| 释义 |
▪ I. mossie1 S. Afr.|ˈmɒsɪ|
[Afrikaans, f. Du. mosje dim. of mos sparrow.]
The Cape sparrow, Passer melanurus.
1884R. B. Sharpe Layard's Birds S. Afr. (rev. ed.) 479 The ‘Mossie’, like its cousin the English bird, is essentially a ‘cit’. 1936E. L. Gill First Guide S. Afr. Birds 21 The cock Mossie, with his black head, white eye-stripe and cinnamon back, is a handsome and unmistakable bird. 1959Cape Argus 22 Aug. 5/6 The mossies in her neighbourhood never seem to stray more than a few blocks away. 1974Stand. Encycl. S. Afr. X. 209/2 The Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus) has the same size, and much the same habits as the European sparrow, but the male has a different and more handsome plumage, with a black head and throat and a white curved spot on the side. Mossies, as they are called locally, are common birds in South Africa, especially on farms, occurring in flocks during the non-breeding season.
▪ II. mossie2|ˈmɒsɪ, ˈmɒzɪ|
Also mozzie, mozzy.
Slang abbrev. of mosquito.
1941Baker Dict. Austral. Slang 47 Mossie, mozzie, a mosquito. 1954R. S. Porteous in Coast to Coast 1953–4 117 Blast these mossies. There's more inside this net than out of it. 1964M. Dickson World Elsewhere v. 182 Sleeping bags, ‘mossie’ nets and other equipment. 1971B. W. Aldiss Soldier Erect 167 When we were off guard, we kipped on one of the station platforms outside the RTO office, under our mozzy-nets. 1973Shooting Times & Country Mag. 7 July 14/2 If it has chosen unwisely, then the newly-hatched mossies rise triumphantly from the surface only to hit their heads on the caterpillars' safety net and fall back into the liquid. |