a. [UN-1 7.] Unprofitable, useless. (Very common in 17th c.)
In later use chiefly with negatives.
1598. Dallington, Meth. Trav., V j. Bowling, carding, dicing, and other vnlawful and vnvseful games.
1624. Heywood, Gunaik., V. 219. Gold and silver they despise,… esteeming it rather an unusefull burden than a profitable merchandize.
1675. Grew, Nature of Mixture, 6. Which Definition … is both Vnintelligible, and Vnuseful.
1726. Leoni, Alberti’s Archit., I. 57 b. A new, and not unuseful Invention.
1788. Priestley, Lect. Hist., I. iii. 32. It is no unuseful sentiment that we collect from reading [etc.].
1817–8. Cobbett, Resid. U.S. (1822), 216. This may be no unuseful hint for the English Boroughmongers.
1827. J. Montgomery, Pelican Isl., II. 160. Still life was theirs, well pleasing to themselves, Nor yet unuseful.
b. Const. to; also for, towards.
1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, II. xx. 133. The streamers unusefull to the sailes, and onely hanging for bravery.
1653. H. More, Antid. Ath., II. x. § 3. Birds that will flutter with their wings when … as yet [they are] utterly unuseful for flying.
1733. W. Crawford, Infidelity, xvi. The Law of Nature … became unuseful to the End it was made for.
1756. Burke, Subl. & B., IV. i. Something not unuseful towards a distinct knowledge of our passions.
1793. Residence in France (1797), II. 10. My ideas … may not be unuseful to … my countrymen.
