| 释义 |
▪ I. dim, a. and n.|dɪm|
Forms: 1– dim; also 3–4 dime, 4 dyme, 4–6 dym, dymme, 5 dimm, 6 dymbe, 6–7 dimme, 7 dimn, dimb.
[OE. dim(m = OFris. dim, ON. dimm-r. Cf. OHG. timbar (MHG. timber, timmer, mod.Swiss. dial. timmer) ‘dim, obscure, dark’, which may represent an OTeut. *dim-ro- and contain the same root. Not known outside Teutonic.]
A. adj.
1. a. Of a light, or an illuminated object: Faintly luminous, not clear; somewhat dark, obscure, shadowy, gloomy. The opposite of bright or clear.
a1000Cædmon's Sat. 455 (Gr.) Drihten sealde him dimne and deorcne deaþes scuwan. a1000Boeth. Metr. ii. 11 On þis dimme hol. Ibid. xii. 16 Sio dimme niht. c1250Gen. & Ex. 286 Euerilc on ðat helden wid him, ðo wurðen mirc, and swart, and dim. 13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 472 Dryf ouer þis dymme water. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 467 Whan þe day is dym and clowdy. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. x. v. (1495) 377 The flamme yeuyth dymme and derke lighte. 1508Fisher Wks. (1876) 68 O dymbe cloude. 1549Compl. Scot. vi. 38 Fayr dyana, the lantern of the nycht, be cam dym ande pail. 1632Milton Penseroso 160 Storied windows richly dight, Casting a dim religious light. 1732Berkeley Alciphr. vi. §31 A light, dimmer indeed, or clearer, according to the place. c1750Shenstone Elegies iv. 1 Through the dim veil of ev'ning's dusky shade. 1820Shelley Witch Atl. xii. 2 Her beauty made The bright world dim. 1860Tyndall Glac. i. ii. 16 The oftener light is reflected the dimmer it becomes.
b. fig. esp. of qualities usually clear or bright.
a1000Cædmon's Gen. 685 (Gr.) Hio speon hine on ða dimman dæd. c1325Metr. Hom. 111 That..did awai his dedes dim, And mad an hali man of him. c1400Rom. Rose 5353 Love is..whilom dymme, & whilom clere. 1661–98South 12 Serm. III. 287 Man's..Understanding must now be contented with the poor, dimn Light of Faith. 1817–8Shelley Ros. & Hel. 692 Public hope grew pale and dim. 1874Morley Compromise (1886) 36 The old hopes have grown pale, the old fears dim.
2. a. Not clear to the sight; obscured by an intervening imperfectly transparent medium, by distance, or by blurring of the surface; scarcely visible, indistinct, faint; misty, hazy.
c1000Martyrology (E.E.T.S.) 46 Seo byrᵹen is bewriᵹen mid dimmum stanum ond yfellicum. 1632Sanderson Serm. 436 Dimme and confused and scarce legible. 1651Hobbes Leviath. i. ii. 5 At a great distance of place, that which wee look at appears dimme. 1654Fuller Two Serm. 58 Civilized Pagans..have scowred over the dimme inscription of the Morall Law that it appeared plaine unto them. 1818Shelley Eugan. Hills 19 The dim low line before Of a dark and distant shore Still recedes. 1856Stanley Sinai & Pal. i. (1858) 69 One more glimpse of Egypt dim in the distance.
b. fig. Not clear to the mind or understanding; obscure, faint.
c1350Leg. Rood (1871) 93 Vnto me es þis mater dym. c1440Promp. Parv. 121 Dymme, or harde to vndyrstonde, misticus. 1587Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1965/2 Like to be buried in the dimme booke of obliuion. 1821Lamb Elia Ser. i. Old & New Schoolm., I have most dim apprehensions of the four great monarchies. 1836Kingsley Lett. (1878) I. 33 There were dim workings of a mighty spirit within. 1871R. Ellis Catullus lxviii. 52 (50) A memory dim.
3. Of colour: Not bright; dull, faint; dusky or dark; lustreless.
a1250Owl & Night. 577 Thu art dim, an of fule howe. 1535Coverd. Lam. iv. 1 O, how is the golde become so dymme? 1563W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 36 For the Rayne⁓bow is more dimme, and of purple colour. 1611Shakes. Wint. T. iv. iv. 119 Violets dim, But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes. 1728Young Love Fame v. (1757) 127 Others, with curious arts, dim charms revive. 1887Stevenson Underwoods i. iii. 5 All retired and shady spots Where prosper dim forget-me-nots.
4. a. Not seeing clearly, having the eyesight dulled and indistinct.
a1220Bestiary 60 Siðen his fliȝt is al unstrong, and his eȝen dimme. a1300Cursor M. 3570 (Cott.) Þe freli fax [biginnes] to fal of him, And þe sight to wax well dim. c1422Hoccleve Learn to Die 228 Myn yen been al dymme and dirke. 1535Coverdale Eccl. xii. 2 The sight of the wyndowes shal waxe dymme. 1577Test. 12 Patriarchs (1604) 17 Jacob..somewhat dim for age. 1636Massinger Gt. Dk. Florence iii. i, I am dim, sir; But he's sharp⁓sighted. 1766Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767) II. viii. 8 Unheeded by the dim inattentive eye. 1842Tennyson Two Voices 151 Whose eyes are dim with glorious tears.
b. fig. Not clearly apprehending; dull of apprehension. Applied to a person: not ‘bright’ intellectually; somewhat stupid and dull.
a1729J. Rogers Serm. (J.), The understanding is dim, and cannot by its natural light discover spiritual truth. 1731Fielding Grub Str. Op. Introd., Men's sense is dimmer than their eyes. 1878B. Taylor Deukalion i. iv. 33 Teach your dim desire A form whereby to know itself and seek. 1892Stevenson & Osbourne Wrecker xxi. 325 He's a very pleasing creature, rather dim, and dull, and genteel, but really pleasing. 1910R. Brooke Let. 3 July (1968) 243 They were very dim, and said, couldn't we find an advance agent? 1916Beerbohm in Cornhill Mag. June 719 The young writers of that era..strove earnestly to be distinct in aspect. This man had striven unsuccessfully..I decided that ‘dim’ was the mot juste for him. 1923J. Trevelyan Life of Mrs. H. Ward x. 192 Teachers and many ‘dim’ people of various professions would find her as accessible as her strenuous hours of labour would allow. 1924‘W. Fabian’ Sailors' Wives v. 63 The sexperts, which is a combination of sex and expert: I glued it together myself. Not so dim; yes? 1933J. C. Masterman Oxford Tragedy xv. 229 The dim little research Fellow with clumsy manners and no conversation. 1950Listener 7 Dec. 709/2 Constable and Turner were neglected and the dim and second-rate were crowned with triumphant laurels.
c. Of a thing, situation, etc.: dull, poor, undistinguished. colloq.
1958B. Hamilton Too Much Water xi. 248, I personally had rather a dim war. Ibid. xii. 266 A rather dim situation for the M.C.C.
d. Colloq. phr. to take a dim view: see view n.
5. transf. Of sound, and esp. of the voice: Indistinct, faint.
c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1575 He herde a murmurynge Ful lowe and dym. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. xxi, (1495) 128 They that haue grete tongues haue dymme voyce. c1450St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 3672 His speche was bathe short and dym. 1795Southey Vis. Maid of Orleans i. 124 The damp earth gave A dim sound as they pass'd. 1817Shelley Marianne's Dream 40 She then did hear The sound as of a dim low clanging.
B. n.
a. Dimness; obscurity; dusk.
c1400Destr. Troy 755 The day vp droghe & the dym voidet. c1430Hymns Virg. (1867) 53 He liȝtneþ his folk in dym. 1509Parl. Deuylles xciii, Quod Symeon, ‘he lyghtneth his folke in dym Where as derkenes shedeth theyr states’. 1857Heavysege Saul (1869) 87 To sit were pleasant, in the dim.
b. Dimness of vision.
1726Law Chr. Perfect. i. 30 Further than the Dim of Eyes of Flesh can carry our Views.
†C. adv. Dimly, faintly, indistinctly. Obs.
1393Gower Conf. II. 293 He herde a vois, which cried dimme. 1821Shelley Adonais liv, That Light..Which..Burns bright or dim, as each are mirrors of The fire.
D. Comb.
a. adverbial, as dim-brooding, dim-coloured, dim-discovered, dim-gleaming, dim-grey, dim-lighted, dim-lit (dim-litten), dim-remembered, dim-seen, dim-yellow, etc.
b. parasynthetic, as dim-browed, dim-eyed, dim-lettered, dim-sheeted, dim-sighted.
1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. iv. iv. 166 The whole Future is there, and Destiny *dim-brooding.
1776Mickle tr. Camoens' Lusiad 43 And night, ascending from the *dim-brow'd east.
c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) xvii. 79 Þai er mare *dymme coloured þan þe cristall.
1746Collins Ode to Evening x, Hamlets brown, and *dim-discover'd spires.
1627–47Feltham Resolves i. xcvi. 302 The ghessive interpretations of *dim-ey'd man. 1829Carlyle Misc. (1857) I. 273 The public is a dim-eyed animal.
1840Clough Early Poems v. 11 Through the *dim-lit inter-space.
1870Morris Earthly Par. II. iii. 9 After the weary tossing of the night And close *dim-litten chamber.
1827Moir Dead Eagle ii, Down, whirling..to the *dim-seen plain.
1859Tennyson Enid 600 Fair head in the *dim-yellow light.
▪ II. dim, v.
[f. dim a.: OE. had the compounds adimmian, fordimmian, ON. the intr. dimma to become dim; the simple vb. is found from 13th c.]
1. intr. To grow or become dim; to lose brightness or clearness. lit. and fig.
a1300Christ on Cross 7 in E.E.P. (1862) 20 His fair lere falowiþ and dimmiþ is siȝte. a1300Cursor M. 23695 (Cott.), Mani flurs..þat neuermar sal dime ne duine. c1400Destr. Troy 9932 The day ouerdrogh, dymmet the skewis. 1607Brewer Lingua i. viii, Suddenly mine eyes began to dim. c1710? E. Ward Welsh-monster 28 My Lady's Beauty, tho' divine, Would dim, without the Muses shine. 1814Byron Lara i. xii, The lone light Dimm'd in the lamp. 1871B. Taylor Faust (1875) II. iv. ii. 250 The near horizon dims.
2. a. trans. To make dim, obscure, or dull; to render less clear, or distinct; to becloud (the eyes).
[c888K. ælfred Boeth. xxiv §4 Ðeah heora mod..sie adimmad.] a1300E.E. Psalter lxviii. 24 Dimmed be þair eghen, þat þai ne se. c1400Song Roland 580 Dew diskid adoun and dymmyd the floures. c1440Promp. Parv. 121 Dymmyn, or make dymme, obscuro. 1530Palsgr. 516/3, I dymme the coloure or beautye of a thyng..Se howe these torches have dymmed this gylting. 1592Davies Immort. Soul xxxi. viii. (1714) 109 As Lightning, or the Sun-beams dim the Sight. 1751Johnson Rambler No. 184 ⁋1 The writer of essays..seldom..dims his eyes with the perusal of antiquated volumes. 1820W. Irving Sketch Bk. I. 202 The light streamed through windows dimmed with armorial bearings. 1836Landor Pericles & Asp. II. 393 The mirror is too close to our eyes, and our own breath dims it.
b. fig.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 35 b, It dymmeth or maketh derke theyr lytell holynesse. 1659B. Harris Parival's Iron Age 109 Forced the Conquerours to retreat, and in some sort, dimmed their Triumph. 1840Kingsley Lett. (1878) I. 49 My natural feelings of the just and the beautiful have been dimmed by neglect. 1851D. G. Mitchell Fresh Glean. 275 Its quaint houses..are dimmed to memory by the fresher recollections of that beautiful river.
c. to dim out: to reduce the brightness of (street-lighting, etc.), esp. in time of war; to impose a ‘dim-out’ on (a city, etc.).
1942Amer. Speech XVII. 204/2 The city was dimmed-out. 1945Daily Express 20 Apr. 1/8 Street lighting need no longer be dimmed out.
▪ III. † dim, n. Obs.
Abbreviation of L. dimidium half.
1477Churchw. Acc. Croscombe (Somerset Rec. Soc.) 6 Hath in his hands of the Cherche lede one cwt, dim, iiij lb. 1634–5Brereton Trav. (1844) 22 Adorned with stones a yard and dim. high. Ibid. 180 A vault or gallery about one yd. or one yd. and dim. wide.
▪ IV. dim
obs. form of deem v. |