| 释义 |
guerrilla, guerilla|gɛˈrɪlə, gəˈrɪlə|
[a. Sp. guerrilla, dim. of guerra war. With the form guerilla cf. F. guérilla.]
1. An irregular war carried on by small bodies of men acting independently. Now somewhat rare.
1819Syd. Smith Wks. (1859) I. 255/2 A succession of village guerillas;—an internecive war between the gamekeepers and marauders of game. 1837W. Irving Capt. Bonneville III. 254 To avoid being involved in these guerillas. 1851Mayne Reid Scalp Hunt. xvii. 121, I was offered the command of this strange guerilla. 1862Russell in Times 18 Mar., Arkansas is now the theatre of a large guerilla.
2. One engaged in such warfare.
1809Wellington in Gurw. Desp. (1835) V. 9, I have recommended to the Junta to set..the Guerrillas to work towards Madrid. 1840E. E. Napier Scenes & Sp. For. Lands I. iii. 54 We might easily have..been mistaken for..a party of guerillas. 1887Edin. Rev. Jan. 127 A swift and skilful guerilla. 1900Daily News 9 June 4/6 A nation of farmers is not the material of which guerrillas have usually been made.
fig.1861J. Pycroft Ways & Words 333 The mere skirmishers and guerillas of literature.
3. attrib. passing into adj., esp. in guerrilla war (= sense 1).
1811Scott Don Roderick xlix, The Guerilla band Came like night's tempest, and avenged the land. 1814Southey in Robberds Mem. W. Taylor II. 428 Somewhat afraid of my old Guerrilla friends upon the road. 1843Prescott Mexico i. ii. (1864) 16 Making use of ambuscades, sudden surprises, and the light skirmish of guerilla warfare. 1860W. G. Clarke in Vac. Tour. 67 Garibaldi..is..a master of the ‘dodges’..which are required in guerilla war. 1865Maffei Brigand Life II. 41 He was forced to become, not a guerilla leader, but a highway captain. 1881Huxley Sci. & Culture i. 3 It must be admitted to be somewhat of a guerilla force, composed largely of irregulars.
fig.1843Thackeray Irish Sk.-bk. II. xvii. 318 A doubtful, lazy, dirty family vassal—a guerilla footman. 1863Ouida Held in Bondage 135 My guerilla life suits me better than my fashionable one. 1898W. M. Ramsay Was Christ born in Bethlehem? i. 8 The commentary on Luke then degenerates into a guerilla warfare against him.
Hence gueˈrrillaism, the principles and practice of guerrilla warfare; gueˈrrillist = guerrilla 2; gueˈrrillaship = guerrillaism; guerriˈllesque a., proper or habitual to a guerrilla.
1864Sala in Daily Tel. 22 Apr. 5/2 This is the guerillesque formula. 1865Even. Stand. 19 May, Owing to the unsettled state of affairs in the new empire, the prevalence of guerillaism, &c., these precautions, which have a military air, are considered quite necessary. 1889A. H. Drysdale Hist. Presbyt. Eng. ii. iii. 206 This mode of controversial guerillaship was not of long duration. |