| 释义 |
ˈlife-guard
[Perh. suggested by Du. lijfgarde (obs.), G. leibgarde (in both of which, however, the first element = ‘body’).]
1. a. A body-guard of soldiers; now pl. (written Life Guards), in the British army, two regiments of cavalry, forming, together with the Royal Horse Guards, the household cavalry.
1648Declar. Commons, Reb. Ireland 63 Most of the King's life-guard are Irish. 1648Hamilton Papers (Camden) 161 One of Sir Tho. Fairefax lief-guard. 1650Fuller Pisgah ii. x. 217 The Cherethites were a kind of lifegard to King David. 1702Lond. Gaz. No. 3822/3 A stronger Party of French Horse, drawn out of their Life-Guard. 1828Scott F.M. Perth x, A thousand horse mount with him as his daily lifeguard. 1849Alb. Smith Pottleton Leg. xxiv. 244 He had been passing the evening with an officer—one of the Life-guards Blue. 1884Regul. & Ord. Army 9 Her Majesty's Regiments of Life Guards, and the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, have the Precedence of all other Corps whatever.
b. attrib., as † life-guard oath; life-guard-man, a member of a life-guard; also Life Guardsman, a soldier belonging to the Life Guards.
1662Jessey Mirab. Ann. Secundus 84 The biggest life⁓guard oaths. 1681–2Wood Life 12 Feb., Three men habited like life-guard men. 1771Smollett Humph. Cl. 23 June, I am resolved to make you my life-guard-man on the highway. 1840Dickens Barn. Rudge i, His large boots resembled..those worn by our Life Guardsmen at the present day. 1877Mrs. Forrester Mignon I. 11 You are big enough for a Life Guardsman!
2. The guard or protection of a person's life; a protecting agent or influence. ? Obs.
1648Sanderson Serm. II. 226 Our spirits within us, which should be as our life-guard to secure us against all attempts from without. 1652S. Patrick Funeral Serm. in J. Smith's Sel. Disc. 531 Good men are the lifeguard of the world. 1683Tryon Way to Health iii. (1697) 423 Modesty, the Life-guard of Chastity. a1711Ken Hymnotheo Poet. Wks. 1721 III. 317 All the Heav'nly Host your Life-guard are. 1800Weems Washington xiv. (1877) 208 This noble quality was the life-guard of his reason.
3. A device attached to the front of a locomotive for sweeping small obstructions from the track.
1864Morn. Star 9 Sept., Had not the life-guard..protected the wheels of the engine as it did the train would..have been thrown off the line.
4. orig. U.S. A person employed to watch against accidents to bathers.
1896Howells Impressions & Exp. 217, I came out almost before the life-guard could get ready to throw me a life⁓preserver. Ibid. 223 The life-guard of the bathing-beach. 1921Daily Tel. 29 Aug. 9/6 They were sustained by this means until the life guards arrived to take the women ashore. 1933Boy's Mag. XLVII. 122/1 When a party bathe, one or two of the best swimmers should be posted as life-guards. 1974Hawkey & Bingham Wild Card xiii. 119 A guy who's drowning..who, if he's not subdued, will take the lifeguard down with him.
Hence † life-guard v. trans., to protect as a life-guard; to preserve, safeguard.
1690Mor. Ess. & Disc. xii. 209 'Tis not a Man's great Parts..can Life-guard him from Censure, which is a-kin to Death. |