1. Of persons or conditions: Without help, helpless; freq. without resources or means of subsistence, destitute.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, III. 1357. Pollidamas … stood, Socourles from al remedie.
1535. Coverdale, Prov. xxxi. 8. Be thou an aduocate … to speake for all soch as be domme & sucourles.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 412. Beyng succourlesse, and wandering vp & downe, at the last he was taken in a towne called Plashey in Essex.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. ii. VI. i. Whose speech may ease our succorlesse estate.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., X. 506. These once happy Iles … are Metamorphosed in the Anatomy of succourlesse oppression.
1641. Stockton on Tees Par. Reg., A poor succourless boy was buried 28 March.
1661. Morgan, Sph. Gentry, III. ix. 112. Fighting alone succourlesse with five of the King of Portugal’s ships.
1736. Thomson, Liberty, IV. 120. What Conflagrations, Earthquakes, Ravage,… succourless, and bare, the poor Remains Of Wretches forth to Nature’s Common cast?
1828. Lytton, Pelham, III. xi. The hopeless and succourless bed of death.
1876. Daily News, 18 Dec., 5/2. On the Hattia island, where the people were three days succourless.
absol. 1443. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 210. Visite the poore, and of compassioun, Nakyd and needy, and hungry socourlees.
1536. Wyatt, Penit. Ps., 2nd Prol. 20, Wks. (1913), 216. A … refuge for to save The Socourles.
a. 1586. Sidney, Ps. X. viii. The succour of the succourles.
a. 1658. Cleveland, Poems, etc. (1677), 152. You are tyed by your order to give Protection to the Weak and Succourless.
b. transf. of a thing.
1613–6. W. Browne, Brit. Past., I. iv. Cold Winter’s rage … makes the sap leave succourlesse the shoot.
† 2. Affording no refuge. Obs.
1601. Deacon & Walker, Spirits & Divels, 233. You are now fledde … to the succourlesse shelter of that your weather beaten action.
