释义 |
‖ manta|ˈmæntə| [Sp. manta blanket.] 1. a. A wrap or cloak worn by Spaniards.
1697C'tess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 112 When they opened their manta's, the light of the moon made the glory of their Gold and Precious Stones appear. 1845Ford Handbk. Spain i. 31 Some substitute the ‘mantas’, which most Spaniards carry with them when on their travels. This is a gay-coloured Oriental-looking striped blanket, or rather plaid. 1902E. Banks Newspaper Girl 24 It was at first suggested that I should don the manta, the national female garment of Peru. b. A horse-cloth.
1828W. Irving in Life & Lett. (1864) II. 306 They..lie on the mantas of their mules and horses. 2. [Amer. Sp. manta, adopted as a generic name by E. B. Bancroft in 1829.] In full, manta ray. A very large ray (ray n.2) of the genus so called, found in tropical seas; also called devil-fish.
1760–72Juan & Ulloa's Voy. (ed. 3) I. 130 The mantas or quilts... The name manta has not been improperly given to this fish..; for being broad and long like a quilt, it wraps its fins round a man, or any other animal,..and immediately squeezes it to death. 1783Justamond tr. Raynal's Hist. Indies IV. 180 The manta fish. 1794Morse Amer. Geog. 576 (Mexico.) The fish common to both oceans are, whales, dolphins,..manitis, mantas, porpoises [etc.]. 1829E. N. Bancroft in Zool. Jrnl. IV. 454 The Manta has, I believe, been generally supposed to belong to the Ray family. 1905D. S. Jordan Guide to Study of Fishes I. 448 The devil rays or mantas of the Tropical seas, Manta and Mobula being the most specialized genera. 1958Listener 14 Aug. 247/2 The huge manta rays..opening their gills to let in the tiny cleaner-fish. 1972Islander (Victoria, B.C.) 9 Apr. 7/1 A pair of manta rays making black silhouettes in the midday sun. 3. = mantelet 2.
1829W. Irving Conq. Granada I. xxix. 264 Seizing their mantas, or portable bulwarks,..they made a gallant assault. 1843Prescott Mexico v. ii. (1864) 280 It was called a manta, and was contrived somewhat on the principle of the mantelets used in the wars of the Middle Ages. 4. In Mining: a. A sackful or blanketful of mineral. b. A mineral placer.
1860Eng. & Foreign Mining Gloss. Span. Terms 109 Manta, a blanket, or horse cloth, used to contain ores or tools. 1874Raymond Statist. Mines & Mining 318 They pass through three rich streaks or mantas. |