| 释义 |
▪ I. handsome, a. (adv.)|hæn(d)səm|
Forms: 5 hondsom, 5–6 handsum, 5–8 handsom, 6 handesom(e, hansum, 6–7 hansom(e, 6– handsome.
[Known only from 15th c., f. hand n. + -some: cf. toothsome. Cf. early mod. (16th c.) Ger. handsam, Ger. dial. and EFris. handsam, early mod. Du. handsaem, Du. handzaam, all in sense 1.]
A. adj.
†1.
a. Easy to handle or manipulate, or to wield, deal with, or use in any way. Obs.
c1435Torr. Portugal 1301 Sir Torrent gaderid good cobled stonys, Good and handsom ffor the nonys. c1440Promp. Parv. 225/2 Handsum, or esy to hond werke..(Pynson hansum), manualis. c1450Lonelich Grail xiv. 695 Lyghtere and more hondsom it was Thanne his owen [ax]. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utop. ii. (1895) 262 Both easy to be caried, and handsome to be moued. 1598R. Grenewey Tacitus' Ann. ii. iv. 37 Neither were the barbarous huge targets, and long pikes so handsome, among trees and low shrubs, as darts and swords.
†b. Handy, ready at hand, convenient, suitable. Obs. or dial.
1530Tindale Prol. Lev. in Doct. Treat. (1848) 428 Beware of allegories; for there is not a more handsome or apt thing to beguile withal than an allegory. 1545T. Raynalde Byrth Mankynde (1564) 93 b, Whiche of these partes shall seeme moste commodious and handsome to take it out by. 1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iv. (1586) 183 b, Carry all your Coames into some handsome place, where you meane to make your Honie. 1577St. Aug. Manual Pref., A short and handsome abridgement of the chosen sayinges of the holy fathers. 1600Holland Livy xxv. xxix. 571 Whatsoeuer came next to their hands, and lay handsome for them, they rifled. 1678Cudworth Intell. Syst. 505 Δίκαιον quasi διαͺ̈ιὸν; the Letter Cappa, being only taken in for the more handsom pronunciation. 1807Pike Sources Mississ. (1810) 7 On the west shore, there is a very handsome situation for a garrison. 1851Carlyle Sterling iii. iii. (1872) 184 A handsome shelter for the next two years.
2. a. Of action, speech, etc.: Appropriate, apt, dexterous, clever, happy: in reference to language, sometimes implying gracefulness of style (cf. 3, 6). ? Obs. exc. U.S.
1563–87Foxe A. & M. (1596) 9/2 He wrote a sharpe and an handsome letter to Celestinus. 1642Rogers Naaman 239 An handsome sudden evasion. 1652–62Heylin Cosmogr. i. (1682) 121 They fell upon this handsom project. 1690Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) II. 106 Mr. Recorder in a handsome speech congratulated the King on his happy successe in Ireland. 1712Steele Spect. No. 455 ⁋2 Close Reasoning, and handsome Argumentation. 1749Fielding Tom Jones xv. xi, He determined to quit her, if he could but find a handsome pretence. 1837H. Martineau Soc. Amer. III. 83 They use the word ‘handsome’ much more extensively than we do: saying that Webster made a handsome speech in the Senate.
b. Of an agent: Apt, skilled, clever. Obs. exc. in U.S., or as associated with other senses.
1547Salesbury Welsh Dict., Hylaw, handsome. 1561T. Norton Calvin's Inst. iv. xx. (1634) 735 O handsome expositors! 1570Levins Manip. 162/11 Handsome, scitus. 1574Hellowes Gueuara's Fam. Ep. (1577) 83 You would haue bene more handsome to colour Cordouan skinnes, then to haue written processe. a1631Drayton Moon-Calf (R.), If some handsome players would it take, It (sure) a pretty interlude would make. 18..Presbyterian (Americanisms), A writer is styled ‘a very handsome author’, meaning a good and clever one, and quite irrespective of his appearance, which may be the reverse of comely. 1883Standard 22 Feb. 3/7 The bitch was a most handsome winner when she killed.
†3. Proper, fitting, seemly, becoming, decent.
1597Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xxix. §3 Came to Church in hansome holiday apparell. 1610P. Barrough Meth. Physick v. xvi. (1639) 304 Let all things be clean and handsome about him. 1624Fletcher Rule a Wife iii. i, Go get you handsom. 1654in Whitlock's Zootomia To Author A iv b, Wit, Learning, and Variety of matter, put into a handsom Dresse.
4. a. Of fair size or amount; ‘decent’, fair, considerable, moderately large. Now unusual.
1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. ii. (1586) 66 b, So groweth it to a handsome height, meete to shadowe hearbes. a1649Winthrop New Eng. (1825) I. 7 The wind at E. and by N. a handsome gale with fair weather. 1670Narborough Jrnl. in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. i. (1711) 31 Cut the Bodies in good handsome pieces. 1725Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Age, Two handsome Glasses of this Water may be drank every Morning fasting. c1730Burt Lett. N. Scotl. (1818) I. 164 They export pretty handsome quantities of pickled salmon. 1812Brackenridge Jrnl. in Views Louisiana (1814) 231 It continues a handsome width. 1851Carlyle Sterling i. iii. (1872) 14 The soil, everywhere of handsome depth.
b. Of a sum of money, a fortune, a gift, etc.: Considerable. Now (by association with 5) in stronger sense: Ample, generous, liberal, munificent.
1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 10 b, I graunt I coulde make a good handsome gayne of them. 1660F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 270 Having..given him a handsome piece of money to unlock his secret. 1788Priestley Lect. Hist. v. liii. 410 To get handsome fortunes by small profits, and large dealings. 1811Sporting Mag. XXXVIII. 210 By a handsome price he meant a good price. 1835Marryat Jac. Faithf. xxxix, She has been told that he has left you something handsome. 1855Thackeray Rose & Ring vii, King Valeroso also sent Sir Tomaso..a handsome order for money. 1881Daily Tel. 28 Jan., His pay..very much handsomer than his brother Jack gets.
c. Humorously, of a reproof or punishment: Ample, strong, severe, ‘fine’.
1726Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 131 And reproach'd me in a handsome Manner. 1796Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue, Handsome Reward, This, in advertisements, means a horse-whipping. 1824Scott St. Ronan's xi, Finding the cowboy, with a shirt about him..and treating him to a handsome drubbing.
5. a. Of conduct, etc.: Fitting, seemly, becoming; courteous, gracious, polite. Now in stronger sense, denoting a quality that evokes moral admiration (cf. sense 6): Generous, magnanimous.
1621Fletcher Pilgrim iv. ii, Was it fair play? did it appear to you handsome? 1673S. C. Rules of Civility 56 Because it is not so handsom to sit full in his face, it will be esteemed good Breeding, if he place himself en profile or something side ways. 1693–4Gibson in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 219 'Twill be handsome for me first to apply myself to the Provost, for fear it should otherwise be not well taken. 1782Opie in J. J. Rogers Opie & Wks. (1878) 24, I was introduced to Sir Josh. who said many handsome things of me both to my face and behind my back. 1830J. H. Monk Bentley 115 Through this handsome conduct of the dean the dispute was amicably settled. 1863Mrs. C. Clarke Shaks. Char. vi. 142 In the sequel, however, Ford does make a handsome atonement.
b. spec. Of military exploits: Soldierly, gallant, brave, admirable. Obs. or arch.
1665Manley Grotius' Low C. Warres 293 Now was a very handsom Sally made out of Coevorden. 1726G. Shelvocke Voy. round World (1757) 454 [The] second lieutenant, who made a handsom resistance. 1812Wellington Disp. 4 Aug. in Examiner 31 Aug. 552/2, I enclose..[a] report of a very handsome affair with the enemy's cavalry.
6. a. Having a fine form or figure (usually in conjunction with full size or stateliness); ‘beautiful with dignity’ (J.) ‘fine’. (The prevailing current sense.)
1590Spenser F.Q. ii. iv. 3 A handsom stripling. 1601R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 69 The streetes..more neate and handsome then those of Italy. 1604Shakes. Oth. iv. iii. 37 This Lodouico is a proper man..A very handsome man. 1622Wither Mistr. Philar. Wks. (1633) 710 Who could dote on thing so common As meer outward handsome Woman? 1662J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 17 Young Lords, very handsome, both as to Face and Body. 1717Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to C'tess Mar 10 Mar., She appeared to me handsomer than before. 1783Cowper Lett. 10 Nov., I can look at..a handsome tree, every day of my life with new pleasure. 1841James Brigand ii, He was one of the handsomest and most splendid Cavaliers of his day. 1849― Woodman ii, A large and handsome room, lined entirely with beautiful carved oak. 1846J. Baxter Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4) I. 281 New and vigorous shoots, producing much better and handsomer plants. 1855Thackeray Rose & Ring xvii, She is very pretty, but not so extraordinarily handsome.
b. Used, sometimes ironically, to address, or as a designation of, a handsome person. colloq. (orig. U.S.).
1921J. Dos Passos Three Soldiers (1922) vi. ii. 334 ‘Teach him how to salute,’ the officer had said and Hand⁓some had stepped up to him and hit him. 1940S. Lewis Bethel Merriday i. 13 ‘Hya, Toots. Hya, handsome,’ said her brother. 1945E. Waugh Brideshead Revisited i. v. 104 Be a sport, handsome: no one's seen anything but you. 1963‘H. Calvin’ It's Different Abroad ii. 7 Laurent turned to him and sneered. ‘Okay, handsome,’ he said.
B. adv. = handsomely (in various senses). Now only in vulgar use, exc. in proverb handsome is as (also that) handsome does.
a1400Morte Arth. 2128 Thowe arte to hye by þe halfe, I hete þe in trouthe! Thowe salle be handsomere hye, with þe helpe of my Lorde! 1591Troub. Raigne K. John (1611) 53 This geere doth cotton hansome, That couetousnesse so cunningly must pay the lechers ransome. 1597Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 303 Proue that euer I dresse my selfe handsome, till thy returne. 1766Goldsm. Vic. W. i, She would answer, ‘they are as Heaven made them—handsome enough, if they be good enough; for handsome is that handsome does’. 1796Grose Dict. Vulg. Tongue s.v., Handsome is that handsome does; a proverb frequently cited by ugly women. 1840Dickens Barn. Rudge i, Do you suppose Highwaymen don't dress handsomer than that? 1847F. A. Durivage in W. T. Porter Quarter Race in Kentucky 48 She aint no Wenus, Sir,..but handsome is as handsome does. 1950A. Christie Murder is Announced xiii. 139 ‘Such a handsome young man.’.. ‘Handsome is as handsome does... Much too fond of poking fun at people.’ 1963Times 5 June 4/3 But handsome is as handsome does, and his job was done when he was caught off the last ball, when Kent still had a wicket to spare. 1970G. Greer Female Eunuch 56 Men were slipping into relative anonymity and ‘handsome is as handsome does’.
▪ II. † ˈhandsome, v. Obs.
[f. prec. adj.]
trans. To make handsome (in various senses); to fit, adapt; to make seemly or becoming, bring to a proper condition (also with up); to beautify, adorn.
1555W. Waterman Fardle Facions App. 324 Let the ploughe be handesomed for them also, acording to their sortes. 1593Donne Sat. i, Him..all repute For his device, in handsoming a suit [of clothes]..to have the best conceit. 1600Surflet Countrie Farme i. x. 48 He shall ouerlooke his warren to stoare it a new, and to handsome vp the earths. 1657R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 42 Some of the Planters that meant to handsom their houses, were minded to send for gilt leather, and hang their rooms with that. |