dearness en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈdɪə(ɹ)nəs/
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree English dear Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English dearness From dear + -ness.
Meanings
-
(uncountable, usually) The quality of having great value or price.
But brothers pass not into noble friendships upon the stock of that relation: they have fair dispositions and advantages, and are more easy and ready to ferment into the greatest dearnesses, if all things else be answerable.
1657, Jeremy Taylor, Discourse of the Nature, Offices and Measures of Friendship:Customers in Padgett Street did not generally, one might infer, express approval on the score of dearness.
1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dearnesses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
Translations (6)
la cāritas (quality of having great value) · de Teuerheit (quality of having great value) · fr cherté (quality of having great value) · ar غَلَاة (quality of having great value) · gv ard-leagh (quality of having great value) · ru дорогови́зна (quality of having great value)