† 1. Admitting of no return. Obs.
Chiefly as a rendering of L. irremeabilis.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, VI. i. 60. The naimcouth hous, that Laborinthus hait, Full of wrinkillit vnreturnable dissait. Ibid., vii. 4. The fludis bank…, Quhais passage is vnreturnable went.
1611. Cotgr., Irremeable, vnreturnable, or, from which one cannot goe backe.
1648. Hexham, II. Onwederkeerlick, vnreturnable [Kil. irremeabilis].
2. Incapable of being returned.
1740. Richardson, Pamela (1741), II. 343. I am even oppress’d with unreturnable Obligations.
1788. Mrs. Hughes, Henry & Isabella, III. 151. The unexpected, and as he esteemed it, unreturnable proof of friendship he had given him.
1795. Jemima, II. 195. Having such unreturnable benefits to thank him for.
1884. Marshall’s Tennis Cuts, 114. He can … place it in the opposite corner at such a pace that the stroke is practically unreturnable.
Hence Unreturnably adv.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, V. x. 81. Laborynthus … a thousand slychtis wrocht, For to dissave all wncouth tharin brocht, To wavir and er thar wnreturnably.
1788. Mrs. Hughes, Henry & Isabella, II. 72. Where there is a certain equality … of advantages, so as to leave neither parties unreturnably obliged to the other.
