V, 1, 98. Tim. IV, 3, 72. V, 1, 24).
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
This text was converted to electronic form by professional data entry and has been proofread to a high level of accuracy.
hide
Dictionary Entry Lookup
Use this tool to search for dictionary entries in all lexica.
