nigrituden.

a1654 N. Culpeper Astrol. Judgm. Dis. (1655) sig. P5 Melancholy Cholerick men..have much superfluity in the nose: there colour is pale, shaddowed with a little nigritude or darknesse.

1657 R. Tomlinson tr. J. de Renou Physical Inst. v, in Medicinal Dispensatory sig. Ff Nigritude deturpates [the teeth].

1671 T. Shadwell Humorists ii. 15 Furies-Furiband nor the ghastly Ghosts of Central Nigritude, with all their damn'd infernal Powers, can e'r evert, renode, or dissolve.

1823 C. Lamb Praise of Chimney-sweepers in Elia 249 I like to meet a sweep..—but one of those tender novices, blooming through their first nigritude.

a1845 T. Hood Black Job in Wks. (1862–3) VI. 166 We've scrubb'd the negroes till we've nearly killed 'em, And finding that we cannot wash them white, But still their nigritude offends the sight.

1860 Atlantic Monthly Mar. 341 Santa Claus could not descend its [sc. the chimney's] sooty flue without grievous nigritude of the anticipated doll's frock.

1866 Harper's Mag. Dec. 58 The negro owed his rejection to the opinion, well-founded or not, that nigritude was only a synonym for intense ugliness.

1889 Q. Rev. 168 372 Our aged friends can well remember when the smoke of London was not equal to one-tenth of last year's nigritude.

1928 L. Stockett Baltimore x. 176 The streets are dirty and there is a frankly shabby air about the place, but I love its dilapidation—its ‘nigritude’ as Lamb would say.

1991 E. S. Connell Alchymist's Jrnl. (1992) 114 If we consider the gross nigritude of earth it proposes nothing fragrant or savory of desirable.

1869 Echo 2 Sept. The subtle nigritudes born of the household fires. Upon our dwellings these nigritudes fall [etc.].

1878 Pall Mall Gaz. 6 Aug. 9 [Whitewashing], to be done effectively, must be attempted on such unmistakable nigritudes as Judas Iscariot or Judge Jeffries.