ppl. a. [UN-1 10.]

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  1.  Not designing or planning. rare.

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1673.  Remarques Humours Town, 4. That careless and undesigning way of living now in use.

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1685.  Boyle, Enq. Notion Nat., vii. 260. What … happens to deliberating or designing, and … to inanimate or undesigning beings.

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  2.  Having no ulterior or selfish designs; free from designing or underhand motives.

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1697.  Collier, Ess. Mor. Subj., II. (1703), 164. Children … believe others as kind and undesigning as themselves.

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1748.  Richardson, Clarissa (1811), II. xix. 130. An undesigning, open heart.

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1796.  Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, III. 316. Unsuspicious as she was undesigning, [she] thanked the Baronet for his message.

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1866.  Geo. Eliot, Ess. (1884), 336. The undesigning ignorant poor.

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  b.  transf. Of things.

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1709.  in Lady M. W. Montagu’s Lett. (1887), I. 47. ’Tis a plain undesigning truth, your friendship is the only happiness of my life.

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1779.  J. Moore, View Soc. Fr., etc. (1789), II. liv. 44. An open manner, and undesigning civility, distinguish the German character.

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1860.  Dickens, Uncomm. Trav., xvi. Of such undesigning aspect is his guileless yard now.

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