moliminous

English

WOTD – 16 April 2011

Etymology

From (the stem of) Latin mōlīmen (“effort”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mə(ʊ)ˈlɪmɪnəs/

  • Audio (Southern England)

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• (US) IPA^(key): /moʊˈlɪmɪnəs/

Adjective

moliminous (not comparable)

1. (now rare, archaic) Momentous, weighty.
   • 1653, Marchamont Nedham, A True State of the Case of the Commonwealth:

     those great moliminous Bodies of Parlaments are but slow in motion, and attendance will quickly exhaust a good puzzle and patience, before any thing can be done […] .

   • 1660, Henry More, An Explanation of the Grand Mystery of Godliness, I.7.i:

     some Prophecies are not conditional but absolute, as certainly all those are that are of so vast and moliminous Concernment to the World as the appearing of the Messias is.

   • 1992, Sabrina P Ramet, Nationalism and Federalism in Yugoslavia, 1962-1991:

     But it had moliminous ramifications in the political system in two respects […] .

2. (now rare, archaic) Laborious, involving or exerting great effort; arduous.
   • 1678, Ralph Cudworth, The True Intellectual System of the Universe, volume IV, London, published 1820:

     And thus may the slow and imperfect wits of mortals be satisfied, that Providence to the Deity is no moliminous, laborious and distractious thing.

   • 1985, John Fowles, A Maggot:

     All natural logick of expression in the elements is made thereby interrupted and most obscure, howe’er so skilled and moliminous the adeptist.