| 释义 |
half-mast
a. The half of a mast, half the height of a mast; in the expressions at half-mast, half-mast (high), at a point at or near the middle of a mast: said esp. of the position of a flag lowered to half the height of the staff as a mark of respect for the dead.
1627Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. ix. 38 Hoise your Sailes half mast high. 1712W. Rogers Voyage App. 41 Have..your Foretop-sail half-mast, and all your Anchors ready. 1715Lond. Gaz. No. 5333/1 The Flag was hoisted half-Mast high. 1806A. Duncan Nelson's Fun. 17 The St. George's jack..was lowered half-mast high. 1891Daily News 8 Oct. 3/1 At Dover the flags on the public buildings and in the harbour are half-mast.
b. transf.
1940L. A. G. Strong Sun on Water 139 With his trousers at half-mast. 1966Listener 10 Feb. 210/1 Its [sc. a dog's] tail at half-mast.
Hence half-mast v. trans., to hang half-mast high.
1891Illustr. Lond. News 7 Feb. 174/1, I looked for the flag that Helga and I had half-masted. 1892A. E. Lee Hist. Columbus (Ohio) II. 149 Flags were halfmasted, and the..prominent buildings were draped with mourning. |