| 释义 |
engagement|ɛnˈgeɪdʒmənt|
Also 7–8 in-.
[f. as prec. + -ment.]
I. The action of engaging; the state, condition, or fact of being engaged.
†1. The pledging or mortgaging (of property); a mortgage, ‘encumbrance’. Obs.
1630R. Brathwait Eng. Gentlew. (1641) 351 And preserved his patrimony from ingagement. 1656H. Philipps Purch. Patt. (1676) 58 An House or Land..free from all ingagements.
2. a. A formal promise, agreement, undertaking, covenant.
In 17th c. applied spec. to various political compacts, esp. to the secret treaty negotiated at Carisbrooke in 1647 between Charles I and commissioners representing the Scottish government. See engager 2.
1624–47Bp. Hall Rem. Wks. (1660) 24 He had my ingagement to preach the Sunday following. 1646E. F[isher] Mod. Divinity 22 The parties that were bound, are freed and released from their ingagements. 1651N. Riding Rec. V. 96 The engagement was in theis words:—‘I doe declare,’ etc. 1662D. Dickson in Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. cxvi, This Psalm is a threefold engagement of the Psalmist unto thanksgiving unto God. 1742Richardson Pamela IV. 209 Such is your Will, and such seem to be your Ingagements. 1790Burke Fr. Rev. Wks. V. 57 The engagement and pact of society, which generally goes by the name of the constitution. 1856Kane Arct. Expl. II. xvii. 178 An engagement was drawn up..and brought to me with the signatures of all the company.
b. An ‘appointment’ made with another person for any purpose of business, festivity, etc. Also attrib., as engagement book.
1806–7J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (1826) vi. iii, Starting for a long ride on a dinner engagement. 1831Disraeli Yng. Duke ii. iii. (L.), We damsels shall soon be obliged to carry a book to enrol our engagements..if this system of reversionary dancing be any longer encouraged. 1850Thackeray Pendennis II. ii. 15 Anatole, his man..got a sight of her ladyship's engagement-book. 1860Tyndall Glac. i. §24. 170, I..would have spent the night there were it not for my engagement with the Guide Chef. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 122 If you have no engagement, suppose that you sit down and tell me what passed. 1886Sat. Rev. 6 Mar. 328/1 On the following morning he [a racehorse] was found to be..incapable of fulfilling an engagement. 1959T. S. Eliot Elder Statesman i. 19 But what a time for your engagement book! You know what the doctors said: complete relaxation.
c. Comm. in pl. Promises to pay; pecuniary liabilities. In phrase, to meet one's engagements.
1848Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 215 They were consequently unable to meet their own engagements. Mod. We regret to inform you that Mr. A. B. is unable to meet his engagements.
d. The fact of being engaged to be married; betrothal. Also attrib., esp. as engagement ring.
[1742Fielding Jos. Andrews (L.), She knew her engagements to Horatio.] 1811Jane Austen Sense & Sens. II. vii. 114 ‘If your engagement had been carried on for months and months..before he chose to put an end to it.’..‘Engagement!’ cried Marianne, ‘there has been no engagement.’ 1859Dickens Lett. (1880) II. 86 Much excited and pleased by your account of your daughter's engagement. 1861Geo. Eliot Silas M. 10 She [Sarah] held her engagement to him at an end. 1861Cassell's Illustr. Family Paper 2 Feb. 160/2 The gentleman wears the engagement ring on the third finger of the left hand; the lady on the third finger of the right hand. 1875Mrs. Stowe We & Neighbors xxxix. 372 Angie wore on her finger an engagement-ring. 1884Queen Victoria More Leaves 103 Our blessed Engagement Day! A dear and sacred day. 1909Daily Chron. 5 Aug. 7/1 Though they had not yet reached the engagement-ring stage, all of her friends were wondering how soon they could begin to plan for the wedding. 1970C. Kersh Aggravations of Minnie Ashe xiv. 202 He bought an engagement ring (later to be pawned by his widow and never redeemed).
3. The fact of being engaged by an employer; an ‘appointment’, salaried post.
1884Mrs. Kendal in Daily News 24 Sept. 6/1 He had decided to go on the stage, and all that he wanted was an engagement. Mod. Immediately after his engagement as secretary. He has obtained a lucrative engagement.
†4.
a. Moral or legal obligation; a tie of duty or gratitude. Obs.
1627Massinger Gt. Dk. Florence v. ii, Since my engagements are so great that all My best endeavours to appear your creature Can but proclaim my wants. 1675Brooks Gold. Key Wks. 1867 V. 416 There is no engagement from God upon any of his people, to run themselves into sufferings wilfully. 1726Col. Rec. Pennsylv. III. 257 He is known to lie under deep Engagements to that Party. 1794Godwin Cal. Williams 294 Engagement and inclination equally led me to pass a considerable part of every day in this agreeable society.
†b. Attachment, prepossession, bias. Cf. engage v. 7 c, 10. Obs. rare.
1689Burnet Tracts I. 77 The ingagement that People have to their native Homes appears signally here. 1708Swift Sentiment Ch. Eng. Man, Impartially and without engagement..to examine their actions.
c. In Literary Criticism, etc.: = commitment 6 c. Sometimes with Fr. pronunc. |ɑ̃gaʒmɑ̃|.
1948P. Mairet tr. Sartre's Existentialism & Humanism 16 ..[An] important Sartrean concept—engagement—is here translated as ‘commitment’. .. The French word..conveys a shade of meaning different from that of our word ‘engagement’; the existentialism engagement is essentially unilateral. 1950Theology LIII. 477 This kind of Christian engagement has been continued. 1952H. Read Philos. Mod. Art iv. 79 Modern protagonists of ‘engagement’ in art, of socialist realism, of nationalism, etc. 1956C. Wilson Outsider ii. 38 Sartre, whose theory of commitment or ‘engagement’ ..led him to embrace a modified communism. 1960Times 16 Mar. (Canberra Suppl.) p. xv/1 In this age of engagement, escapism is deplored.
†5. The fact of being entangled; involved or entangled condition. Obs.
1642Milton Apol. Smect. (1851) 325 From which mortall ingagement wee shall never be free. 1648Gage West. Ind. xx. (1655) 158 Who had been the cause of their ingagement in that great danger. 1648Symmons Vind. Chas. I 335, I thought it to be a matter of so great ingagement.
6. The fact of being engaged in any occupation; a piece of business requiring attention.
1665Glanvill Sceps. Sci. xiv. 80 By the most close meditation and engagement of your minds. a1700Rogers (J.), Play, either by our too constant or too long engagement in it becomes like an employment or profession. 1781Cowper Retirement 513 From all his wearisome engagements freed.
7. Swordsmanship. The action of crossing swords. See engage 17.
1881Waite Sabre, Singlestick, etc. 19 On crossing swords, which should be about nine inches apart, when it is called an equal engagement, press your blade, etc.
8. The state of being engaged in fight; a battle, conflict, encounter; also formerly, a single combat.
1665Boyle Occas. Refl. ii. xv. (1675) 144 He will never despair of victory in an ingagement, where he may justly hope to have God for his Second. 1700Dryden Fables Ded., Your supposed death in that engagement was so generally lamented through the nation. 1710Lond. Gaz. No. 4685/2 We daily expect to hear of an Engagement between the Swedish and Danish Fleets in the Baltick. 1862Stanley Jew. Ch. (1877) I. ix. 180 It was the first engagement in which they were confronted with the future enemies of their nation.
† II. 9. concr. in active sense: That which engages or induces to a course of action; an inducement, motive. Cf. engage v. 8. Obs.
1642Milton Argt. conc. Militia 12 What stronger ingagement can there be..to encourage men in any desperate designe? 1680Burnet Rochester (1692) 95 The great expressions of his Love in Dying for us are mighty Engagements to Obey and imitate him. 1691–8Norris Pract. Disc. IV. 173 The great Motives and Ingagements to Obedience. |