painlessadj.adv.

1447 O. Bokenham Lives of Saints (Arun.) (1938) 5858 (MED) Wenyst þou for to askapyn fre And peynlees for þis greth trespaas?

a1450 Partonope of Blois (Univ. Coll. Oxf.) (1912) 6689 (MED) As softely as a lylly floure Oute of the erthe paynles [a1500 BL Add. peynles] doth spring, Ryght so easely, lady, in Childing Thou were delyuered of they savioure.

1542 T. Wyatt Coll. Poems (1969) 60 The body dede, the spryt had his desire; Paynles was th'one: th'othre in delight.

1562 A. Brooke tr. M. Bandello Tragicall Hist. Romeus & Iuliet 59 The taker..painlesse as a man, that thinketh nought at all, Into a swete and quiet slepe immediately doth fall.

1675 T. Hobbes tr. Homer Odysses xiii. 158 That he should be brought home thus..Asleep, and painless.

1736 A. Hill Zara iv. i. 57 Can you hear, All painless, and unmov'd, the False One's Shame?

1850 C. M. Sedgwick Tales City Life 61 He thanked him [sc. God] for his own health—for painless limbs—for a contented mind, and a spirit of enjoyment.

1874 A. C. Swinburne Bothwell iv. i. 362 Him that with void hands Sits pleasureless and painless.

1879 E. Arnold Light of Asia i. 9 In seven days Painless thou shalt attain the close of pain.

1902–14 G. Barlow Poet. Wks. IV. 119 Through mortal pain we pass towards being painless: Yea, towards the kingly life that God lives; stainless.

1985 Christian Sci. Monitor (Nexis) 3 Apr. 35 I saw that a change of heart..was more important than just hoping for a painless stomach.

1534 J. Heywood Play of Loue sig. E2 Nay fyrst a fewe wordes, syr though I confes That loue bryngeth some payne and your case paynles.

1605 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. i. i. 21 With paine-lesse paine they tread A sacred path that to the Heau'ns doth lead.

1677 J. Dryden State Innocence v. i. 142 Is there no smooth descent? no painless way Of kindly mixing with our native clay?

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 430/1 This Needle being..heated red hot..perforates the flesh almost paineless.

1749 J. Cleland Mem. Woman of Pleasure II. 63 The poignant painless love-bites, which they both exchang'd in a rage of delight.

1788 H. Cowley Fate of Sparta i. i. 14 My father, and my country! Oh for these, Fearless, I'd..Scorn their mock terrors, and their painless wounds.

1839 H. W. Longfellow Hyperion I. ii. 205 The near-approaching separation of the two young friends, had filled their hearts with a pleasant, though at the same time not painless excitement.

1856 C. M. Yonge Daisy Chain ii. xiii. 487 Mr. Wilmot of Settlesham had peacefully gone to his rest, after a short and painless illness.

1887 F. Darwin Life & Lett. C. Darwin III. 202 Dr. Wilder advocated the use of the word ‘Callisection’ for painless operations on animals.

1937 Life 26 July 3/1 (advt.) You will like the easy, gentle, painless way the razor slides over the face on a film of glycerine.

1989 R. Border Ghost Stories (BNC) The prisoner's neck was broken; death had been quick and painless.

1908 G. B. L. Arner Consanguineous Marriages i. 15 One effect of the law is to provide a painless method of severing the marriage bond.

1915 Times 14 July 11/1 The reader will..learn in what a delightfully harmless and painless way it is possible to reduce the weight and measurements rapidly and permanently.

1978 U.S. News & World Rep. (Nexis) 3 Apr. 78 Suburbanites are finding that private firms now offer a painless way to start gardening.

1996 Computer Weekly 4 Apr. 4/2 The consultancy group set up an internal cybercafe to give staff a painless introduction to the Internet.