bootlessadj.1
/ˈbuːtlɪs/ΚΠ
a1000 in B. Thorpe Anc. Laws Eng. (1840) I. 385 Donne siȝ ðæt botleas.
a1000 in B. Thorpe Anc. Laws Eng. (1840) I. 410 Husbryce is botleas.
1714 J. Fortescue-Aland Fortescue's Governance of Eng. Pref. 62 Boteless, that is, unexpiable.
1839 T. Keightley Hist. Eng. (new ed.) I. 79 Of the crimes..some were ‘botelos’ or inexpiable, and were to be punished with death: such were treason, murder.]
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > despair, hopelessness > desperate state or condition > [adjective] > of events, actions, etc.
unbootlyc1225
uncurablea1340
bootlessa1375
incurable1377
unremediablea1382
irreparablea1420
irrecuperable1430
unrecuperable?a1439
unrecoverable1461
unrecurable1465
remedilessa1513
remedeless1523
unrecompensablea1530
inemendable1532
immedicable1533
irrecoverablec1540
insanable1547
irremediable1547
irrecurable1548
unredeemable1551
cureless1557
unreparable1568
unrepairable1576
unmendable1584
unrelievablea1586
remedless1590
recurelessa1592
irrepairable1594
unrecovered1598
irremediless1602
unredressable1607
unsalvable1624
unrallied1651
reliefless1677
irrelievable1797
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 3984 It is a botles bale..t[o] willne after a wif þat is a waywarde euere.
a1425 ( in J. T. Fowler Memorials Church SS. Peter & Wilfrid, Ripon (1882) I. 52 In pœna quæ vocatur boteles.
1566 T. Drant tr. Horace Medicinable Morall sig. Fiijv That were a bootlesse case.
1667 T. Sprat Plague of Athens (rev. ed.) 11 They saw the City open lay, An easie and a bootless [earlier edd. Bloodless] prey.
3. Void of boot or profit; to no purpose, without success; unavailing, useless, unprofitable.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > [adjective] > unavailing
gainlessc1175
speedless13..
unspeedfula1340
ineffectualc1425
frustratory1490
unvailablea1500
frustrate1529
uneffectual1548
unavailable1549
unfectual1549
bootless1559
dudgeon?1589
inavailable1650
unavailing1672
dud1914
1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Clifford ii All care is bootles in a cureles case.
1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice iii. iii. 20 Ile follow him no more with bootlesse prayers. View more context for this quotation
1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper i. 77 Bootlesse problemes.
1736 J. Thomson Britain: 4th Pt. Liberty 644.
1782 W. Cowper John Gilpin 189 Ah luckless speech, and bootless boast!
1869 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest (1876) III. xii. 255 A few bootless attempts at negociation.
4. quasi-adv.= bootlessly adv.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > [adverb] > unavailingly
bootless1423
ineffectuallyc1610
bootlessly1612
frustrately1632
uneffectually1680
frustraneously1689
unavailingly1748
unavailably1860
1423 Kingis Quair lxx As Tantalus I trauaile ay but-les.
1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus iii. i. 36 Yet pleade I must, And bootlesse vnto them. View more context for this quotation
1813 W. Scott Bridal of Triermain iii. i. 128 Of wasted fields..The Borderers bootless may complain.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1887; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
bootlessadj.2
/ˈbuːtlɪs/ Without boots.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > wearing clothing > [adjective] > wearing footwear > wearing boots > not
bootless1377
unbooted1727
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xviii. 11 One..Barfote on an asse bakke botelees cam pryk[y]e, Wyth-oute spores other spere.
1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 iii. i. 64 Glen. Thrice..haue I sent him Booteles home... Hot. Home without bootes, and in foule weather too, How scapes he agues in the deuils name?]
1880 Harper's Mag. Apr. 676 Hatless, bootless, and trouserless.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1887; most recently modified version published online December 2018).
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adj.1a1000
adj.21377