| 释义 |
waftage|ˈwɑːftɪdʒ, ˈwæf-, ˈwɒf-|
Also 6 waiftage.
[f. waft v.1 + -age.]
I. The action of wafting.
†1. The action of convoying merchant-vessels.
1558Queen Elizabeth in Burgon Gresham (1839) I. iii. 197 To advertise the Admirall..that order might be taken for his waftage over with the treasure. 1563Gresham ibid. II. 42 Sir Thomas Cotton seant the barck of Bollen with me, for my better waiftage. 1563–4Admiralty Exam. (MS.) Bundle 98, 13 Mar., ij frenche men of warr who then had in their company and under ther waftage ij Flemishe hoyes. 1622R. Hawkins Voy. S. Sea lviii. 132 Hee had beene many yeares Generall of the south Sea, for the carriage and waftage of the silver from Lyma to Panama.
2. Conveyance across water by ship or boat.
1590Shakes. Com. Err. iv. i. 95 An. What ship of Epidamium staies for me. S. Dro. A ship you sent me too, to hier waftage. 1606G. W[oodcock] Hist. Ivstine xxii. 84 Agathocles in the same ships that he had waftage ouer out of Sicil, was transported into Syracuse. 1627Drayton Agincourt 13 The Ships appointed wherein they should goe, And Boats prepar'd for waftage to and fro. 1655Fuller Hist. Cambr. 3 The Ferrie over the river Grant was a vagrant before (even any where, where passengers could get waftage over). 1673H. Stubbe Further Vind. Dutch War App. 132 There was paid..300000 l. in one year: besides the Tenth fish and Cask, paid for Waftage.
b. Conveyance over the Styx.
Very common in 16–17 c. poetry and drama.
1592S. Daniel Delia, Rosamond ii. H. 3 Caron denies me waftage with the rest. 1606Shakes. Tr. & Cr. iii. ii. 11. 1639 G. Daniel Vervicensis 24 Wks. (Grosart) I. 128 The infernall Foorde; Where happie Soules get waftage, with a Worde. 1834Fraser's Mag. X. 26 The crazy bark of old Charon, only fitted for the light waftage of ghosts.
c. transf. and fig.
1615Crooke Body of Man vi. vi. 356 The Pleura..giueth also to the vessels a safe waftage and a kinde of stability. 1615T. Adams Spir. Navigator 9 Praising God..for their safe waftage over the sea of this world. 1662W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. iii. verse 17. v. §2. 36 Afflictions..are as necessary for our waftage to glory, as water is to carry the Ship to her Port. 1698Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 69 Is this the Elysium after a tedious Waftage?
3. Passage through the air or through space.
a1658Cleveland Let. Wks. (1687) 119 As if their Travel (like Witches in the Air) were nothing but the Waftage of a deluded Phantasie. a1700Ken Edmund Poet. Wks. 1721 II. 132 A Chariot for his Waftage was decreed, With long⁓wing'd Horses of Cœlestial Breed. 1834J. Wilson in Blackw. Mag. XXXV. 775 Forest flies, ephemerals all like ourselves—but happier far in their airy waftage or watery voyaging, than the vain race of man! 1885Bridges Eros & Psyche May ii, The solitary rock where she was left; And thence in dark and airy waftage reft, How on the flowers she had been disburden'd light.
4. The action or power of propulsion which the wind or breeze has; also, conveyance by such propulsion.
1651Sherburne Salmacis 327 She..Sent him by the light waftage of the Wind, A sigh, an Ah Mee, Nuncios of her Mind. 1673Phil. Trans. VIII. 5194 In their [the snow flakes'] continual motion and waftage to and fro touching upon each other. 1861Fraser's Mag. Dec. 758 Then there comes fitfully on the feeble waftage of the awakening night⁓breeze an uncertain wail of music. 1880L. Wallace Ben-Hur iv. v, Let us give ourselves to waftage of the winds.
II. A means of wafting.
†5. Vessels for the conveyance of merchandise or passengers by water. Obs.
1650T. B[ayley] Worcester's Apoph. 107 Passes granted unto him, both by Land and Sea, with carts by Land, and waftage by Sea. 1659Harrington Art Lawgiving iii. iv. 106 For these [men] the Commonwealth in her Sea-guard hath always at hand sufficient waftage.
†6. A means of conveyance through the air. Obs.
1636W. Strode Floating Isl. iii. iii, Nothing to carry me but Barges, Coaches? Sedans, and Litters? through the Aire I'd passe By some new waftage. |