malepart

malepart (comparative more malepart, superlative most malepart)

1. Obsolete form of malapert.
   • 1598, Gervase Markham, “The Epiſtle to the gentle Reader, of what eſtate or calling ſoeuer.”, in A Health to the Gentlemanly profeſsion of Seruingmen: or, The Seruingmans Comfort:

     For aſſure your ſelues, and before God I proteſt, I ſpeake not againſt one in particuler, neither againſt all in generall, vpon a malepart or preſumptuous minde, as not caring who are offended with my doinges; but carefull leaſt I ſhould offende any, or incurre their diſpleaſures, by my preſumptuous enterpriſe, I humbly (as before) pray pardon.

   • 1602, Robert Persons, The Warn-word to Sir F. Hastings Wastword:

     And ſo ſeing that Proteſtants do allow wel of ſuch diſloyalties, when they are in fauour of their owne faction and that we haue ſhewed in our former Encounter very largely out of their owne words & wrytings, that no rule of obedience or ſubiection holdeth them, when they miſlike the magiſtrate or his doings, it is malepart ſaucineſſe in this prating miniſter to keep ſuch a doe about diſloyaltyes ſo much defended and practiced by themſelues, & no wayes approued by vs, but where lawful authority iuſt cauſes and other circumſtances do make them loyaltyes.

   • 1603, A Treatise of Three Conversions, page 11:

     Alice Driuer martyr. This was the doctrix of the forſaid weauer, who was ſo malepart and contumelious before the iudges, as firſt her eares were cutt of, for callinge Q. Mary Iezabell.

   • 1604, An Examen of the Calendar Or Catalogue of Proteſtant Saincts, Martyrs, and Confeſſors, deuiſed by Iohn Fox, and prefixed before his great volume, of Acts and Monuments, pages ?, 432–433:

     […] malepart fellow that being infected with hereſie, behaued himſelfe very immodeſtly towards the Biſhopps of VVincheſter and Rocheſter when he appeared before them, and was for defendinge diuers peeuiſh hereſies condemned by them. See ibid. num. 47. […] 30. VVilliam Tymes was a Curate or deacon: but ſo pratchant and malepart, as he ouerwent the miniſter in his forwardnes of anſwering.

   • 1611, Joseph Creswell, A Proclamation with a Briefe Answere, page 132:

     If any man be ſo incredulous or ſo malepart, as to contend, ſi quis contentioſus eſſe velit, it may ſuffice for anſwere to all his obiectious, We have no ſuch cuſtome in the Catcholicke Church, as S. Paul anſwered to the Corinthians.

   • 1633, Daniel Dyke, The Mystery Of Selfe-Deceiuing: Or, a Discovrse and diſcouery of the Deceitfulneſſe of Mans Heart, page 339:

     Did any man doubt of their liberty of ſpeech, whether it were not malepart ſaucineſſe and preſumption?

   • 1634, Janua Linguarum, Or an eaſie and compendious Method and courſe for the attaining all Tongues, eſpecially the Latine, page 39:

     370 Let the malepart Paraſite be farre from thy fellowſhip.

   • 1635, VVilliam Iones, A Commentary Vpon The Epistles Of Saint Pavl To Philemon, And To The Hebrewes, Together With A Compendiovs Explication Of The Second And Third Epistles Of Saint Iohn, pages 280, 333:

     Then what malepart boldneſſe is it for a private man to ſtep up into the Pulpit, and to take upon him without warrant to be as God’s mouth to the people? […] Whereas Corah Dathan and Abiram with all that belonged to them were deſtroyed for their malepart dealing againſt Moſes and Aaron: the Iſvaclites began to mutter at it, came to Moſes and Aaron ſaying, ye have killed the people of the Lord, Num. 16. 41. whereupon a great number of them were ſlaine.

   • 1649, The Triall of Lieut. Collonell John Lilburne, page 119:

     L. Keeble. But this you have, & this is to take off or prevent, that which you would do now, if there had been one Judge & no more, and if you had not had this great preference of the Court, you wou’d have been malepart, and have out talked them, but you cannot do ſo here.

   • 1671, The Morning-Exerciſe At Cripple-Gate: Or, Several Caſes of Conſience Practically Reſolved, by ſundry Miniſters, September, 1661, 3rd edition, page 107:

     Out of love and pity to thy ſelf, O man, do not affront and diſgrace thine immortal ſoul any more, by ſuffering any malepart and ſawcy paſſion to outrage aud aſlaſianate[?] thy Reaſon.

   • 1704, Plutarch's Morals: Tranſlated from the Greek By Several Hands, volume IV, pages 240, 304:

     Beſides that ſuch a Malepart Forwardneſs in anſwering, is not only indecent, but injurious and affrontive. […] Whereas in Love there is ſo much Continency, ſo much Modeſty, and ſo much of loyal Affection, that if it happen upon an Intemperate and Laſcivious Soul, it is thereby diverted from all other Amours, and by cutting of all malepart Boldneſs, and bringing down the Inſolence of Imperious Pride; inſtead of which it it introduces modeſt Baſhfulneſs, Silence and Submiſſion, and adorning it with decent and becoming Behaviour, makes it for ever after the obedient Obſerver of one Lover.

• Malapert, rap metal, armplate, malapert