| 释义 |
gamester|ˈgeɪmstə(r)|
Also 6 Sc. gemster, 6–7 gamster.
[f. game n. + -ster.]
1. a. A player at any game; also, an athlete.
1581Mulcaster Positions xx. (1887) 82 Is it euer red that the athlets or gamesters vsed walking for an exercise? 1601Holland Pliny II. 304 Professed wrestlers, runners and such gamesters at feats of actiuity. 1624Quarles Div. Poems, Job. xvi. 10 Young Standers-by doe oftentimes see more, Then elder Gamesters. 1662Blount Boscobel ii. 9 His Majestie was askt by one of the Gamesters, if he could play a game of Ball call'd Fives. 1699Bentley Phal. 53 The Gamesters at those Exercises were very stupid and thick-skull'd Fellows. 1775Adair Amer. Ind. 400 The gamesters are equal in number on each side. 1832P. Egan Bk. Sports 340/2 The great interest attached to cricket-matches..will warrant something more than the mere comparison of numbers and names of the gamesters. 1942Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §636/1 Athelete; player,..gamester. 1965Eng. Studies XLVI. 464 Gamesters are cheered by pepsters and rallisters.
b. dial. (Berks.) A player at backsword and wrestling.
1857Hughes Tom Brown i. ii, A pair of heavy single-sticks, with which Benjy himself had won renown long ago as an old gamester. 1859― Scour. White Horse v. 92 That prizes be awarded for..Backsword Play, Old gamesters, 8l., Young gamesters, 4l., Wrestling, Old Gamesters, 5l., Young Gamesters, 4l. Ibid. vi. 119 ‘Who are the old gamesters?’ I asked of the man next me. ‘Them as has won or shared a first prize at any revel’, answered he. 1888Berksh. Gloss., Ge-amster, or Gaaymester, one who is skilled at single stick.
†2. An actor. Obs. rare—1.
1596Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 235 Kardes and Bardis, Gemsteris [L. histriones] Glouttounis and syk kynd of men.
3. One who habitually plays at games of chance for money or other stake; a gambler.
1553T. Wilson Rhet. 51 No greater gamester in a whole countrey. 1607–8N. Riding Rec. (1884) I. 106 He is a gamester at cardes and doth waist his estate therby. 1676Dryden Aurenz. Prol. 23 A loosing Gamester let him sneak away. 1773Goldsm. Epil. Intended for Mrs. Bulkley, The Gamester..Oft risks his fortune on one desperate throw. 1880Browning Clive 93 Your high-flown gamesters hardly take Umbrage at a factor's elbow if the factor plays his stake.
fig.1645Bp. Hall Remedy Discontents 33 The World is a cheating gamester, suffering us to win at the first. 1647Clarendon Hist. Reb. ii. §93 The Scots needed not now advance their Progress, their Game was in the hands..of better Gamesters. 1851Gallenga Italy 344 Had he reckoned the odds like other political gamesters, he would [etc.].
†4. A merry, frolicsome person. Obs.
1598B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. i. i, T' have ta'en on trust Such petulant, jeering gamesters, that can spare No argument or subject from their jest. 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. iv. 45 You are a merry Gamster My Lord Sands.
†5. One addicted to amorous sport (see game n. 3 b); a lewd person, whether male or female.
1601Shakes. All's Well v. iii. 188 She's impudent my Lord, And was a common gamester to the Campe. 1621Fletcher Wild Goose Chase ii. iii, Good women scorn such gamesters. 1629Massinger Picture i. ii, Thou wast at twelve a gamester, and since that, Studied all kinds of females. a1668Davenant News fr. Plymouth iii. Dram. Wks. 1873 IV. 145 This I assure you Your satin gamesters practise.
transf.c1640J. Smyth Lives Berkeleys (1883) I. 156 The Rams..were not admitted all at one tyme..but some reserved..vntill the former gamsters had wasted their strength.
6. (See quot. and cf. game n. 12.) Obs. exc. Hist.
1880Clark in Encycl. Brit. XI. 701/1 The keeper who looked after them [a ‘game’ of swans] was the ‘gamester’. 1957N. F. Ticehurst Mute Swan in Eng. 121 Gamester, gamster, an owner of a game of swan. |