habitude

Noun

habitude (countable and uncountable, plural habitudes)

1. (archaic) The essential character of one's being or existence; native or normal constitution; mental or moral constitution; bodily condition; native temperament.
   • His real habitude gave life and grace / To appertainings and to ornament.1609, William Shakespeare, “A Louers Complaint”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC
2. (archaic) Habitual disposition; normal or characteristic mode of behaviour, whether from habit or from nature
   • [I]ts thought, that, in the Seed are alvvaies potentially ſeuerall indiuiduating Qualities deriu'd from diuers of the neere Anceſtors, vvhich by the formatiue povver of the Parents may be expreſt in the Children, vvith reſpectiue habitude to either Sex; […]1614, John Selden, “The Preface”, in Titles of Honor, London: […] William Stansby for Iohn Helme, […], →OCLC, signature [b4], recto
   • An habitude of commanding his passions in order to his health.1683, John Dryden, Life of Plutarch (21)
3. (obsolete) Behaviour or manner of existence in relation to something else; relation; respect.
   • And although Proportion ſtrictly ſignifies the Habitude or Relation of one Quantity to another, yet, in a looſer and tranſlated Senſe, it hath been applied to ſignify every other Habitude; and conſequently the Term Analogy comes to ſignify all Similitude or Relations, or Habitudes vvhatſoever.1732, George Berkeley, “The Fourth Dialogue”, in Alciphron: Or, The Minute Philosopher. […], volume I, London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], →OCLC, section XXI, page 256
4. (obsolete) In full habitude: fully, wholly, entirely; in all respects.
   • Although I believe not the report in full habitude.a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC, page 165
5. (obsolete) habitual association; familiar relation; acquaintance; familiarity; intimacy; association; intercourse.
   • The discourse of some with whom I have had some habitudes since my coming home.1640–1706, John Evelyn, “(please specify the date of the diary entry)”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume (please...
6. (obsolete) an associate; an acquaintance; someone with whom one is familiar.
   • La Corneus and Sallyes were the only habitudes we had.1676, George Etherege, The Man of Mode (4.1)
7. Habit; custom; usage.
   • Which […] by long habitude, are thought rather vertue than vice among them.1599, James I of England, Basilikon Doron (28)
8. (in plural, obsolete) The various ways in which one substance reacts with another; chemical reaction.
   • Most authors who have had occasion to describe naphthaline, have noticed its habitudes with sulphuric acid.1818, Michael Faraday, Experimental Researches in Chemistry and Physics (32)