a. Obs. [f. WEM sb. + -LESS. Cf. Icel. vammlauss faultless.]
1. Without stain of sin; undefiled, immaculate.
c. 1275. Orison Our Lord, 10, in O. E. Misc., 139. Þo þu hire to come heo mayde wes, And mayde heo wes after wemmeles.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xiv. 2. Lauerd, in þi telde wha sal wone?… Whilke þat incomes wemles, And ai wirkes rightwisenes.
13[?]. Bonaventura’s Medit., 812. My sone ys slawe here afore myn ye Þe whyche y bare wemles of my body.
a. 1400. Pistill of Susan, 151. Are I þat worthliche wrethe, þat al þis world wrouȝt, Betere is wemles weende of þis world wyde.
c. 1420. Lydg., Ballad, 104, Minor P. (1911), I. 258. O wemles mayden, enbelysshed with his byrthe.
2. Free from material blemish or imperfection; spotless.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18839. His for-hed fair, wemless to sight, Wit-vten ani runkel slight.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 736. This makellez perle … is wemlez, clene & clere.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. xxviii. (1495), 338. Noo thynge [is] more Impassyble and wemles … than lyght.
3. Free from hurt or harm; uninjured.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 7906. He bar hym so in þat pres Þat of wounde he was wem-les.
a. 1400. Mirror St. Edmund, in Hampole’s Wks., I. 222. I … þanke þe þat me … þou hase kepid,… in þis nyghte … hale, safe, and wemles.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 4066. [He] wendis a-way with that word & wemles þaim leuys.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 99. Bot thow mend hym that mys … Thow sall rew in thi ruse … Or thou wend of this wane wemeles away!
