▪ I. until, prep. and conj.
(ʌnˈtɪl)
Forms: α. 3 Orm. unntill, 4–7 vn-, 4–9 untill (7 untell), 4, 6 vn-, 5–6 untyll (5 unetyll); 4–5 vn-, 5 (9 arch.) untille, 5 un-, vntylle (yn-); 4–7 vntil, 5–6 vntyl, 4– until. β. 4 (9 dial.) ontil, Sc. 5 ontyll, onetil, 5–6 ontill.
[ME. (originally northern) untill, f. ON. und (retained only in unz, undz = und es), = Goth. und (and untē), OS. und (usually unt), OFris. und (ont), up to, as far as + till till prep. and conj.]
A. prep.
In poetry occasionally put after the n. (or pron.).
I. Local (and derived senses), dative, etc. Latterly Sc. and north.
1. To, unto (denoting motion to and reaching a person or place); = till prep. 1.
| c 1200 Ormin 1399 Forr whatt teȝȝ fellenn sone dun Off heoffne unntill helle. a 1300 Cursor M. 5123 Þan he went vntil his in. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 13086 Wiþ hym vntil wode þey fled. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 2311 Þe Amerel vn-til a wyndow ran. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 3858 Streyght vnto hys bed he yode, And clepyd the bysshope hym vntylle. 1478 Eng. Misc. (Surtees Soc. 85) 37 Unto all theis untill whome this presentes shal com. 1526 Tindale Matt. iv. 3 Then came vntyll hym the tempter. 1561 Godly Q. Hester (1873) 12 Then shall I brynge her the kynge untyll. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. xi. 4 He rousd himselfe full blith, and hastned them vntill. ? a 1800 Jock o' the Side xiii. in Scott Min., When they cam the gate until. 1824 J. Telfer Border Ball. 43 It dirlit upthrow the twinklinge holes, The second lifte untille. |
b. Up to (a point or limit); as far as; so as to reach; = till prep. 1 b.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 10554 Fro þe Weste or Est vntil Moungow He was told of non honour. 1338 ― Chron. (1810) 42 Þe folk vntille Humber to Suane gan þei loute. c 1440 York Myst. xxxvii. 52, I prechid in Neptalym, þat lande, And Zabulon even vn-till ende. 1535 Coverdale Judg. xx. 1 Then wente the children of Israel out and gathered a congregacion,..from Dan vntill Bersaba. 1552 Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion, Upon the holy dayes..shalbe sayde al that is appoynted.., vntyl the ende of the Homelie. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. i. 211 Staires of yron ascending vp vntill the midst of the pillers. 1616 J. Lane Contn. Sqr.'s T. xi. 311 A woman..Which att her necke, vntill her dugges dependinge, Wore the ritch rubie. a 1765 Ld. Thomas & Fair A. xxviii. in Child Ball., Lord Thomas..strake the dagger untill his heart. |
c. In contact with; against.
| c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. iii. 1138 Sarmentes..Vntil a reed for turnyng bounden fast. 1785 R. Forbes Ulysses 38 He shook the blade, an'..Set the heft to the ground, The nib until his breast. a 1803 Cruel Mother iii. in Child Ball. I. 221/1 She's set her back untill an oak. Ibid. iv. |
2. To, towards; unto; = till prep. 2.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 23286 Þai..Ne wald noght here bot þair delices, Þat drogh þam vntil oþer vices. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 6484 Þogh now we ȝaue alle þy gode vntyl pore mannes fode. 1338 ― Chron. (1810) 237 Ȝit auanced he þat file vntille a faire þing. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. I. 448 Mynge hit yurne Tyl euery part vntyl on body turne. c 1535 Fisher Wks. ii. (E.E.T.S.) 429 Howe terribly shall he lay this vntyll our charge, whan we shal be called vntyll a rekenynge for this matter! 1566 Sternhold & H. Ps. cxxxix. 6 It is so hye that I the same Can not attayne vntill. 1587 M. Grove Pelops & Hipp. (1878) 77 Perchance y⊇ gods haue you preseru'd vntil some better end. c 1675 in Shirburn Ball. (1907) 171 Good or euill, which his minde was bent vntill. c 1800 in Chambers Pop. Poems Scotl. (1862) 64 Ge—en—tlemen o' the Jury, Ye'll answer until a' your names. 1814 Scott Wav. x, The Laird..had devoted his leisure untill tillage and agriculture. |
† b. like until, like; resembling. Obs. rare.
| c 1375 Leg. Rood (1871) 123 It was like untill a heuyn. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) vii. 26 Þe fruyt..es lyke vntill hostez. |
3. Indicating the person towards whom an action, feeling, statement, etc., is directed. Freq. after verbs of telling, teaching, calling, doing, giving, making, listening, etc. = till prep. 3.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1069 Vntil his broþer nith he bare. 1357 Lay Folks' Catech. (T.) 56 Seuen dedis of merci until oure euen-cristen. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. Prol. 227 Tauerners vn-til hem tolde þe same. c 1400 Rule St. Benet (Verse) 378 Al þat scho sal tech oþer vntill. 1417 York Memo. Bk. (Surtees) I. 183 He that es noght obeiant untill sercheours and till his crafte. c 1450 Lovelich Grail lvi. 77 What is that the vntylle? 1470–85 Malory Arthur xviii. xv. 752 She cryed on loude vntyl hym. a 1500 Coventry Corpus Chr. Pl. 966 The furst byddyng, Wyche Moses dyd rede vs vntill. 1521 Fisher Serm. agst. Luther iv. D v, He shal be a comforter vntyl vs. 1565 J. Hall Crt. Virtue 31 The rounde earth he hath forth lente The sonnes of mortall men vntyll. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 82 Than ȝe present ane peirles sing, Of lyfe serene, the warld vntill. a 1780 Archie o' Cawfield xxxv. in Child Ball., The lieutenant Until a bonny lad said..‘Who is the man..?’ Ibid. xxxvi. |
† 4. Up to (a given number); amounting or extending to. Obs. rare.
| c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxii. 102 Diuerse bestez, as marmusetes, apes and oþer many vntil iii{supm} or iiii{supm}. 1539 Bible (Great) Matt. xviii. 22 Lorde howe oft shall I forgeue my brother..: Tyll seuen tymes? Iesus sayeth vnto him: I saye not vnto the vntill seuen tymes: but seuenty times seuen tymes. 1582 N. T. (Rhem.) Luke ii. 37 And she was a widow vntil eightie and foure yeres. |
II. With reference to time.
5. Onward till (a time specified or indicated); up to the time of (an action, occurrence, etc.); = till prep. 5.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1424 Stil ai stod þai wandes thre Fra adam tim until noe. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 555 þe wilk reches fra þe bygynnyng Of mans lyfe un-til þe endyng. a 1352 Minot Poems (ed. Hall) iii. 39 All þat land vntill þis day Fars þe better for þat iornay. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. (T.) 702 Þay made hyme..a knyghte of þe tabylle rownde, Vn-tille his lyues ende. a 1466 Paston. Lett. Suppl. (1901) 105, I pray zow that hyt may be repytyd un tyll the tyme that I speke with zow. 1539 Bible (Great) Luke xvi. 16 The lawe and the Prophetes raygned vntyll Iohn. 1554 in Feuillerat Revels Q. Mary (1914) 154 From the laste daye of Maye..vntill the vj{supt} daye of June. 1592 Arden of Feversham iii. vi. 36, I doo but slip it vntil better time. 1652 J. Wright tr. Camus' Nat. Paradox x. 229 Intreating him to stay there untill further intelligence from him. a 1682 Sir T. Browne Tracts (1683) 138 With little action with foreign Nations untill the union of the Heptarchy under Egbert. 1721 Mortimer Husb. (ed. 2) II. 133 [To] hang them up until the end of February. 1754 in Nairne Peerage Evid. (1874) 55 Taking upon himself the stile or title of lord Nairn..until pay[men]t. 1853 Thackeray Eng. Hum. i. 10 He waits and waits until nightfall. 1889 Science-Gossip XXV. 255/2 Brooks's comet..may be visible..until the end of the year. |
b. With (usu. after) a negative, = till prep. 5 b.
| 1543 Star Chamber Cases (Selden) II. 267 Straungers..will not vtter their wares..vntill the Faire. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. ii. ii. 117 Things growing are not ripe vntill their season. 1628 tr. Mathieu's Powerfull Favorite 103 Tiberius ceased not vntill such time as the Senate did content him. 1671 tr. Frejus' Voy. Mauritania 21 Although this be a countrey where, untill this very day, we see no man so venterous as to hazard himself, but by Hostages. 1764 H. Walpole Otranto v, Until this hour I never set eyes on this damsel. 1872 J. L. Sanford Estimates Eng. Kings, Chas. I, 333 He did not become a person of real importance..until the death of his elder brother. 1893 W. O. Morris Napoleon (1894) 158 Nelson had not left Europe until the second week of May. |
c. Followed by an adv. (or advb. phrase) of time. = till prep. 5 c.
| 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 58 Godwyn..fro London went away, He stode vntille no more, defaute he mad þat day. 1538 Elyot, Etiamnum, vntyll than. 1539 Bible (Great) Num. xiv. 19 As thou hast forgeuen this people from Egipte euen vntyll now. 1582 N.T. (Rhem.) Matt. xi. 12 From the dayes of Iohn the Baptist vntil novv. a 1631 Donne Paradoxes (1652) 81 A vertue which,..untill then, is kept with a modest chastity. 1648 Hexham ii, Tot wanneer? Untill when? 1721 in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. VIII. 301 From the end of Compline untill after Prime the next day. 1764 H. Walpole Otranto v, It was not until after frequent discourses with Isabella..that he was persuaded. 1826 Art Brewing (ed. 2) 126 [It] has, until lately, been a question among chemists. 1838 Encycl. Metrop. (1845) XXV. 175/2 The results..cannot be appreciated until after the lapse of years. 1849 Rock Ch. of Fathers I. v. 385 Until late in the thirteenth century. 1873 F. Hall Mod. Eng. p. xv, Until four years ago. |
6. Before (a specified time).
| 1887 A. Brassey Last Voy. 201 Having quite abandoned all hope of our appearing until the morning. |
B. conj. (See till conj.)
Not common during 18th c.; in freq. use from c 1820.
a. Up to the time that; till the point or degree when; = till conj. 1. Also with that.
| c 1300 Harrowing of Hell (Auch.) 29 [They were in woe] Vntil Crist loked þaim vnto. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 56 Þei..duelled þer for drede, Untille þe kyng turned, & his wrath ouer ȝede. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. i. 619 The cok..his briddis hateth Vntil the crest uppon theire hedis growe. 1526 Tindale Luke xxiv. 49 Tary ye in..Jerusalem vntill ye be endewed with power. 1556 Lauder Tractate 481 The Maledictione of the pure Sall on ȝow and ȝour seid Indure, Vntyll that ȝe be rutit oute. 1580 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. IV. 426 [The jury] shall contynue together..untill they be fullie agreed upon their verdicte. 1602 Ld. Cromwell iv. v. 39 Now get you in, vntill I call for you. 1684 Bunyan Pilgr. ii. (1900) 228 He..did them all abuse; Until that I..arose. 1729 T. Innes Crit. Essay (1879) 267 In the meantime, until exact copies be published,..variations and alterations..may be shown [etc.]. 1764 H. Walpole Otranto v, Manfred..pushed on the feast until it waxed late. 1802 Lochmaben Harper xvi. in Scott Min., The fiend dought they do but listen him to, Until that the day began to daw. 1870 M. Arnold St. Paul & Prot. 9 Man is altogether passive in this call, until the Holy Spirit enables him to answer it. |
| ellipt. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iii. ii. 149 As doubtfull whether what I see be true, Vntill confirm'd, sign'd, ratified by you. 1855 Poultry Chron. III. 296/2 After this, until feathered, they should be fed on rich food. |
b. With negative (expressed or implied) in the principal clause, = till conj. 1 b. Also with that.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter xciii. 15 For lauerd sal noght his folke schouue awai,..Vntil þat rightwisenes Be turned in dome. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3213 Na man may..Out of þat hard payn þam wyn, Until þe fire haf wasted þair bandes of syn. Ibid. 3271 Til þat sight þai may never wyn, Until þai be clensed þar of al syn. c 1477 Stoner Papers (Camden) II. 29 Fore we may nat go yn-tylle ȝe comme. 1535 Coverdale Job xiv. 12 But when man slepeth, he ryseth not agayne, vntill the heauen perish. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. v. i. 115, I will fall prostrate at his feete, And neuer rise vntill my teares..Haue won his grace to come in person hither. 1662 Dryden To Ld. Chancellor 32 In open Prospect nothing bounds our Eye Until the Earth seems join'd unto the Sky. 1692 E. Walker tr. Epictetus' Mor., On Enchiridion, That Truth they could not find Until the Morning-Star..form'd the Gospel Day. 1766 Smollett Trav. iv, It will not freeze at all, until it has deposited all its salt. 1798 Wordsw. Peter Bell Prol. 4 Through the clouds I'll never float Until I have a little Boat. 1868 Morris Earthly Par. I. 187 No man living should see this Until that thou..Hast given it to the seneschal. 1893 Spectator 22 July 101 The answer..will probably not be published until these pages are in our readers' hands. |
| ellipt. 1895 C. J. Cornish Wild England of to-day 248 Often they will..not move until almost trodden on. |
c. In similar sense without a negative: Before the time that; before. Cf. till conj. 1 c.
| 1601 J. Weever Mirr. Martyrs A 3 b, One tale is good vntill another's told. 1621 H. Elsing Debates Ho. Lords (Camden) 51 He refused to yield..untell the fees..were payed him. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1655) II. 70 'Tis held a great part of incivility for maidens to drink wine untill they are married. 1841 J. R. Hope-Scott in R. Ornsby Mem. (1884) I. 305 There will probably be an interval of six months, at least, until they can meet. 1852 Rock Ch. of Fathers III. 76 The unfitness of man's soul to go to heaven until cleansed from every smallest speck of sin. |
d. = till conj. 1 d.
| 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. 417 Mallobantes..was much troubled, thinking it long untill he might advance his standerd against the enemie. 1611 R. Fenton Treat. Usury 97 The time is not long, vntill thou must trust him with a far greater matter. 1804 Lady Hunter in Jrnl. Sir M. Hunter (1894) 202 We had not sat long until one roll of the ship brought such a sea on deck as [etc.]. |
e. So long or so far that; = till conj. 1 e.
| c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. iii. 1143 In water first this opium relent, Of sape vntil hit ha similitude. 1535 Coverdale Jer. xliv. 27 All the men of Iuda..shal perish with the swearde,.. vntill they be vtterly destroyed. 1567 Jewel Def. Apol. vi. vii. 625 They eate, vntil they be faine to per⁓breake. 1598 Epulario K iij, Heat it vntill the Cheese curd. 1652 Culpepper Eng. Physic. 5 If the decoction stand..for two or three days untill the yellow colour be changed black. 1748 Anson's Voy. i. viii. 82 We were obliged to bear away until they had made all fast. 1764 H. Walpole Otranto v, A silly wench, who has heard stories of apparitions until she believes them. 1836 Thirlwall Greece III. 247 The flames were spread by the wind, until almost the whole island was left bare. 1901 Scribner's Mag. XXIX. 511/2 It was comparatively easy to repeat the drawing until the whole design was acccurately copied. |
| ellipt. 1827 Faraday Chem. Manip. xviii. 476 A mixture made by rubbing down very poor cheese with water.., until of the consistency of cream. |
† f. so long ({ddd}) until, = till conj. 1 f. Obs.
| 1470–85 Malory Arthur vii. xxxi. 263 So this syr Gareth rode soo longe in that forest vntyl the nyghte came. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Eatenus, Thou shouldest so longe beare vntill he had..neglected those lawes. 1595 in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ. V. 346 The Universitie of Oxford, where he continwed so longe untill he was thought fitt for the degree of Bacheler of Artes. 1597 Beard Theatre God's Judgem. (1612) 129 Eating grasse like oxen, even so long untill his haire was growne stiffe. 1651 Wittie tr. Primrose's Pop. Err. 226 Wee must persist so long in the use of remedies, untill..we perceive [etc.]. |
g. unless and until: see unless prep. phr. 2 c.
▪ II. until(l
erron. varr. (now dial.) of intil prep.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 2501 Þai fled and fell vntill a sogh. c 1375 Ibid. 2692 (Fairf.), Our lorde went vp vn-til [Cott. in-til] his blis. 1858 in N.W. Linc. Gloss. (1877) 264 Chuck some more stoäns until her [sc. a cart]. |