a. and adv. Also 7 ’varsal. [Illiterate abbreviation of UNIVERSAL a. Cf. the earlier form VERSAL a.]
A. adj. 1. Universal, whole. Only in the phr. in the varsal world.
1696. Vanbrugh, Relapse, V. v. That which they call pin-money is to buy their wives everything in the ’varsal world.
1731–8. Swift, Polite Conv., ii. I believe there is not such another in the varsal world.
1751. Eliza Heywood, Betsy Thoughtless, II. 203. ‘She must certainly be somewhat of kin to the child.’—‘None in the varsal world, sir.’
1823. E. Moor, Suffolk Wds., s.v., I’m sewer I heent a farden i’ the varsal wald.
1854. in Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss.
2. Single, individual. rare.
1765. Bickerstaff, Maid of Mill, I. viii. There’s nothing comes amiss to her; she’s cute at every varsal kind of thing.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xiv. When every varsal soul in the family were gone to bed.
B. adv. Extremely, vastly. rare–1.
a. 1814. Fam. Politics, III. ii., in New Brit. Theatre, II. 220. A has now retired with his profits, and married a varsal rich woman.
