| 释义 |
† ˈmusk-cat Obs.
Forms: see musk n. and cat n.1; also 6–7 musket, 7 muscat, muskat.
‘The animal from which musk is got’ (J.); usually, the musk-deer. Cf. civet-cat.
1551Gesner Hist. Anim. I. 787 Angli muske [dicunt]: & animal muske catte,..quod nomen zibethi animali potius conueniret. 1553Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 25 In this region are founde many muskecattes. 1601Shakes. All's Well v. ii. 21 Heere is a purre of Fortunes sir, or of Fortunes Cat, but not a Muscat. 1607mus-kat [see moschat]. a1631Donne Elegie Poems (1633) 149 As the sweet sweat of Roses in a Still, As that which from chaf'd muskats [v.r. muskets] pores doth trill. 1638Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 322 The Musk Cat here also convenes and may merit a ca'tagraph. 1794Z. Macaulay in Life & Lett. iv. (1900) 67 [Referring to Sierra Leone.] Some of the sailors were..in the act of killing a beautiful musk-cat, which they afterwards ate.
b. transf. as a term of reproach to a fop (cf. musk-cod 2); also applied to a courtesan.
c1566Merie Tales of Skelton in Wks. (1843) I. p. lx, Skelton dyd keepe a musket at Dys, vpon the which he was complayned on to the bishop of Norwych. 1586Whitney Choice of Emblems 79 Heare Lais fine, doth braue it on the stage, With muskecattes sweete, and all shee coulde desire. 1599B. Jonson Ev. Man out of Hum. ii. i. (1600) D 4, Hee sleepes with a muske Cat euery night. 1607Tourneur Rev. Trag. i. iii. (1608) B 3, How dost, sweete Muskcat, When shall we lie togither? 1777Sheridan Trip Scarb. iii. i, Thou essence-bottle, thou musk-cat!
c. attrib.
1609Ev. Woman in Hum. iii. i. in Bullen O. Pl. IV, I can smell him half a mile ere hee come at me, indeede hee weares a Musk-cat—what call ye it? 1651Cleveland Poems 6 Whose language is a Tax, whose Musk-cat verse Voids nought but flowers for thy Muses herse. |