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amplify, v.|ˈæmplɪfaɪ| [a. Fr. amplifie-r, f. L. amplificā-re to enlarge (cf. amplific-us), f. ampl-us large + fic- = fac- make: see -fy.] gen. To make large; in space, amount, capacity, importance, or representation. †1. To enlarge or extend in space or capacity. Obs.
1432–50tr. Higden (1865) I. 111 Aelya..whom he amplifiede with more circuite of walles. 1576Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 379 Having amplified the buildings. 1636E. Dacres Machiavel's Disc. I. Table, Republiques have taken three particular courses to amplify and inlarge their states. 2. a. To augment in volume or amount. Obs.
1580North Plutarch (1676) 984 A continual reading of all sorts of good Authors..to amplifie his collections. 1626Bacon Sylva §140 All concaves that proceed from more narrow to more broad do Amplify the sound at the Coming out. b. Electr. To increase the strength of (an electrical current, signal, etc.).
1915Proc. Inst. Radio Engin. III. 282 By connecting the pliotron as an amplifier, as shown in Figure 10, the high frequency currents received from the grid may be amplified from 100- to 600-fold. 1928Daily Chron. 9 Aug. 4/1 The Archbishop's voice was heard, amplified loudly, but indistinctly, telling us of the sacredness of Ypres. 1931B.B.C. Year Bk. 279 On arrival at the Brookmans Park control room, the music is amplified to the correct strength and is then passed to the sub-modulators in the main transmitters. 1953Amos & Birkinshaw Television Engineering I. i. 17 In the present BBC television system vision and sound signals are transmitted over separate links but it is common practice for the aerial and early stages of receivers to accept and amplify vision and sound transmissions together. 1955Oxf. Jun. Encycl. VIII. 470/1 The transistor can be used in the same way as a thermionic triode valve to amplify weak electric currents. †3. To increase or augment (a number). Obs. rare.
1593T. Fale Dialling 27, I amplifie 46226 the Sine thereof by the whole Sine. †4. intr. (refl.) To become larger. Obs. rare.
1600Fairfax Tasso x. xxxiii. 186 Strait was the way at first..But further in did further amplifie. 5. To extend or increase (anything immaterial) in amount, importance, dignity, etc.
1549Coverdale Erasm. Paraphr. Phil. i. 11 In amplyfyinge of good dedes, the rewarde of immortalitie is amplyfyed also. 1590Marlowe Edward II, v. ii. 267 Let no man comfort him..But amplify his grief with bitter words. 1681Manton Serm. Ps. cxix. Wks. 1872 VIII. 9 This wisdom is amplified, by comparing it with the wisdom of others. 1767T. Hutchinson Hist. Prov. Mass. Bay iii. 329 The house discovered.. a desire to amplify their jurisdiction. 1838Sir W. Hamilton Log. iii. (1866) I. 44 Logic cannot extend, cannot amplify, a science by the discovery of new facts. 6. To enlarge (a story or statement) by telling it more diffusely or fully, or by adding fresh details, illustrations, or reflections; to expand; make much of.
a1400Chester Plays Proem. 4 And you, worthy marchantes..Amplifye the storie of those wise Kinges three. 1594Plat Jewell-ho. i. 3 To amplifie the same by some of those manifest experiments. 1625Cooke Pope Joan in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) IV. 34 You know..how he amplifies every point, and sets it out with all the circumstances. 1751Chambers Cycl. s.v. Amplification, Instead of saying merely, that Turnus died, he amplifies his death. 1879C. Geikie Life of Christ li. 602 A parable, which I amplify, for its clearer understanding. 7. intr. To make additional remarks; to speak largely in many words; to lay oneself out in diffusion; to enlarge, expatiate, or dilate. a. simply.
1590Greene Never too Late (1600) 12 He tooke his Bible in his hand, whereupon leaning his arme, he amplified thus. 1670G. H. Hist. Cardinals ii. iii. 192 In his discourses..he would amplifie so much, he would often lose his way. 1751Watts Improv. Mind (1801) 35 Where he is too brief and concise, amplify a little. 1879G. Scott Lect. Archit. I. vi, When I wished to amplify, I have done so by notes. b. with on, upon. arch.
1692R. L'Estrange Josephus xi. (1733) 412 While he was amplifying upon the Story of his good Fortunes. 1748Richardson Clarissa (1811) I. 185, I..am the less solicitous..to amplify upon the contents of either. 1808Scott Marm. iv. Introd., Not even that clown could amplify, On this trite text, so long as I. 8. To enlarge (a thing) in representation; to magnify, exaggerate, make too much of.
1561T. N[orton] Calvin's Inst. i. 23 The Prophet..doth amplifie y⊇ madnesse of them. 1589Bp. Cooper Admon. 9 Thus odiously to amplifie and paint foorth their discredite. 1619Let. in Engl. & Germ. (Camd. Soc.) I, The amplifying of the number of the horsemen slayne. 1831Brewster Nat. Magic iii. 46 The descriptions are neither heightened by fancy, nor amplified by invention.
▸ To connect (a musical instrument) to an amplifier; to play through an amplifier. Cf. amplified adj.
1948Times 4 Nov. 6/4 The piano..sounded as though it was being amplified. 1969Rolling Stone 3 May 15/2 The guitar is actually the only instrument that improves its quality by being amplified. 1999S. Valdez Hist. Rock Music 27 The Texas Urban Blues style of guitar is based largely on the Texas Rural Blues style..with two important differences: a full size band backs up the solo vocalist and the guitar is amplified.
▸ Genetics and Molecular Biol. To make multiple copies of (a gene or other nucleic acid sequence).
1968Nature 17 Feb. 649/2 The rate of incorporation of 3H-thymidine is roughly proportional to the mass of the DNA already amplified. 1990EMBO Jrnl. 9 2433/1 A single fragment of 340 bp was amplified from both HeLa and rat brain cDNAs. 1999N.Y. Rev. Bks. 22 Apr. 53/2 The invention of recombinant DNA technology..has made it possible to isolate, copy, and amplify genes from a fly and to introduce them into a mouse. |