| 释义 |
tenacious, a.|tɪˈneɪʃəs|
Also 7 -atious, -aceous.
[f. L. tenāx, tenāci- holding fast (f. ten-ēre to hold) + -ous: see -acious.]
1. a. Holding together, cohesive; tough; not easily pulled in pieces or broken.
1607Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 152 The bones of Fishes are more tenacious. 1750tr. Leonardus' Mirr. Stones 71 Amiaton is..like feathered alumn, but more tenacious. 1834Brit. Husb. I. xiii. 310 It acts as manure physically, or substantially, through the effect of the clay in rendering soils tenacious. 1869Roscoe Elem. Chem. (1871) 185 Gun-metal, or bronze, is a hard and tenacious alloy.
b. Adhesive; viscous, glutinous; sticky.
1641Wilkins Math. Magick ii. xii. (1648) 251 Provided, that this oyl..bee supposed of so close and tenacious substance, that may slowly evaporate. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 58 Not Birdlime, or Idean Pitch, produce A more tenacious Mass of clammy Juice. 1784Cowper Task i. 216 Female feet, Too weak to struggle with tenacious clay. 1868Carpenter in Sci. Opinion 6 Jan. (1869) 174/2 The bottom consisted of a bluish-white tenacious mud.
2. Holding fast or inclined to hold fast; grasping hard; clinging tightly.
1656Blount Glossogr., Tenacious, that holds fast,..good and sure. 1681tr. Willis' Rem. Med. Wks. Vocab., Tenacious, holding or cleaving fast. 1800–24Campbell Poems, Chaucer & Windsor 4 Old oaks..Whose gnarled roots, tenacious and profound. 1869H. F. Tozer Highl. Turkey I. 232 The palluria..is covered all over with tenacious hooked prickles.
3. Keeping a firm hold, retentive of something.
c1645Howell Lett. (1650) II. ii. 2 The Badger..is said to be so tenacious of his bite, that he will not give over his hold, till hee feels his teeth meet. 1726Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 27/1 The Fir..is..very dry, and very tenacious of the Glue. 1758R. Brown Compl. Farmer ii. (1760) 23 All..are very tenacious of water on the surface.
4. fig. Strongly retaining or inclined to retain, persist in, preserve, or maintain (a principle, method, secret, etc.); holding persistently; of memory, retentive. Const. of.
1640–1Ld. J. Digby Sp. in Ho. Com. 9 Feb. 13 A man tenatious of the liberty..of the subject. 1656Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass., The tenacious memory of benefits received. 1657Jer. Taylor Disc. Friendship ⁋13 Free of his money and tenacious of a secret. 1708Rowe Royal Convert i. i, Tenacious of his Purpose once resolv'd. 1800Mavor Nat. Hist. (1811) 230 The frog is remarkably tenacious of life. 1877Froude Short Stud. (1883) IV. i. xii. 145 He had read largely, and his memory was extremely tenacious. 1898J. T. Fowler Durham Cath. 62 So tenacious are boys of traditional terms.
5. Persistently continuing; persistent; resolute; perseveringly firm; obstinate, stubborn, pertinacious.
1656Blount Glossogr., Tenacious,..also hard to be moved, stiff necked. 1661Lovell Hist. Anim. & Min. Introd., The life is more tenacious in them, than in the sanguineous. 1750Johnson Rambler No. 14 ⁋14 He is hot and dogmatical, quick in opposition and tenacious in defence. 1861Stanley East. Ch. vi. (1869) 193 Tenacious adherence to the ancient God of Light.
†6. spec. Unwilling to part with or spend money or the like; close-fisted, niggardly. Also transf.
1676Dryden Aurengzebe v. i. 82 True love's a Miser; so tenacious grown, He weighs to the least grain of what's his own. 1681–6J. Scott Chr. Life (1747) III. 79 Give me a covetous, a niggardly and tenacious Man; I will return him to thee liberal.
†7. Persistently chary of or averse to any action. (erroneous use.) Obs.
1766Compl. Farmer s.v. Tuberose, Mons. Le Cour, of Leyden..for many years was so tenacious of parting with any of the roots..that he caused them to be cut in pieces, that he might have the vanity to boast of being the only person in Europe who was possessed of this flower. 1802M. Moore Lascelles I. 142 Since the adventure..Mrs. Carisbrooke had been very tenacious of being late on the road. 1811R. Cecil's Wks. I. 69 Mr. Cecil..was tenacious of being interrupted in his pursuits. |