Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Affording no possibility of return.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Not admitting of return; not retraceable.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective obsolete Admitting no return.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective obsolete Admitting no return.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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This is called the irremeable wall, for once it is passed there is no hope of return.
The Visions of the Sleeping Bard Ellis Wynne 1702
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The unusual though expressive term "irremeable," is defined in his dictionary, "admitting no return."
Autobiography, Letters and Literary Remains of Mrs. Piozzi (Thrale) (2nd ed.) (2 vols.) Edited with notes and Introductory Account of her life and writings Hester Lynch Piozzi 1781
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The warder overwhelmed, Aeneas makes entrance, and quickly issues from the bank of the irremeable wave.
The Aeneid of Virgil 70 BC-19 BC Virgil
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And this journey is not like the one great journey, and more than one of the lesser journeys, of our life, irremeable; there is no denial, no curse, no fiend with outstretched claw, to prevent your going back as often as you like, wandering in any direction you please, passing or staying as and where you wish.
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2 To the Close of the 19th Century George Saintsbury 1889
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-- It occurred to me (among the usual discoveries which one makes in reading one's book after it has passed the irremeable press) that I ought to have said "Planchet's" horse, not "D'Artagnan's."
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2 To the Close of the 19th Century George Saintsbury 1889
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And would, O father Cronides, and would, ye ageless immortals, that this might be; and that when two hundred generations have sped, one might bring these tidings to me by Acheron, the irremeable stream.
Theocritus Bion and Moschus Rendered into English Prose 300 BC-260 BC Theocritus 1878
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Emulation, ambition, avarice, however, must in all arbitrary governments be confined to the great; the _other_ set of mortals, for there are none there of _middling_ rank, live, as it should seem, like eunuchs in a seraglio; feel themselves irrevocably doomed to promote the pleasure of their superiors, nor ever dream of sighing for enjoyments from which an irremeable boundary divides them.
Observations and Reflections Made in the Course of a Journey through France, Italy, and Germany, Vol. I Hester Lynch Piozzi 1781
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England, the Archbishop of St. Andrew's, attempting to dissuade her, attended on her journey; and when they came to the irremeable stream [1] that separated the two kingdoms, walked by her side into the water, in the middle of which he seized her bridle, and with earnestness proportioned to her danger and his own affection pressed her to return.
Autobiography, Letters and Literary Remains of Mrs. Piozzi (Thrale) (2nd ed.) (2 vols.) Edited with notes and Introductory Account of her life and writings Hester Lynch Piozzi 1781
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Annandale eighth grader Christina Huling went down on the word irremeable.
Minneapolis/St. Paul Breaking News, Weather, Video, Traffic and Sports for Minnesota from WCCO-TV 2010
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When thine aking eye shall look forward to the end that is far distant, and when behind thou shalt find no retreat; when thy steps shall faulter, and thou shalt tremble at the depth beneath, which thought itself is not able to fathom; then shall the angel of distribution lift his inexorable hand against thee: from the irremeable way shall thy feet be smitten; thou shalt plunge in the burning flood; and though thou shalt live for ever, thou shalt rise no more. '
Almoran and Hamet John Hawkesworth
qroqqa commented on the word irremeable
"My wealth, my rank, my irremeable love for you, I throw them at your feet," Lord George cried piteously.
—Max Beerbohm, The Happy Hypocrite, 1897
("admitting of no return", < Latin re-mea- "return" < mea- "go, pass", as also in 'permeable')
December 31, 2008