| 释义 |
traitress, ˈtraitoress|ˈtreɪtrɪs|
Forms: 4 traitores, -eresse, (6 -eres), 4–7 trayteresse, (5 -ures, tratouresse), 5–6 traytres(se, (8 -ess), 5–7 traitresse, (6–7 -oresse), 7– traitress.
[a. F. traîtresse (13th c. in Godef. Compl.), fem. of traître traitor: see -ess. In form traitoress f. traitor + -ess.]
A female traitor; a traitorous or treacherous woman (or being personified as a woman). Sometimes in an attenuated or playful sense.
c1369Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 620 (Fairf. MS.) Fortune..The trayteresse [v.r. traitores] fals and ful of gyle That al behoteth and no thyng halte. c1400Rom. Rose 7391 That false tratouresse untrewe. c1400Ywaine & Gaw. 2587 That sho bitrayed hir lady, Als traytures sal sho haue hyr [= hire], Sho be brent her in this fir. a1450Knt. de la Tour (1906) 73 For a lytel thynge ye haue vndo yow, and haue be to me traitresse. a1536Callisto & Melibæa B iv b, Answere thou traytres how darst be so bold? 1601Shakes. All's Well i. i. 184 A Traitoresse, and a Deare. 1632J. Hayward Biondi's Eromena 34 Mischievous and accursed Traitresse. 1651tr. De-las-Coveras' Don Fenise 276 She saw the trayteresse Fregonde. 1702Rowe Tamerl. iv. i, Death shall free me At once from Infamy and Thee, thou Traytress. a1766F. Sheridan Nourjahad (1767) 103 The traitoresses! they shall pay dearly for thus abusing my indulgence. 1769Blackstone Comm. IV. xiv. 203 If she [the wife] kills such divorced husband, she is a traitress. 1824Lady Granville Lett. (1894) I. 255 The French Government released the little traitoresses. 1882Stevenson Stud. Men & Bks. (1905) 236 He [Knox] solemnly proclaims all reigning women to be traitoresses and rebels against God. 1884Tennyson Becket ii. i. 50 Henry. Traitress! Rosamund. A faithful traitress to thy royal fame.
b. attrib. or as adj. rare.
1470–85Malory Arthur i. xxi. 67 Ye are the falsest lady of the world and the most traitresse vnto the kynges person. 1725Pope Odyss. iv. 115 By the dire fury of a traitress wife. |