| 释义 |
▪ I. dynamite, n.|ˈdaɪnəmaɪt, ˈdɪn-|
[mod. f. Gr. δύναµις force + -ite, by Alfred Nobel the inventor.]
1. a. A high explosive prepared from nitro-glycerine mixed, for greater safety in carriage and use, with some inert absorptive substance.
1867Specif. Newton's Patent No. 1345. 3 Causing it [nitro-glycerine] to be absorbed in porous unexplosive substances, such as charcoal, silica.. whereby it is converted into a powder, which I call dynamite or Nobel's safety powder. 1868Daily Tel. 15 July, Other experiments demonstrated the great velocity imparted to fragments of shells charged with dynamite. 1875Ann. Reg. 120 A clockwork which was timed to cause the explosion of the dynamite. 1883Fortn. Rev. May 641 Dynamite..consists of nitro-glycerine absorbed in an infusorial siliceous earth called ‘Kieselguhr’.
b. fig. Something or someone potentially unsettling, dangerous, or disastrous.
1922H. Crane Let. 23 Jan. (1965) 78 Another small magazine, full of compressed dynamite. 1926J. Black You can't Win (1927) xiv. 199 I'm dynamite with them old brums in the cribs. 1945P. Cheyney I'll say she Does! v. 128, I call it goddam urgent. It's dynamite. 1961Countryman 441 The ‘Church question’ is still dynamite in the field of education. 1970‘W. Haggard’ Hardliners vi. 62 He had reason to be cautious for the proposal..had been naked political dynamite.
c. Heroin or a similar narcotic (see quots.). slang (orig. U.S.).
1924G. C. Henderson Keys to Crookdom xxiv. 301 So powerful was the ‘kick’ of heroin that it was called ‘dynamite’. 1938Amer. Speech XIII. 183/2 Dynamite. 1. Bootleg dope with an unusually high narcotic content... 2. A knockout dose given to an addict under the guise of narcotics. 1967M. Culpan In Deadly Vein vii. 149 ‘A little bit of horse? Some dynamite?’ Horse was heroin; so was dynamite.
2. attrib., as dynamite bomb, dynamite outrage, etc.; dynamite cruiser, a cruiser armed with dynamite guns; dynamite gun, a pneumatic gun for throwing dynamite shells, or other high explosives.
1880Daily News 13 Dec., What was to be said of the dynamite affair at Bantry. 1883Ibid. 14 Sept. 2/7 The various dynamite outrages committed in Glasgow. 1883Pall Mall G. 6 Apr. 7/1 The dynamite conspiracy. 1886World 12 May 8 The dynamite bomb exploded among the Chicago police. 1888Times 2 Oct. 3/2 To have shown that the dynamite shells could be successfully fired from an ordinary gun. Ibid., The dynamite gun is a new instrument which has its own functions in time of war. Ibid., After the gun has been properly tested on board the dynamite cruiser.
Add:[1.] d. More generally, something that is very powerful or impressive. Freq. as quasi-adj. (often attrib.). slang (orig. and chiefly U.S.).
1942Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §34/5 Strong, double-distilled, dynamite, hefty. 1951Al Capp's Li'l Abner No. 83, There is th' ‘single whammy’!.. It's dynamite, friend, an' I do not t'row it around lightly!! 1955D. W. Maurer in Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc. XXIV. 97 A tool who is dynamite..is tops. 1972Dict. Contemp. & Colloq. Usage (Eng.-Lang. Inst. Amer.) 10/2 Dynamite, powerful or effective, as: dynamite grass (marijuana). 1973N.Y. Law Jrnl. 2 Aug. 16/3 (Advt.), Dynamite legal secretary, willing to work hard as right hand to young trial lawyer. 1979Sounds 21 July 28/1 The highest quality artists kick off the treadmill with one dynamite album. 1986New Yorker 10 Feb. 65/1 He knew she had dynamite antibiotics in there.
▪ II. ˈdynamite, v.
[f. prec. n.]
trans. To shatter or wreck by the explosion of dynamite; to mine or charge with dynamite. Also fig.
1881H. Crosby in Independent (N.Y.) No. 1684 Finally Utah should be dynamited. 1883A. M. Sullivan in Pall Mall G. 20 Mar. 7/1 Our homes are in the midst of the cities that are, forsooth, to be kerosined and dynamited. 1892L'pool Daily Post 4 Aug. 5/9 Threat to dynamite New York Bankers. 1903Westm. Gaz. 30 July 3/1 Mr. Chamberlain..tried to dynamite discussion by declaring that the rejection of the Bill would mean the infringement of treaty obligation. 1938Amer. Speech XIII. 156/1 Dynamite an order, to rush an order through as quickly as possible. |