ppl. a. [UN-1 8.]
1. Not employed or made use of; not put in force or practised.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., II. pr. vii. (1868), 56. Þat is to seyn, þat list þat or he wex olde, His uertue þat lay now ful stille ne sholde nat perisshe vnexcercised in gouernaunce of comune.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 86. Let neuer ony parte of thy good day passe and scape the vnexercysed.
1562. J. Shute, Cambini’s Turk. Wars, 19. A place wherein no filthie exercise was left unexercised.
1635. Brathwait, Arcad. Pr., 19. Their Comitiall courts like desarts, wilde and unexercised.
1671. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IX. § 42. The enemy left no manner of barbarous cruelty unexercised that day.
1796. Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, II. 278. Her judgment and penetration had been wholly unexercised.
1893. Fairbairn, in Selbie, Life, vii. (1914), 247. Certain faculties would remain unexercised.
2. Not taking exercise; remaining inactive; not put in motion; left unmoved or unstirred.
1562. Turner, Baths, 6. Some other [men] … eat euell and vnholsome meates,… and then being vnexercised … make much euill humours.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 273. Be not afraid … of this sluggish and vnexercised people, for … they stir not out of the city.
1624. Wotton, Archit., I. 3. That it [sc. air] be not … vndigested, for want of sunne, not unexercised for want of winde.
3. Of persons: Not accustomed or prepared by training or practice; untrained.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades, I. iii. (1592), 24. Whereby we gather, that the scripture is difficult or obscure to the vnlearned, vnskilfull, vnexercised, and malicious … wits.
1623. Bingham, Xenophon, Comp. Wars. An vnexercised Souldier is alwaies raw, though he haue serued neuer so long.
a. 1653. Gouge, Comm. Heb. xii. 5. This teacheth us … to fit and prepare ourselves for tryals. An unexercised man will not dare to enter into the list.
1702. Echard, Eccl. Hist. (1710), 599. Some few … being unprepared and unexercised, through fear and frailty, fell away.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), I. 377. Unexercised in their understandings and unpractised in the ways of men.
1802. Lamb, Cooke’s Rich. III., Wks. 1908, I. 47. Breaking out into … plaudits at its own success, like an unexercised noviciate in tricks.
transf. 1587. W. Fowler, Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 16. With my vnexcercised style [to] debaise suche graces.
