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Webster 1913 Edition


Everlasting

Ever-last′ing

Adj.
1.
Lasting or enduring forever; exsisting or continuing without end; immortal; eternal.
“The Everlasting God.”
Gen. xx1. 33.
2.
Continuing indefinitely, or during a long period; perpetual; sometimes used, colloquially, as a strong intensive;
as, this
everlasting
nonsence
.
I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee . . . the land of Canaan, for an
everlasting
possession.
Gen xvii. 8.
Syn. – Eternal; immortal, interminable; endless; never-ending; infinite; unceasing; uninterrupted; continual; unintermitted; incessant.
Everlasting
,
Eternal
. Eternal denotes (when taken strictly) without beginning or end of duration; everlasting is sometimes used in our version of the Scriptures in the sense of eternal, but in modern usage is confined to the future, and implies no intermission as well as no end.
Whether we shall meet again I know not;
Therefore our
everlasting
farewell take;
Forever, and forever farewell, Cassius.
Shakespeare
Everlasting flower
.
Sane as
Everlasting
,
Noun.
, 3.
Everlasting pea
,
an ornamental plant (
Lathyrus latifolius
) related to the pea; – so called because it is perennial.

Evˊer-last′ing

,
Noun.
1.
Eternal duration, past or future; eternity.
From
everlasting
to
everlasting
, thou art God.
Ps. xc. 2.
2.
(With the definite article) The Eternal Being; God.
3.
(Bot.)
A plant whose flowers may be dried without losing their form or color,
as, the
pearly
everlasting
(
Anaphalis margaritacea
), the
immortelle
(
Xeranthemum anuum
) of the French, the cudweeds, etc.
4.
A cloth fabric for shoes, etc. See
Lasting
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Everlasting

EVERL`ASTING

,
Adj.
[ever and lasting.] Lasting or enduring for ever; eternal; existing or continuing without end; immortal.
The everlasting God, or Jehovah. Gen.21.
Everlasting fire; everlasting punishment. Matt.18.25.
1.
Perpetual; continuing indefinitely, or during the present state of things.
I will give thee, and thy seed after thee, the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. Gen.17.
The everlasting hills or mountains. Genesis. Habakkuk.
2.
In popular usage, endless; continual; unintermitted; as, the family is disturbed with everlasting disputes.

EVERL`ASTING

,
Noun.
Eternity; eternal duration, past and future.
From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Ps.90.
1.
A plant, the Gnaphalium; also, the Xeranthenum.

Definition 2024


everlasting

everlasting

English

Adjective

everlasting (comparative more everlasting, superlative most everlasting)

  1. Lasting or enduring forever; existing or continuing without end; immortal; eternal.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Genesis xx1. 33
      The Everlasting God.
  2. Continuing indefinitely, or during a long period; perpetual; sometimes used, colloquially, as a strong intensive.
    this everlasting nonsense
    • (Can we date this quote?), Genesis xvii. 8
      I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee [] the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
      And heard thy everlasting yawn confess / The pains and penalties of idleness.
  3. (philosophy) Existing with infinite temporal duration (as opposed to existence outside of time).

Adverb

everlasting (comparative more everlasting, superlative most everlasting)

  1. (colloquial) Extremely.
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 10, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      The Jones man was looking at her hard. Now he reached into the hatch of his vest and fetched out a couple of cigars, everlasting big ones, with gilt bands on them.

Usage notes

  • Everlasting, Eternal. Eternal denotes (when taken strictly) without beginning or end of duration; everlasting is sometimes used in our version of the Scriptures in the sense of eternal, but in modern usage is confined to the future, and implies no intermission as well as no end.
    Whether we shall meet again I know not; Therefore our everlasting farewell take; Forever, and forever farewell, Cassius. -William Shakespeare

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

everlasting (plural everlastings)

  1. An everlasting flower.
    • 1942, Emily Carr, The Book of Small, “The Orange Lily,”
      With a backward look Small said, “What a lovely lily!” ¶ “Well enough but strong-smelling, gaudy. Come see the everlastings.”
    • 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York 2007, p. 313:
      ‘It is true perhaps it is too late now for you to look like a rose; but you can always look like an everlasting.’
  2. (historical) A durable cloth fabric for shoes, etc.
    • 1988, Eric Kerridge, Textile Manufactures in Early Modern England (page 64)
      Everlastings of one kind or another were used to make gaiters, shoe tops and liveries for sergeants and catchpoles.

Translations