Forms: (see BIND v.). [UN-1 8 b. Cf. MDu. and Du. ongebonden, MHG. and G. ungebunden, NFris. ünbünjen, ON. and Icel. ú-, óbundinn (Da. ubunden, Sw. obunden).]
1. Not bound or tied up; unfastened. Also with up.
α. a. 900. Laws of Ælfred, c. 35. Ʒif he hine to preoste bescire unbundenne, mid xxx scill. ʓebete.
a. 1000. Ags. Riddles, xxiii. [xxiv.] 15. Nelle ic unbunden æniʓum hyran, nymðe searosælod.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xlvii. (Euphemia), 49. Vnbundine [he] gert hir cum þare Ymang þame þat bundyn var sar.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 28. So the barley lyeth vnbounden .iii. or .iiii. dayes…, and than to bynde it.
β. c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 357. With þe ta syde of hur heade vnbun vpp sho ran to feght agayn þaim of Babilon.
1570. Levins, Manip., 221. Vnbound, liber.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, XVI. xviii. Her lockes vnbound, wau’d in the wanton winde.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 603. Though … they binde Volatil Hermes, and call up unbound In various shapes old Proteus from the Sea.
1757. W. Wilkie, Epigon., II. 47. Now, tam’d by age, his coursers stood unbound.
1808. Scott, Marm., IV. iv. Some damsel flying fast, With hair unbound, and looks aghast.
1892. Gunter, Miss Dividends (1893), 248. The moonlight shining through the car window gets into her unbound hair.
b. fig. Unconfined, unconstrained; not bound by any engagement, vow, etc.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 393. It helpeth more … than forto crave Of othre men and make him bounde, Wher elles he mai stonde unbounde.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 1040. Bor ilk berne has bene vnbundin with blame.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 684/1. God … hauing his power absolute, fre, and vnbounden vnto any maner of hys ordinary course.
1603. J. Davies (Heref.), Microcosmos, Wks. (Grosart), I. 66/1. To court bright beauty match’d, as t’were vnbound.
1790. Cowper, Mother’s Pict., 87. I should ill requite thee to constrain Thy unbound spirit into bonds again.
1859. Tennyson, Elaine, 1377. Yet thee She fail’d to bind, tho’ being, as I think, Unbound as yet.
c. Not bound as apprentice. rare.
1497–8. in Archæol. Jrnl., XLIII. 168. A fyne lost by R. Bancrofte for … settyng to werk a child vnbound & vnablid.
2. Not secured with a band or border of some strong material.
1531. Rec. St. Mary at Hill, 38. viij kettelles bound and vnbond.
1547. in Feuillerat, Revels Edw. VI. (1914), 17. One Black chest bounde with Irone & ij other Chestes vnbounde.
3. Of books: Not provided with a binding or cover. Also with up.
1541. Acts Privy Council, 25 April. Anthony Marler … might sell the bibles of the Gret volume unbounde for x. s sterl[ing].
1549. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Colophon. That no maner of person do sell this present booke unbounde, aboue the price of ii. Shyllynges the piece.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., III. x. § 27. A Book-seller, who had in his Ware-house Volumes that lay there unbound, and without Titles.
1720. Hearne, Collect. (O.H.S.), VII. 161. The Textus … will be sent unbound, as desired.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., I. xi. One other leaf of that mighty volume … left to fly abroad, unprinted, unpublished, unbound up.
1896. T. L. de Vinne, Moxon’s Mech. Exerc., Printing, 401. The complete book on printing, unbound, then cost 14s. 4d.
fig. 1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. iii. 87. This precious Booke of Loue, this vnbound Louer, To Beautifie him, onely lacks a Couer.
4. Of substances: In a loose or free state.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 98. While the Turf lies open, and unbound, Succeeding Suns may bake the Mellow Ground.
1902. Brit. Med. Jrnl., 14 June, 146. Their methods … would only extract and precipitate the unbound purin.
