Unrig

v. [UN-² 4.]

  1.  trans. To divest (a ship) of its rigging (both standing and running).

1579–80.  North, Plutarch (1595), 541. He vnrigged and bestowed his ships in docks.

1615.  Britain’s Buss, in Arber, Garner, III. 632. That the other two weeks be also spent … in unrigging and laying up the Buss.

1667.  Lond. Gaz., No. 169/4. They were constrained to Unrigg her, and to take down her Topmast.

1720.  De Foe, Capt. Singleton, xiv. (1840), 240. We unrigged our top-masts.

1768.  Ann. Reg., Chron., 106/1. Some sailors began to unrig the ships.

1806.  A. Duncan, Nelson, 124. A broadside … nearly unrigged the Foudroyant.

1820.  Scoresby, Acc. Arct. Reg., II. 451. It would be necessary first to discharge the cargo, and to unrig the ship.

  b.  absol. To remove or take down rigging.

a. 1647.  Pett, in Archaeologia (1796), XII. 227. Friday the 16th, we unrigged, and shot the bridge.

1799.  Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), III. 238. Malta then was half-starving, and the Ships had unrigged.

1897.  trans. Nansen’s Farthest North, II. vii. 327. We … rigged up mast and sail. But … we were soon obliged to unrig, and take to paddling.

  c.  In pres. pple. = Being unrigged.

1673.  Lond. Gaz., No. 773/4. The other, mounted with 24 Guns, is now unrigging.

1810.  Naval Chron., XXIII. 121. A small frigate unrigging.

  d.  trans. (See quot.)

1769.  Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), Dégarnir le cabestan, to unrig the Capstern, by taking off the voyol, and unshipping the bars.

  2.  transf. To strip of clothes; to undress.

1591.  Lyly, Endym., III. iii. Vnrigge mee. Hey ho!

1693.  Dryden’s Juvenal, XIV. (1697), 367. The Shrine was … lin’d with a strong Guard of Souldiers, who had an Eye to their God … lest he should be stoln, or unrigg’d.

1723.  Pres. St. Russia, I. 162. The French Gentlewoman,… whom they had almost unrigged, withal telling the Men that they had stript first.

1793.  Wolcot (P. Pindar), Ep. to the Pope, 132. Out with her ear-rings and the Dame unrig.

1820.  Scott, Monast., xvi. He secured my spare doublet…—I was enforced to beat a retreat before I was altogether unrigged.

1880–.  in Shropshire and Yks. use (Eng. Dial. Dict.).

  absol.  1693.  Congreve, Old Bach., V. i. Bell. I wou’d unrig. Setter. I attend you, Sir.

1865.  Mrs. Whitney, Gayworthys, v. Gabriel … fibbed again when he said he ‘didn’t feel much like rigging up for a party;’ which had been true but for the last five minutes since he unrigged.

  b.  To unharness.

1690.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2552/3. The Sailors went ashore and unrigged his Horse.

1881.  Duffield, Don Quixote, II. 575. The express command of his master that … Rozinante should not be unrigged.