[UN-1 7. Cf. NFris. ünsün (-sünj), MLG. unsund (hence Sw. osund, Da. usund); also MDu. ongesont (Du. ongezond), MLG. ungesund, MHG. ungesunt (G. ungesund).]
1. Of persons, etc.: Not physically sound; unhealthy, diseased; † suffering from wounds or injuries.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 1175. Men wounded him and band Vnsounde. Ibid., 3342.
c. 1330. King of Tars, 522. Summe heore scolles icleved, With serwe thei weore unsounde.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1255. Þai hurlet hym fro horse fete, & of hond toke, Set hym in his sadill þof he vnsound were.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 2165. Oute of the felde was he drayne, For he was seke and sore vn-sounde.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VIII. 787. The wery ost … Wysche woundis with wyn, off thaim that was wnsound.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, IV. i. 1. The Queyn, with havy thochtis onsound, In euery vane nurisis the greyn wound.
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, III. v. Enuy … Shall find me solid, and her teeth vnsound.
1667. Decay Chr. Piety, viii. 211. And like an unsound limb, the healing of one Sore is the breaking out of another.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1896), 57. It brought abundance of unsound people to the markets.
1787. ‘G. Gambado,’ Acad. Horsemen (1809), 47. It seems as if one might work a lame horse thus, and keep his unsound leg quiet.
1824. Byron, Def. Transf., I. i. 564. Merrily! merrily! never unsound, Shall our bonny black horses skim over the ground!
1879. Harlan, Eyesight, vi. 80. An eye with a high degree of short-sight is almost always an unsound one.
b. transf. Of wounds, ailments, etc.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 495. Medea the mylde … Wox pale for pyne … With a Sykyng vnsounde, þar sonet to hir hert.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., VI. iv. 16. But that same Ladies hurts no herbe he found Which could redresse, for it was inwardly vnsound.
1613. Heywood, Brazen Age, H 2 b. I did neglect the smart: At length it rankled and it grew vnsound.
1813. J. Thomson, Lect. Inflam., 425. The unsound appearances of the granulations show to what a stand the animal powers are put on such occasions.
† c. Quasi-adv., in the phrase to sigh unsound.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3290. Ofte he syghede vn-sownde, and said theis wordes.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 316. The eorl hovede and beheld … How they fayre in the feld, And syght unsound.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 638. For pure sorow of that sight thai sighit vnsound.
d. Of substances, plants, fruits, etc.: Not in sound or good condition.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 273. Officers … who ouersee the shambles, that no vnsound meate be sold.
1707. Mortimer, Husb., 167. Some Lands will make unsound Cheese, notwithstanding all the Care the good Housewife can take.
1815. A. T. Thomson, Lond. Disp., 402. In some places the grapes are … picked from the stalks, and freed from all the unsound ones with great care.
1855. Poultry Chron., III. 546/1. Shake the earth from the roots, cut off any unsound parts.
2. Morally corrupt or vitiated; wicked, evil.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 575. Þe venym & þe vylanye & þe vycios fylþe, Þat by-sulpez mannez saule in vnsounde hert.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3942. [He] ses theme alle in a soppe … With the Sarazenes vn-sownde enserclede a-bowte.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. iv. § 1. That wherein vnsounder times haue done amisse, the better ages ensuing must rectifie, as they may.
1601. Weever, Mirr. Mart., A 7 b. Seeking how she might the more inhaunce me, Though lewd my haviour was, vnsound my carriage.
1811. Lamb, Hogarth, Wks. 1908, I. 107. That he … took a pleasure in exposing the unsound and rotten parts of human nature.
a. 1862. Buckle, Civiliz. (1869), III. iii. 130. If the people are unsound,… the nation perishes.
b. Not sincere or true.
1714. Gay, Sheph. Week, IV. 104. Boobyclod soon drops upon the ground, A certain token that his love’s unsound.
3. Unwholesome, unhealthy.
1598. Florio, Insanare,… to make vnsound, or vnholsome.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 385. The Mine of Porto … is … of little benefit for want of workmen, by reason of the unsound ayre.
1707. Mortimer, Husb., 179. In unsound Pasture they reckon it the best for Lambs to run with the Ewes.
c. 1830. Glouc. Farm Rep., 18 (L.U.K.). In summer they depasture on the unsound grass land.
4. Not mentally sound or normal; not sane.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneis, II. 308. But we goe on, vnsound of memorie. Ibid., IV. 11. When all unsound, her sister of like minde Thus spake she to.
1642. trans. Perkins’ Prof. Bk., iv. 131. If a man of unsound memory … exchange the same land with a stranger.
1693. Humours Town, 32. A debilitated Body, and unsound Mind.
1746. Francis, trans. Hor., Sat., II. iii. 400. His Master sure … Must have confess’d the Slave unsound of Brain.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), V. 538. Finding that Nicholas Hume … was not an idiot or person of unsound mind.
1898. Daily News, 9 Nov., 4/5. The jury found … that he was occasionally unsound in mind.
5. Not soundly based in reasoning or fact.
1595. Spenser, Epithal., 237. Modesty, That suffers not one looke to glaunce awry, which may let in a little thought vnsownd.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, 210. The ground of the objection is unsound.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., ii. 6. Therfore it is unsound to say that God [etc.].
1746. Dunkin, trans. Horace, Epist., I. ii. 22. When doating Monarchs urge Unsound Resolves, their Subjects feel the Scourge.
1818. Byron, Ch. Har., IV. vii. Waking Reason deems Such overweening phantasies unsound.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., x. II. 614. Their old theory, sound or unsound, was at least complete and coherent.
1873. M. Arnold, Lit. & Dogma, vi. 180. When they air their unsound criticism in public.
b. Of persons in respect of opinion or belief.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lii. § 4. So Eutyches, of sound beliefe…, became vnsound by denying the difference.
a. 1658. Durham, Comm. Rev. (1660), 187. If an unsound hypocriticall man may be sent Minister of Christ?
1680. C. Nesse, Church-Hist., 196. God tenderly covers Asa’s frailty,… which he would not do for unsound Jehu.
1891. Ld. Acton, in Westm. Gaz., 10 Oct. (1906), 2/3. St. John, I have even heard, was unsound about Old Testament dates and authorships.
6. Lacking in solidity or firmness.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. xi. 20. Of such subtile substance and vnsound, That like a ghost he seem’d, whose graue-clothes were vnbound.
1760. Beattie, The Hares, 170. Some new phenomenon … Which … From its proud summit to the ground Proves the whole edifice unsound.
1800. Southey, St. Gualberto, viii. The pile was ruinous, the base unsound.
1844. Act 7 & 8 Vict., c. 84 § 46. If an unsound Party Wall … be pulled down and rebuilt.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. 126. The ice is too unsound for us to attempt to ride with a large team.
7. Of sleep: Broken or disturbed.
1584. C. Robinson, etc., Handf. Pleas. Delights (Arb.), 44. My sleepe vnsound hath dreadfull dreams.
