His"to*ry (?), n.; pl.
Histories (#). [L. historia, Gr.
'istori`a history, information, inquiry, fr.
'istwr, "istwr, knowing, learned, from the root
of ? to know; akin to E. wit. See Wit, and cf.
Story.]
1. A learning or knowing by inquiry; the
knowledge of facts and events, so obtained; hence, a formal statement
of such information; a narrative; a description; a written record;
as, the history of a patient's case; the history of a
legislative bill.
2. A systematic, written account of events,
particularly of those affecting a nation, institution, science, or
art, and usually connected with a philosophical explanation of their
causes; a true story, as distinguished from a romance; --
distinguished also from annals, which relate simply the facts
and events of each year, in strict chronological order; from
biography, which is the record of an individual's life; and
from memoir, which is history composed from personal
experience, observation, and memory.
Histories are as perfect as the historian is
wise, and is gifted with an eye and a soul.
Carlyle.
For aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history.
Shak.
What histories of toil could I
declare!
Pope.
History piece, a representation in painting,
drawing, etc., of any real event, including the actors and the
action. -- Natural history, a description
and classification of objects in nature, as minerals, plants,
animals, etc., and the phenomena which they exhibit to the
senses.
Syn. -- Chronicle; annals; relation; narration. --
History, Chronicle, Annals. History is a
methodical record of important events which concern a community of
men, usually so arranged as to show the connection of causes and
effects, to give an analysis of motive and action etc. A
chronicle is a record of such events, conforming to the order
of time as its distinctive feature. Annals are a chronicle
divided up into separate years. By poetic license annals is
sometimes used for history.
Justly Cæsar scorns the poet's lays;
It is to history he trusts for praise.
Pope.
No more yet of this;
For 't is a chronicle of day by day,
Not a relation for a breakfast.
Shak.
Many glorious examples in the annals of our
religion.
Rogers.