| 释义 |
paymaster|ˈpeɪˌmɑːstə(r), -æ-|
[f. pay- 1 + master.]
An official (esp. an officer in the army or navy) whose duty it is to pay troops, workmen, or other persons. Also fig.
a1550Vox Pop. Vox Dei 719 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 293 Payemasters suche as bythe With Trappes your golden smythe. 1591Garrard's Art Warre 71 The captaine and the other officers, as the treasurers, paymasters, comissaries. 1615Bp. Hall Contempl., O.T. x. iv, Both good and euill are sure paymasters at the last. 1643Plain English 24 Let the Parliament..appoint pay-masters to every Regiment. 1745De Foe's Eng. Tradesman vi. (1841) I. 37 If he comes to deal with the same tradesman again, he is treated like one that is but an indifferent paymaster. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. xvi. III. 618 All the paymasters of regiments were directed to send in their accounts without delay. 1874Green Short Hist. v. §1. 218 Edward [III] became the pay⁓master of the poorer princes of Germany.
b. paymaster-general: the officer at the head of the department of the Treasury through which payments are made: see quot. 1863.
1702Lond. Gaz. No. 3825/3 Receiver and Paymaster-General of Her Majesty's Forces. 1703Marlborough Lett. & Disp. (1845) I. 92 The paymaster-general of the States. 1710Walpole Off. Not. 25 July in Lond. Gaz. No. 4724/3 Which is to be paid..by the Pay-Master-General. 1846S. Sharpe Hist. Egypt ix. 307 Auletes..at first gave Rabirius..the office of royal diœcetes, or paymaster-general. 1863H. Cox Instit. iii. vii. 697 All payments for civil salaries, allowances, and incidental charges payable in England, and all payments for the army, navy, and ordnance, are made upon the special authority of the Treasury by the Paymaster-General.
Hence ˈpayˌmastership, the office of a paymaster; so ˈpaymaster-ˈgeneralship.
1809G. Rose Diaries (1860) II. 398 One Paymastership of the Forces is vacant. 1898Daily News 9 Dec. 5/1 Through the transference of the Earl of Hopetoun from the Paymaster-Generalship to the office of Lord Chamberlain. |