1. a. Without being aware; unconsciously; inadvertently; unintentionally. Cf. UNAWARE adv. 1.
1535. Coverdale, Josh. xx. 5. They shall not delyuer the deedslayer in to his handes, for so moch as he hath slayne his neghboure vnawarres.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., II. vi. 35 b. If any drinke of it vnawares.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., I. 70. Lactantius was slipt unawares into this opinion, and S. Ierome doth … animadvert him for it.
1699. R. L’Estrange, Erasm. Colloq. (1725), 276. Money might lie upon the Ground, and they tread upon it unawares.
1726. Berkeley, Lett., Wks. 1871, IV. 139. I have unawares run into this long account.
1787. Bentham, Def. Usury, xiii. 184. So great a master having fallen unawares into an error.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Weal & Woe, ix. 133. I might have spoken unawares, with authority.
1865. Kingsley, Heroes, II. ii. I will tell you, lest you rush upon your ruin unawares.
b. Without being noticed; unobserved.
1667. Dryden & Davenant, Tempest, III. ii. I fear’d the pleasing form of this young man Might unawares possess your tender breast.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., III. i. § 5. By which we may give some kind of guess,… how Nature, even in the naming of Things, unawares suggested to Men the Originals and Principles of all their Knowledg.
1718. Prior, Solomon, Pref. ¶ 8. Age steals upon Us unawares.
1796. Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, V. 531. [In] confidence unlimited … hours might have passed, unnumbered and unawares.
2. Without intimation or warning (given or received); unexpectedly, suddenly.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. xxxiv. 8. Let a sodane destruccion come vpon him vnawarres.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., II. ii. (1886), 16. Witches must be examined as suddenlie, and as unawares as is possible.
1657. Trapp, Comm. Job i. 19. No guest cometh unawares to him who keeps a constant table.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 932. He … meets A vast vacuitie: all unawares Fluttring his pennons vain plumb down he drops.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 504, ¶ 1. Commend me also to those who … do not give up their Pretensions to Mirth. These can slap you on the Back unawares.
1796. Mme. D’Arblay, Camilla, II. 353. He had just surprised her in tears, by coming upon her unawares.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., II. lxxi. He that unawares had there ygazed With gaping wonderment had stared aghast.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq., vii. (1877), II. 63. The King, accompanied by the three great Earls, came unawares upon the Lady.
b. In the phr. to take (or catch) … unawares.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., IV. viii. 63. Away betimes, before his forces ioyne, And take the great-growne Traytor vnawares.
1791. Burns, Tam O’Shanter, 86. Glowring round wi’ prudent cares, Lest bogles catch him unawares.
1849. Lytton, Caxtons, I. ii. He seemed incapable of acting for himself; he,… if taken unawares, was pretty sure to be the dupe.
1865. Kingsley, Herew., ii. The famous soubriquet of ‘Wake’; the Watcher, whom no man ever took unawares.
3. In quasi-adj. use: † a. Ignorant, not aware, of something. Obs.–1 (Cf. UNAWARE a. 1.)
1548. Coverdale, etc., Erasm. Par. Acts, 36 b. But thou, in persecucion of my disciples,… doest persecute me also, vnawares thereof.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 86 b. He, as they are vnawares of him, sodainely snatcheth vp with his Pawes certaine of them.
b. Unknown, unperceived, unrealized. Const. to or † of (oneself or another).
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. John, 94 b. Neyther is it vnawares to me that ye shall not fully vnderstande these thynges whiche I nowe speake.
1584. Leycesters Commonw. (1641), 36. They sent on day (unawares to her) for Doctor Bayly, and desired him to perswade her to take some little potion at his hands.
1635. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Banish’d Virg., 140. I submissively kneeling down, and kissing his [hand] unawares of him.
1643. E. Symmons, Loyal Subjects Belief, 75. It is not wisdome for any man … to trust himself in a suspicious path, lest unawares to himselfe and them, he be on the sudden in mediis malis.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), VI. 70. Unawares to myself, I had moved onward.
1857. Kingsley, Two Y. Ago, I. 144. She found … that she watched, almost unawares to herself, for his passing.
1874. S. Wilberforce, Ess., II. 15. The very features of men … assume, unawares to themselves, something of unnatural severity.
4. In phr. at unawares: a. = sense 2.
1564. Haward, Eutropius, III. 31. Anniball assaultinge Eneus Fulvius at unawares beinge then in Italye slue him.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., IV. iv. 9. He is taken prisoner, Either betrayd by falshood of his Guard, Or by his Foe surpriz’d at vnawares.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 90. We used all our best endevours to take them at unawares, yet comming within fortie paces, we were discovered.
a. 1667. Cowley, Ess. in Verse & Pr., Avarice. He … Must run the danger … of the rapid stream it self which may At unawares bear him perhaps away.
1737. Winston, Josephus, Antiq., II. x. § 2. Serpents … some of which … fly in the air, and so come upon men at unawares.
a. 1774. Goldsm., Hist. Greece, II. 225. Darius fearing he should be attacked at unawares,… obliged his soldiers to continue the whole night under arms.
1822. Scott, Halidon Hill, I. ii. 167. You might slay him At unawares before he saw your blade drawn.
1868. Nettleship, Ess. Browning, i. 40. It is like coming to the edge of a precipice at unawares.
b. = sense 1 a and 1 b.
1596. Danett, trans. Comines (1614), 129. The King feared especially … least some word should escape him at vnawares.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 570. A Roman, at vnawares hauing killed a Cat, could not … be detained from their butcherly furie.
1679. C. Nesse, Antichrist, 213. It stole into the world … unsensibly and at unawares.
1853. Miss Yonge, Heir of Redclyffe, xv. All this was told at unawares, drawn forth by different questions and remarks, till Guy inquired how much ‘it would take to give them a start?’
1870. Chr. Rossetti, Poems (1904), 65. When friend shall no more envy friend Nor vex his friend at unawares.
