1. Incapable of being measured on account of great size, extent, or amount; immense, vast: a. Of material things, dimensions, time, etc.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., 934. O Golias, vnmesurable of lengthe.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, VI. vi. 71. Cerberus,… Vnmesurable in his cave quhar he lay.
a. 1541. Wyatt, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 70. Lyke vnto these vnmesurable mountaines, So is my painefull life, the burden of yre.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., II. iii. 33. The walles … are made of grauen stone … of length and bignesse vnmeasurable.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. Citie of God, III. xxxi. 152. A most huge and vnmesurable cloud.
1691. Norris, Pract. Disc., 243. Truth and Falshood … are removed from each other by an unmeasurable distance.
1754. Edwards, Freed. Will, IV. viii. 240. Unlimited and Unmeasureable Periods of Time.
1774. J. Bryant, Mythol., I. 398. The tower … was of an unmeasurable height.
b. Of actions, qualities, feelings, etc.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 69 (W.). Ye moeven materes unmesurable [v.rr. vn-, inmesurables] To tellen of the Trinite.
c. 1450. Merlin, xx. 329. He … yaf hym soche a stroke with the brasen betell so vn-mesurable, that [etc.].
1542. Becon, News Heaven, H iij b. Your ioy can not be expressed, your gladnes is vnmeasurable.
1588. in Harl. Misc. (1808), I. 143. An unmeasurable deep despair.
1648. Sanderson, Serm., Ad Aul. (1681), II. 242. We … shall have an unmeasurable reward … for the good we have done.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., Wks. 1716, I. 345. He did by unmeasurable communications of divine virtue assist his humanity.
17[?]. Watts, Hymns, ‘Come, dearest Lord,’ ii. The Heighth, and Breadth, and Length, Of thine unmeasurable Grace.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), II. 120. This … parade of sanctity gave him … unmeasurable credit.
c. Used with reference to God.
1535. Coverdale, Baruch iii. 25. Greate is he,… hye and vnmeasurable.
1550. Veron, Godly Saiyngs, E viii. Touchinge his godheade, and vnmeasurable substaunce.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 126. The same one man is locall … as touching his manhood, which is also God unmeasurable from the Father.
2. Immoderate, inordinate, unbounded: a. Of persons (or other agents).
1388. Wyclif, Prov. xv. 4 The tunge which is vnmesurable, schal defoule the spirit.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), III. ix. 55. These haue ben so vnmesurable in their expensys.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 3936. Nabal … made to hym kyng Dauid his vnmesurable enemy.
c. 1520. Barclay, Jugurth, xxvii. 37 b. Their myndes were greatly immoderate and vnmeasurable in their desyre to ouercome thestates.
1597. Breton, Auspicante Jehoua, Wks. (Grosart), II. 6/2. So great and vnmeasurable a sinner.
1629. J. Maxwell, trans. Herodian, 155. An vnmeasurable Louer of Money.
1667. South, Serm. (1697), 32. He … shall find [sin] … an Unmeasurable Exactor.
b. Of desires or the gratification of these.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 818. Glotonye is vnmesurable Appetit to ete or to drynke.
1388. Wyclif, 1 Pet. iv. 3. Whiche walkiden … in myche drinking of wyn, in vnmesurable etyngis and drynkyngis.
1422. Yong, trans. Secreta Secret., 194. Hit is dedly syn whan that concupiscens is so vnmessurable that [etc.].
1482. Monk of Evesham, xxi. (Arb.), 49. Y was … ageyne bonde yn to luste and custome of the same sinne, that was yn mine owne onmeserabulle taking and appetite.
1583. Babington, Commandm., 176. So euil an example of vnmeasurable sotting in bed.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. 269. Other carnall pleasures…, especially when they are excessiue and vnmeasurable.
a. 1648. Ld. Herbert, Hen. VIII. (1683), 220. His Cardinal[’s] … unmeasurable Ambition and Covetousness.
1788. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 371. The unmeasurable ambition of the Emperor.
c. In miscellaneous applications.
c. 1425. in Anglia, VIII. 139/11. Vnmesurabil laghter or vnsem and vnmanerly berynge of body.
1461. Rolls of Parlt., V. 493/2. The inordynat and unmesurable Enditementz and Presentementz … of Felonye.
1535. Coverdale, Ecclus. xxxvii. 30. Glotony commeth at the last to an vnmeasurable heate.
1592. Timme, Ten Eng. Lepers, H 2. Through unmeasurable abstinence, the moysture of the bodie is dried up.
1638. Penkethman, Artach., K j. Great Tempests, unmeasurable Windes and Raines.
1674. Temple, Lett. to Ld. Treas., Wks. 1720, II. 311. The unmeasurable Burden of their Taxes.
1709. Swift, Adv. Relig., Wks. 1755, II. I. 97. The lustre of that most noble family … which the unmeasurable profusion of ancestors … had too much eclipsed.
3. Not admitting of measurement; immensurable.
1652. Zeal Examined, Add. § 9. 40. Which rendered the true Church unmeasureable by any outward Formes.
1714. Barrow’s Euclid, Pref. p. ii. Both measurable and unmeasurable Magnitudes.
b. sb. An immensurable thing.
1652. Benlowes, Theoph., V. lxxxvi. Can measures such Unmeasurables hold? Can time Infinity unfold?
4. adv. = UNMEASURABLY adv.
c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 343. When he saw any yong monk lagh vnmesurable.
c. 1445. Pecock, Donet, 85. God is … vnmesurable greet in goostly greetnes.
1586. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., I. 671. So that great heede is to be taken, that none grow to be unmeasurable great.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 202. An huge unmeasurable great Ring.
Hence † Unmeasurableness. Obs.
1533. Frith, Book Answ. More’s Lett., H ij. Shewynge the vnmeasurablenes of his Godhead.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. xxxix. 3. To give himself the brydle to anye unmeasurablenesse of greefe.
1634. T. Johnson, Parey’s Chirurg., Wks., XXI. i. 776. The unmeasurablenesse of the manifest … qualities whereof they [sc. poisons] consist.
1656. Jeanes, Fuln. Christ, 204. The unmeasurablenesse of his affection unto us.
1724. Welton, Chr. Faith & Pract., 185. His judgments are as the great deep for their obscurity and unmeasurableness.
