| 释义 |
alibi, n. formerly adv.|ˈælɪbaɪ|
[a. L. alibi elsewhere, in another place, old locative case of alius another.]
‖A. adv.
a. Elsewhere.
1727Arbuthnot John Bull 70 The prisoner had little to say in his defence; he endeavoured to prove himself Alibi. 1777Erskine Institutes (ed. 5) iv. 499 The defender will be allowed to proue, that..he was alibi.
b. attrib. quasi-adj.
1858Thackeray Virgin. xxxv. (1878) 275 Women are not so easily cured by the alibi treatment.
B. n.
a. The plea of having been elsewhere at the time when any alleged act took place.
1743Fielding J. Wild in Miscellanies III. iv. iii. 303 A single Alibi would have saved them. 1774Ann. Reg. (1778) XVII. 135/2 Clearer proofs of an alibi than can frequently be produced. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 523 For some of the prisoners an alibi was set up. 1862Sat. Rev. 15 Mar. 291 They have got to establish alibis for her. 1939T. S. Eliot Old Possum's Pract. Cats 34 He always has an alibi, and one or two to spare: At whatever time the deed took place—Macavity wasn't there!
b. colloq. In weakened sense: an excuse, a pretext; a plea of innocence; a person providing an excuse, etc. orig. U.S.
1912Collier's 20 Apr. 15/2 ‘Getting your alibi ready?’ asked Zeider. 1922W. T. Tilden Lawn Tennis i. 1 Don't offer alibis for losing. 1936W. Holtby South Riding v. §3. 297 Pip's devotion gave her, she considered, a complete alibi in all charges of frustration and virginity. 1949‘C. Hare’ When Wind Blows xiv. 181 Tom and Maureen are my alibis. 1951L. P. Hartley Fellow Devils xxi. 216 Low spirits make you seem complaining..I have an alibi because I'm going to have a baby.
Hence ˈalibi v. trans., to clear by an excuse; to provide an alibi. orig. U.S. Also (in U.S.) intr. Both colloq.
1909P. Armstrong Alias Jimmy Valentine (MS.) 111, I'm going to alibi Doyle until he'll think he's lost his eye sight. Ibid., You cant get away from the scar on your left wrist if you alibied yourself into hell. 1917Collier's 13 Oct. 16/1, I ain't trying to alibi, it was a solid bone play. 1926J. Black You can't Win i. 3, I am not lugging in the fact..to alibi myself away from anything. Ibid. xx. 318, I could say I was looking for his room and he would alibi for me. 1930‘E. Queen’ French Powder Myst. xxxi. 257 There's a sagacious chauffeur to alibi one. 1958J. Cannan And be a Villain iv. 111 Aunt Primrose..hadn't opportunity. She's alibi-ed by Mrs. Fitch. |