| 释义 |
light-handed, a.
Having a light hand. a. Having a light touch; handling objects deftly and quickly. Said of persons and their actions. lit. and fig. b. Having the hand lightly laden; carrying little. c. Of a vessel or factory = short-handed.
c1440Promp. Parv. 304/1 Lyghte handyd, manulevis. 1562–3Sir W. Cecil in Abp. Parker's Corr. (Parker Soc.) 172, I beseech your Grace be not too light-handed in licences to every person. 1798Ld. Clare in Ld. Auckland's Corr. (1862) III. 396 The town..was disarmed..by a body of light-handed rebels. 1830Galt Lawrie T. ii. i. (1849) 82 It was agreed..that..we should set out as light-handed as possible. 1846Young Naut. Dict., Light-handed, a term implying that a vessel is short of her complement of men. 1876T. Hardy Ethelberta (1890) 211 She was one of the cleverest and lightest-handed women we ever had about us. 1891Spectator 21 Mar., Light-handed treatment of the trifles of life.
Hence light-ˈhandedness.
1613R. Cawdrey Table Alph. (ed. 3), Legeirdemaine, light-handednesse, craftie slights, and conueiance. 1879Black Macleod of D. I. 152 What you want is..the dexterous light-handedness of a woman. |