| 释义 |
embezzle, v.|ɛmˈbɛz(ə)l|
Forms: α. 5 enbesyl, enbesel(l, 5–6 embesell, -sill, -syle, -syll, (6 embecill), 6–8 embezel(l, -zil(l, -zle, -zzel(l, 7 embeasil, -zle, embes(s)el(l, 6– embezzle. β. 5–8 imbezel(l, -ill, (6–7 imbeazel(l), 7–8 imbezzel(l, -il, imbezle, 6–8 imbesel(l, -il(l, (6–7 imbeasell, -il, imbecile, -ill, imbesle, ymbessill,) 7 imbezzle.
[ad. AF. enbesiler (quots. 1397, 1404), ‘to make away with, cause to disappear, fraudulently destroy’; f. en- + beseler (see bezzle v.), which occurs (with the same sense) in the Year-books of 32–33 Edw. III (1305), and appears to be identical with OF. besillier (Pr. besillar) to maltreat, ravage, destroy; according to M. Paul Meyer f. L. bis-, in late L. used as a pejorative prefix.
In 16th c. the Eng. word appears to have been referred to the L. imbecillare to weaken (see imbecile), and this notion has possibly in some degree influenced the subsequent development of the sense.]
†1. trans. To make away with (provisions, money, etc.); esp. to carry off secretly (what belongs to another person) for one's own use. Obs.
α [1397Will of John of Gaunt in Nichols Royal Wills 155 Drap enbroudes..et toutes autres pieces de la suit..quels je achatay de..la Duchesse de Northfolk aussi entierement sans riens ent enbeseiller com jes les avoy de ele.] 1469Househ. Ord. 91 See that noe vitaills..ne none other stuffe of the seide householde be enbeselled oute. 1530Palsgr. 531/2 He that embesylleth a thyng intendeth to steale it. 1552Inv. Ch. Surrey 55 There was embeselyd one auter clothe and two towelles. 1598Linschoten's Voy. in Arb. Garner III. 18 But little cometh to the owner's hands, being embezzled and privily made away. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. viii. 42 The Utensells thereof had lately been Embezelled. 1750Carte Hist. Eng. II. 151 One of these [bibles] was to be placed in every parish church, chained so as not to be embezzeled.
β1474Househ. Ord. 30 Nor that the porters suffree any stuffe to be imbezelled out of the sayde gates. 1574Hellowes Gueuara's Ep. 166 Babling and foule mouthed boyes..wil imbesill your apparrell. 1598Stow Surv. xxxiii. (1603) 297 Manie of the Kings Jewels were..imbeseled. 1624Capt. Smith Virginia iv. 140 The Sailers..are much to blame for imbesling the prouisions.
fig.1548Gest Pr. Masse 76 Thee pryvee masse..embecilleth and taketh out of our hartes Christ.
†b. To make away with, fraudulently destroy (a charter, title-deed, etc.). In later use also, To mutilate, tamper with (a document or writing of any kind). Obs.
α [1404Act 5 Hen. IV, c. 14 (Record ed.), Porce que pleuseurs pies de fins..et les notes de tielx fyns demorantz en le comune Bank, aient este devant ces heures enbesilez, & autres pies & notes de fyns fauxement contreovez & mys en lour lieux.] 1494Fabyan vii. 293 The sayd boke..was enbesylyd, or loste. 1495Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 51 Preamb., The evydences concernyng the same Maners..ben embeselled by..ill disposed persones. 1509–10Act 1 Hen. VIII, c. 8 The said commissioner or escheatour may nott change nor enbesyll the said offices or inquisiciones. 1581Lambarde Eiren. iv. xxi. (1588) 625 If a Justice of the Peace will craftily embesill an Enditement. 1660H. More Myst. Godl. vii. xi. 326 The Writings of the Evangelists..were never embeseled. 1662Fuller Worthies (1840) III. 296 The records belonging to this family have been embezzled. 1691E. Taylor Behmen's Life 425 A Hieroglyphical Monument..was razed and embezelled by the rude Hands.
β1504Plumpton Corr. Introd. 64 How..evydenc' hath bene imbeseled. 1665Stillingfl. Rational Acc. Prot. Relig. 212 Is it then possible to suppose all those Copy's at once imbezeled. 1671F. Phillips Reg. Necess. Ep. Ded., It is Felony to imbezill or corrupt a Record. 1677–8Marvell Corr. 326 Wks. 1872–5 II. 586 Upon occasion of imbeziling the Bill sent from the Lords.
†c. To entice away (a person) from service, etc. Obs.
1579Fenton Guicciard. xiii. (1599) 615 He would be a conuenient instrument to imbeasell from the army of Francisco-maria the bands of Gascons. 1594Lyly Moth. Bombie v. iii. 137, I had rather thou shouldst rob my chest, than imbeasell my sonne.
†2. To weaken, impair, diminish. Obs.
1566Drant Horace' Sat. i. v, And so imbecill all theyr strengthe, That they are naught to me. 1580Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Appetisser, to diminish, to lessen, to imbesill. 1610in Picton L'pool Munic. Rec. (1883) I. 121 Whereby the Quene's Majesties custome..maye..be..empayred..or embeselled. 1622Malynes Anc. Law-Merch. 307 The Kings or Princes Valuation is effected..by embeasiling the standard of money, by allay. 1636Featly Clavis Myst. lxx. 892 Our luxury hath imbezelled us. 1670Basil Valentine Last Will & Test. xxxvii, Have a respect to the upper scaffolds, that they be not imbezled.
†3. To impair or diminish by waste or extravagance; to squander, dissipate (property, etc.).
α1578Banister Hist. Man i. 26 Nature..would not..for the insertion of Muscles..embicill, and wast so much of the bones. 1621Burton Anat. Mel. iii. ii. vi. v. (1651) 577 He hath embeazled his estate. 1658Sir T. Browne Hydriot. 24 Fearing to embezzle a great commodity of their Country. 1749Chesterfield Lett. II. ccxi. 308 It is not the fashion..at Paris, to embezzle at least half of it [the day] at table. 1770Langhorne Plutarch (1879) II. 901/1 His fortune, which had been so much embezzled.
β1621Burton Anat. Mel. i. ii. iii. xv. (1651) 137 When they have with riot and prodigality imbezzelled their estates. 1679J. Goodman Penitent Pard. i. iv. (1713) 99 He wastes and imbezils the very talents and abilities God had endowed him with. 1683Crowne City Politiques ii. i. 24, I have imbezell'd all the furniture of my soul and body in vice.
4. (The only current sense.) To divert to one's own use (money, etc.) in violation of trust or official duty. [At first app. a contextual use of 1 and 3; in early examples not distinguishable from one or the other of these.]
α1600Holland Livy xxxviii. i. 1016 The Tribunes..proceeded to charge him..for embezzeling and averting to his proper use certeine treasure gotten from King Antiochus. 1783Burke Rep. Affairs Ind. Wks. XI. 318 His fortune..grossly mismanaged and embezzled. 1833Macaulay War Success., Ess. (1854) I. 249/1 Bellasys, the English General, embezzled the stores. 1855― Hist. Eng. IV. 363 The rapacious governor had daily opportunities of embezzling and extorting.
β1585Fleetwood in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. 216 II. 301 To steale and imbesell any thinge in his charge this is felonye. 1613Sir H. Finch Law (1636) 211 The seruant that hath any goods..deliuered him to keepe by his Master and..doth..imbezle, or conuert the same to his own vse, the same, shall be judged a theefe. 1653H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. viii. 24 That Mahometan, who had imbezzled away a great part of the goods committed to his charge.
¶5. Used by Shelton to render the like-sounding Sp. embelesar, to bewilder, stupefy [cf. bezzle v.].
1620Shelton Quix. ii. liii. 357 Sancho was astonish't and embeseld with what he heard & saw. |