Vulgar, adj. common; 1) pertaining or suiting to the common people, plebeian: “he that buildeth on the v. heart,” H4B I, 3, 90 (on the heart of the people). “talk like the v. sort of market-men,” H6A III, 2, 4. “five tribunes to defend their v. wisdoms,” Cor. I, 1, 219. “puff to win a v. station,” II, 1, 231 (among the crowd). “is no less apparent to the v. eye,” IV, 7, 21.
2) low, mean: “too excellent for every v. paper to rehearse,” Sonn. 38, 4. “the prey of every v. thief,” 48, 8. “stale and cheap to v. company,” H4A III, 2, 41. “stand uncovered to the v. groom,” H6B IV, 1, 128. “be thou familiar, but by no means v.” Hml. I, 3, 61 (German: mache dich nicht gemein).
3) ordinary, common-place: “'tis a v. proof,” Tw. III, 1, 135. “as common as any the most v. thing to sense,” Hml. I, 2, 99.
4) of general circulation, public: “the impression which v. scandal stamped upon my brow,” Sonn. 112, 2. “a v. comment will be made of it,” Err. III, 1, 100. “most sure and v.: every one hears that,” Lr. IV, 6, 214. “unregistered in v. fame,” Ant. III, 13, 119.
5) general, common to all: “as naked as the v. air,” John II, 387.
Misapplied by Costard: “most incony v. wit,” LLL IV, 1, 144.
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.
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