thick-setadj.n.

Etymology: < thick adv. + set, past participle of set v.¹

A. adj. (Stress variable, ˈthick-ˈset, ˌthick-ˈset, ˈthick-ˌset; cf. note under ill adv. 3)

1. Composed of individuals or parts arranged in close order; thickly studded or planted (with something).

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > arrangement or fact of being arranged > state of being gathered together > an assemblage or collection > [adjective] > densely packed

thickc893

thick-set?a1366

rankc1450

compact1563

thronged1581

thickened?1611

close1654

dense1776

tight1942

?a1366 Romaunt Rose 1419 By the stremes..Sprang up the gras, as thikke sette And softe as ony velvet.

1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 627 Thicker set with high hils.

c1665 L. Hutchinson Mem. Col. Hutchinson (1973) To Children 3 His hayre of a light browne, very thick sett in his youth.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis i, in tr. Virgil Wks. 218 Thick set with Trees, a venerable Wood.

1869 H. F. Tozer Res. Highlands of Turkey II. 220 A wild hilly country..thick-set with bushes of prickly palluria.

a1425 Edward, Duke of York Master of Game (Digby) xxiv He [a hart] bereth a thykesette heede [head n.¹ 6].1638–48 G. Daniel Eclog. ii. 2 The Covert of yond' thickset Thorne.1693 J. Dryden tr. Ovid Fable Acis, Polyphemus & Galatea in Examen Poeticum 94 A thick set underwood of bristling hair.1819 G. Crabbe Tales of Hall I. vi. 117 That thickset alley by the arbour closed.

2. Set or placed close together; closely arranged.

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the world > space > distance > nearness > [adjective] > placed close together

neighboured1550

thick-set1596

approximate1839

coadjacent1842

apposed1861

juxtaposed1862

1596 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent (rev. ed.) 200 The place hath in it sundry villages, although not thicke set, nor much inhabited.

1765 Museum Rusticum 5 xxiv. 118 Its flowers are yellow, and thick-set.

1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion i. 11 Where Corineus ran With slaughter through the thick-set squadrons of the foes.1848 T. A. Buckley tr. Homer Iliad 457 They made a great fence around, with thick-set stakes.

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a. Having a dense or close-grained nap: cf. B. 2.

b. thick-set wheat: see quot. 1808.

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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > cereal, corn, or grain > [noun] > wheat > types of wheat grain or plant

spelta1000

farc1420

ador?1440

flaxen wheat?1523

Peak-wheat?1523

red wheat?1523

white wheat?1523

duck-bill wheat1553

zea1562

alica1565

buck1577

amelcorn1578

horse-flower1578

tiphe1578

pollard1580

rivet1580

Saracen's corn1585

French wheat1593

Lammas-wheat1594

starch corn1597

St. Peter's corn1597

frumenty1600

secourgeon1600

polwheat1601

duck-wheat1611

kidneys of wheat1611

ograve wheat1616

soft wheat1640

cone-wheat1677

Lammas1677

Poland wheat1686

Saracen corn1687

pole rivet1707

Smyrna wheat1735

hard wheat1757

hen corn1765

velvet wheat1771

white straw1771

nonpareil1805

thick-set wheat1808

cone1826

farro1828

Polish wheat1832

velvet-ear wheat1837

sarrasin1840

mummy wheat1842

snowdrop1844

Red Fife1857

flint-wheat1859

dinkel1866

thick-set1875

spring1884

macaroni wheat1901

einkorn1904

marquis1906

durum1908

emmer1908

hedgehog wheat1909

speltoid1939

1709 London Gaz. No. 4608/4 A pair of thickset Fustian Breeches.

1769 Public Advertiser 25 Sept. 3/1 Dressed in Fustian or Thickset Cloaths.

1808 T. Batchelor Gen. View Agric. County of Bedford 362 Velvet-eared wheat, which is called in this county white-chaffed led wheat, and thick-set wheat.

4. Of close compact build; esp. short and strongly made; square-built; stocky. (This is now the commonest use.)

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the world > life > the body > bodily shape or physique > broad shape or physique > [adjective]

stalworthc1175

thicka1250

stubblea1300

quarryc1300

stalworthyc1300

stoura1350

sturdyc1386

buirdlya1400

squarec1430

couragec1440

craskc1440

substantialc1460

ample1485

stalwart1508

puddinga1540

full-bodied1588

robust1666

two-handed1687

swankinga1704

strapping1707

broad-set1708

thick-set1724

throddy?1748

thick-bodied1752

broad-built1771

junky1825

swankie1838

stodgy1854

wide-bodied1854

beefish1882

hunky1911

buff1982

buffed1986

the world > life > the body > bodily height > shortness > [adjective] > and broad

short shoulderedc1405

bunting1584

squaddy1593

chubby1611

truncheon1611

squat1630

squabbish1666

truss1674

squab1675

squad1675

stocky1676

punch1679

trunch1683

squat1688

stub1711

fodgel1724

thick-set1724

puddy1747

chunky1749

dumpy1750

squabby1754

knurly1758

clunch1776

trunchy1778

fubsy1780

punchy1780

humpty-dumpty1785

trunched1787

pudgy1788

fubby1790

runty1807

squattish1809

roly-poly1818

stumpy1822

hoddy-doddy1824

spuddya1825

hodmandod1825

stubby1831

podgy1832

fubsical1834

dumpty1847

fatling1847

stuggy1847

nuggety1856

cloddy1876

blocky1879

chumpy188.

cobby1883

squidgy1891

stockish1913

pyknic1925

humpisha1935

1724 London Gaz. No. 6251/3 He is a thick-set Boy.

1778 Ann. Reg. 1777 Characters 43/1 A short thick-set man, with a very honest ingenuous countenance.

1824 L.-M. Hawkins Annaline I. 86 Distinguished by thickset limbs.

1830 F. Marryat King's Own I. xix. 290 He was short and thick-set.

1893 H. Vizetelly Glances Back I. viii. 165 Captain Marryat was tall,..but broad shouldered and thick set.

1977 N. Adam Triplehip Cracksman xiv. 143 A thickset..guy in a thick woollen polo-neck sweater.

B. n. /ˈθɪksɛt/.

1. A thicket; a thick-set plantation.

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the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by habit > tree or woody plant > wood or assemblage of trees or shrubs > [noun] > thicket, brake, or brush

shaw755

thicketa1000

thyvela1000

greavec1050

wood-shawc1275

boscagec1400

greenwood shawc1405

thickc1430

brakec1440

shaw of wood1462

queach1486

bush1523

tuft1555

bushment1587

bocage1644

cripple1675

virgult1736

bluffc1752

thick-set1766

sylvagea1774

thicket-maze1813

bosk1815

woodlet1821

rush1822

puckerbrush1867

1766 T. Amory Life John Buncle II. vii. 228 The first spring of this water is..in the middle of a thick-set of shrubs.

1844 Peter Parley's Ann. 191 Tungee had more than once threaded this maze of wood and thickset.

a. A stout twilled cotton cloth with a short very close nap; a kind of fustian; also, a garment of this material. ? Obsolete.

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the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > cotton > [noun] > fustian > types of

fustian of Naples1463

holmes fustian1474

jean1567

cantoon1688

thick-set1756

moleskin1792

pillow1839

1756 W. Toldervy Hist. Two Orphans II. 105 The latter having on his back his common grey frock, and the former a Manchester thickset.

1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) I. 440 Jeans, fustians, denims, thicksets, velvets.

1822 J. Galt Sir Andrew Wylie I. i. 6 His breeches, of olive thickset, were..carefully preserved from stains.

1882 S. W. Beck Draper's Dict. 142 Corduroy and thickset are also coarser varieties of fustian.

b. Short for thick-set wheat at sense A. 3b.

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