ungearv.
1. transitive. To unharness. Now dialect and North American.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping or management of horses > horse-gear > [verb (transitive)] > tack or harness > unharness
untackle1574
ungear1598
unharness1611
unclose?1614
unrig1690
outspan1815
unshut1817
untack1962
1598 G. Chapman tr. Homer Seauen Bks. Iliades vii. 129 And Nestors squire Eurimidon, the horses did vngeare.
1775 J. Ash New Dict. Eng. Lang. Ungear,..to unharness, to deliver from the gears.]
1825 J. T. Brockett Gloss. North Country Words (at cited word) Ungear the yoke.
1828 Rep. Trial W. & J. Dyon at Castle of York ii I was ungeering the horses.
1846 T. L. McKenney Mem. I. vii. 157 Wading into the stream, we ungeared the obstinate animal, and led him out.
1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northants. Words II. 368 Ungear, to unharness; restricted to husbandry horses.
1878 J. H. Beadle Western Wilds xv. 237 At 2 p.m. we..ungeared the mules, and crawled under the wagon for shade.
1975 E. Wigginton Foxfire 3 235 When I come in at night I'd put m' mules up an' ungear 'em.
2. To disconnect the gearing of. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > parts of machines > wheel > furnish with wheel(s) [verb (transitive)] > (dis)connect by gearing
ungear1828
gear1851
rack1867
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > perplexity, bewilderment > act of perplexing > confuse, perplex, bewilder [verb (transitive)]
abobc1330
confusec1350
confoundc1374
cumbera1375
passc1384
maskerc1400
mopc1425
enose1430
manga1450
overmusec1460
perplex1477
maze1482
enmuse1502
ruffle?a1505
unsteady1532
entangle1540
duddle1548
intricate1548
distraught1579
distract1582
mizzle1583
moider1587
amuse1595
mist1598
bepuzzle1599
gravel1601
plunder1601
puzzle1603
intrigue1612
vexa1613
metagrobolize?a1616
befumea1618
fuddle1617
crucify1621
bumfiddlea1625
implicate1625
giddify1628
wilder1642
buzzlea1644
empuzzle1646
dunce1649
addle1652
meander1652
emberlucock1653
flounder1654
study1654
disorient1655
embarrass?1656
essome1660
embrangle1664
jumble1668
dunt1672
muse1673
clutter1685
emblustricate1693
fluster1720
disorientate1728
obfuscate1729
fickle1736
flustrate1797
unharmonize1797
mystify1806
maffle1811
boggle1835
unballast1836
stomber1841
throw1844
serpentine1850
unbalance1856
tickle1865
fog1872
bumfuzzle1878
wander1897
to put off1909
defeat1914
dither1919
befuddle1926
ungear1931
to screw up1941
1828 W. Carr Dial. Craven (ed. 2) (at cited word) A mill is also said to be ungeared, when the water is turned off or the machinery displaced.
1852 C. Morfit Art of Tanning, Currying, & Leather-dressing (1853) 118 The necessity of ungearing the pinion.
1931 J. Galsworthy Maid in Waiting xxii. 188 He'll almost certainly get up against something now he's back. If he does it will ungear him in no time.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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