† 1. Of persons or things: Unfitted or unfit to do something. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, I. 971. Was neuere man ne woman yet bygete, That was vnapt to suffren loues hete Celestial.
1504. Atkynson, trans. De Imitatione, II. viii. 186. Whan grace deperteth fro the soule it is faynt & frayle, vnapte to do or to suffre that vertue commaundith.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxi. § 1, note. Those which were baptized in their beds were thereby made vnapt to haue any place amongst the clergie.
1610. J. Dove, Advt. Seminaries, 52. I might happily have persuaded them,… had they not been as a plot of ground unapt to receive good seed.
1654. Gayton, Pleas. Notes, IV. v. 199. I had some guests that were very unapt to sleep anywhere but in their own houses.
1682. Norris, Hierocles, 19. Those which constantly contemplate God, and are unapt to converse on earth.
1726. De Foe, Hist. Devil (1840), 106. The wood unapt to burn by the moisture which fell, scarce received the fire I brought to kindle it.
1736. Butler, Anal., II. vi. 225. In Proportion to Defects in the Understanding, Men are unapt to see lower Degrees of Evidence.
2. Unfit or unsuited for some use or purpose: a. Of persons.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 408. A great nombre of olde men and women, and children, vnapt for ye warre.
1595. Daniel, Civ. Wars, IV. xxix. The Earle being … Vnapt for issue, it must needes descend on those of his being next of Clarence race.
a. 1648. Ld. Herbert, Hen. VIII. (1683), 33. Courtiers have those [arts] by which they govern their Princes, when through any indisposition they grow unapt for affairs.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 1. He was exceeding feeble in his lower parts,… whereby he was unapt for exercises of activity.
1791. Cowper, Odyss., XXI. 159. I shall prove of little force Hereafter, and for manly feats unapt.
1850. Ht. Martineau, Hist. Eng., II. 224. Unapt for combination … as his colleagues were, his … indifference went to increase the evil.
b. Of things.
1579. Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 20. A minde vnapte for the contemplation of this doctrine.
1608. Willet, Hexapla Exod., 836. Such beasts … being vncleane, and vnapt for food.
1633. Bp. Hall, Occas. Medit., 108. Is there any thing more heavy, and unapt for motion then Iron, or steele?
1736. Butler, Anal., I. vi. 116. Whoever will consider, how unapt for Speculation, rude and uncultivated Minds are.
1765. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, VII. xxx. I … have a brain so entirely unapt for every thing of that kind.
1826. Kirby & Sp., Introd. Entomol., III. xxxiv. 429. In the Lamellicorn beetles … they [sc. mandibles] are soft, membranous, and unapt for mastication.
1873. M. Arnold, Lit. & Dogma (1876), 9. There are heads unapt for this sort of work.
† 3. Unsuited or unadapted to some end. Obs.
1539. N. T. (Cranmer), Tit. i. 16. They are … vnapte vnto euery good worcke.
1579. Gosson, Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 72. We must neither be laboured too muche … nor loyter too long, for making ourselues vnapt to any thing.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, viii. 179. Men after a full meale are … very vnapt vnto any labour…, either of minde or body.
1647. Jer. Taylor, Lib. Proph., ii. 47. That … every clause in the Creed should be clear, and … inopportune and vnapt to variety of interpretation.
4. Without const. Unfitted, unsuited, unadapted: † a. Of persons. Obs.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. (1811), 422. An vnredy and dispurueyed hoost for the warre, as … spyrytuell men of the churche, with husbonde men and other vnapte people.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 269. He must be no lither-backe, vnapt, or slothfull fellow.
a. 1621. Bacon, Disc. Saville, in Resuscitatio (1657), 230. The contrary Advantage (in Natures very dull, and unapt) of working Alacrity, by framing an Exercise with some Delight, or affection.
a. 1656. Hales, Gold. Rem. (1688), 277. The longer we defer, the more unapt still we grow.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 402. Such Men are commonly the most unapt in Things, that require Judgment and Reason.
b. Of things.
1588. Lambarde, Eiren., IV. Epil. I may neyther altogether condemne it as unapt, nor reiect it as unserviceable.
1598. Greene, Jas. IV., II. ii. When the mould is barraine and vnapt, They toyle, they plow, and make the fallow fatte.
1638. Penkethman, Artach., K 4. The whole Earth … is growne more unapt and backwards in bearing.
1650. Jer. Taylor, Holy Living, ii. § 6. 132. There are many worse [diseases] then to dye with an atrophy or Consumption, or unapt and courser nourishment.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), IV. 261. Such a union was very unapt and improper.
1842. H. Rogers, Introd. Burke’s Wks., I. 56. Thus disorders become incurable … by the unapt and violent nature of the remedies.
5. Of language, etc.: Unsuitable, inappropriate.
1553. Wilson, Art Rhet., 88, marg. Vnapte vsyng of apt wordes.
1588. E. Yorke, in Antiq. Rep. (1807), I. 261. Of which worde of Calibre, came first this unapt terme wee use to call a Harquebuze a Calliver.
1634. W. Tirwhyt, trans. Balzac’s Lett., A 2. Those, who with unapt complements imagine they have composed a good letter.
1783. Colman, Prose Sev. Occas., Ep. Pisos (1787), III. 13. Chaunting no odes between the acts, that seem unapt, or foreign to the general theme.
1796. Mrs. M. Robinson, Angelina, I. 228. Seldom she speaks: if question’d, she returns The answer incoherent and unapt.
1821. Scott, Pirate, xxv. No unapt representation of the sea in the Vision of Mirza.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt, xvi. Your comparison is not unapt, sir.
6. Of things: Not readily tending or likely to do something.
1587. Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 64. But commonly when men in fancie burne, Then womens hartes are most unapt to turne.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. iii. § 1. Feare … is of all affections (anger excepted) the vnaptest to admit any conference with reason.
a. 1628. F. Greville, Cælica, liv. Rage, feare, griefe, Powers as unapt to take, as give reliefe.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., 13. The parts of the body of some are so loose from one another, and so unapt to cohere,… that [etc.].
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xl. A mind which was unapt to apprehend danger.
1856. Bryant, Yellow Violet, v. Unapt the passing view to meet, When loftier flowers are flaunting nigh.
b. Of persons: Not apt or prone, not readily disposed, to do something.
1640. Wilkins, New Planet, II. 32. Men being naturally unapt to beleeve any thing that seemes contrary to their senses.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., 242. I am not unapt to think, that the Vale may have Vegetables analogous to our Grass, Shrubs, and Trees.
1785. T. Balguy, Disc., 5. Unaccustomed to suffer harm, we are unapt to suspect it.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, viii. You may have thought me unapt to be moved by light complaints.
1874. Micklethwaite, Mod. Par. Churches, 241. Men of little creative power, but not unapt to take up ideas suggested to them.
c. Without const.: Unready, backward.
1849. Mill, Ess. (1859), II. 401. Lord Brougham has condescended to bestow upon these unapt scholars his view of some of the essential requisites of a popular Constitution.
