| 释义 |
Old English
1. The English language of an earlier period: see English n. 1 b.
2. Typog. A form of ‘Black Letter’ resembling that used by early English printers; now occasionally employed for ornamental purposes.
1849Mrs. Gaskell Let. 7 Dec. (1966) 94 Two birch-wood rocking chairs, with ‘Mina’ & ‘Sam’ carved in old English on the back of each. 1883in A. Adburgham Shops & Shopping (1964) xix. 226 Woven ingrain red initial letters, old English style; whole names in old English or script. 1966S. Marcus Other Victorians ii. 34 In the index [of Index Librorum Prohibitorum], authors' names are in Small Capitals, titles are in Old English. 1967E. Chambers Photolitho-Offset ii. 13 Text type faces are of the style worked almost exclusively by Gutenberg and are sometimes known as ‘Old English’.
3. absol. for B. 3.
1971F. Hamilton World Encycl. Dogs 77 The Old English is quite unlike the Collie varieties of sheepdog.
B. adj. phr.
1. Designating or belonging to the English language of an earlier period: see English a. 4 b.
2. Typog. Of a style resembling that used by early English printers.
1701M. Bull Let. 12 June in Private Corr. Samuel Pepys (1926) II. 230 There is no picture in it, nor any thing writt in capital or Roman letters, but all printed in the old english letter. 1950M. Allingham Mr. Campion & Others 191 The embossed address..in semi-Old English script. 1967B. Copper No Flowers for General vii. 85 [There] was a large white-painted board. In black Old English lettering it said: Fitzgoerge [sic] Country Club. 1974Listener 24 Jan. 98 In those days..mortgage deeds were written out (‘engrossed’) and the word ‘mortgage’ appeared in Old English lettering on the back sheet.
3. Old English sheep-dog, a large, thick-set dog of the breed so called, with a long, blue-grey and white coat; also known as the bobtail. Also absol.
1890R. B. Lee Hist. & Descr. Collie v. 81 The old English sheep dog was at one time pretty equally distributed through various parts of the kingdom. 1928F. T. Barton Kennel Encycl. 313 The type of old English sheep-dog varies considerably in different counties. 1971F. Hamilton World Encycl. Dogs 77 The Old English Sheepdog has been known as a distinct variety in Britain for at least two hundred years.
4. Made by English craftsmen of an earlier period, esp., of table silver, made to a pattern used from the mid-18th century, with plain shapes and flat stems spreading to the rounded ends.
1907Yesterday's Shopping (1969) 215/1 Nickel Silver, Old English Pattern, Spoons and Forks. a1910‘Mark Twain’ Autobiogr. (1924) II. 93 Her prized and precious old-English sugar bowl..was an heirloom in the family. 1973Country Life 15 Feb. 389/3 William Bateman..was making Old English teaspoons as late as the 1820s, a decade after the fiddle pattern became fashionable. |