† ˈcautelous, a. Obs. or arch.
Also 6–7 cautilous, 7 -ulous.
[a. F. cauteleux (Pr. cautelos, Sp. cauteloso), on L. type *cautēlōsus, f. cautēla; see prec. and -ous.]
1. Full of cautels; deceitful, crafty, artful, wily.
| 138. Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 223 Ypocritis ben cautellous for to take men in wordis. c 1430 Henryson Mor. Fab. 16 The Foxe seemes craftie and cautelous. 1509 Barclay Ship of Fooles (1570) 13 By falshood liuing, and by wayes cautelous. 1607 Shakes. Cor. iv. i. 33 Your Sonne..caught With cautelous baits and practice. 1661 Morgan Sph. Gentry ii. iii. 36 An Adder or Snake..signifying his cautulous devises and deceivable policies. 1840 Browning Sordello iv. 364 Cautelous Old Redbeard. |
2. Cautious, wary, heedful, circumspect.
| 1574 Hellowes Gueuara's Ep. (1584) 308, I doe..approve, that men with their wives be cautelous. 1612 Woodall Surg. Mate Wks. (1653) 239 That they be exceeding cautelous and warie in the inward use of all Mineral medicines. a 1734 North Lives III. 52 This makes all dealing with them very nice and cautelous. 1829 Scott Hrt. Midl. Proleg., I have been cautelous in quoting mine authorities. |
b. Const. of, inf., or clause.
| 1625 King's Instr. E. Drummond in Rushw. Hist. Coll. (1659) I. 162 You must be cautelous not to proceed any further in this business. 1628 Feltham Resolves i. xxiii. Wks. (1677) 48 To be more cautelous of him. 1639 R. Verney in V. Papers (1853) 225 They are very cautelous how they let any thinge of this nature passe. 1670 Baxter Cure Ch.-Div. 343 To be cautelous what wife we choose. a 1677 Barrow Serm. Wks. 1716 I. 283 We are to be cautelous of meddling with controversies. |