| 释义 |
elusive, a.|ɪˈl(j)uːsɪv|
[f. L. ēlūs- ppl. stem of ēlūdĕre to elude.]
1. That eludes or seeks to elude. Const. of.
1725Pope Odyss. ii. 99 Elusive of the bridal day she gives Fond hopes to all. 1736Gray Transl. Statius Then grasped its [the ball's] weight elusive of his hold. 1737Savage Publ. Spirit 56 The grot, elusive of the noontide ray.
†b. Of an argument: Evasive, of the nature of a subterfuge. Obs.
1719Waterland Vind. Christ's Div. 121 An elusive, equivocating Answer to the Objection.
2. a. That eludes the grasp or pursuit; chiefly fig. b. That eludes distinct perception or precise definition; evanescent.
1751Student II. 364 Pleasures..insubstantial, elusive, and transitory. 1762Falconer Shipwr. ii. 731 They..groaning, cling upon the elusive weed. 1830Cunningham Brit. Paint. II. 142 It presents us with images so vivid and yet elusive. 1863Hawthorne Old Home (1879) 138 A faint, elusive smell. 1865M. Arnold Ess. Crit. iii. (1875) 111 Guérin's elusive, undulating, impalpable nature. 1883Harper's Mag. July 177/2 Striving..after the elusive spirit of the general landscape. |