v. [UN-2 4.]
1. trans. To divest (a place, etc.) of men or other means of defence. Also const. of.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Se Desgarnir de son armée,… to vnfurnish.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., XXXI. xlix. Renaldo had six hundred men and more,… Though at this need his Princes turn to furnish, He soon agreed his own towns to unfurnish.
1600. E. Blount, trans. Conestaggio, VII. 225. He desired first to see the issue, before he woulde bee vnfurnished of his forces.
1686. Parr, Life Usher, 58. He was now forced to unfurnish this, as well as others, of its Souldiers and Ammunition.
1829. Sir W. Napier, Penins. War, VI. iii. II. 157. English troops should, without unfurnishing Lisbon, co-operate for the relief of Oporto.
† b. To make clear of; to depopulate. Obs.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 292. Europe is unfurnished of the Turks, busied in the Caramanian warre.
1614. Markham, Cheap Husb., I. viii. 50. This Pestilence … hath vtterly vnfurnished whole Countries.
2. To divest of furnishings or furniture; to dismantle.
1598. Florio, Sfornire..., to vnfurnish, to disaray, to deface.
1598. W. Phillip, trans. Linschoten, 66/2. All their ships are brought into the riuer, and vnfurnished of tacklings.
a. 1638. Mede, Wks. (1672), 174. When men account them the most religious to God-ward who do or would unfurnish the House of God most.
1662. J. Davies, trans. Mandelslo’s Trav., 108. His predecessour makes way for him,… unfurnishes the Palace, and leaves him only the Guards and the bare walls.
1707. Lond. Gaz., No. 4377/1. His Excellency dispatch’d Orders to Rome to forbid his House being unfurnish’d.
1886. P. Fitzgerald, in Art Jrnl., 324/1. Among the incidents of a flitting, or of unfurnishing a house.
† 3. To divest or deprive of something. Obs.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., V. i. 123. Thy speeches Will bring me to consider that, which may Vnfurnish me of Reason.
a. 1642. Sir W. Monson, Naval Tracts, v. (1703), 489/1. This will … unfurnish them of all Materials to fit out Fleets.
1664. T. Mun, Eng. Treas., 112. To unfurnish the poor Prince of his provision.
† b. spec. To divest (a tree) of foliage. Obs.–1
1712. J. James, trans. Le Blond’s Gardening, 47. To raise … the Palisade itself,… would certainly unfurnish it at Foot.
