Also 5–6 unyte. [f. ūnīt-, ppl. stem of post-Aug. L. ūnīre, to join together, make one, f. ūnus one. Cf. UNE v., UNY v.]
1. trans. To combine or join (one or more things) to or with another or others, to bring or put together (separate or divided things), so as to form one connected or contiguous whole; to form or incorporate into one body or mass; to make or cause to be one: a. In non-physical connection or union.
In early examples used as pa. t. and pa. pple. active without final -d: cf. prec.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), VI. 289. Egberte prevaylynge in that batelle, unyte to his realme the realmes of the marches.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, X. Prol. 26. Set our natur God hes to hym vnyte.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 16. That he take no counsel to vnite Thempire to his house and posteritie.
c. 1630. Milton, At a Solemn Music, 27. Till God ere long To his celestial consort us unite, To live with him.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xix. 96. Where the publique and private interest are most closely united.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. General, By retaining only those Qualities, and uniting them into one Idea, they have another, more general Idea.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxviii. III. 73. A wealthy and noble senator, who united the sacred characters of pontiff and augur, with the civil dignities of proconsul of Africa.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xix. Before the fiançailles had united his troth with that of Eveline Berenger.
1839. Murchison, Silur. Syst., I. xxvi. 333. I attribute the discrepancy to my having united observations made on both flanks of the river.
1882. Mrs. Pitman, Mission L. Greece & Pal., 174. The strongest wish of the Cretans is that they should be united to Greece.
absol. 1713. Blackmore, Creation, VII. 273. The mind … does distinguish here, and there unite.
refl. 1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xviii. Here our story unites itself with that part of the narrative which [etc.].
b. In physical connection or union.
In quot. 1602 in figurative context.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., IV. i. 222. Our Peace will (like a broken Limbe vnited) Grow stronger.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., V. i. Be gratious, observation, to our sceane, For now the plot unites his scattred limbes.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 23 May 1645. The whole Chapell … and roofe are full of precious stones united with the mouldings.
1738. Gray, Tasso, 61. The parent sun’s warm powers … In one rich mass unite the precious store.
1788. Sir J. Reynolds, Disc. (1789), 22. Much smoothness, and uniting the colours, is apt to produce heaviness.
1800. trans. Lagrange’s Chem., II. 46. A salt which crystallizes in small needles united together.
1846. Brittan, trans. Malgaigne’s Man. Oper. Surg., 244. Sanson made his incision…, and united the wound from before backwards.
1867. Pitt-Rivers, Evol. Culture (1906), 67. A … breast-piece of armour … composed of seals’ teeth, set like scales, and united with string.
refl. 1788. Lemprière, Classical Dict., s.v. Cælus, Saturn … deprived his father of the organs of generation, as he was going to unite himself to Terra.
c. To combine or amalgamate into one body; to bring together or consolidate (an army).
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., IV. I. 164. Vnite Your Troopes of horsemen, with his Bands of foote.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 69. The English and French, with forces and mindes vnited, sayled ouer into Africa.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., VIII. § 153. All those forces … being united with Manchester. Ibid. The King … not believing that the enemy could be so soon united.
1802. James, Milit. Dict., s.v. Battle, You should unite all your force, examine the advantage of the ground [etc.].
1840. Thirlwall, Greece, VII. 369. [If] the forces of Greece … had been united and well directed.
d. To join or clasp (hands), esp. in the marriage ceremony. (Cf. 2 b.)
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. ii. 170. Since … Hymen did our hands Vnite comutuall, in most sacred Bands.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, V. xlviii. Now unite Thine hand with mine.
1820. Scott, Monast., xxxvii. A house of the village, where next day their hands were united by the Protestant preacher.
e. Horsem. To cause (a horse) to move with the hind- and fore-quarters in union or agreement. (Cf. 5 d, UNION sb.1 2 c, and F. unir.)
1884. E. L. Anderson, Mod. Horsem., 110. To unite a horse at a walk, the rider will press his legs against the sides of the animal, and, carrying back the forces of the forehand, prevent an increase of the speed by a corresponding operation of the hand.
2. To make one in feeling or thought; to cause to agree; to combine or join (persons) together in action or interest, or for some special purpose.
1547. J. Harrison, Exhort. Scottes, h iv b. Remember (I besech you …) how that by this calling of vs into this vnitie,… he woulde also vnite & ioyne vs in one religion.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Vnitas, In unitatem venire, Plin., to be vnited:… to be no more at variance.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. i. 23. I Simpathy of Loue vnite our thoughts.
1599. [see 1 c].
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., VIII. § 84. A general who might unite all those northern counties in his service.
1649. Nicholas Papors (Camden), 155. The meanes to unite the heartes of all the sober Royalysts.
1709. Prideaux, Lett. (Camden), 202. His interest with the northern protestants may be of great use to unite them with the Church of England.
1791. Cowper, Odyss., XXIV. 567. Let mutual amity … Unite them, and let wealth and peace abound.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, XII. xxiii. The fond and long embrace which did their hearts unite.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., I. xii. 661. Men of all tastes … were on this point united as by a common bond.
refl. 1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. x. § 1. This was the cause of mens vniting themselues at the first in politique societies.
1648. Milton, Ps. lxxxiii. 19. Themselves against thee they unite And in firm union bind.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), s.v. Province, Provinces … that made a firm Alliance,… by which they united themselves, so as never to be divided.
b. To join (persons) in marriage. Also refl.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., Marriage, a … Contract, by which a Man is join’d and united to a Woman.
1891. R. Ellis, trans. Catullus, lxiv. 21. Then did a father agree Peleus with Thetis unite him.
1882. Miss Braddon, Mt. Royal, II. vi. 119. She wants to see the two people she loves best on earth united.
3. Of persons (or things): To have, possess, or exhibit (qualities, etc.) in union or combination; to combine (features usually regarded as distinct).
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat., I. 52. We shall seek that [specific character] of each plant … in it’s grain, which, as being the principle, must unite every thing proper for it’s expansion.
1798. Ferriar, Illustr. Sterne, etc., ii. 38. A specimen of D’Aubigné’s style, which unites the severe and the ludicrous.
1824. Encycl. Brit., Suppl. II. 111/1. Uniting in himself all the vices of … a Barbary despot.
1864. Bryce, Holy Rom. Emp., xii. (1875), 195. The Emperor … was also the East Frankish King, uniting in himself, to use the legal phrase, two wholly distinct ‘persons.’
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq., xviii. IV. 143. The sons of Ealdgyth united the blood of the two greatest houses in England.
4. intr. Of persons, personifications, states, etc.: To enter into association, alliance, combination, or union; to join together or with others for some common purpose; to combine in some action or to do something; to act in concert or agreement.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., III. ii. 1. If you will now vnite in your Complaints,… the Cardinall Cannot stand vnder them.
1670. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XIII. § 58. The Presbyterians of Lancashire … nobody imagined to be … unwilling to unite and join with the royal party.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, VIII. xiv. All united at last, to drive out that king.
1787. Washington, Lett., Writ. 1891, XI. 183. Is it best for the States to unite or not to unite?
1847. Mrs. A. Kerr, trans. Ranke’s Hist. Servia, 22. Now it was necessary that all should unite in direct conflict against a common enemy.
1890. Retrospect Med., CII. 343. Teachers and text-books have all united in impressing upon us the necessity of the greatest care in handling tar.
b. Of hearts or minds: To become one in feeling or sentiment. poet. or rhet.
1766. Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767), II. x. 101. With mind only can mind unite.
1781. Cowper, Ep. Lady Austen, 32. When minds, that never met before, Shall meet, unite, and part no more.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, VI. xxxix. Few were the living hearts which could unite Like ours.
c. To join in marriage with another.
1755. Johnson, To Join, v.n.,… to unite with in marriage.
1866–7. Baring-Gould, Curious Myths (1872), 216. A man is enticed in their abode, where he unites with a woman of the underground race.
5. To form one material whole or body; to become one; to be joined together, or to or with others; to combine physically; to coalesce; spec. in Chem., to combine by chemical affinity or attraction.
1667. Milton, P. L., XII. 382. From my Loynes Thou shalt proceed, and from thy Womb the Son of God most High; So God with man unites.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. xxiii. § 26. Let but a sharp cold come, and they unite, they consolidate, these little atoms cohere.
1716. Pope, Iliad, V. 375. Where to the hip the inserted thigh unites.
1794. R. P. Knight, Landscape, I. 194. To lead … the prying sight To where component parts may best unite.
1826. S. Cooper, First Lines Surg. (ed. 5), 292. When not too severely contused, they will be found to live and unite to the surrounding parts.
1835. J. Duncan, Beetles (Nat. Lib.), 213. There are two broad stripes … on each wing-case, which unite behind.
1871. A. Meadows, Man. Midwifery (ed. 2), 54. The tubes … sometimes remaining throughout single, but at other times dividing and uniting again.
(b) 1800. trans. Lagrange’s Chem., I. 303. They form together a triple salt,… which proves that they exercise a reciprocal attraction, in virtue of which they unite.
1807. T. Thomson, Chem. (ed. 3), II. 103. In this way it [water] unites to lime.
1867. Bloxam, Chem., 1. Chemical attraction is the force which causes different kinds of matter to unite, in order to form a new kind of matter.
b. Of naval or military forces, etc.: To form one combined or conjoint body.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 5 May 1692. The Eastern wind so constantly blowing, gave our fleete time to unite.
1748. Anson’s Voy., I. vii. 75. The time drew near, when the squadron would be separated never to unite again.
c. Of immaterial things or in non-physical connection.
1795. in Cruise, Digest (1818), III. 228. Their heirship is unitas juris: the whole body of the coheirs, however numerous, must unite to constitute the heir.
1809. Coleridge, Friend, 142. The nature of the Earth and the nature of the Mind unite to make the contrary impossible.
1822. Byron, Vis. Judgem., lxvi. The next world; where unite All the costumes since Adam’s.
d. Horsem. (See quot. and cf. 1 e above.)
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl., s.v., A horse is said to unite, or walk in union, when, in galloping, the hind quarters follow and keep time with the fore.
