释义 |
▪ I. treadle, n.|ˈtrɛd(ə)l| Forms: 1 tredel; 5 tredel, -yl, -ylle, 6–9 treddle, (8 -el), 7 tredle, (treedle), 8–9 treadel, 6– treadle; β. 7 trydle, triddle (also 9 dial.); γ. 7 tradle, 9 dial. traddle. [f. tread v. + -le 1.] †1. A step or stair. Obs. rare—0.
a1000ælfric's Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 117/6 Bases, tredelas, uel stæpas. c1440Promp. Parv. 501/1 Tredyl, or [v.r. of] grece, gradus, pedalis. c1490Ibid. 209/1 (MSS. K. & H.) Grece, or tredyl, P. or steyre, gradus. 1847–78Halliwell, Treddle, the step of a stair, etc. 2. a. A lever worked by the foot in machines and mechanical contrivances, usually to produce reciprocating (as orig. in the loom) or rotary motion.
14..Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 592/33 Liciatorium, a tredel. Ibid. 614/14 Subpedium, a tredel. 1483Cath. Angl. 392/1 A Tredylle of ye lummys, suppodium. 1573–80Baret Alv. T 347 The Treadle of a weauers loome, insile. 1608Topsell Serpents (1658) 785 Consider the strange trydles of their Looms. 1667in Pettus Fodinæ Reg. (1670) 35 Large Smelting Bellows with Beams, Frames, Swords, Triddles. 1680Moxon Mech. Exerc. x. 183 Of the Treddle and Cross-Treddle. 1688R. Holme Armoury iii. xxi. (Roxb.) 252/1 By the riseing and falling of the Tradles, these play vp and down. 1806W. Taylor in Ann. Rev. IV. 772 Until the method of lifting it by treadels, or foot-staves. 1831G. R. Porter Silk Manuf. 215 Treadles on which the weaver presses his feet alternately. Mod. A sewing-machine worked by treadles. b. A pedal of a bicycle or the like.
1887Miss E. P. Thompson in Monthly Packet Jan. 88 My feet are unapt to move without the treadles under them. 1895H. C. Beeching Poems, Going down hill on a bicycle v, When the wheels scarce crawl, My feet to the treadles fall. c. On a railway: see quot.
1904Westm. Gaz. 15 Nov. 10/1 There is an electric treadle just outside Shepherd's Bush Station which is operated by a brush fixed to the rear car of the train; and this operates on the block signal. 3. a. = tread n. 9 b. Now dial.
1658Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iii. xxviii. (ed. 4) 225 The Grando or tredle are but the poles and establishing particles of the tender membrans. 1713Derham Phys.-Theol. vii. iv. 391 At each end of the Egg is a Treddle, so called, because it was formerly thought to be the Sperm of the Cock. 1747H. Glasse Cookery vii. 70 The Treadels of the Eggs. 1794G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. I. v. 180 The chicken contained in embryo, in..the treadle of the egg. †b. See quots. (Cf. tread v. 8, n. 9.) Obs.
1638Ford Fancies iii. iii, Whore, bitch-fox, treedle, fa la la la! [1847–78Halliwell, Treddle, a whore.] 4. attrib. and Comb., as treadle-board, treadle-cord, treadle-crank, treadle-lever, treadle-wire; worked by a treadle or treadles, as treadle-brake, treadle-grindstone, treadle-loom, treadle-machine, treadle-wheel; also treadle-shaking adj.; treadle mat, a mat or casing which activates a mechanism when stepped on or otherwise depressed.
1881Young Every Man his own Mechanic §550 Fastened to this shaft is the *treadle-board.
1903Westm. Gaz. 20 Oct. 10/1 By slow degrees, we got the present serviceable *treadle brake that acts on the whole 'bus.
1766Compl. Farmer s.v. Flax, The sword or upright timber-rod which turns the wheel by the *treadle-crank.
1902Marshall Metal Tools 72 For larger tools..a *treadle grindstone..will be found more convenient.
1839Ure Dict. Arts 269 A platform, which is raised up by a *treddle lever.
1882Floyer Unexpl. Baluchistan 45 The manufacturers sit in holes in their gardens before their rather clumsy *treadle-looms.
1937Times 13 Apr. p. xvi/4 Pneumatic *treadle mats cover the steps so that the doors when released by the driver may be automatically opened by passengers standing on the steps. 1966Electronics Weekly 16 Mar. 3/1 The passage of the wheels over a treadle mat causes the light to change to red.
1893A. S. Eccles Sciatica 7 Working a *treadle sewing-machine for some hours.
1812W. Tennant Anster F. ii. xxvi, Their *treadle-shaking feet now scour apace Through Gallow town.
1680Moxon Mech. Exerc. x. 188 The *Treddle Wheel is used for small work only.
1880Carnegie Pract. Trap. vi. 41 The *treadle wire itself may be flattened. ▪ II. treadle, v.|ˈtrɛd(ə)l| [f. treadle n.] 1. intr. To work a treadle; to move the feet as if doing this; also, of a cyclist: to make one's way by treadling or pedalling one's cycle: also trans. with way. Hence ˈtreadling vbl. n.
1891T. Hardy Tess xxxv, In the strenuousness of his concentration he treadled fitfully on the floor. 1891Daily News 7 Sept. 6/3 Two or three of these persecutor-cyclists were quietly treadling about the town as early as eight in the morning. 1896Ibid. 25 July 8/1 We treadled our way swiftly through the..streets. 1912Ibid. 21 Mar. 5 A little weakness which makes it difficult to do much treadling. 2. trans. To operate (a machine) by working a treadle.
1906H. Begbie Priest xvi, You'd be in Queer Street, treadling a sewing-machine for eighteen pence a day. Hence ˈtreadler, one who treadles. treadler's cramp, cramp of the legs affecting persons engaged in working treadle-machines.
1891Lancet 14 Feb. 410/1 Medical Society of London... A case of Treadler's Cramp. 1899Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 15 The lameness and the ‘treadler's cramp’ appeared simultaneously. |