| 释义 |
▪ I. flock, n.1|flɒk|
Forms: 1 flocc, 2–4 floc, Orm. flocc, 3 south. vloc, (3 floch), 3–6 flok(e, 4–5 flokk(e, 4–7 flocke, 3– flock.
[OE. flocc = ON. flokkr (Sw. flock, Da. flok).
Not found in the other Teut. langs. The etymology is obscure. As both in OE. and ON. the word means only an assemblage of persons, it can hardly be connected with fly v.; the hypothesis that it is cognate with folk is satisfactory with regard to meaning, but its phonological admissibility is doubtful.]
1. a. A band, body, or company (of persons). Now only as transf. from 2 or 3.
O.E. Chron. an. 894 Hi [MS. him] mon mid oþrum floccum sohte. c1000ælfric Gen. xxxii. 8 Gif Esau cymþ to anum flocce & þone ofslihþ, se oþer flocc byþ ᵹehealden. c1175Lamb. Hom. 3 Moni of þan floc manna þe earþon fulieden ure drihten. a1225Ancr. R. 162 Ne þunche þe neuer god among monne floc. c1394P. Pl. Crede 536 Fynd foure freres in a flok, þat folweþ þat rewle. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. clxiv. 203 They parceyued a flocke of men of armes commynge togyder. 1609Bible (Douay) 1 Sam. x. 5 Thou shalt meete there a flocke of prophetes. 1822Shelley Triumph Life 264 Whom from the flock of conquerors Fame singled out.
b. pl. used to indicate: Great numbers, ‘swarms’.
1535Coverdale 2 Macc. xiv. 14 The Heithen which fled out of Iewry from Iudas, came to Nicanor by flockes. 1632Lithgow Trav. x. 443 Whence springeth these Flockes of Studientes, that over-swarme the whole land.
2. a. A number of animals of one kind, feeding or travelling in company. Now chiefly applied to an assemblage of birds (esp. geese) or (as in sense 3) of sheep or goats; in other applications commonly superseded by herd, swarm, etc.
c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 39 Þe deules beden ure louerd ihesu crist þat he hem sende into floc of swin. a1300Cursor M. 1964 (Gött.) Alsua ȝe ete of na fiss ellis, Bot þat in flock and herd duellis. 1480Caxton Descr. Brit. 41 Ther is a pole at Brecknock, Therin of fish is many a flok. 1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 152 If I do not..driue all thy Subiects afore thee like a flocke of Wilde-geese. 1614Raleigh Hist. World II. v. v. §8. 602 Sixteene Elephants together in one flocke. 1665Hooke Microgr. 205, I found whole flocks of the same kind [mites] running to and fro among the..green moss. 1690Moral Ess. Pres. Times iii. 48 A Flock of Lions. 1839tr. Lamartine's Trav. East 102/1 Glades, where we saw flocks of camels and goats browsing. 1875C. F. Wood Yachting Cruise iv. 91 Flocks of pigeons and parrots were fluttering about.
b. transf.
a1225Ancr. R. 120 Her aȝeines wreððe monie kunnes remedies, & frouren a muche vloc. 1601Shakes. Twel. N. i. i. 36 The rich golden shaft Hath kill'd the flocke of all affections else That live in her. 1642Fuller Holy & Prof. St. To Rdr., Some serious books, which dare flie abroad, are hooted at by a flock of Pamphlets. 1775J. Q. Adams in Fam. Lett. (1876) 100 Fire, sword, pestilence, famine, often keep company and visit a country in a flock. 1805Wordsw. Prelude iii. 33 Courts, cloisters, flocks of churches, gateways, towers.
3. esp. A number of domestic animals (chiefly, and now exclusively, of sheep or goats) kept together under the charge of one or more persons. Often used vaguely in pl. for (a person's) possessions in sheep; esp. in flocks and herds = sheep and cattle.
a1300Cursor M. 3820 (Cott.) Jacob..Faand quare thre floks o beistes lai, Be-side a well. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 5891, I sal aske my flok of shepe Of þe hird þat had þam undir his hand. c1440Promp. Parv. 167/2 Floke of bestys. c1450Mirour Saluacioun 3529 The fonden shepe on his shuldres laid he & broght to flokke. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. ii. iv. 83 His Flockes, and bounds of feede Are now on sale. 1725Pope Odyss. ix. 289 He..sitting down, to milk his flocks prepares. 1810Scott Lady of L. iii. viii, A goat, the patriarch of the flock. 1815Elphinstone Acc. Caubul (1842) I. 305 The increase both of men and flocks soon occasions disputes.
transf. and fig.1751Affect. Narr. Wager 141 The Crew..he should have consider'd as a Flock, whereof he had undertaken the Care. 1820Shelley Witch Atl. x, Every shepherdess of Ocean's flocks.
4. fig.
a. In spiritual sense, of a body or the whole body of Christians, in relation to Christ as the ‘Chief Shepherd’, or of a congregation in relation to its pastor.
a1340Hampole Psalter xxviii. 1 Apostils þat ware ledirs of godis floke. 1393Gower Conf. Prol. I. 16 Christes..flocke without guide Deuour'd is on euery side. c1440York Myst. xxvii. 146 The flokke schall be full fayne to flee. 1588J. Udall Demonstr. Discip. (Arb.) 26 The minister is a shepheard, and his charge a flocke. 1611Bible 1 Pet. v. 2 Feede the flocke of God which is among you. 1641Milton Reform. 4 He that..faithfully from that time forward feeds his parochial flock. 1797Mrs. Radcliffe Italian x, The Father-director and his flock seemed perfectly to understand each other. 1865Mrs. Gaskell Cousin Phillis 40 The minister..had been calling on the different members of his flock.
b. Occasionally applied to any body of persons under the charge or guidance of some one; e.g. to a family of children in relation to their parents.
5. attrib. and Comb.
a. simple attrib., as flock district, flock farm;
b. objective, as flock-feeder;
c. instrumental, as flock-fed, flock-nibbled adjs. Also, flock-book, a list of pedigrees of sheep; flock-duck (U.S.), a scaup-duck; flock-feeding, the habit of feeding in flocks; flock-man, a shepherd (Cent. Dict.); flock-master, an owner or overseer of a flock; a sheep-farmer; flock pigeon, an Australian species of pigeon, Histriophaps histrionica, usu. seen in large flocks; the harlequin bronzewing; flock-rake Sc. (see quot.).
1912W. Deeping Sincerity xxvi. 195 Crabbe kept a complete register of his tenants..their ages, resources, infirmities, and characters, like the records of sheep in a ‘*flock-book’. 1950N.Z. Jrnl. Agric. Feb. 144/1 Stud sheep which are entered in flock books.
1795Scots Mag. LVII. 480/1 The recent loss of sheep, after shearing, in the *flock districts.
1846J. Baxter Libr. Pract. Agric. II. 238 Where lands of this description are attached to *flock farms.
1800J. Hurdis Fav. Village 2 The proud eminence, whose steep For ever *flock-fed, shelters his loved elms.
1545Joye Exp. Dan. v. Iiij b, To maintayne..ydle bisshops, preistis and monkis, the trewe *flokfeders neglected.
1893G. D. Leslie Lett. to Marco iii. 19 This *flock-feeding saves a lot of time spent in looking out for danger.
1798Sporting Mag. XI. 307 The *flock⁓masters of the South Downs. 1883Times 19 May 5 Many of..the flockmasters..have upwards of 10,000 sheep.
1800J. Hurdis Fav. Village 107 On each blade Of the *flock-nibbled field.
1887G. J. Broinowski Birds Austral. III. Pl. 111, Leucomelana Norfolciensis..White-headed Fruit-Pigeon... This bird, more commonly known among settlers as the ‘*Flock’ Pigeon, is found generally along the whole of the north⁓eastern sea-coast. 1959Observer 17 May 8/4 The flock-pigeon, a plump bronze-wing formerly thought to be on the brink of extinction. 1966N. W. Cayley What Bird is That? (ed. 4) 23 Topknot pigeon... Also called Flock Pigeon. Usually seen in flocks, frequenting brushes.
1813Kerr Agric. Surv. Berwicksh. vi. §2. 179 Very large pastures, provincially termed *flock-rakes.
▪ II. flock, n.2|flɒk|
Forms: 3–5 flokke, 3–6 flocke, 6– flock.
[prob. a. OF. floc lock of wool, snowflake, etc.:—L. floccus.
Words of similar sound and meaning exist in other Teut. langs.: OHG. floccho wk. masc. (MHG. vlocke, mod.Ger. flocke), MDu. vlocke MLG. (mod.Du. vlok), MDa. flok, flock (mod.Da. flok), MSw. flokker (mod.Sw. flock, flocka). It is doubtful whether these words are adopted from Lat. or Rom., or genuinely Teut.; in the latter case they would prob. be related by ablaut to ON. flóke felt, hair, wool, and to flake n.2 If the Teut. words are not of L. origin, they must be altogether unconnected with L. floccus, unless it be supposed that the pre-Teut. word began with ph.]
1. A lock, tuft or particle (of wool, cotton, etc.). † As a type of something valueless or contemptible: see quot. 1592 and flock v.2 2.
c1440Promp. Parv. 167/2 Flokkys of wulle or oþer lyke, floccus. 1563W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 48 They look white, like flocks of wooll. 1592Lyly Midas iv. ii, I will never care three flocks for his ambition. 1705W. Bosman Guinea 250 A sort of Hair as thick set as Flocks of Wool. 1756P. Browne Jamaica 283 When the pods [of cotton] are..ripe, they burst, and expose their seeds wrapt up in their native flocks, to the sun. 1869E. A. Parkes Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3) 96 Bronchitis, from the inhalation of fine particles of coal..flocks of cotton.
2. pl. A material consisting of the coarse tufts and refuse of wool or cotton, or of cloth torn to pieces by machinery, used for quilting garments, and stuffing beds, cushions, mattresses, etc.
1277Munim. Gildh. Lond. (Rolls) III. 433, xv capella nigra..falsi operis et mixti de lana et flokkes. a1400Cov. Myst. 241 Cadace wolle or flokkys..To stuffe withal thi dobbelet. 1494in Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl. I. 238 Item, gevin to Gildow to by flolkis to the harnes sadillis ijs. 1495Act 11 Hen. VII c. 19 Federbeddes bolsters and pillows made of..flokkis and feders togidre. 1589Pappe w. Hatchet E b, Their fleece [is] for flockes, not cloath. 1664Cotton Scarronides 69 A Cushion stuff't with Flocks. 1695Congreve Love for L. i. i. Plays (1887) 205 Put more flocks in her bed. 1801Wolcott (P. Pindar) Tears & Smiles Wks. 1812 V. 60 A bed, but not of flocks. 1858W. White Month in Yorksh. xxvii. 292 The cylinder..ground it [rag] up into flocks of short, frizzly-looking fibre.
fig.1603H. Crosse Vertues Commw. (1878) 99 Swelling words, bumbasted out with the flocks of sundry languages.
b. sing. collect.; e.g. in cotton-flock.
1881Young Every Man his own Mechanic §797 The stuffing..may be clean cotton flock.
3. pl. (in later use collect. sing.) Powdered wool or cloth, or cloth-shearings, used formerly for thickening cloth and now in making flock-paper.
1483Act 1 Rich. III c. 8 Preamble, The Sellers of such course Clothes, being bare of Threde, usen for to powder and cast Flokkys of fynner Cloth upon the same. 1541Act 33 Hen. VIII c. 18 Thei..shall [not]..make or stoppe any maner kerseies with flockes. c1720W. Gibson Farrier's Dispens. iv. (1734) 44 Flocks, or Shavings of Cloth..are chiefly used to spread over Plaisters. 1893Jrnl. Soc. Arts XLI. 367 The flock—which is composed of the cuttings of woollen cloth, cut up in a mill to the necessary degree of fineness, and dyed,—is then sprinkled over the paper.
†b. Often in the spelling flox(e taken as sing.
1558–68Warde tr. Alexis' Secr. 112 b, Take..of cloth⁓maker's floxe or shearing one part. 1683Pettus Fleta Min. i. (1686) 155 Make each apart into Pouder..add to it so much flox of woollen cloth.
4. a. = flock-bed. b. pl. = flock-papers.
a.1783Crabbe Village i. Wks. 1834 II. 85 Here on a matted flock, with dust o'erspread, The drooping wretch reclines his languid head.
b.1881Young Every Man his own Mechanic §1646 Papers for sitting-rooms may be procured at all prices, from 1s...satins..ranging from 3s. to 6s., and flocks being even more expensive. 1884Health. Exhib. Catal. 86/1 Artistic Wall Papers of various kinds..Raised Flocks.
5. pl. Of chemical precipitates, etc.: Light and loose masses, resembling tufts of wool.
1592Nashe P. Penilesse (ed. 2) 24 a, Not to leaue any flockes in the bottom of the cup. 1676Phil. Trans. XI. 617 In the evaporation of all those waters, their terrestrial parts form'd themselves diversly; some into floting filmes, some into flocks. 1788Keir ibid. LXXVIII. 327 The minute particles collected and fell to the bottom in form of white flocks. 1838T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies 200 It..precipitates again, as the liquid cools, in large deep-blue flocks.
6. attrib. and Comb.
a. simple attrib. passing into adj. (= made of, or stuffed with, flock), as flock-bed, flock hangings, flock mattress, flock-wool; also flock-mill, flock-work.
b. similative, etc., as flock-hair, flock-headed; flock-like adj. Also, flock-paper, ‘paper prepared for walls by being sized in the first instance, either over the whole surface or over special parts, constituting the pattern only, and then powdering over it flock..which has been previously dyed’ (Brande Dict. Sc. 1842); † flock-pate, a foolish or giddy person; whence flock-pated adj., foolish, giddy, stupid; flock-powder = sense 3; † flock-pox, some eruptive disease; flock-printing, the process of printing paper in size or varnish for ornamentation and dusting with flock while wet.
1327Lanc. & Chesh. Wills (Chetham 1854) 37, I beqweth to my sonne Hugh doghter a *fflokbedd. 1732Pope Ep. Bathurst 301 On once a flock-bed, but repair'd with straw, Great Villiers lies. 1835Willis Pencillings I. xxxiv. 238 No furniture but a flock-bed in the corner.
1877Spry Cruise ‘Challenger’ xiii. (1878) 215 The *flock hair was trained to grow at right angles from the head.
1649G. Daniel Trinarch., Rich. II, xcvi, Soe in *Flocke Hangings, wth an Azure Nose, Are Kings sett forth.
1891Cotes 2 Girls on Barge 109 He..apostrophised his steed as a ‘nasty *flock⁓headed besom’.
1796Withering Brit. Plants IV. 339 Pileus..brown, with *flock-like radiated scores.
1720Lond. Gaz. No. 5837/4 The great Paper Mills, *Flock-Mills, and Corn Mill.
1869E. A. Parkes Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3) 331 All *flock and woollen mattresses should be discarded.
1750Mrs. Delany Autobiog. & Corr. (1861) II. 593, I have hung my dressing room..with a dove-colour *flock paper. 1862R. H. Patterson Ess. Hist. & Art 29 An artist..whose drawing-room wall..has a flock-paper of deep green.
1681W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. (1693) 510 Very *flockpates, dullberds.
1640Roxb. Ball. (Ball. Soc.) II. 168 He that would be a poet Must no wayes be *flocke-pated.
1549Latimer 3rd Serm. bef. Edw. VI, G iv, Thei cal it *floke pouther they do so in corporate it to the cloth, that it is wonderfull to consider.
1672in 13th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. vi. 272 My grandchild's..illness of the *flock pox.
1789Trans. Soc. Encourag. Arts VII. 169, I have made use of Spanish and Norfolk *flock-wool mixed.
1552Inv. Ch. Surrey (1869) 28 Item ij alter clothes of *fflock worke. 1720Lond. Gaz. no. 5877/3 Raw and thrown Silk, Flock-Work.
▪ III. flock, v.1|flɒk|
[f. flock n.1]
†1. trans. To gather (individuals) together into a company; to assemble, muster (troops). to flock in: to bring in in crowds. Obs.
c1275Lay. 4729 Brenne..flockede his cnihtes alse hii solde to fihte. c1440Promp. Parv. 167/2 Flokkyn, or gadyr to-gedyr, aggrego, congrego. 1586J. Hooker Girald. Irel. in Holinshed II. 9/2 So had he flocked in Englishmen to ouerrun his countrie.
†2. To lead away to another flock. Obs.
1599Sandys Europæ Spec. (1629) 220 There were more danger of flocking away theyr people, if they should haue but a bare view of our Reformed Churches. 1672Toleration not to be abused 28 You may possibly gather together a few stragling sheep out of other mens folds, but..there will not be wanting such, as may exercise your vigilancy, by undermining you, and endeavouring to flock them away from you.
3. intr. (rarely † refl.) To gather in a company or crowd, to congregate; to come or go in great numbers, to troop. Const. about, after (a person), † in, into, to, upon (a place). Also with advbs. in, out, over, together.
a1300Cursor M. 1781 (Cott.) Þe fowuls floked þam on hei. 13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 386 Þer-on [mountaynez] flokked þe folke, for ferde of þe wrake. c1340Cursor M. 4709 (Trin.) To gider þei flocked in þat lond Bi hundrides. c1420Anturs of Arth. xxvi, His fayre folke in firthes, flokkes in fere. 1575Churchyard Chippes (1817) 194 They floke so fast, that daily sought my bloode. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. i. i. 123 Many yong Gentlemen flocke to him euery day. 1682Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) I. 158 [The Morocco ambassador] Hath been..much flock't after to be seen. 1684R. H. School Recreat. 160 The Fish will flock about it from all Parts. 1718Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to Abbé Conti 31 July, Many of the women flocked in to see me. 1865Kingsley Herew. xvi, All the fowl of heaven were flocking to the feast. 1874Helps Soc. Press. ii. 16 On their holidays, the whole population flock out to some beautiful garden. 1892S. R. Gardiner Student's Hist. Eng. 12 Traders continued to flock over from Gaul.
4. trans.
a. To crowd upon, throng (a person).
b. nonce-use. To fill or occupy as a flock does.
1609J. Taylor (Water-P.) Pennyl. Pilgr. Wks. (1630) 122 Good fellowes trooping, flock'd me so. 1839Bailey Festus (1854) 206 Since first they flocked creation's fold. 1943L. Bennett Jamaican Humour in Dialect 21 But dose bwoys ovah dere Wi' flock we like dese gals flock De soljas ovah here.
▪ IV. flock, v.2|flɒk|
[f. flock n.2]
1. trans.
a. To stuff with flocks.
b. To cover (a prepared surface of cloth or paper) with flock or wool-dust (see flock n.2 2–4).
1530Palsgr. 552/2 Flocke your mattres for woll is dere. 1567Sc. Act Jas. VI (1814) 41/2 Þat þe said clayth be na wyiss flokkit. 18..Manufacturer's Rev. XX. 223 (Cent.) If the goods have been heavily flocked..there may be trouble in getting them evenly sheared.
†2. To treat with contempt, set at naught (after L. flocci facere); also absol. Cf. flock n.2 1. Obs.
1545Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Luke xx. 47 Suche simple wedowes therefore do they easily flocke and loute. 1548Geste Pr. Masse 132 What is to flocke and despyse God yf that be not? a1575Pilkington Expos. Nehem. Wks. (Parker Soc.) 390 They..flock and flout whosoever would have them to continue there.
Hence ˈflocking vbl. n. (attrib.).
1874Knight Dict. Mech. I. 886/1 Flocking-machine, one for distributing flock on a prepared surface of cloth or paper. |