| 释义 |
leathern, a.|ˈlɛðən|
Forms: 1 leðer(e)n, leðren, 4–5 lether(e)ne, letherin, 5 leddering, 6 leth(e)ren, lethrin, letheryn, Sc. ledderane, ledderyn, leddren, lethrone, leathering, 6–7 leatherne, 7 leathren, lethern, 6– leathern.
[OE. leðeren, f. leðer leather n. + -en; cf. Du. lederen, G. ledern. The earlier OE. form was liðerin, liðrin = OS. litharin (gloss), OHG. lidrîn.]
1. a. Consisting or made of leather. leathern convenience, -ency: a circumlocution for a coach, originally imputed to the Quakers; hence in jocular use.
c1000ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 123/30 Scortia, leþren fæt. c1050Suppl. ælfric's Voc. ibid. 179/6 Scortius leðern. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 110 Lyk a letherne pors lullede his chekes. 1382Wyclif Lev. xiii. 59 This is the lawe of the lepre..of all letherin purtenaunce. 1488Inv. R. Wardr. (1815) 12 Item in a leddering purs...tuelf score & xvi salutis. 1521Churchw. Acc. Pilton (Som. Rec. Soc.) 74 Item payde for a letheryn baag to ber y⊇ keys—iiiid. 1546Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844) I. 234 Ane ledderane coit worth tua crovnis of the sone. 1583Leg. Bp. St. Androis 574 A cott of kelt Weill beltit in ane lethrone belt. 1634Milton Comus 626 He..Would..in requitall ope his leather'n scrip. 1683Brit. Spec. 14 The poorest of them were good Leathern Shooes. 1699E. Ward Lond. Spy vii. (1702) 3 Our Leathern-Conveniency being bound in the Braces to its Good-Behaviour had no more Sway than a Funeral Herse. a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Leathern Convenience (by the Quakers), a Coach. 1719D'Urfey Pills III. 322 Men with leathern Buckets, do quench Fire in a Town. 1796Combe Boydell's Thames II. 123 Robert Scot, the inventor of leathern artillery. 1824Scott St. Ronan's xx, At the duly appointed hour, creaked forth the leathern convenience. 1836W. Irving Astoria I. 120 The Crow camp..was composed of leathern tents. 1861J. Y. Simpson Archæol. 56 Human bodies..covered with the leathern and other dresses in which they died.
b. Used with reference to the skin of the living animal.
a1325Names of Hare in Rel. Ant. I. 134 The hert with the letherene hornes. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. ii. i. 37 Such groanes That their discharge did stretch his leatherne coat Almost to bursting. 1851Longfellow Gold. Leg. iv. Road to Hirschau, The horses distend their leathern sides with water.
c. nonce-use. Skin-clad.
1596Edward III, ii. ii. 120 Since leathern Adam till this youngest hour.
2. Made of a substance resembling leather; leather-like. Said esp. of the bat's wings, hence of its flight, and occas. of the bat itself. Also fig.
1513Douglas æneis xiii. Prol. 33 Vpgois the bak wyth hir pelit ledderyn flycht. 1600Fairfax Tasso ix. xxv. 164 An hideous dragon..With iron pawes, and leathren wings displaid. 1663Butler Hud. i. iii. 153 But..the late-corrected Leathern Ears of the circumcised Brethren. 1687Death's Vis. ix. note 4 (1713) 43 It has been a Question, whether the Leathern Bat (as 'tis call'd) be to be annumber'd among Birds or Beasts. 1725Pope Odyss. xii. 514 So to the beam the bat tenacious clings, And pendant round it clasps his leathern wings. 1746Collins Ode to Even. iii, The weak-eyed bat..flits by on leathern wing. 1812H. & J. Smith Rej. Addr., The Theatre Who's that calls ‘Silence’! with such leathern lungs? 1879Todhunter Alcestis 100 Death..Thou shalt fly no more, For all thy leathern wings. 1886Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk., Leathern-bird, the bat. 1895B. M. Croker Village Tales (1896) 100 Her wondrous loveliness stirred even the leathern hearts of these hill-men.
Comb.1664Evelyn Pomona 44 The thick skin or leathern-coat [= leather-coat (apple)]. 1818W. Irving Sketch Bk., Leg. Sleepy Hollow, Old farmers, a spare leathern-faced race. 1875J. G. Holland Sevenoaks xii. 158 Blue-jays were screaming among leathern-leaved oaks.
Hence ˈleathernly adv., ? clumsily.
1594Nashe Unfort. Trav. 33 A Comedie..which was so filthily acted, so leathernly set forth, as would haue moued laughter in Heraclitus. |