† 1. a. Immoderate or excessive in amount. Obs.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., V. xii. (1890), 422. Ond ealle … mid unmæte eʓe ʓeslæʓene weron & utfluʓon.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 103. Ȝifernesse … maceð þan men muchele untrumnesse and to deþe bringeð mid unmete drunche.
c. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 19. Ðar is chiueringe of toðen for ðe unmate chele.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23035. Þat drednes sal be sun vn-mete, Þat it mai all sli plightes bete.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., iv. 23. This wilde wille went a-wai, with mone and mournyng muchel un-mete.
† b. Excessive in size; immense, huge. Obs.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., V. xiii. (1890), 438. Þa teah be forð boc … unmættre micelnisse.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 16566. For to ber it [sc. a tree] vte o þe kirk Þai fand it ful vn-mete.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 208. He hade … an ax in his oþer [hand], a hoge & vn-mete.
c. 1350. Lybeaus Disc., 1629. Another helm hym was brought, And a schaft unmete.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 143. Þen metis he furthe to Messadon full vn-mete gatis.
14[?]. Sir Beues (C.), 2537. Ascopard hys staffe onmeete Smot after hym a strok gret.
c. 1475. Partenay, 5775. Hys panche as a pipe hug and comerous; … Off hir unmete hugenesse is gret meruaill.
† 2. Unequal; unevenly matched. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9362. Als rose and thron ar tua vnmete; And tuix þam fair a-cord es nan.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 759. My makelez lambe … Me ches to hys make, al-þaȝ vnmete Sum tyme semed þat assemble.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 121. Thou wost nothing of my desese, Hou thou and I be now unmete.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1324. But vnmete was the Macche at þe mene tyme: The Grekes were grym [etc.].
1513. Douglas, Æneid, II. xi. 76. Litle Iulus … With wnmeit paiss his fader fast followand.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. V., 76 b. Their numbre was but small … and far vnmete to compare with halfe the power of his puissaunt armie.
1563. Mirr. Mag., Induct. xxviii. We passed on with steppes and pace vnmete.
a. 1760[?]. in Child, Ballads, IV. 165/1. Four he killd and five did wound, That was an unmeet marrow!
† b. Lacking in equality; inferior. Obs. rare.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 260. Sche … thoghte hirself unmete And the lest worth of wommen alle.
a. 1547. Surrey, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 219. He bowed at her feete, In humble wise as who would say I am to farre vnmete.
† c. Superior. Obs. rare.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 163. This Galathee … Above alle othre was unmete Of beaute. Ibid., II. 199. The thridde maister scholde mete, Which, as thei seiden, was unmete Above hem alle, and couthe most.
† d. As adv. Unequally. Obs.–1
1515. Scottish Field, 188, in Chetham Misc. (1856), II. They were numbered nyne hundreth,… And they were x thousand … upon the other partie; Full unmette were they matched.
† 3. Not closely united; remote. Obs.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 316. Fro merci thei ben al unmeete, And thus ben thei the worste of alle Of hem whiche unto wraththe falle.
a. 1500. Flower & Leaf, 17. As I lay in my bed, sleep ful unmete Was unto me.
4. Unfitting, unsuitable, unbecoming, improper. Common c. 1535–1675, and in 19th cent.
a. 1529. Skelton, Replyc., 49. With baudy wordes vnmete Your tonges were to flete.
a. 1602. W. Perkins, Cases Consc. (1619), 6. Inconuenience is when the thing or action is done in vnmeete circumstances.
1649. Bp. Hall, Cases Consc., IV. vi. 450. Such a marriage is very unmeet.
1675. Hobbes, Odyss., 27. While they contending were with words unmeet.
1790. Cowper, Iliad, I. 145. It were much unmeet that I alone … should want due recompense.
1814. Scott, Lord of Isles, V. vii. With unaccustom’d ears, A language much unmeet he hears.
1850. Neale, Med. Hymns (1867), 138. It is not for man’s devices Here to pry with gaze unmeet.
1885–94. R. Bridges, Eros & Psyche, June, xxiv. [There] were noises at the door … Such as … now seem’d most unmeet to be.
b. Const. for, or to with inf. (Cf. next.)
1541. Act 33 Hen. VIII., c. 21 § 7. Soo allso were it unmete and daungerous to the suretye of our … Kynge … to be construed by any lawe [etc.].
c. 1555. Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (Camden), 97. This kind of reason is … far unmeet for … these learned men.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. D 6. It is very vnmeete to feede forren nations, and our owne country famish at home.
a. 1683. Owen, Two Disc. Holy Spirit (1693), 54. That which some oppose as unmeet for him, and beneath his Glory.
a. 1703. Burkitt, On N. T., Mark iv. 2. Christ thought … a ship no unmeet place to preach in.
1807. Wordsw., White Doe, I. 312. Why mention other thoughts unmeet For vision so composed and sweet?
1867. G. Macdonald, Poems, 48. Trailing loose their white attire For the sapphire-floor unmeet.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., I. I. 353. He rose and spoke in humble words, unmeet For a great King.
5. Unfit or unsuited for some end or purpose; incompetent: a. With for.
c. 1522. Skelton, Why nat to Courte, 32. Age is a page For the courte full vnmete.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. 126 b. The olde that be barraine, or vnmeete for breeding.
1626. Gouge, Serm. Dignity Chivalry, § 2. They were too meane and unmeet persons for a function so high.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. xlvii. 129. The more Baron, the lesse Bishop, and more unmeet for the service of Rome.
1676. Row, Contn. Blair’s Autobiog., xi. (1848), 326. Mr. Blair was now infirm and unmeet for travel.
1855. Tennyson, Maud, I. IV. x. Ah Maud, you milkwhite fawn, you are all unmeet for a wife.
1863. Conington, trans. Hor. Odes, II. xix. 27. [They] Deem’d thee belike for war’s rough game Unmeet.
b. With † to (prep.), or to with inf.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., V. cxl. 125. They chase a man of lowe byrth & vnmete to that rome.
1533. Sir T. More, Lett. Impugn. J. Fryth, liv. Fryth is an vnmete mayster to teche vs what we shold praye.
1535. Coverdale, Tit. i. 16. For so moch as they are … dishobedient, and vnmete to all good workes.
1600. Holland, Livy, 596. They supposed, that they would … bee farre unmeet to contrive a conspiracie.
1642. H. More, Min. Poems, Wks. (Grosart), 177/1. Such surface skill’s Unmeet to measure the profounder quill.
1670. Baxter, Cure Ch. Div., 372. In those cases where violent restraint … is necessary, the Pastor is the unmeetest person to meddle in it.
1808. Scott, Marm., VI. xiii. To each one whom he lists, howe’er Unmeet to be the owner’s peer.
1846. Keble, Lyra Innoc., 235. Behold me, Lord, a worthless Gibeonite, Unmeet to bear one burthen in thy sight.
c. Without const.
1535. Coverdale, Job xxxvii. 19. Teach vs what we shal saye vnto him, for we are vnmete because of darcknes.
1557. Act 4 & 5 Phil. & Mary, c. 3 § 1. The same Disability … notwithstanding, the same unable and unmeet Persons … have also been released.
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus, Ann., XIII. vi. 187. Neither did that [practice] long continue, because the lot fell oft vpon the vnmeetest.
1706. Prior, Ode to Queen, xxxv. That Muse desires … the lowest Place; Who tho’ unmeet, yet touch’d the trembling String.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xii. He were rather an unmeet counsellor in that which we now treat of.
1844. Is. Williams, Baptistery, III. ii. Then like the Leper stand and pray aloof,—Like the Centurion deem thyself unmeet.
