1642. Forerunner of Rev., in Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793), 274. The duke’s fire of his anger and fury being unextinguishable.
1654. Cokaine, Dianea, IV. 351. Perceiving the flames unextinguishable, and defence impossible.
1762. Falconer, Shipwr., III. 169. There, all unquench’d by cruel fortune’s ire, It glows with unextinguishable fire.
1860. Pusey, Min. Proph., 375. We see the arrow with the unextinguishable fire, ready to be discharged.
b. Of feelings, qualities, actions, etc.
1656. Jeanes, Fuln. Christ, 156. A ground of unconquerable comfort, and unextinguishable joy.
1697. Collier, Ess. Mor. Subj., II. (1709), 14. I must repeat, That this Earnestness … is an unextinguishable Desire.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), III. 52. The people’s inseparable and unextinguishable share in the legislative power.
1815. J. Cormack, Abol. Fem. Infanticide Guzerat, viii. 143. The ardent and unextinguishable zeal of female character.
1873. Mozley, Univ. Serm. (1876), 201. The doctrine which … declares most unextinguishable war with materialistic ideas of the Deity.
c. Of laughter. (After the Homeric ἄσβεστος γέλως, Iliad, I. 599, Odyss., VIII. 326.)
1658. Sir T. Browne, Gard. Cyrus, ii. 42. That famous network of Vulcan, which … caused that unextinguishable laugh in heaven.
1801. Mar. Edgeworth, Angelina, iii. The milliner … burst into uncontrollable and … unextinguishable laughter.
1842. Mrs. Browning, Grk. Chr. Poets, iii. ¶ 5. That unextinguishable laughter which is the laughter of gods or poets.
Hence Unextinguishableness; -ably adv.
a. 1660. Hammond, Hell Torments, i. Wks. 1684, I. 615. So the Unextinguishableness of the one must be answered with the durableness of the other.
1775. Johnson, Unquenchableness, unextinguishableness. Ibid. (1779), L. P., Hammond. Hammond … was unextinguishably amorous, and his mistress inexorably cruel.
