personate

present singular third person personates · participle present personating · participle past personated · past personated

1. transitiveTo fraudulently portray another person; to impersonate.

   But this latter has, at the suggestion of Tyndarus, exchanged clothes with him, and the slave[…] personates the master.

   1873, William Lucas Collins, chapter IV, in Plautus and Terence, page 67

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   Dr. Olivant had, in fact, been faced with the alternative of personating a specialist who could be referred to at any time or of inventing a fictitious one who might be less convincing but who would be more elusive.

   1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London

2. transitiveTo portray a character (as in a play); to act.

   The antients would certainly have invoked the goddess Flora for this purpose, and it would have been no difficulty for their priests, or politicians to have persuaded the people of the real presence of the deity, though a plain mortal had personated her and performed her office.

   1749, Henry Fielding, chapter I, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book IV

3. transitiveTo attribute personal characteristics to something; to personify.

   One do I personate of Timon's frame , Whom Fortune with her iv'ry hand wafts to her

   c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

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   Therfore though Leuy receiued tithes aftervvard, by a particular grant from GOD, for the time: yet novv he paide them generally vvith the congregation, in the loines of Abram vnto the Prieſthood of Chriſt, heere perſonated by Melchiſedeck: […]

   1616, Henry Spelman, De Non Temerandis Ecclesijs [Churches Not to Be Violated]. A Tract of the Rights and Respect Due unto Churches. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Iohn Beale, →OCLC, page 11

4. transitiveTo set forth in an unreal character; to disguise; to mask.

   a personated mate

   1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC

1. not comparableuncommonbiologyHaving the throat of a corolla nearly closed by a projection of the base of the lower lip (reminiscent of a mask), as in the flower of the snapdragon.

   […] the commencement of the tube of a personate or labiate flower.

   1887, Jonathan Periam, The American Encyclopedia of Agriculture: A Treasury of Useful Information for the Farm and Household, page 946

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   This arrangement is well typified in plants with a personate corolla, such as the toad-flax and snap-dragon, ...

   1881, Journal of the Northampton Natural History Society and Field Club, page 248

   Bumble bees are a sturdy race of insects, made to crowd, push, probe, and burrow; therefore they prefer a tubular or bell-shaped flower that they can enter, or a personate or papilionaceous flower that they can force, or a tubular ...

   1899, Eliphalet Williams Hervey, Observations on the Colors of Flowers, page 90

   Botanically, the palate is a rounded prominence on the lower lip, closing or nearly closing the throat of a personate flower.

   2011, Katherine Dunster, Dictionary of Natural Resource Management, UBC Press, →ISBN, page 230

   Synonyms: masked

present singular third person personates · participle present personating · participle past personated · past personated

1. obsoletetransitiveTo celebrate loudly; to extol, to praise.

   In fable, hymn, or song so personating / Their gods ridiculous.

   1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 4

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   I vvill drop in his vvay ſome obſcure Epiſtles of loue, vvherein by the colour of his beard, the ſhape of his legge, the manner of his gate, the expreſſure of his eye, forehead, and complection, he ſhall finde himſelfe moſt feelingly perſonated.

   c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 261, column 2