> as lemmas

1525 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles II. xxiv. 64 Beneth in the courte he sawe a great many of asses.

1562 P. Whitehorne tr. N. Machiavelli Arte of Warre iv. f. lx Caius Sulpitius..set a greate many of sackes vpon Mules.

1584 R. Scot Discouerie Witchcraft xii. iii. 219 If Incubus could beget Merlins among vs, we should haue a iollie manie of cold prophets.

1652 J. Gaule Πυς-μαντια 352 He..had invited..a many of his kindred and friends.

1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso ii. xxiv. 262 An infinite many of men.

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 37. ¶1 I had an Opportunity of turning over a great many of her Books.

1716 B. Church Entertaining Passages Philip's War i. 38 He pick'd up a considerable many of their Women and Children.

1852 W. M. Thackeray Henry Esmond I. iii. 77 This was chiefly of the Catholic gentry, of whom there were a pretty many in the country.

1860 W. Collins Woman in White (new ed.) II. 349 She had winded a many of them in her time.

1905 Daily Chron. 13 July 5/6 A great many of these are obviously of the ‘stagging’ order.

1935 E. Pyle Maria Pyle in D. Nichols Ernie's Amer. (1990) 15 A good many of our neighbours have deservedly felt the whip of her tongue.

1962 Sunday Times 10 June (Colour Suppl.) 7 This is also true of American records, a great many of which are only released because companies have to take them to get some really lucrative artist.

1997 Church Times 12 Dec. 12/1 Primitive Christianity..was the heir to a great many of the apocalyptic concepts found in the Scrolls.

a1580 G. Harvey Story Mercy Harvey in Wks. (1885) III. 89 Swearing that she should..vse him as familiarly..as her owne brother; with a many sutch goodly supplicamussis.

a1593 C. Marlowe Edward II (1594) sig. H1 Though a many friends Are made a way.

1615 J. Day Festivals 300 There are in this Israel, the Sacred Scriptures of God, a many, many Widowes.

a1643 J. Shute Judgem. & Mercy (1645) 180 Hee were a mad man that to Secure himselfe from the Fire, would pile a many Billets betweene him and the flame.

1653 H. More Antidote Atheism (1662) 97 A many such miracles.

1690 N. Luttrell Diary in Brief Hist. Relation State Affairs (1857) II. 126 And great many men were at work upon the fortifications.

1776 Trial Maha Rajah Nundocomar for Forgery 23/2 A great many people have seen him besides.

1813 Sketches of Character (ed. 2) I. 205 It is a good many years since I have seen him.

1832 Ld. Tennyson Miller's Daughter xxiii, in Poems (new ed.) 46 They have not shed a many tears, Dear eyes!

1841 G. Catlin Lett. N. Amer. Indians II. xlix. 122 They use a vast many beads.

1884 Manch. Examiner 17 May 4/8 There are a great many schools..of technicology scattered over the Continent.

1931 H. S. Williams Bk. Marvels 67 One theory has it that there is a layer of atmosphere a good many miles above the earth's surface that has its atoms ‘ionized’ by the action of electrons coming from the sun.

1952 C. E. L. Phillips Small Garden xi. 106 A great many herbaceous plants will go on and on if dead-headed.

1988 S. E. McKay New Child Safety Handbk. vi. 89/1 A great many fire fighters believe that smokers can actually sleep-smoke without waking up.

1992 F. Markmiller in C. Blank Lang. & Civilization I. 290 The establishment of the seminary guaranteed at least the continued existence of the monastery for a good many decades.

1556 J. Olde tr. R. Gwalther Antichrist f. 6 To the undoing of a great meanye.

1564 T. Becon Displayeng Popishe Masse f. xlvii, in Wks. iii Ye praye for Philippe and Chenye, mo than a good meany.]

1604 S. Hieron Preachers Plea in Wks. (1620) I. 507 These and the like are the thoughts and speeches of no small many.

1611 B. Jonson Catiline To Rdr. sig. A3 The commendation of good things may fall within a many, their approbation but in a few.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry V (1623) iii. vii. 73 Const. And yet my Sky shall not want [stars]. Dolph. That may be, for you beare a many superfluously. View more context for this quotation

1705 Boston News-let. 23 Apr. 2/2 The Undertaker..is willing to try it for another year, unless some generous Soul (out of the many far better qualified, especially of those that are so apt & ready to carp at his weakness) will please to undertake it.

1788 T. Taylor Diss. Platonic Doctr. Ideas in tr. Proclus Philos. & Math. Comm. I. p. xcv Plato is ignorantly accused by a many, for affirming that [etc.].

1875 T. W. Higginson Young Folks' Hist. U.S. viii. 64 A good many died of hardship and fatigue.

1880 Millikin in Punch's Almanack Feb. Crab your enemies,—I've got a many, You can pot 'em proper for a penny.

1957 R. Hoggart Uses of Literacy vi. 167 Though few people take the trouble thoroughly to understand any problem, a great many assume that their opinions on almost every general issue will have weight.

1984 in C. Kightly Country Voices i. 20 There ain't a-many liked it, but they hed to goo!

1986 J. Huxley Leaves of Tulip Tree v. 96 It has been found that a good many were separated at birth from their mothers for health or other reasons.