释义 |
▪ I. missionary, a. and n.|ˈmɪʃənərɪ| [ad. mod.L. missiōnāri-us (17th c.), f. missiōn- mission + -āri-us -ary. Cf. F. missionnaire n. (G. Sagard Hist. du Canada 1636, p. 1008).] A. adj. 1. a. Relating to or connected with religious missions; sent on or engaged in a mission; proper to or characteristic of one sent on a mission; occupied in or characterized by mission-work. In some collocations it is felt to be the n. used attrib. missionary rector (R.C.Ch.): see quot. 1884. missionary box: a box for the reception of contributions in money towards the funds of a missionary society.
1644in Foley Rec. Eng. Prov. Soc. Jesus (1878) III. 89 They seemed..firmly united in the several graces of priestly and apostolical missionary vocation. 1690Temple Misc. ii. 20 These [records] are agreed, by the Missionary Jesuits, to extend so far above Four Thousand Years. 1719De Foe Crusoe ii. (Globe) 523 The Missionary Priests usually went thither [sc. to Macao], in Order to their going forward to China. 1813–15(title) Proceedings of the Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East. 1832Downes Lett. I. 47 Near the gate is a large missionary cross. 1841Geo. Eliot Let. 21 June (1954) I. 98 We yesterday heard him preach his last Missionary sermon. 1842Borrow Bible in Spain xlvi, One of those little accidents which chequer missionary life in Spain. 1849[see au fait advb. phr.]. 1854C. M. Yonge Castle Builders v. 69 The chimney-piece ornamented with missionary boxes and cards for shilling and penny subscriptions. 1854in C. C. Richards Village Life Amer. (1912) 47 If we wanted to take shares in the missionary ship, Morning Star, we could buy them at 10 cents apiece. 1866J. C. Patteson Let. 1 Jan. in C. M. Yonge Life J. C. Patteson (1874) II. x. 160, I value much these memorials of the first Missionary Bishop of the Church of England. 1872Froude in Brit. Q. Rev. (1873) LVII. 509 That section of the Protestants who alone possessed missionary power. 1873C. M. Yonge Pillars of House II. xviii. 150 Mrs. Shapcote sent out invitations to a missionary tea in honour of him [sc. a missionary]. 1875Max Müller Chips IV. 265 The three missionary religions, Buddhism, Mohammedanism, and Christianity. 1884Catholic Dict. s.v. Rector, In England there is a certain number of missions in each diocese, important either on account of their having been long established or because of the size of the congregation, the priests in charge of which are styled ‘Missionary-Rectors’. 1886Free Ch. Monthly Dec. 365/1 Every class..to have its missionary box. 1894Illingworth Personality 10 The missionary desire to commend their creed..will..increase the need of theological definition. 1932T. S. Eliot Sweeney Agonistes 23 I'll convert you! Into a stew. A nice little, white little, missionary stew. 1933P. A. Eaddy Hull Down v. 108 On some missionary hooker where they'll want to dish up two prayer meetings in the one week to all hands. 1942A. P. Jephcott Girls growing Up iii. 58 We redeemed ourselves..by working hard for a missionary box. 1971J. Manton Sister Dora xvi. 272 Selwyn of Lichfield..had been the first missionary bishop in Melanesia. transf.1865Grote Plato I. vii. 290 The..operations announced..by Socrates..as his missionary life-purpose. b. missionary position: the position for sexual intercourse in which the woman lies underneath the man and facing him.
1969Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 10 Jan. 7 In six States [in the U.S.] a woman may still be awarded a divorce if her husband makes love to her in any other than the missionary position. 1971Vogue Nov. 60/2 The face-to-face ‘missionary position’ (so called because it is virtually unknown in primitive races) is actually said to have been invented by Roman courtesans to hinder conception. 1971‘V. X. Scott’ Surrogate Wife 54 His wife would allow only one position—male-on-top—called the Missionary position by some and the Mamma–Papa position by others. 2. That is sent out or forth. Now Obs. or poet.
1691Norris Pract. Disc. 330 The Missionary Angels, that have the..Office of Guardians here upon Earth. 1699Pomfret Love Triumphant Poems (1724) 28 Cupid..Who Troops of missionary Loves commands. 1850S. Dobell Roman vi. Poet. Wks. (1875) 95 The night..calling By missionary winds and twilight birds. B. n. 1. a. A person who goes on a religious mission; esp. one sent to propagate the faith among the heathen. home missionary: a person (usually a layman) employed by some religious organization to labour in the evangelization or spiritual instruction of the poor. city missionary: one so employed amongst the poor of a city; chiefly, an agent of the London City Mission or of one of the similarly named organizations in other towns; so town missionary. police-court missionary: a person employed to attend a police-court and to work for the spiritual or moral benefit of those brought before it, and to inquire into cases of distress that are disclosed by the proceedings.
1656Blount Glossogr., Missionaries, persons sent; commonly spoken of Priests sent to unbeleeving Countries to convert the people to Christian Faith. 1691tr. Emilianne's Frauds Rom. Monks (ed. 3) 296 Should the Jesuits of Italy..send thither their Missionaries. 1726Cavallier Mem. i. 4 The King sent through all his Kingdom Missionaries to instruct the Protestants..in the Roman Religion. 1791Wesley Wks. (1872) VIII. 316 Why are we not all devoted to God; breathing the whole spirit of Missionaries? 1851Mayhew Lond. Labour I. 70 A poor..urchin, who was spoken of by one of the City Missionaries as being a well-disposed youth. 1874Green Short Hist. i. §3. 23 The missionaries of the new faith appeared fearlessly among the Mercians. 1891M. Williams Later Leaves 390 The great assistance magistrates receive from the thirteen missionaries attached to the different Courts. Ibid. 397 My Court missionary saw the two off by train. b. transf.
1672Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 92 That Politick Engine who..was employed by some of Oxford as a Missionary amongst the Nonconformists of the adjacent Counties. 1747Chesterfield Lett. (1792) I. cxix. 323, I would not, at twenty years, be a preaching missionary of abstemiousness and sobriety. c1789Gibbon Mem. Misc. Wks. 1814 I. 270 The fanatic missionaries of sedition have scattered the seeds of discontent in our cities. 1890R. Buchanan Coming Terror (1891) 83 My father was one of Robert Owen's missionaries. †c. A ‘Priest of the Mission’, a Lazarite. Obs.
1656[see mission n. 5 c]. 2. An agent or emissary; esp. one sent on a political mission. Now rare or Obs.
1693Apol. Clergy Scot. 101 The Agents of the party would employ their little Missionaries to gather Stories from all corners of the Country. 1777Burke Let. to Sheriffs of Bristol Wks. III. 200 That this ill-natured doctrine should be preached by the missionaries of a Court I do not wonder. 1821Jefferson Autob. Wks. 1892 I. 148 The diplomatic missionaries of Europe at Paris. 1821Scott Pirate iv, Mr. Triptolemus Yellowley, who was the chosen missionary of the Chamberlain of Orkney and Zetland. †3. A missionary body or establishment. Obs.
1719De Foe Crusoe ii. (Globe) 529 Christianity..was once planted here by a Dutch Missionary of Protestants. 1761Chron. in Ann. Reg. 172 There were then..612 jesuits colleges, 340 residuaries, 59 noviciates, 200 missionaries, and 24 professors houses of that society. †4. N.Z. A Christian. Obs.
1834E. Markham N.Z. or Recollections of It (MS.) 32 They are all Missionaries as they call the Christians. 1840N.Z. Jrnl. 5 Dec. 292/2 The natives..call themselves missionaries, having embraced Christianity. 1841Ibid. 10 Apr. 87/2, I asked whether it was true, that he had given up all fighting intrigues, and become a missionary. 1854R. E. Malone Three Years' Cruise Australasian Colonies iii. 22 Mihaneri (missionaries—the universal name, in New Zealand, for Protestant Christians). 5. The sweet-brier, Rosa eglanteria. N.Z.
1881F. Larkworthy N.Z. Revisited 30 The sweetbriar, which here [sc. at Tarawera] goes by the name of the ‘Missionary’, blocking the roads and vacant spaces. [1898W. P. Reeves Long White Cloud i. 17 The sweetbriar..covers whole hillsides, to the ruin of pasture. Introduced, innocently enough, by the missionaries, it goes by their name in some districts.] 1912B. E. Baughan Brown Bread from Colonial Oven iii. 48 ‘Missionary’, in the North Island is frequently an alternative spelling for ‘sweet⁓brier’, which is a pest. 1921H. Guthrie-Smith Tutira xxvii. 274 Sweet-briar..‘Missionary’ as it is still called, has been spread abroad by the horse. ▪ II. ˈmissionary, v. [f. the n.] a. intr. To act as a missionary. b. trans. To act as a missionary towards (someone).
1862Independent (N.Y.) 24 Apr. 3/1 He [sc. the Rev. S. H. Tyng] was always fond of missionarying. c1876J. Albery Man in Possession 1, in Dramatic Works (1939) II. 105, I know I was [dreadfully wicked], but I'm not now, Teddy. I've been missionaried, and preached to. 1884‘Mark Twain’ Huck. Finn xix. 183 Preachin's my line, too, and workin' camp-meetin's, and missionaryin' around. 1893K. D. Wiggin Polly Oliver's Problem (1894) vii. 87 Boys hate to be missionaried, and I'm sure I don't blame them. |