unsetadj.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈsɛt/, U.S. /ˌənˈsɛt/ a. Of time or place: Not previously appointed or arranged. Obsolete.Chiefly in phr. at unset steven: see at unset steven at steven n.2 2a.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > command or bidding > [adjective] > ordaining, prescribing, or appointing > ordained, prescribed, or appointed > not
unsetc1405
unassigned1495
unappointed1560
unconstituted1660
c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 666 For alday meeten men at vnset steuene.
1430–40 J. Lydgate tr. Bochas Fall of Princes (1494) ii. xxi. h iiij/1 At the vnset houre their falsnesse he wyll quyte.
1476 J. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 494 The Duke toke gret corage to goo..to conquere them; butt the[y] berdyd hym att an onsett place.
1543 in State Papers Henry VIII (1836) V. 287 The Cardinal..will sodenly, ere he be ware, prevent hym, and take hym at such unsett stewin, as he nor all the frendes he hath shall not be able to relief hym.
a1600 A. Montgomerie Misc. Poems v. 47 For man may meit at unset stevin, Thoght montanis nevir meitis.
a1600 Robin Hood & Guy of Gisb. xxvii, in F. J. Child Eng. & Sc. Pop. Ballads (1888) III. v. 93/1 Wee may chance mee[t] with Robin Hoode Att some vnsett steven.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > free will > [adjective] > brought about by free will
unset1547
voluntary1548
self-set1593
self-imposed1657
unprovidential1693
self-induced1796
undestined1827
1547 W. Baldwin Treat. Morall Phylos. sig. Pvi But yf that the chaunce of thynges be vnset, It is folly to feare that we knowe we maye let.
1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Glendower xxvii Of thinges to cum the haps be so vnset That none but fooles may warrant of them make.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > posture > action or fact of sitting > [adjective] > not seated > at table
unset1572
1572 (a1500) Taill of Rauf Coilȝear (1882) 148 ‘Gang begin the buird,’ said the Coilȝear. ‘That war vnsemand, forsuith, and thy self vnset.’
3. Not assigned or allocated (to one); unlet.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > transfer of property > settlement of property > [adjective] > not
unset1480
unsettled1671
society > law > legal right > right of possession or ownership > tenure of property > a legal holding > [adjective] > held in leasehold or by tenant > not
unlet1453
unset1480
unletten1531
unleased1631
unlettable1833
society > trade and finance > selling > hiring or letting out > [adjective] > hired or let out > not let
unlet1453
unset1736
1480 Acta Dom. Conc. (1839) 70/2 Land..haldin of our souuerain lorde and fre vnset for termes or for male.
1523 Test. of John Gell in C. W. Foster Lincoln Wills (1914) I. 120 I will that..all myne inward stuf that was myne owne unset to my wyf remayne to..my daughters.
1580–1 Reg. Privy Council Scotl. III. 358 To warrand the same unsett, sauld, assignit, or disponit to utheris.
1736 in J. A. Picton City of Liverpool: Select. Munic. Rec. (1886) II. 165 There are some few back seats yet unsett.
1825 M. M. Sherwood Lady of Manor (ed. 2) II. viii. 31 During the absence of Lord T——, the family-mansion had remained untenanted, the houses of servants and dependents unset.
4. With adverbs. Not set down, forth, out, up, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > hiding, concealing from view > keeping from knowledge > keeping from publication > [adjective] > not written or recorded
unwritten1362
unsetc1445
unpenned1587
unlettered1633
illiterate1645
unwrit1656
nonscript1657
imperscriptible1791
the world > space > relative position > arrangement or fact of being arranged > absence of arrangement > [adjective]
unarrayedc1340
rudea1387
unordereda1500
unset1629
indisposed1692
unarranged1791
the world > action or operation > undertaking > preparation > unpreparedness > [adjective] > not made ready
unreadya1425
unprepared1574
unprimed1622
unset1639
c1445 R. Pecock Donet 138 Þese ij..forbodis of avoutrye.., whi ben not þei stillid and vnsett forþ expressely?
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement Introd. p. v I have..assayde..that there shulde fewe wordes..worde for worde be unsetforthe.
1547 Act 1 Edw. VI c. 6 §1 The same poore persons..be now unoccupied and unset aworke.
1593 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie iii. xi. 158 They vrge that God left nothing in his word vndescribed,..nothing vnset downe.
1629 T. Hobbes tr. Thucydides Eight Bks. Peloponnesian Warre 75 The Athenians..recriminated the Megareans, for hauing tilled holy ground, and vnset-out with bounds.
1639 in F. Collins Wills & Admin. Knaresborough Court Rolls (1905) II. 168 One new stand bed unsett upp.
5. † a. unset leek n. a (young) leek not transplanted. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular vegetables > [noun] > onion, leek, or garlic > leek > other types of leek
porretc1390
squirlea1400
ulpicc1440
unset leek1530
vineyard leek1562
sectile leek1716
long leek1842
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 249/2 Onsetleke, porret.
1563 T. Hill Arte Gardening (1593) 128 If you desire only to haue vnset Leekes.
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. 424 Ashes for to be drunke with the juice of unset leeks in cold water.
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Porrette, Maidens Leeke, bladed Leeke, vnset Leeke.
b. Not planted.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > planting > [adjective] > planted > not planted
unset1573
the world > food and drink > farming > farm > farmland > land raising crops > [adjective] > sown or planted > not
unplanteda1382
unsownc1400
unset1573
unseeded1634
unsowed1648
uncropped1857
1573 T. Tusser Fiue Hundreth Points Good Husbandry (new ed.) f. 32 Set..yong baye and his bearye. Or set there stone, vnset leaue out none.
1577 W. Harrison Descr. Eng. (1878) iii. viii. ii. 57 Notwithstanding that they haue remained there vnset by the space of fortie dais and more: yet some [saffron heads]..haue brought foorth two or three floures a peece.
1597 J. Gerard Herball i. 2 Common Medow grasse groweth of it selfe, vnset or vnsowen, euery where.
1652 W. Blith Eng. Improver Improved xxv. 159 Shouldest thou be occasioned..to keep thy Sets longer Unset, be thou sure thou get their Roots into the ground.
c. Not furnished with plants.
ΚΠ
1609 W. Shakespeare Sonnets xvi. sig. B4 Many maiden gardens yet vnset, With vertuous wish would beare your liuing flowers.
6. Not placed in a setting; unmounted.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > place > placing or fact of being placed in (a) position > [adjective] > not
unput1450
unlaid1467
unset1561
unplanted1615
unmounted1724
uninstalleda1856
1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer ii. sig. R.iv A iewell that vnsett seemeth faire.
c1592 F. Bacon Conf. Pleasure (1870) 15 If these rich peeces be so faire vnsett, what are they sett?
1684 London Gaz. No. 1906/4 An Emerald unset,..having a narrow Bizel.
1702 London Gaz. No. 3811/4 Lost.., a large Diamond-drop,..unset.
1884 West. Daily Press 20 June 7/5 Necklets of unset amethysts,..and other stones.
1891 Hardwicke's Sci.-gossip 27 36/1 Lack of uniformity in unset specimens.
7. Not composed or arranged.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > [adjective] > not put in order
indigest1398
unordereda1500
undressed1530
undight1555
indisposed1598
undigested1598
indigested1613
unset1631
unranged1633
unadjusted1775
unarranged1791
unsystematized1832
uncatalogued1837
unassorted1865
society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > vocal music > [adjective] > set to music > unset
unset1821
1631 R. Brathwait Whimzies xix. 152 Not an irregular haire about him, nor an unset looke to attend him, nor an uncomposed cringe to accoutre him.
1821 C. Lamb Chapter on Ears in Elia 1st Ser. Those unconnected, unset sounds are nothing to the measured malice of music.
8. Not surgically set.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > disorders of bones > [adjective] > fractures > not set
unseta1661
a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) i. 61 An unset bone is better then a bone..ill set.
9. Of the sun: Not gone beneath the horizon.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the universe > sun > solar movement > [adjective] > having set > not
unset1860
1860 W. W. Reade Liberty Hall, Oxon. I. ix. 158 Though very pretty she was only a moon with the sun unset, for [etc.].
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1926; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
unsetv.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈsɛt/, U.S. /ˌənˈsɛt/ 1. transitive. To put out of place or position; to undo the setting of.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > place > removal or displacement > remove or displace [verb (transitive)]
stira1000
unsheathec1374
removea1398
shifta1400
disroom1489
supplant1534
unplacec1550
displace1552
unperch1578
dislodge1579
unsiege1594
disnest1596
unroost1598
unset1602
unseat1611
dis-element1612
dishabita1616
dislocate1623
disroota1625
disseata1625
rede1638
discardinate1648
disturb1664
disblock1665
start1676
uproot1695
disrest1696
disconcert1744
disannul1794
deplace1839
delocalize1855
disembed1885
disniche1889
1602 J. Marston Hist. Antonio & Mellida iii. sig. E4v O, you spoyle my ruffe, vnset my haire.
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Desplanter,..to vnplant, vnset, remoue.
1761 T. Gray Let. 31 Jan. in Corr. (1971) II. 728 The man was sent for: he unset it; it was a paste not worth 40 shillings.
1775 M. Delany Autobiogr. & Corr. (1862) 2nd Ser. II. 105 There is some hazard in unsetting enamel for fear of chipping the edges.
1836 F. Marryat Mr. Midshipman Easy III. vii. 135 How could he put the young men to fresh tortures by removing splints and unsetting limbs?
1884 Law Times 1 Nov. 8/1 On the morning in question Dawson had unset the gun.
2. intransitive. To get out of place or position.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > place > removal or displacement > become displaced [verb (intransitive)]
unset1703
unfix1844
shunt1850
1703 R. Thoresby Let. 27 Apr. in J. Ray Corr. (1848) 427 Spelk, a wooden splinter tied on, to keep a broken bone from bending or unsetting again.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1926; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.c1405v.1602