| 释义 |
unˈpassable, a.
[un-1 7 b, 5 b.]
1. = impassable a. Now dial.
Very common in 17th and 18th centuries.
1553Brende Q. Curtius 132 In the daye time the countrey is wild and vnpassable, when they can nether finde any tracte nor waye to go in. 1579–80North Plutarch (1595) 314 The riuer..is vnpassable for any shallow it hath. 1649F. Roberts Clavis Bibl. 500 Waters..very deep and unpassable. a1698Temple Ess. Heroick Virt. Wks. 1720 I. 196 Vast and unpassable Mountains or Desarts. 1719De Foe Crusoe i. (Globe) 263 A Grove of Trees,..so thick, that it was unpassable. 1796J. Moser Hermit of Caucasus I. 192 The caverns were rendered slippery, and nearly unpassable. 1828–32Webster s.v., Unpassable roads. 1876–88in Yks. and Somerset glossaries.
†b. As adv. Impassably. Obs.—1
1632Lithgow Trav. ix. 390 The North side..beeing vn⁓passable steepe.
2. Incapable of being transcended or exceeded.
1570Dee Math. Pref. 34 They can not prescribe..certaine vnpassable boundes. 1656Jeanes Fuln. Christ 236 The Scotists..say farther, that the degree of Christ's grace was unpassable even by Gods absolute power. a1683Oldham Wks. (1686) 109 'Tis I..Who must new Worlds in Vice descry, And fix the pillars of unpassable iniquity.
3. Of money: Incapable of being passed or circulated.
1664in Aberdeen N. & Q. (1910) III. 109/2 Ther was some unpassable money in the poors box. 1696J. Cary Ess. Coyn 10 The Trade of England was apparently slackened since the Small Money was made unpassable. 1745De Foe's Eng. Tradesm. (1841) I. xx. 188 A considerable quantity of false and unpassable money. 1828–32Webster s.v., Unpassable notes or coins.
Hence unˈpassableness.
1657R. Ligon Barbadoes 75 The unpassableness of the wayes. 1674Evelyn Navig. & Comm. 34 Grave Authors, who speak of the unpassableness of the Ocean. 1691T. H[ale] Acc. New Invent. 26 Its unpassableness, not to the Water, but to the Worm. |