v. [UN-2 3.]
1. trans. To take (a door, etc.) off the hinges; to remove the hinges from; to open in this way.
1616. A. Rich, Cabinet, 96. A house, whose chambers are full of cobwebbes; the dores vnhindged.
1634. W. Wood, New Eng. Prosp. (1865), 106. Our hogges having found a way to unhindge their barne doores.
1644. Quarles, Sheph. Orac., x. The arme that shall unhenge Th’ incestuous gates of Sodom.
1674. Jackson’s Recantation, A 2. I … perswaded my self that the Machinations of my Brain were able to unhinge the Poles.
1775. Mrs. Delany, Life & Corr., Ser. II. (1862), II. 108. That may still be done, and ye box none the worse for it, or you may unhinge it and keep it in the top.
fig. 1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Sunday, vii. As Samson bore the doores away, Christs hands, though nail’d, wrought our salvation, And did unhinge that day.
b. transf. To unlock, unclose, open.
1624. Quarles, Job xv. 16. Would any … try a fall with Angels, and preuaile? Or with a Hymne, vnhinge the strongest Iayle?
1865. A. J. Munby, Verses New & Old, 185. I will not once … Unhinge my jaws to speak again.
2. To unsettle, unbalance, or disorder (the mind, brain, etc.).
1612. Shelton, Quix., II. xlvi. 303. The powerfull force of Loue Oft doth vnhindge the soule.
1663–70. South, Serm. (1715), IV. 306. Why should I then unhinge my Brains?
1690. Nesse, O. & N. Test., I. 60. Until another bad bargain happen … to unhinge his spirit again.
1764. H. Walpole, Otranto, iv. Theodore … has unhinged the soul of Manfred.
1793. Friendly Address to Poor, 13. These plays … serve only to unhinge and disorder their minds.
1867. Baker, Nile Trib., xii. (1872), 215. The nerves of Mahomet were completely unhinged.
1885. Law Times, 7 Feb., 270/2. Study … had unhinged the deceased’s mind.
b. With personal object. Also in weaker sense: To upset.
1631. Mabbe, Celestina, xvii. (1894), 254. The Blockhead hath swallowed the bayte; hee hath let her unhinge him.
1681. H. More, Postscr. Glanvill’s Sadducismus, 50. The Soul of Samuel might indeed have … so unhinged her, that she had been fit for nothing.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 320. One Blow from unforeseen Providence unhing’d me at once.
1782. Miss Burney, Cecilia, IV. vi. The effort … has unhinged me for a fortnight!
1855. Bain, Senses & Int., III. iii. § 13. Some constitutions are rendered more alert and active by excitement, others are unhinged.
1888. Miss Braddon, Fatal Three, I. v. The very mention of sickness … had unhinged him.
c. To unsettle (opinions, etc.), to render uncertain or doubtful. Also with personal object.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 320. But in the Middle of all this Felicity, one Blow from unforeseen Providence unhing’d me at once; and … drove me [etc.].
1770. Priestley, in Phil. Trans., LX. 197. The following experiments … quite unhinged me again, and left me as much at a loss as ever. Ibid. (1782), Matt. & Spir., I. p. xxviii. When persons’ minds are unhinged with respect to their opinions.
1831. Blakey, Free-will, 28. Calculated … to unhinge our opinions on matters highly important to our interests.
1856. Dove, Logic Chr. Faith, VI. § 4. 352. Does any such fact unhinge our moral convictions?
3. To deprive of stability or fixity; to throw into confusion or disorder.
1664. Lyttelton, in Hatton Corr. (Camden), 37. Which wee doubt will unhinge all that trade we thought soe well settled.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 149. Our bounded wills not being of strength enough to unhinge Gods unbounded power.
1709. T. Robinson, Vind. Mosaick Syst., Introd. 5. To entertain such … Ideas of God … would certainly unhinge the Foundation of all Religion.
1760. Ann. Reg., Hist. War, 15/2. Any motion of his threatened to shake and unhinge the whole scheme of his defence.
1796. Mrs. M. Robinson, Angelina, I. 2. The extravagance of sordid connections … have so unhinged my finances.
1886. Daily News, 10 Dec., 2/4. The supplies are coming in very irregularly and unhinge the trade.
b. esp. To unsettle (some established order of things).
1679. Hist. Jetzer, Pref. A j b. That Principle which obliges them to unhinge, and overturn all Government.
1688. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), I. 468. Restoring things to their old legall foundation, which hath been the work of some years past to unhinge.
1718. Free-thinker, No. 42. 306. The Luxury of a Nation does likewise unhinge the Publick Peace and Tranquillity.
1788. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 372. The old system is unhinged, and no new one hung in its place.
1812. Examiner, 24 Aug., 533/2. Wages that unhinged all that order in society.
4. To detach, separate, or dislodge from something. † Also const. of.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., XI. xvii. 145. These unhinge the day off from any Divine Right.
1680. C. Nesse, Church Hist., 463. Thus God by this providence unhing’d him of his Romish religion.
1712. Blackmore, Creation, I. 233. And hills unhing’d from their deep roots depart.
1764. Mem. G. Psalmanazar, 14. Some other avocations … unhinged me from my method oftener than I wished.
1788. Wesley, Wks. (1872), VI. 447. Whenever the mind is unhinged from God.
1861. Geo. Eliot, Silas M., ii. Minds that have been unhinged from their old faith and love.
Hence Unhinging vbl. sb.
1661. Feltham, Resolves (ed. 8), I. iii. 181. The unhindging of the whole frame of Government.
1678. Yng. Man’s Call., 72. The unhinging of the whole man from things of nobler worth toward God.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Wks. (1709), III. II. 97. lt portends … the unhinging of his Polish Majesty, or the beating of Prince Eugene out of Italy.
1850. Ht. Martineau, Hist. Peace, II. V. vi. 313. The unhinging of society.
1886. Athenæum, 4 Dec., 742/1. The outcome of an entire unhinging of his system caused by physical fear.
