ppl. a. [UN-1 8, 5 b.]
1. Of questions, etc.: Undetermined, undecided, unsolved.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 445/2. For to confesse … myne ignorance, or rather vnresolued doubt herein, I can not satisfie my selfe with any thing that I haue red.
1621. First Bk. Discipl., 10. Because … Articles thereanent remaine yet unresolved, and referred to further conference.
1652. Heylyn, Cosmogr., I. 152. It is unresolved who this Samothes was.
1692. Ray, Disc., III. ix. (1693), 348. So I leave this Question unresolved.
1754. Edwards, Freed. Will, II. iv. 48. [He] leaves all the Difficulty unresolved and the Question unanswered.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., I. 101. Doubt on such a subject once mooted might not be left unresolved.
1856. Orr’s Circ. Sci., Pract. Chem., 327. The reason of this is an unresolved enigma.
2. a. Uncertain or undetermined how to act; irresolute. Also transf. (quot. 1611).
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. iv. 436. To our Shores Throng many doubtfull hollow-hearted friends, Vnarm’d, and vnresolu’d to beat them backe.
1611. Tourneur, Ath. Trag., II. i. With A kinde of unresolu’d unwilling pace.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xvi. 52. Being unresolved what course to take.
1691. Norris, Pract. Disc., 151. To be Doubtful and Unresolved in a business of such vast moment.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 67. A crew of unresolved divided rogues.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer., VI. (1778), II. 236. He … was still unresolved, when the violence of the viceroy … moved him to quit his residence.
1821. Scott, Pirate, xxxiv. Several were unresolved upon engaging in a … conflict.
absol. a. 1659. Osborne, Wks. (1673), 675. Nor did the readiness of the Scots to arm portend less in the ears of the unresolved, than a possibility of Conquest.
b. Uncertain in opinion; undecided.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxii. § 18. S. Augustines doubtfulnes … should not be mentioned by them which presume to define peremptorily of that wherein he was content to professe himselfe vnresolued.
1649. F. Roberts, Clavis Bibl., 259. Authors seem much unresolved herein.
1673. [R. Leigh], Transp. Reh., 142. The way is so difficult and my guides unresolv’d.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 235. Boyle … is very much unresolved, and knows not what to think of these … Vegetations.
1784. Cowper, Task, VI. 160. Unresolv’d Which hue she most approv’d.
1864. F. W. Robinson, Mattie, a Stray, III. 220. She [was] unresolved as to what was best and just—for others, as well as for herself!
† c. Const. of. Obs.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., II. vi. § 32. Either displeased at the Collect read,… or unresolved of the Efficacy of the Gold pendent about the Patients Neck.
1697. Dryden, Æneis, IX. 1078. So Turnus … unresolved of flight, Moves tardy back.
† 3. Not formed of set purpose. Obs.–1
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. viii. 68. If the backsliding be but the interruption of the first sanctity by a single act, or an unconfirmed, unresolved, unmalicious habite.
4. Not broken up or dissolved.
(a) c. 1801. Busby, Dict. Music, s.v. Canon, There are various kinds of canons: as the … resolved, the unresolved, the finite, and the infinite canon.
1837. [Mrs. Maitland], Lett. fr. Madras (1843), 56. Imagine a succession of unresolved discords, selected at random.
1869. Ouseley, Counterp., xvi. 127. The unprepared and unresolved sevenths … produced by its inversion.
(b) 1843. R. J. Graves, Syst. Clin. Med., xxi. 252. The hepatisation [or the lung] remains unresolved.
1850. Nichol, Archit. Heav., 54. The cluster in Hercules … never appeared devoid of unresolved light about its central regions.
1898. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., V. 894. Fibroid disease of the lung … secondary to pleuritic effusion or unresolved pneumonia, &c.
Hence Unresolvedly adv.
1621. Lady M. Wroth, Urania, 182. I gaue my answers vnresoluedly.
