| 释义 |
amusement|əˈmjuːzmənt|
[a. Fr. amusement, n. of action f. amuser: see amuse and -ment.]
gen. The action of amusing, or a thing done to amuse.
†1. Musing, mental abstraction, reverie. Obs.
1611Cotgr., Amusement, an amusing, or amusement. 1712Fleetwood Lay Bapt. Pref. (T.) Here I..fell into a strong and deep amusement revolving in my mind with great perplexity the amazing change of our affairs.
†2. Distracting bewilderment, distraction. Obs.
1648J. Beaumont Psyche xxii. cxv, A strange Amusement on all hearts did seize. 1663Aron-bimn. 69 Absur'd allusions, designed on purpose to raise up amuzements and jealousies in the people. 1690Locke Hum. Underst. iv. ix. 353 This..if well heeded, might save us a great deal of useless Amusement and Dispute. 1699R. Lestrange Erasm. Colloq. 238, I give no heed to what men do when they are under the Amusements of Death.
3. Distraction or diversion of the attention from the point at issue; beguiling, deception. esp. in military tactics, diversion of the enemy's attention from the real aims of the other side. arch.
1692Dryden St. Euremont's Ess. 367 Too frequent Comparisons turn'd men from the Application to true Objects, by the Amusement of Resemblances. 1693Mem. Count Teckely iv. 53 The Trumpets and Kettle-drums, which by way of Amusement had been sent out of that place the Night before. 1759Franklin Ess. Wks. 1840 III. 446 What he says..was mere sophistry and amusement.
†4. A trifling with the attention or time of any one; a diversion to gain or waste time. Obs.
1685tr. Bossuet's Doctr. Cath. Ch. xii. 24 If there be any Sense in these Words, if they be not an useless sound, and a vain amusement. 1696Phillips, Amusement..the making of vain Promises to gain Time. 1696Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) IV. 83 The French offer the allies peace..which they take to be meer amusement to gain time. 1710Ibid. VI. 553 This affair is look't upon only as a French amusement.
5. The pleasurable occupation of the attention, or diversion of the mind (from serious duties, etc.); passing from
a. (in early use) Idle time-wasting diversion, or entertainment; through
b. (generally) Recreation, relaxation, the pleasurable action upon the mind of anything light and cheerful; to
c. (esp.) Pleasant excitement of the risible faculty by anything droll or grotesque, tickling of the fancy.
1698Atterbury Disc. Death of Lady Cutts 11 Pieces of pure Diversion and Amusement. c1720Pope in Swift's Wks. (1841) I. 838 Amusement is the happiness of those that cannot think. 1735Hanway Trav. (1762) I. 10 We seldom profit by writings that do not afford amusement. 1771Junius Lett. xlix. 257 The remainder of the summer shall be dedicated to your amusement. 1824Coleridge Aids to Refl. 221 The same craving for amusement, i.e. to be away from the Muses for relaxation. 1855Thackeray Newcomes xxvii. 262 Giving a new source of amusement to these merry travellers. 1865Ruskin Sesame 100 When men are rightly occupied, their amusement grows out of their work. Mod. He paints only for his own amusement. To provide for the amusement of the children. Much amusement was excited by the recital of his misadventures. To the growing amusement of the House, the honourable gentleman proceeded to complain that he had been called a ‘blockhead.’
6. concr. Anything which lightly and pleasantly diverts the attention, or beguiles the time; a pastime, play, game, means of recreation. (Orig. used depreciatively.)
1673Temple United Prov. (R.) Pleased with the pomp and splendour of a government..as it is an amusement for idle people. 1696Phillips, Amusement, any idle employment to spin away time. 1706Ibid. a trifling business to pass away the time, a Toy. 1711Addison Spect. No. 10 ⁋6 Their amusements seem contrived for them, rather as Women, than as..reasonable Creatures. 1712Swift Let. Eng. Tongue Wks. 1755 II. i. 189 Monstrous productions, which under the name of trips, spies, amusements, and other conceited appellations, have over-run us for some years past. 1753Hanway Trav. (1762) II. i. ix. 48 They have plays, and other amusements. 1837J. H. Newman Par. Serm. (ed. 2) III. xx. 329 To take..pleasure in our families rather than to seek amusements out of doors. 1859Helps Friends in C. Ser. ii. I. 8 The commonplace despotic amusement of war.
7. Frequent in Comb. in senses 5 and 6, as amusement-lover (amusement-loving), amusement-mad, amusement-seeker (amusement-seeking); also amusement arcade, amusement centre, amusement hall, amusement park.
1870D. J. Kirwan Palace & Hovel (1963) xvii. 154 The cheap amusement halls of London are of the very lowest kind to be found anywhere. 1898Daily News 8 Sept. 5/1 It may surprise old amusement lovers to learn that one of the original troupe of Christy Minstrels..is still alive. 1904Westm. Gaz. 31 Dec. 16/3 The average amusement-seeker has a limited amount to spend. 1906Bungalow Dec. 4/2 The Tivoli..caters for the amusement-loving people. 1906‘O. Henry’ Four Million (1916) xxv. 252 [He] hied himself to play pennies in the slot machines at the Amusement Arcade. 1907Westm. Gaz. 10 May 12/1 London in particular..is ‘amusement mad’. 1908Daily Chron. 9 Dec. 4/7 He would secure to the amusement-seeking public a far more genuine and substantial benefit. 1909N.Y. Even. Post 13 June 4 This is, or was to have been, the year of the amusement park. 1923R. D. Paine Comrades Roll. Ocean ix. 161 It had been picked up empty in one of the amusement parks outside the city. 1924The Studio (1925) Autumn no., 76 (Advt.), Advertising in the Amusement Park at Wembley. 1935‘J. Guthrie’ Little Country xxi. 330 Ernest..clung to the sides of his boat and wondered why they called the place amusement park. 1936Discovery Sept. 267/1 All the resources of amusement that a great amusement-centre [sc. Blackpool] can offer. 1937Ibid. June 816/2 Amusement halls, a club, swimming baths, parks and other comforts. 1947Min. Town & Country Planning Bull. Selected Appeal Decisions I. 11 (heading) Amusement arcade in holiday resort. Ibid., An amusement caterer purchased three small single storey lock-up shops. Ibid., He opened two of the shops in succession, as an amusement arcade. 1958Times 23 Aug. 8/6 A lady who also runs an amusement arcade and whose eyes flicker in time with the lights of her pin-ball machine. |