| 释义 |
▪ I. fetter, n.|ˈfɛtə(r)|
Forms: 1 feotor, feter, fetor, 3–7 feter, 4 fet(t)re, south. vetre, (5 feder, fettir, -our, -yr, fetur, -yr, 6 fetrer, fettar), 6– fetter.
[OE. feter fem., cogn. with OS. feteros pl. m. (Du. veter m. lace), OHG. fez̧z̧era, MHG. fez̧z̧er (early mod.Ger. fesser) fem., ON. fiǫturr m. (Sw. fjättrar pl.):—OTeut. *feterâ, -ro-z, f. fet- (:—OAryan ped-) ablaut-form of fôt foot. Cf. L. pedica, Gr. πέδη of identical meaning and root.]
1. A chain or shackle for the feet of a human being or animal; hence gen. a bond, shackle. (rare in sing.)
c800Corpus Gl., Pedo, vel paturum, feotor. c950Lindisf. Gosp. Mark v. 4 Forðon oftust mið feotrum..ᵹebunden wæs. c1000Ags. Ps. lxxviii. 11 On feterum fæste. c1290S. Eng. Leg. I. 107/20 Ake euere he hadde ane peire feteres. 13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 1255 Festned fettres to her fete under fole wombes. c1380Sir Ferumb. 1313 Of al hure chaynes he haþ him raft; & ek hure vetres oundo. c1430Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 2741 A pare of fetures on him fest. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xvi. 370 His feters that were on his fete. a1541Wyatt in Tottell's Misc. (Arb.) 82 Clinkyng of fetrers would such Musick craue. 1652Ashmole Theat. Chem. 216 Ryngyng of Feteris maketh no mere sown. 1794Burke Sp. W. Hastings, They..loaded their limbs with fetters. 1876Humphreys Coin Coll. Man. ix. 107 Antony presented Artavasdes..to Cleopatra in golden fetters.
b. pl. = Captivity.
1704Addison Poems, Campaign, Those who 'scape the fetters and the sword. a1839Praed Poems (1864) I. 210, I..thought that freedom was as sweet as fetters.
2. transf. and fig. Anything that confines, impedes, or restrains; a check, restraint.
c1000Wanderer 21 (Gr.) Ic modsefan minne sceolde..feterum sælan. 1560Rolland Crt. Venus i. 866 Deliuering it..To the beirar agane..But falt or fetter. 1602Shakes. Ham. iii. iii. 25 We will Fetters put vpon this feare. 1676Dryden Aurengz. Prol. 9 Passion's too fierce to be in Fetters bound. 1781Cowper Hope 449 The sacred book..Bound in the fetters of an unknown tongue. 1818Cruise Digest (ed. 2) IV. 530 The Court of Chancery will not loose the fetters he has put upon himself. 1851Robertson Serm. i. xviii. (1866) 305 He who puts fetters on the mind. 1871Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) IV. xvii. 66 Fortresses, which became in truth the fetters of England.
▪ II. fetter, v.1|ˈfɛtə(r)|
Forms: 4–6 feter(e, fet(t)re, (5 fedre, -dyr, fether, fet(t)yr, fetur), 6– fetter.
[f. prec. n.; cf. OFris. fitera, OHG. (ka-) fez̧arôn, ON. fiǫtra.]
1. trans. To bind with or as with fetters; to chain, fasten, shackle.
c1300Havelok 2758 He..dide him binde and fetere wel With gode feteres al of stel. c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 371 Elles had I dweld..I-fetered in his prisoun for evere moo. c1420Chron. Vilod. 942 He hadde y ffedryde to gedur his leygus two. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xvi. 369 He made to be broughte a grete payre of yrens, and fetred hym wyth theym. 1535Stewart Cron., The king..in presoun strang, Fetrit richt fast. 1647Ward Simp. Cobler 54 Is Majestas Imperii growne so kickish, that it cannot stand quiet..unlesse it be fettered? 1791Mrs. Radcliffe Rom. Forest xii, See that he is strongly fettered. 1835W. Irving Tour Prairies 276, I now fettered my horse to prevent his straying. 1847Grote Greece (1862) III. xxxi. 145 The actual chains in which the prisoners had been fettered.
b. transf. and fig. To impose restraint upon; to confine, impede, restrain. Also with down.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 172 Synne, in the whiche we be wrapped and fettered. a1586Sidney Arcad. ii. xxii. 200 Nether her woorthinesse..nor his owne suffering for her..could fetter his ficklenes. 1633P. Fletcher Poet. Misc. 79 Fond man, that thinks such fire and aire to fetter. 1681Temple Mem. iii. Wks. 1731 I. 359, I never could..endure to be fetter'd in Business. 1711Steele Spect. No. 20 ⁋4 The generality of the World are fettered by Rules. 1756C. Lucas Ess. Waters II. 142 All the other mills..have their wheels fettered with icy chains. 1788Priestley Lect. Hist. v. lxv. 521 The best faculties..may be sunk and fettered by superstition. 1837J. H. Newman Par. Serm. (ed. 2) III. xxv. 420 Can any..human doctrine fetter down our hearts? 1844Stanley Arnold (1858) I. v. 207 The surest way to fetter our own progress.
†2. To bind (a wheel) with a tire. Obs.
1523Fitzherb. Husb. §5 The wheles..muste be well fettred with wood or yren.
▪ III. † ˈfetter, v.2 Obs.—1
[? f. *fetter, corruption of faitour.]
trans. See quot.
1587L. Mascall Govt. Cattle (1653) 25 Also there be many men that fetter them, which is, to cut the dew-lap before on the brisket.
▪ IV. fetter
obs. form of feature. |