v. [UN-2 4, 4 b. Cf. MDu. on(t)gorden (Du. ont-), OHG. ingurten, -curten (MHG. engürten, G. entgürten).]
1. trans. and refl. To divest of, or free from, a girdle or girth.
In OE. (quot. c. 900) also with instr. (of the thing) as well as acc. (of the person).
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., III. xiv. (1890), 196. Se cyning þonne … ongyrde hine þa his sweorde & sealde his þeʓne.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, xxx. 409. Se casere … het hine ungyrdan and bewæpnian.
14[?]. in Wr.-Wülcker, 578. Discingo, to ungyrd.
1530. Palsgr., 768/1. I ungyrde a horse.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. John, xxi. 117. For thou vngirdedst or gyrdest thy self at thyne owne wil and pleasure.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 391. As he stoode at the Barre, the Lord Neuel was commaunded … to vngyrde him.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 301. Let the man come, and after he hath ungirt himselfe, gird her about the middle with his owne girdle.
1611. Bible, Gen. xxiv. 32. The man … vngirded his camels.
fig. 1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., E iv b. The resplendent … buildings of your Temple, (like a Drum), shal be vngirt & vnbraced.
1825. Macaulay, Ess., Milton (1897), 5. The sportive exercises for which the genius of Milton ungirds itself.
2. To release, or take off, by undoing a belt or girth.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 158. Rychard … descended fro hys hors for to vngyrde and lose hys sadle.
1623. Bp. Hall, Contempl., O. T., XIX. iii. was not this he that advised Benhadad, not to boast in the putting on his armour, as in the ungirding it.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., I. 63. How many … in the hot sun-shine of prosperity have ungirt and cast off that cloake.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., VI. xxii. When mourns thy tribe thy battles done,… Thy sword ungirt ere set of sun!
1828. Bp. A. Jolly, Observ. Sunday Services, 231. We must, therefore, prepare for the encounter by acquiring fresh strength of God, and never ungird our armour, but keep closely about us the whole armour of God.
fig. 1601. Shaks., Twel. N., IV. i. 15. I prethee now vngird thy strangenes, and tell me.
Hence Ungirding vbl. sb.
1639. J. Corbet (title), The Ungirding of the Scottish Armour: or, an Answer to the Informations [etc.].
