▪ I. bootless, a.1
(ˈbuːtlɪs)
[OE. bótléas, f. bót, boot n.1: see -less.]
† 1. Not to be expiated or recompensed by a ‘bote’; see boot n.1 9. (Only in OE. law.)
| a 1000 in Thorpe Laws I. 385 (Bosw.) Donne siȝ ðæt botleas. Ibid. I. 410 Husbryce is botleas. [1714 J. Fortescue-Aland Fortescue's Abs. & Lim. Mon. Pref. 62 Boteless, that is, unexpiable. 1839 Keightley Hist. Eng. I. 79 Of the crimes..some were ‘botelos’ or inexpiable, and were to be punished with death: such were treason, murder.] |
† 2. Without help or remedy; incurable, remediless, helpless.
| 1228 in Mem. Ripon (1882) I. 52 In pœna quæ vocatur boteles. c 1350 Will. Palerne 3984 It is a botles bale..to willne after a wif þat is a waywarde euere. 1567 Drant Horace Sat. ii. (R.), That were a bootlesse case. 1659 Sprat Plague Athens (R.), They saw the city open lay, An easy and a bootless prey. |
3. Void of boot or profit; to no purpose, without success; unavailing, useless, unprofitable.
| 1559 Myrr. Mag., Clifford ii, All care is bootles in a cureles case. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iii. iii. 20 Ile follow him no more with bootlesse prayers. 1641 J. Jackson True Evang. T. i. 77 Bootlesse problemes. 1736 Thomson Liberty iv. 644. 1782 Cowper Gilpin 189 Ah luckless speech, and bootless boast! 1869 Freeman Norm. C. (1876) III. xii. 255 A few bootless attempts at negociation. |
4. quasi-adv. = bootlessly.
| 1423 Jas. I. King's Q. lxx, As Tantalus I trauaile ay but-les. 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. iii. i. 36, I tell my sorrowes bootles to the stones. 1813 Scott Trierm. iii. i, Of wasted fields..The Borderers bootless may complain. |
▪ II. bootless, a.2
(ˈbuːtlɪs)
[f. boot n.3 + -less.]
Without boots.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xviii. 11 One..Barfote on an asse bakke botelees cam pryk[y]e, Wyth-oute spores other spere. [1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iii. i. 66 Thrice..haue I hent him Bootlesse home..Hotsp. Home without Bootes, And in foule Weather too, How scapes he Agues in the Deuils name?] 1880 Harper's Mag. LX. 676 Hatless, bootless, and trouserless. |