suit (sut)

[Early mod. E. also suite, sute; Tho the seute sesed after the swete bestes, William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2615. 21. Series; succe ion; regular order. There is a toy which I have heard, and I would not have it given over, but waited upon a little. They say it is observed in the Low Countries (1 know not in what part) that every five and thirty years the same kind and sute of years and weathers comes about again. Bacon , Vici itudes of Things (ed. 1887), p. 566. 3. The act of suing; a seeking for something by solicitation or petition; an addre of entreaty; petition; prayer. They made wonderful earnest and importunate suit unto me, that I would teach and instruct them in that tongue and learning [the Greek]. Sir T. More, Utopia (tr. by Robinson), ii. 7. Especially-(a) A petition made to a person of exalted station, as a prince or prelate. And hauing a suite to the king, [he] met by chaunce with one Philino, a louer of wine and a merry companion in Court. Putten ham , Arte of Eng. Poesie, p. 112. That swift-wing'd advocate, that did commence Our welcome suits before the King of kings. Quarles, Emblems, i. 15. (b) Solicitation for a woman's hand in marriage; courtship; proposal of marriage. Since many a wooer doth commence his suit To her he thinks not worthy. Shak., Much Ado, ii. 3. 52. Jer. Oh, here comes Isaac! I hope he has prospered in his suit. Ferd. Doubtle that agreeable figure of his must have helped his suit surprisingly. Sheridan , The Duenna, ii. 3. 4. In law . (a) A proceeding in a court of justice for the enforcement or protection of a right or claim, or for the redre of a wrong; prosecution of a right or claim before any tribunal: as, a civil suit ; a criminal suit ; a suit in chancery. Suit is a very general term, more comprehensive than action , and includes both actions at law and bills in chancery. It usually includes special proceedings, such as mandamus. Our lawyers, like Demosthenes, are mute, And will not speak, though in a right full sute, Vnle e a golden kei vnlocke their tongue. Times' Whistle (E. E. T. S.), p. 42. In England the several suits or remedial instruments of justice are distinguished into three kinds: actions personal, real, and mixed. Black stone, Com., III. viii. (b) The witne es or followers of the plaintiff in an action at law.-5. In feudal law , a following or attendance. (a) Attendance by a tenant on his lord, especially at his court. (b) Attendance for the purpose of performing service. (c) The offspring, retinue, chattels, and appurtenances of a villein. 6. A company of attendants or followers; train; retinue. Now commonly suite. So come in sodanly a sen at our of Rome, Wyth sextene knyghtes in a soyte sewande hym one. Morte Arthure (E. E. T. S.), 1. 81. Had there not come in Tydeus and Telenor, with fortie or fiftie in their suit , to the defence. Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, ii. 7. A number of things composing a sequence or succe ion; a number of things of a like kind that follow in a series and are intended to be used together; a set or suite; specifically, one of the four sets or cla es, known as spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds, into which playing-cards are divided. Leaving the ancient game of England (Trumpe), where every coate and sute are sorted in their degree, [they] are running to Ruffe. Martins Months Minde (1589), Epistle [to the Reader. ( Nares .) I have chosen one from each of the different suits , namely, the King of Columbines, the Queen of Rabbits, the Knave of Pinks, and the Ace of Roses; which answered to the spades, the clubs, the diamonds, and the hearts of the moderns. Strutt , Sports and Pastimes, p. 432. The cards don't cheat,. and there is nothing so flattering in the world as a good suite of trumps. Thackeray, Virgin i ans, xxx. 8. A number of different objects intended to be used together, especially when made of similar materials and corresponding in general character and purpose: thus, a number of different garments designed to be worn together form a suit of clothes; a number of sails of dif 6049 ferent sizes and fitting different spars form a suit of sails. Al his halles I wold do peynte with pure golde, And tapite hem ful many folde Of oo sute. Chaucer , Death of Blanche, 1. 261. Braue in our sutes of chaunge, seuen double folde. Udall , Roister Doister, ii. 3. Some four suits of peach-coloured satin. Shak ., M. for M., iv. 3. 11. From Ten to Twelve. In Conference with my Mantua Maker. Sorted a Suit of Ribbonds. Lady's Diary , in Ashton's Social Life in Reign of Queen [Anne, I. 91. Three horses and three goodly suits of arms. Tennyson, Geraint. Administration suit, in Eng. law, an action of an equitable nature, to have administration of the estate of a decedent in case of alleged insolvency. - A suit of hair, teeth, or whiskers, a full complement; a full set of its kind. [Local and colloq., U. S.] Suit of hair , for head of hair. Chautauquan , VIII. 430. The face of this gentleman was strikingly marked by a suit of enormous black whiskers that flowed together and united under his chin. S. Judd , Margaret, ii. 1. Discontinuance of a suit. See discontinuance. Fresh suit, in law. See fresh. Long suit, in the game of whist, a suit of four cards or more. Next, petitory, skeleton suit. See the adjectives. Out of suits, no longer in service and attendance; no longer on friendly terms. Wear this for me, one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shak ., As you Like it, i. 2. 258. Short suit, in the game of whist, a suit of three cards or le . Suit and service, in the feudal system, the attendance upon the court of the lord, and the homage and services rendered by the va al, in consideration of his tenure and the protection afforded by the lord. His [Lord Egmont's] scheme was to divide the Island into fifty baronies; each baron was to erect a castle with a moat and drawbridge in genuine med iæval fashion, he was to maintain a certain number of men-at-arms, and do suit and service to the Lord Paramount. W. F. Rae , Newfoundland to Manitoba, iv. Suit at law. See def. 4. Dr. War burton, in his notes on Shakspeare, observes that a court solicitation was called simply a suit, and a proce a suit at law. J. Nott , Note in Dekker's Gull's Hornbook, p. 114. Suit covenant, in Eng . feudal law , a covenant to attend and serve at a lord's court; the covenant of the va al to render suit to his lord's retinue. - Suit for contribution. See contribution. - Suit of court, in the feudal system, a tenant's obligation to render suit and service 3. Request , Petition , etc. See prayer i. (which see, above). - To follow suit. See follow . =Syn. suit (sut), v . [Early mod. E. also suite , sute ; suit , n.] I. trans . 1. To adapt; accommodate; fit; make suitable. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action. Shak., Hamlet, iii. 2. 19. I must suit myself with another page. B. Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, iv. 1. 2. To be fitted or adapted to; be suitable or appropriate to; befit; answer the requirements of. Such furniture as suits The greatne of his person. Shak., Hen. VIII., ii. 1. 99. These institutions are neither designed for nor suited to a nation of ignorant paupers. Daniel Webster, Speech, Buffalo, June, 1833. Perhaps She could not fix the gla to suit her eye. Tennyson, Enoch Arden. IMG:content-2443.png:[blocks in formation] And think of some course suitable to thy rank, And prosper in it. The state or Mas singer, New Way to Pay Old Debts, i. 1. Nothing is more sutable to the Law of Nature than that Punishment be inflicted upon Tyrants. Milton , Ans. to Salmasius. =Syn. Fit, meet, appropriate, apt, pertinent, seemly, eligible, consonant, corresponding, congruous. suitablene (sū'ta-bl-nes), n. quality of being suitable, in any sense. suitably (sū'ta-bli), adv . In a suitable manner; fitly; agreeably; appropriately. suit-brokert (sūt'broker), n. One who made a trade of procuring favors for court petitioners. Mas singer . suite (sut; in present use (defs. 2, 3, etc.), like mod. F., swēt), n. [In earlier use a form of suit; in recent use, Not being allowed to take more than 2,000 followers in the king's suite , they neverthele had evidently entertained a scheme of arming a greater number. J. Gairdner, Richard III., ii. IMG:content-2444.png:[blocks in formation] I had always intended to write an account of the "Conquest Mexico," suite to my "Columbus," but left Spain without making the requisite research us, Irving, to Pre scott, in Ticknor's Pre scott, p. 158. 5. In music , a set or series of instrumental dances, either in the same or in related keys, usually preceded by a prelude, and variously grouped so as to secure variety and contrast. Suites were the earliest form of instrumental work in detached movements, and continued in favor from the beginning of the seventeenth to the end of the eighteenth century, though sometimes known by other names. They included a great variety of dances, notably the allemande, courant, saraband, and gigue, together with the gavotte, pa epied, branle, and minuet. The early suite was not fully distinguishable from the early sonata, and the developed suite finally gave place to the modern sonata, though the true sonata form as a method of construction did not belong to the suite. Suites are properly for a single instrument, like the harpsichord or clavichord, but sometimes written for orchestra. The suite wishes, or convenience of: as, a style of living to suit one's tastes. Nor need they blush to buy Heads ready dre 'd, And chuse, at publick Shops, what sutes 'em best. Congreve, tr. of Ovid's Art of Love. None but members of their own party would suit the majority in Parliament as ministers. W. Wilson, State, § 685. 41. To dre , as with a suit of clothes; clothe. I'll disrobe me Of these Italian weeds, and suit myself As does a Briton peasant. Shak., Cymbeline, v. 1. 23. No matter; think'st thou that I'le vent my bagges To suite in Sattin him that Jets in ragges? Heywood, Royal King (Works, ed. Pearson, 1874, VI. 19). To suit one's book. See book. = Syn. 2. To comport with, tally with, correspond to, match, meet.-3. To please, gratify, content. II. in trans. To correspond; agree; accord: generally followed by with or to . They are good work-women, and can and will doe anything for profit that is to be done by the art of a woman, and which sutes with the fashion of these countreys. IMG:content-2445.png:[blocks in formation] tral music in suite form are Lachner, Raff, Bizet, Dvořák, and Moszkowski.