| 释义 |
▪ I. medal, n.|ˈmɛdəl|
Forms: 6–7 medaill(e, 7 medall, -ull, meddal(l, medaile, -el, 7– medal. Also 7 medagle, pl. -glies.
[a. F. médaille (15th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. It. medaglia = OF. meaille, maille (see mail n.4), Sp. medalla, Pg. medalha:—Com. Rom. *medallia:—popular L. type *metallea, f. metallum metal n. In early Rom. use the word meant a coin of minute value; cf. mail n.4
The Rom. word passed into OHG. as medilla, rendering the Latin as; in MHG. medile, medele occurs for (the widow's) mite. Mod.G. has adopted the Fr. word as medaille; so also Du., Da. medaille, Sw. medalj.]
1. A metal disk bearing a figure or an inscription used as a charm or trinket.
a1586Sidney Arcadia iii. (1598) 342 He gaue Dametas certaine Medailles of gold hee had long kept about him. 1611Shakes. Wint. T. i. ii. 307 He that weares her like her Medull, hanging About his neck. 1642Howell For. Trav. (Arb.) 36 Lewis..had..an humour of his own, to weare in his hat a Medaille of Lead. 1674Brevint Saul at Endor 250 Any Meddal when rightly consecrated can do as much. 1922Joyce Ulysses 622 A pious medal he had that saved him. 1972Sci. Amer. Feb. 57/2 (Advt.), Medals are recognized as a beautiful medium for artistic expression, as will be exemplified in this fine art series.
2. a. A piece of metal, usually in the form of a coin, struck or cast with an inscription, a head or effigy of a person, or other device or figure to commemorate a person, action, or event; also as a distinction awarded to a soldier, etc. for a heroic deed or other service rendered to a country, etc. In collectors' use, extended to include coins possessing artistic or historical interest.
1611Cotgr., Manieur de sable, a Moulder, or caster of Medalls, or prizes in sand. 1647Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §119 He..had a rare Collection of the most curious Medals. 1658W. Burton Itin. Anton. 142 The Coyns and medaglies of all the Emperours. 1709Steele Tatler No. 65 ⁋2 Medals had been struck for our General's Behaviour. 1712Swift Let. Eng. Tongue Wks. 1751 IV. 256 If any such persons were above Money,..a Medal, or some mark of distinction, would do full as well. 1756–7tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) I. 285 The king had formerly a very valuable collection of medals. 1813Gen. Order 7 Oct. in Lond. Gaz. 9 Oct., One Medal only shall be borne by each Officer. 1839Alison Hist. Europe (1849–50) VIII. liii. §50. 447 Two medals were unanimously voted to record the memorable acts of Bayonne. 1899Westm. Gaz. 1 June 7/1 The members of the Mission will be decorated with commemoration medals.
b. As a reward for merit, or for proficiency, skill, or excellence in any art or subject. Freq. with a defining word indicating the degree of excellence attained, as in gold medal (see gold1 8 d), silver medal (see silver n. and a. IV. 21), bronze medal.
1751Berkeley Let. to Archdall 22 Nov., Wks. 1871 IV. 329 Gold medals for encouraging the study of Greek. 1839Jrnl. Geog. Soc. IX. p. ix, The gold medals, awarded respectively to Dr Rüppell..and Mr. Thomas Simpson. 1852C. Fox Let. 29 Sept. in Jrnls. (1972) 207 They have not hesitated to give Anna Maria two bronze medals. 1892Field 16 Apr. 573/2 After the match the Mayor..presented the cup and medals to the winning team. 1904Athenæum 24 Dec. 880/3 An engraved silver medal awarded by the Plymouth Independent Rangers..for ‘skill at arms’. 1908T. A. Cook Olympic Games i. 16 For all these gold, silver, and bronze prize medals have been allotted. 1973P. O'Donnell Silver Mistress vii. 133 That may not be a hundred percent right, but do I get a bronze medal for trying?
†3. fig.
a. in various uses: An image, representation (cf. model n.); something beyond the common run (as a medal compared with current coin). medals of creation: a rhetorical term applied to fossils, as commemorating events in the history of the globe (cf. quot. 1768 s.v. medallic).
a1613Overbury Characters, Prison Wks. (1856) 155 It [a prison] comes to be a perfect medall of the iron age, sithence nothing but gingling of keyes, rattling of shackles,..are here to be heard. 1653H. More Antid. Ath. i. xi. (1712) 36 This little Meddal of God, the Soul of Man. 1656Artif. Handsom. 129 Neither the wit nor tongue..can be a mint capable to coyne the least farthing sin, much less so large a piece and medaile as this man pretends to make of any helping our complexion. 1751Earl of Orrery Remarks Swift (1752) 165 As their letters were not intended for the public, perhaps I was unreasonable in looking for medals, and not being contented with the common current species. 1804Parkinson Org. Rem. I. 7 The illustrious Bergmann elegantly describes fossils as the medals of creation. 1844Mantell (title) Medals of Creation.
b. Phrases. † the medal is reversing [cf. Fr. la médaille est renversée]: things or events are changing for the worse. the reverse of the medal: the other side of the question.
1641Evelyn Diary 28 June, The medaill was reversing, and our calamities were but yet in their infancy. 1690Dialogue betw. Francesco &c., Harl. Misc. (Park) IX. 455 To show you the reverse of the medal. Is it not a pity that [etc.]. 1868G. Duff Pol. Surv. 195 Then for the reverse of the medal, you have Mr. Christie's Notes on Brazilian Questions.
4. attrib. and Comb., as medal-casting, medal-hunter, medal-hunting, medal-inscription, medal-monger, medal-striker, medal-tract; medal chief U.S., an Indian chief who received a medal from the Colonial or U.S. authorities; medal-cup, ‘a drinking vessel of metal, usually of silver, in which coins or medallions are incrusted and form a part of the decoration’ (Cent. Dict. 1890); medal-machine (see quot.); medal-play Golf, play in which the score is reckoned by counting the number of strokes taken to complete a round by each side (Cent. Dict. 1890); medal ribbon, a ribbon of specific colours and design for attaching a particular medal or for wearing without a medal; medal round Golf, a round of medal-play; medal-tankard = medal-cup (Cent. Dict. 1890).
1847Ld. Lindsay Chr. Art I. p. ccix, A complete classification should include artists..in *medal-casting, gem and seal-cutting [etc.].
1772D. Taitt Let. in N. D. Mereness Trav. Amer. Colonies (1916) 518 [Letter] To the Great and Small *medal chiefs. 1813Niles' Reg. V. 270/2 At this moment a medal chief of the Choctaw nation is soliciting to be employed. a1816B. Hawkins Sk. Creek Country (1848) 27 He is one of the great medal chiefs.
1893Brit. Jrnl. Photog. XL. 795 The army of exhibition and *medal-hunters.
1902L. S. Amery etc. ‘Times’ Hist. War II. 26 It [sc. fighting against inferior foes] conduces to..*medal-hunting.
1658Sir T. Browne Hydriot. i. (1736) 12 As testified by History and *Medal-Inscription yet extant.
1875Knight Dict. Mech. 1418/1 *Medal-machine, a machine for making copies of medals and raised or sunk works on a scale larger or smaller than the original.
1764Foote Patron i. (1781) 10 What, old Martin, the *medal-monger?.. Martin! why he likes no heads but upon coins.
1899Westm. Gaz. 27 Sept. 4/3 In *medal play a player who drives from outside the teeing-ground is to be disqualified.
1909Westm. Gaz. 4 Oct. 1/3 The *medal-ribbon which a soldier tore off his tunic. 1944R.A.F. Jrnl. Aug. 286, I did not recognize his medal-ribbon, so asked what it was. 1971Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 16 July 5/3 The steward..looked too distinguished with his medal ribbons to be tipped.
1898W. A. Morgan ‘House’ on Sport I. 180 It does not at all follow that the man who can play a match can also play a *medal round. 1909Westm. Gaz. 27 Aug. 12/3 It was arranged to play a medal round in the forenoon.
1872Symonds Introd. Study Dante 185 No *medal-striker ever made his outlines sharper or his shadows deeper.
1716M. Davies Athen. Brit. III. 73 Great Brittain has produc'd the fewest of *Medal-Tracts and Numismatical Collectors.
▪ II. medal, v.|ˈmɛdəl|
[f. medal n.]
trans. To decorate or honour with a medal; to confer a medal upon as a mark of distinction.
1822Byron Let. to Scott 4 May, He was medalled. 1860Thackeray Round. Papers, Nil nisi Bonum (1899) 174 Irving went home medalled by the King. 1900Nation (N.Y.) 4 Oct. 269/2 It would have been much more to the point, anyway, had he [Herr Menzel] exhibited and been medalled [at the Paris Exhibition] as illustrator. |