asunder

adv

1. (archaic, literary)Of two or more people or things:

   “Page. I vvarrant you, hee's the man ſhould fight vvith him. / […] [Robert] Shal[low]. It appeares ſo by his vveapons: keep them aſunder: […]”

   “Heer's a coyle to keep fire and tovv a ſunder.”

   “He deſired I vvould ſtand like a Coloſſus, vvith my Legs as far aſunder as I conveniently could. He then commanded his General, […] to dravv up the Troops in cloſe Order, and march them under me; […]”

   “[L]ay the Dung about a Foot thick, covering it over vvith light rich Earth, about ſix or eight Inches, into vvhich, on each Side, you ſhould put in ſome of the Knobs of Muſhroom Earth, about ſix Inches aſunder.”

   “[T]hese two never seemed to speak—one man to the other—unless at long intervals some passing unmomentous matter made it necessary. Though such a potent spell seemed secretly to join the twain; openly, and to the awe-struck crew, they seemed pole-like asunder.”

2. (archaic, literary)Of two or more people or things:

   “Our hartes ſwelled, as that they ſhoulde breake / The fire of loue, was ſo ſore kept vnder / When I from her, ſhoulde departe aſunder”

   “Thoughe the lordes departed euery daye vnagreed⸝ yet they departed a ſõder [a sonder] right amiably⸝ for euery daye they poynted to mete agayne the nexte day⸝ bothe parties truſtyng at laſt to cõclude [conclude] on ſome good poynt.”

   “I humbly thanke your Highneſſe, / And am right glad to catch this good occaſion / Moſt throughly to be vvinnovved, vvhere my Chaffe / And Corne ſhall flye aſunder.”

   “[T]he vvhole Fabrick preſently falls to pieces; for all the Springs of the ſeveral parts are ſet at liberty, vvhich immediately extricate themſelves and fly aſunder every vvay; each part by its ſpring contributing to the darting of it ſelf and ſome other contiguous part.”

   “Lochiel thrust himself between the combatants, and, while forcing them asunder, received a wound which was at first believed to be mortal.”

3. (also, archaic, figuratively, literary)Into separate parts or pieces, often due to some violent action.

   “to crack asunder    torn asunder”

   “And he [Judas Iscariot] hath nowe poſſeſſed a plott of grounde with the rewarde off iniquyte. And when he was hanged⸝ braſt [burst] a ſondre in the myddes⸝ and all his bowels guſſhed out.”

   “The Kings of the earth ſet themſelues, and the rulers take counſell together, againſt the Lord, and againſt his Anoynted, ſaying, Let vs breake their bandes aſunder, and caſt away their cords from vs.”

   “For every thing is beſt underſtood by its conſtitutive cauſes; for as in a vvatch, or ſome ſuch ſmall engine, the matter, figure, and motion of the vvheeles, cannot be vvell knovvn, except it be taken in ſunder, and vievved in parts; ſo as to make a more curious ſearch into the rights of States, and duties of Subjects, it is neceſſary, (I ſay not to take them in ſunder, but yet that) they be ſo conſidered, as if they vvere diſſolved, […]”

   “About the time that Sylla vvas making ready, to put off vvith his Forces from Italy, beſides many other Divine Omens vvhich befell Mithridates [VI Eupator] at Pergamos, there goes a ſtory, that the Statue of Victory, vvith a Crovvn in her hand, vvhich the Pergamenians by Engines from above let dovvn on him, vvhen ſhe had almoſt reacht his head, fell aſunder, and the Crovvn tumbling dovvn into the midſt of the Theatre, broke to pieces againſt the ground, […]”

4. (archaic, literary, obsolete)Apart from other people; individually, separately; specifically, in private, privately.

   “[…] I was of the ſame Jeſus Chriſt inſtitute: ſo this préeminence may I lawfully chalenge, that Chriſt choſe them, what tyme he was to our bodily infirmities ſubiect, but me called to be a ſondre to be his preacher, what tyme he had put of all condicions of mannes weakenes.”

   “[I]t vvas Employment enough for us to keep them [the prisoners] aſſunder, and ſupply them vvith Victuals.”

5. (archaic, literary, obsolete)Chiefly in the form to know asunder: in a manner distinguishable from other similar things.

   “Ye summond our kynge,—why dyd ye so? / […] / Know ye not suger and salt asonder? / Your sumner to saucy, to malapert, / Your harrold in armes not yet halfe experte.”

   “Foure ſorts of Marle be found in this VVeald, knovvne aſunder by the difference of colours, and thereby alſo differing in degrees of goodneſſe one from the other: […]”

   “Some Parts of England vvere novv infected as violently as London had been; […] It is true, vve could not pretend to forbid their People coming to London, becauſe it vvas impoſſible to knovv them aſſunder, […]”

adj

1. (archaic, literary, obsolete)Different, unlike.

   “Moth[er]: I cannot blame thee. / But it greeues thee more that Villaine liues. / Iul[iet]: VVhat Villaine Madame? / Moth: That Villaine Romeo. / Iul: Villaine and he are manie miles a ſunder.”

verb

1. (archaic, literary, transitive)To set apart (one or more people or things) from other people or things; to put asunder, to separate, to sunder.

   “A plough beetle, ploughſtaff, to further the plough, / great clod to a ſunder that breaketh ſo rough: […]”

   “Thou could not be perſvvaded that my vvittes / Could once retire ſo farre from ſence aſondred, […]”