| 释义 |
▪ I. suppose, n.|səˈpəʊz|
[f. suppose v.]
1. An act of supposing; a supposition, hypothesis, conjecture. Often (now always) referring to a supposition expressed or expressible by means of the verb ‘suppose’.
1566Gascoigne Supposes Prol., I suppose you shoulde have hearde almoste the laste of our Supposes, before you could have supposed anye of them arighte. 1586A. Day Engl. Secretorie i. (1625) 65 How ill-beseeming it is..that it should so fall out, you may by supposes coniecture. 1591Troub. Raigne K. John (1611) 67 If it be true, die for thy tidings price; If false, for fearing me with vaine suppose. 1633B. Jonson Tale Tub iii. vii, Fatted with Supposes of fine Hopes. 1672Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.) Rehearsal v. (Arb.) 127 Suppos'd! Ay, you are ever at your suppose. 1753Richardson Grandison (1810) II. v. 79, I began with my roundabouts, and my suppose's. 1791–3in Spirit Publ. Jrnls. (1799) I. 290 Various other supposes have been offered. 1835Marryat Pacha of Many Tales III. 103 (Water-carrier) Those confounded Moussul merchants! Their supposes always come to pass. 1875Hannah W. Smith Chr. Secret Happy Life viii, Nothing else will take all the risks and ‘supposes’ out of a Christian's life. 1897Flor. Marryat Blood of Vampire xii, Harriet's mind was full of ‘Supposes’.
†b. In generalized sense: Supposition. Obs.
1594Nashe Unfort. Trav. 16 Whether you will part with so much probable friendly suppose or no, Ile haue it in spite of your hearts. 1612Selden Illustr. Drayton's Poly-olb. iv. 67 There was, by suppose, a correction of what was faulty in forme or matter. 1719D'Urfey Pills II. 330 He..Must know a Dun, with genuine suppose, As Spannels do their Masters, by the Nose.
†2. A belief, notion, opinion. Obs.
1587Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1327/2 Alwaies addicted to a maruellous suppose in himselfe of ripe iudgement. 1630Widdowes Schysmatical Puritan Pref., He is pure, not really, but in his owne suppose.
†3. (An) expectation. Obs.
1602Munday tr. Palm. Eng. ii. ix, [She] will returne as greatly displeased, as she arrived here with suppose of pleasure. 1606Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. iii. 11 We come short of our suppose so farre, That after seuen yeares siege, yet Troy walles stand.
†4. Purpose, intention. Obs.
1597Middleton Wisd. Solomon xi. 13 Breathlesse in wasting of so vaine a breath, Dumb in performance of their tongues suppose. c1616Chapman Homer's Hymn Appollo 394 Here I entertaine suppose To build a farr-fam'd Temple.
▪ II. suppose, v.|səˈpəʊz|
Also 4 sopos, 4–5 sopose, (chiefly Sc.) suppos, -oss, 5 Sc. suppoiss, 5–6 supose, Sc. suppois, 6 supoose, Sc. suppoise, supos.
[a. OF. sup(p)oser, (mod.F. supposer), f. sup- = sub- 2 + poser pose v.1, to represent L. supposit-, suppōnĕre suppone v.]
†1.
a. trans. To hold as a belief or opinion; to believe as a fact; to think, be of opinion. Usually const. clause; also with obj. and compl., acc. and inf., rarely with simple obj. Obs.
1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 3776 We shuld trow, and suppose ay Þat alle er save..Þat we se here gude werkes wirk, And has þe sacramentes of halikyrk. 1357Lay Folks' Catech. (L.) 163 Aue Maria. Men gretyþ comunly oure lady..and we suppose þat þis gretynge sauys many a man. a1400–50Wars Alex. 577 Be many cause at I ken I kan noȝt supose It be consayued of my kynde ne come of my-selfe. c1400Destr. Troy 2317 We might say this for certen, & suppose it in hert. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) xiii. 57 Lamech slew Cayn with ane arowe, supposing he had bene a wylde beste. c1450Lovelich Merlin 1084 (Kölbing), This ne may non child be: It is the devel, ful sykirle;..We supposen, it be a devel of helle! 1470–85Malory Arthur vii. xviii. 241 It semeth..said kynge Arthur that ye knowe his name, and fro whens he is come..I suppose I doo so said Launcelot or els I wold not haue yeuen hym thordre of knyȝthode. 1483Caxton Cato b ij b, That euery man may suppose and saye good of the. c1500Melusine 3 Many thinges, which men suposen not to be true. 1509Fisher Funeral Serm. C'tess Richmond Wks. (1876) 297 Suppose not ye..she wolde..as feruently haue mynystred vnto hym as euer dyde Martha? 1526Tindale 2 Cor. xi. 5, I suppose that I was nott be hynde the chefe apostles. c1590Greene Fr. Bacon ii. 38 Joying that our academy yields A man suppos'd the wonder of the world. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, ii. iv. 29 Let him that is a true⁓borne Gentleman,..If he suppose that I haue pleaded truth, From off this Bryer pluck a white Rose with me. Ibid. v. iii. 110 Would you not suppose Your bondage happy, to be made a Queene? 1658Sir T. Browne Hydriot. iii. 48 While we suppose common wormes in graves, 'tis not easie to finde any there.
†b. with as, ellipt., and in parenthetical phr.
Cf. dial. I suppose = I understand, believe, or know: see Eng. Dial. Dict.
1390Gower Conf. III. 174 But for al that I schal noght glose Of trouthe als fer as I suppose. c1391Chaucer Astrol. Prol., Alle the conclusiouns that han ben fownde,..ben vn-knowe perfitly to any mortal man in this regioun, as I suppose. a1400–50Wars Alex. 842* Who am I þat am here, as þou supposez? 1465Paston Lett. II. 233 John Pampyng knowyth hym well jnow I suppose. 1469in Somerset Med. Wills (1901) 216 Two pair of hosis, price I suppose 8s. 1509Fisher Funeral Serm. C'tess Richmond Wks. (1876) 290 In euery of these I suppose this countesse was noble. 1556in Feuillerat Revels Q. Mary (1914) 215, I have made a Comodie..mete as it is supposed to be played before the Quene. 1779–81Johnson L.P., Mallet Wks. IV. 283 Glover rejected, I suppose, with disdain the legacy.
†c. Const. inf.: To believe that one does or is (so-and-so). Obs.
1474Caxton Chesse iii. iii. (1883) 105 They supposid well to haue knowen many other thynges. c1500Melusine 30 Thou hast slayn thy lord..how be it that at that ooure thou supposest not to haue doon it. 1601Dolman La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1618) III. 706 Some suppose to haue a very good foundation for judiciall astrologie. 1681Rycaut tr. Gracian's Critick 114 One had his eyes so dazled, that he supposed to see that which he never beheld.
†d. intr. with inverted const.: To seem. rare—1.
1390Gower Conf. II. 128 Bot al to lytel him supposeth, Thogh he mihte al the world pourchace.
†2. To form an idea of, conceive, imagine; to apprehend, guess. Also intr. with of. Obs.
c1386Chaucer Wife's Prol. 786 Who wolde leeue, or who wolde suppose The wo that in myn herte was? 1390Gower Conf. I. 116 The king supposeth of this wo, And feigneth as he noght ne wiste. Ibid. 199 Tho sche supposeth what it mente. Ibid. III. 78 This yonge lord..axeth if that he supposeth What deth he schal himselve deie. c1450Merlin ii. 25 When thei herde these words, supposed wele what he ment. 1566[see suppose n. 1]. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iv. i. 186 More furious raging broyles, Then yet can be imagin'd or suppos'd. c1600― Sonn. lvii. 10 Nor dare I question..Where you may be, or your affaires suppose. 1781E. Inchbald I'll tell you what v. i, If you cou'd suppose how obstinate Sir George was.
†3.
a. To have in mind or as an object of thought or speculation; to think of, conceive, imagine; contextually, to suspect. Obs.
c1375[see supposing vbl. n. 2]. 1382Wyclif 2 Macc. iii. 32 Lest..the kyng supposide eny malice of Jewis..done aȝeinus Helyodore. 1390Gower Conf. I. 71 Sche, which al honour supposeth. Ibid. III. 72 The queene tolde him al the cas As sche that guile non supposeth. a1400Pistill of Susan 216 Þe semblaunt of susan wolde non suppose. 1586A. Day Engl. Secretorie i. (1625) 78 You must suppose and harpe vpon the end that must succeed vnto your trauaile. 1593Shakes. Lucr. 133 When great treasure is the meede proposed, Though death be adiunct, ther's no death supposed. 1599― Hen. V, iii. Chor. 3, Suppose, that you haue seene The..King at Douer Peer, Embarke his Royaltie.
†b. To attribute (something) to a person. rare.
13..Coer de L. 1725 Thou art mys-tought, To have on me swylk a thought,..And swylke a treson to me sopos. 1614Selden Titles Hon. 155 The ancientest Scepter among the Graecians must forsooth be suppos'd to Iupiter.
†c. To suspect (a person). Obs.
a1700Evelyn Diary 12 Feb. 1684, Then were..tried and..fin'd Mr. Hampden and others for being suppos'd of the late Plot. 1763Johnson Let. 29 Sept. in Misc. Philobib. Soc. (1860–1) VI. 34 You suppose your housekeeper..of treachery.
†4. Const. inf., acc. and inf., or obj. clause referring to the future, rarely with simple obj.: To expect. Obs.
1303R. Brunne Handl. Synne 6970 Whan Seynt Ihon herde þat seye, Þat Troyle supposed for to deye. 1390Gower Conf. I. 49 If thou wolt my schrifte oppose Fro point to point, thanne I suppose, Ther schal nothing be left. c1400Leg. Rood (1871) 95 Þe tre es funden whilk we suppose Sall ger vs all oure pouwer lose. 1426Paston Lett. I. 26, I suppose to see yow on Palm Sunday. 1447O. Bokenham Seyntys (Roxb.) Introd. 5 We dede dryve A cruel tyraunth in to a fen..Wher I supposed to have myschevyd. 1456Paston Lett. I. 374 Yn the ende of thys terme y suppose to be at London. 1474Caxton Chesse iii. iii. (1883) 100 He was ryght seeke And..men supposid hym to dye. 1513Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 1260 Wofully he went to his bed..Supposynge some dethe withouten any remedy. 1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxlviii. 762 It were to suppose, that if the erles of Huntyngton and of Salysbury were alyue..the Frenchmen then wolde soone passe ouer the see. 1596Danett tr. Comines (1614) 61 The Lord of Hymbercourt marched straight to the City, supposing to enter without resistance. 1671Milton Samson 1443 Wherefore comes old Manoa in such hast..supposing here to find his Son? 1760Impostors Detected ii. v. l. 193, I never supposed..to have had this grant for nothing.
†5. Const. inf.: To purpose, intend. Obs.
c1450[see supposing vbl. n. 3]. 1474Caxton Chesse ii. i. (1883) 22 Whan he sawe Alixandre he supposid to haue axid his requeste. c1500Melusine 224 It is the kinge of Anssav [etc.] with theire puyssaunce that supposen to goo reyse the siege of praghe.
6. To assume (without reference to truth or falsehood) as a basis of argument, or for the purpose of tracing the consequences; to frame as a hypothesis; to put as an imaginary case; to posit. Chiefly with clause as obj.; also with simple obj., obj. and compl., acc. and inf.
c1315[see 7 a]. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xvii. 293, I pose [v.r. sopose] I hadde synned so, and shulde now deye. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 284 Here we schal suppose as Cristen mennes bileue, þat god is cheef lord. c142026 Pol. Poems 106, I suppose þe prest haue but on ost, Breke it, and parte to twenty and mo: As moche is þe leste cost As in þe grettest pece of þo. 1697tr. Burgersdicius' Logic ii. ix. 42 Suppose Aristotle, or the like instead of Man, and make an Expository Syllogism, with it. Ibid. xvii. 72 First, supposing the Species, you suppose also the Genus. 1726Swift Horace, Ode i. xiv. 7 Let me suppose thee for a ship a-while, And thus address thee in the sailor's style. 1728Law Serious C. x. (1729) 143 Now do but suppose a man acting unreasonably; do but suppose him extinguishing his reason. 1746Francis tr. Horace, Sat. ii. iii. 221 Let us suppose you heard An able doctor [etc.]. 1749Hartley Observ. Man i. i. §2. 60 Let us suppose the first Object to impress the Vibrations A, and then to be removed. 1815Scott Guy M. xvi, Which..might..do more harm than good in the case supposed. 1818Byron Juan i. lxxxv, I only say, suppose this supposition. 1823H. J. Brooke Introd. Crystallogr. 157 If we suppose the octahedron to be placed with its axis horizontally. 1835J. Young Lect. Intell. Philos. xxvii. 273 There is a great difference..between supposing an absurdity and conceiving it. 1875Jevons Money (1878) 254 As a second case, let us suppose that there is a town which is able to support two banks. 1889O. Fisher Phys. Earth's Crust xx. (ed. 2) 268 The closeness of the folds of a crumpled rock, formed as supposed, would depend upon [etc.]. 1906A. E. H. Love Math. Th. Elasticity i. (ed. 2) 33 We suppose that the axis of x is the direction in which contraction takes place.
7. Often in imper. or pres. pple. absol., introducing a hypothetical statement or case.
a. (a) with clause as obj.
c1315Shoreham vii. 445 Suppose here hijs [= is] o iustyse, God and truwe. 1593Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iv. i. 14 Suppose they take offence without a cause. 1667Milton P.L. ii. 237 Suppose he should relent..with what eyes could we Stand in his presence? 1709J. Ward Introd. Math. (1734) 435 Suppose the Length of a Brewer's..Back..be 217,5 Inches. 1721in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. VIII. 305 They shall cause to be said thrice thirty Masses for Mother Abbesse, supposing she dyes. 1728Law Serious C. ix. (1729) 128 Suppose I had pressed an universal temperance, does not religion enough justify such a doctrine? 1862Ruskin Unto this Last i. §24 Supposing the captain of a frigate saw it right..to place his own son in the position of a common sailor. 1871Browning Pr. Hohenst. 7 Suppose my Œdipus should lurk at last Under a pork-pie hat and crinoline. 1904W. E. Norris Nature's Comedian xi, My objections—supposing I have any—wouldn't give you a sleepless night, I imagine.
(b) colloq. introducing a suggestion or proposal.
1779Mirror No. 34 ⁋9, ‘Suppose one of the ladies should give us an English song,’ said I. ‘Tis a good motion,’ said Mr. Bearskin, ‘I second it’. 1806J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (ed. 3) ii. xiv, Suppose we pass to some of the less ignoble Miseries of the country. 1844D. Jerrold Story of Feather xxviii. (1873) 191 Suppose you go to sleep, that you may get up in time enough. 1908R. Bagot A. Cuthbert iii. 24 By the way, supposing you were to drop ‘uncle-ing’ me?
b. with acc. and inf.
a1513Fabyan Chron. i. ix. (1811) 13 It shulde seme yt Troynouant, or London, was buylded before..Yorke aboute an hondreth and xl. yeres; supposynge the Cytie of London to be begonne in the seconde yere of Brutes reygne. 1590Lucar Lucarsolace iii. xlii. 136 Supposing ABCD to be the assigned square, diuide any one side therof into two equal parts. 1678–9Stillingfl. Serm. 7 Mar. Wks. 1710 I. 257 Suppose a man to have riches and honours. 1734J. Ward Yng. Math. Guide 305 Suppose the △ BCD to be an Isosceles △. 1861Lund J. Wood's Elem. Alg. 237 Supposing O to be excluded as a value of either x or y.
c. with obj. and compl.
1698Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 391 Suppose Twenty Mules, Thirty Asses,..more or less committed to their Care. 1766Fordyce Serm. Yng. Women (1767) I. iii. 85 Suppose me speaking to you as a brother. 1821Scott Kenilw. vi, You would have me believe that my noble lord is jealous? Suppose it true, I know a cure for jealousy. 1855Browning In a Balcony 280 Suppose her some poor keeper of a school. 1857Ruskin Pol. Econ. Art i. §32 Supposing them sculptors, will not the same rule hold? 1867― Time & Tide ii. §7 Even supposing a gradual rise in social rank possible for all well-conducted persons.
d. In imper. parenthetically or ellipt.; often = ‘as (for example)’, ‘say’. Now rare or Obs.
1577tr. Bullinger's Decades i. (1592) 8 Moses..was borne..of those fathers whom God appointed to be witnesses of his will,..suppose Amram, Kahad, Iacob, Sem, Methusalem and Adam. 1631Chapman Cæsar & Pompey Plays 1873 III. 175 Cato. But is not euery iust man to him selfe The perfect'st law? Ath. Suppose. 1736Butler Anal. i. i. 12 That we are to exist hereafter in a State as different suppose from our present [etc.]. Ibid. ii. v. 196 A Person..breaks his Limbs, suppose. Ibid. ii. vi. 216 If there be a strong Bias within, suppose from indulged Passion. 1800Scott Let. in Lockhart x, To treat with the proprietors of some established paper—suppose the Caledonian Mercury. 1831Brewster Optics iv. 38 M N is a dense medium (suppose glass).
e. The imperative became equivalent to a hypothetical conjunction = If; usually, even if, albeit, though, although. Sc.
1375Barbour Bruce i. 2 Storyss to rede ar delitabill, Supposs that thai be nocht bot fabill. c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xviii. (Egipciane) 249 Suppos at I mane synful be, A-byde a lytil & spek with me. c1470Henry Wallace i. 374 It dide him gud, suppos he sufferyt payne. Ibid. x. 823 Supposs we murn, ye suld haiff no mer waill. c1500Lancelot 1070 His hawbrek helpit, suppos he had no scheld. 1533Gau Richt Vay 51 Thay cuir noth supos God haiff the hewine alen, sua that thay mycht lewe heir sa lang as thay vald. c1560A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) ix. 2 Considdir, hairt, my trew intent, Suppois I am not eloquent. Ibid. xi. 27 To Venus als suppois ȝe wyle thame—Ressoun; Bot be ȝe frawdfull and begyle thame—Tressoun. 1585Jas. I Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 60 Thir indifferent wordis, composit of dyuers syllabes, are rare, suppose in monosyllabes, commoun. 1618A. Simson Serm. John v. 35 in Wodrow Soc. Sel. Biog. (1845) I. 124 He giveth the name of the light to John, suppose the light John had, he had it from Christ. 1775Shirrefs Christmas Feast xiv. Poems (1790) 213 For John o' pipe-skill wasna scant, Suppose I say 't. 1867[Mrs. E. Allardyce] Goodwife at Home xiii, I wyte her squeelin's nae been hain't, Suppose I say't mysel.
8. trans. To entertain as an idea or notion sufficiently probable to be practically assumed as true, or to be at least admitted as possibly true, on account of consistency with the known facts of the case; to infer hypothetically; to incline to think: sometimes implying mistaken belief.
Idiomatically: do you suppose..? is used to express an indignant rejection of a suggestion or proposal; you may suppose = you may be pretty sure.
a. with clause as obj.
[1526Tindale Luke vii. 22 Which of them tell me, will love hym moost? Simon answered, and sayde: I suppose that he to whom he forgave moost.] 1601R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 2 Neither let any man suppose that from wilines without force, nor force without iudgment, can proceed any proiect of worthy consideration. 1615G. Sandys Trav. 8 It being supposed that Cicero was there buried. 1710Swift Jrnl. to Stella 29 Sept., I drink no aile (I suppose you mean ale). 1766Ld. Holland in Jesse Selwyn & Contemp. (1843) II. 19, I suppose Lord March has a horse runs there, as I see he had at Ipswich. 1821Scott Kenilw. x, He..darted away from him with the swiftness of the wind, when his pursuer supposed he had nearly run him down. 1852Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. xxii, Where do you suppose New Jerusalem is, Uncle Tom? 1862Mrs. H. Wood Mrs. Hallib. ii. xxiii, ‘Have any of you seen my microscope?’..Jane looked round. ‘My dear, I lent it to Patience to-day. I suppose she forgot to return it.’ 1865Lubbock Preh. Times 45 It has been supposed that tin was at one time abundant in Spain. 1883Stevenson Treasure Isl. iii. xiii, ‘Jim, Jim!’ I heard him shouting. But you may suppose I paid no heed. 1908R. Bagot A. Cuthbert v. 43, I was not thinking of myself, but of you. Do you suppose that I want you to remain unmarried in order to secure my own position?
b. with as, so, or ellipt. in comparative clause. Also I suppose, ellipt. for I suppose so, as a hesitant or reluctant affirmative.
1615W. Lawson Country Housew. Garden (1626) 7 The sap is the life of the tree,..neither doth the tree in winter (as is supposed) want his sap, no more then mans body his bloud. 1779Mirror No. 8 ⁋4 That Mirror..is of higher value than you suppose. 1885‘Mrs. Alexander’ At Bay ix, ‘His sorrow must have been great.’ ‘I suppose so.’ 1888‘J. S. Winter’ Bootle's Childr. vi, ‘Is she pretty?’.. ‘Yes; I suppose so,’..‘some people think so, but we never did.’ 1902V. Jacob Sheep-Stealers xiv, The roads were no better than the old Squire had supposed. 1959‘E. McBain’ 'Til Death (1961) v. 67 ‘I think that's wise, don't you?’ ‘I suppose.’ 1973S. Cohen Diane Game (1974) xii. 103 ‘Look how much good information is published by..guys at universities.’ ‘Yes, I suppose.’ 1976‘Trevanian’ Main (1977) x. 206 ‘Is she a viable?’.. ‘I suppose. She had reason and opportunity.’
c. with obj. and compl. (n., adj. or adj. phr., † advb. phr.).
1634Milton Comus 576 Supposing him som neighbour villager. 1651Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvi. 142 He that supposeth himself injured. 1671R. Bohun Wind 302 These Miraculous Emotions of the Atmosphere can hardly be supposed from the agitation of common vapours of Air. 1692Locke Toleration iii. ix. Wks. 1727 II. 408 The Mass in France is as much suppos'd the Truth, as the Liturgy here. 1779Mirror No. 8 ⁋3, I supposed his present of little intrinsic value. c1780Cowper Jackdaw i, There is a bird who, by his coat,..Might be suppos'd a crow. 1821Scott Kenilw. xxi, Those foibles which are chiefly supposed proper to the female sex. 1837Wilkinson Mann. & Cust. Anc. Egypt. ii. (1841) I. 65 M. Champollion supposes them the Scythians.
d. with acc. and inf. (The passive of this, which is very frequent, expresses the fact of the subject being credited with some action or quality: now esp. = to be expected, intended, or meant; to have as a duty, to be obliged.)
The pronunc. of the pa. tense is often colloquially modified from |səˈpəʊzd| to |səˈpəʊst|. The negative is, idiomatically, freq. used to mean ‘to have a duty or obligation not (to do something)’.
[1611Bible John xx. 15 Supposing him to be the gardiner.] 1614Purchas Pilgrimage iv. vi. (ed. 2) 368 Zoroaster..a Chaldæan, supposed to liue in the time of Abraham. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. ii. 170 He did not do as the rest did, who are all supposed to understand their Trade. 1769De Foe's Tour Gt. Brit. (ed. 7) III. 351 Alderney, supposed by Camden to be the Arica of Antoninus. 1831Scott Ct. Rob. xviii, He was supposed vigorously to espouse the quarrel of the Varangians. 1856Froude Hist. Eng. I. iv. 278 They supposed themselves to have gained a victory. 1859Dickens T. Two Cities iii. x. 223 We saw the man, who was supposed to be at the gate, standing silent behind him. 1863Proc. Linnean Soc. VII. p. xxvii, Still less does it seem consistent with that impartiality which every reviewer is supposed to possess. 1864Bryce Holy Rom. Emp. xvi. (1875) 287 Relics supposed to be those of Bartholomew the Apostle. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) IV. 130 He may be supposed to have thought more than he said. 1886Guillemard Cruise Marchesa II. 105, I am not aware that this genus [of spider] is avivorous, but the huge Mygale is supposed to be. 1894J. Pope Mem. Rt. Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald I. ii. 24 It appears that Mr. Baldwin considered this notice as sufficient to relieve him of the ordinary obligations which are supposed to govern the actions of Cabinet Ministers. 1902‘R. Connor’ Glengarry Days ii. 43 Girls are not supposed to be soldiers, are they, Margaret? 1914G. B. Shaw Misalliance 86 Look here, Mr Percival: youre not supposed to insult my sister. 1931Morning Post 31 Jan. 6 Officers..were not ‘supposed’ to keep a scrap log. 1949E. Caldwell This Very Earth xi. 112 What's a girl supposed to do on Tuesday nights..? Bring her diary up to date? 1953N.Y. Herald-Tribune 29 Apr. 4 They were supposed to address the lecturer as comrade. 1963E. Albee Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1964) 84 When Daddy retired, he'd take over the college... That's the way it was supposed to be. 1969A. Christie Hallowe'en Party xiii. 141, I brought her in lots of things that she was not supposed to eat. 1976M. Machlin Pipeline xi. 134 That's more than the whole job was supposed to cost in the first place. 1976P. & W. Proctor Women in Pulpit vi. 106 If that outburst was supposed to shock me because I'm a woman—forget it, brother!
†e. with simple obj. Obs. rare.
1596Drayton Legends i. 153 Telling for truth, what thou canst but suppose.
f. in parenthetical phr. I suppose, it is supposed.
1678Dryden Kind Keeper ii. i, You mean, I suppose, the peaking creature, the married woman, with a sideling look. 1707Farquhar Beaux Strat. i. i, Bon[iface]. This way, this way, Gentlemen... Aim[well]. You're my Land⁓lord, I suppose? 1828Scott F.M. Perth xxvi, Tell us how this tale ended—with Conachar's escape to the Highlands, I suppose? 1859Tennyson Enid 475 If, as I suppose, your nephew fights In next day's tourney. 1885‘Mrs. Alexander’ At Bay xi, He fell and it is supposed was instantaneously killed.
g. absol.
1865Dickens Mut. Fr. i. iii, ‘Do you suppose there has been much violence..among these cases?’ ‘I don't suppose at all about it..I ain't one of the supposing sort.’
h. trans. To bring by supposing.
1647Ward Simple Cobler 35, I am not without some contrivalls in my patching braines; but I had rather suppose them to powder, than expose them to preregular..judgements. 1747Richardson Clarissa (1811) I. viii. 48 They ask not for my approbation, intending, as it should seem, to suppose me into their will.
9. a. To lay down or assume as true, take for granted.
c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 437 Sequestre we al mannes lawe, supposynge Crists ordynaunce.
1688in 5th Coll. Papers rel. Pres. Juncture Affairs 18 It supposes Mens Lands to be already butted and bounded, when it forbids removing the Ancient Land-marks. 1799Med. Jrnl. I. 198 ‘The Italians will always object,’ says he, ‘that you suppose what requires to be demonstrated.’ 1818Cruise Digest (ed. 2) VI. 273 The law supposes that a man may vary his intent, even while he is writing his will. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 132 Plato seems to suppose that life should be passed wholly in the enjoyment of divine things.
b. To presume the existence or presence of.
1696Whiston Th. Earth iv. (1722) 371 A Rain-Bow were seldom or never to be suppos'd before the Deluge. 1860Ruskin Mod. Paint. V. ix. vi. §23 An adoration of shepherds with nothing to adore,..the Christ being ‘supposed’ at the side. 1869Gladstone Juv. Mundi iii. 89 We have no reason to suppose, among the races actually named, any radical difference of language.
10. Of actions, conditions, facts: To involve as a ground or basis; to require as a condition; to imply, presuppose.
1660Jer. Taylor Worthy Commun. Introd., Some take it [sc. the Holy Communion] to strengthen their faith, others to beget it, and yet many affirm that it does neither, but supposes faith beforehand as a disposition. 1662Stillingfl. Orig. Sacræ ii. i. §1 Mans obligation to obedience unto God, doth necessarily suppose his originall to be from him. 1681Dryden Abs. & Achit. 385 Lavish Grants suppose a Monarch tame. 1699Bentley Phal. 447 These plainly refer to and suppose one another, as a half Crown English supposes a Crown. 1728Law Serious C. ix. (1729) 122 Covetousness..supposes a foolish and unreasonable state of mind. 1759Johnson Rasselas xxvii, Patience must suppose pain. 1855Bain Senses & Int. iii. iii. §18 Heat supposes cold.
†11. To state, allege: esp. formally in an indictment. Obs.
1411Rolls of Parlt. III. 650/1 Certein Commune of Pasture..whiche the said Lord..claymes..as it is supposed by the same Bille. 1485Ibid. VI. 295/1 The..Duke affirmed a Bill of Trespass..supposeing by the same Bill, that the said Thomas Thorpe should have taken [= had taken]..divers Goodes. 1544tr. Littleton's Tenures 102 He may haue a wrytte..supposynge by his wryt yt his aduersary hath entred into the landes or tenementes. 1651tr. Kitchin's Courts Leet (1653) 477 The Demandant shall not answer to the Barr, nor to the Voucher, but ought to maintain his Writ, that they are Tenants, as the Writ supposes.
†12. To feign, pretend; occas. to forge. Obs.
1566Painter Pal. Pleas. i. v. 13 The maide..was the doughter of his owne bondwoman, who afterwardes being stolen awaye, was caried to the house of Virginius, and supposed to be his childe. 1622–3N. Riding Rec. (1885) III. ii. 161 Ninian Etherington, supposing himself to be a Sheriffes Baliffe, did distreigne and carrie awaie a cow. 1655tr. Sorel's Com. Hist. Francion iii. 62 A place where they understood nothing better than supposing of false titles. 1676Wycherley Pl. Dealer i. i, Keep all that ask for me from coming up; suppose you were guarding the Scuttle to the Powder room.
†13. To substitute by artifice or fraud: cf. supposititious. Obs.
1614Selden Titles Hon. ii. i. 176 That they when the Queen is in child-birth,..warily obserue least the Ladies should priuily counterfeit the enheritable sex, by supposing som other Male when the true birth is female. 1631Massinger Believe as You List ii. ii, To suppose a bodie; and..to inter it In a rich monument, and then proclaime ‘This is the bodye of Antiochus’. 1641Earl of Monmouth tr. Biondi's Civil Wars v. 111 Shee..did suppose the sonne of a Iew..that he might personate the Duke of Yorke. 1767Speeches, &c. in Douglas Trial 48 Persons guilty of supposing children.
†14. To put or place under something; to append. Obs. rare.
1608[see supposed 4]. 1608Chapman Byron's Conspir. iv. Plays 1873 II. 234 Foolish Statuaries, That under little [statues of] Saints, suppose great bases. 1649Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. ii. Ad Sect. xii. 101 The three coronets, which themselves..supposed as pendants to the great crown of righteousnesse. 1797[see supposed 5]. |