释义 |
peccant, a. (n.)|ˈpɛkənt| [ad. L. peccānt-em, pr. pple. of peccāre to sin; in sense 3, a. OF. peccant (13–14th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).] 1. That commits or has committed a fault or moral offence; sinning, offending.
1604R. Cawdrey Table Alph., Peccant, offending, doing amisse. 1610G. Fletcher Christ's Vict. ii. xxi, The shadows err'd Of thousand peccant ghosts, unseen, unheard. 1642–3Earl of Newcastle Declar. in Rushw. Hist. Coll. (1721) V. 134 To prove them to be peccant against any authentick Rule. 1690South Serm. (1697) II. vii. 295 That a peccant Creature should disapprove, and repent of every Violation of, and Declination from the Rules of Just and Honest. 1862Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xiii. iii. (1872) V. 39 The peccant Officials..fell on their knees. b. Said of things.
1633Prynne 1st Pt. Histrio-m. iii. vi. 123 [Our own statutes] precisely prohibit the satyricall depraving, traducing, or derogation of..the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in any Enterludes, Playes or Rimes (in which kinde Playes had beene formerly peccant). 1874W. E. Hall Rights & Duties Neutrals iii. iii. 127 He seizes the peccant property. 2. Offending against or violating some rule or principle; faulty, incorrect. ? Obs.
1624F. White Repl. Fisher 116 This Sillogisme is peccant in forme. 1726Ayliffe Parergon 177 If the Citation be evidently peccant in point of Form or Matter. 1841D'Israeli Amen. Lit., Hum. B. Jonson, If true learning in the art of the drama be peccant, our poet is a very saintly sinner. 3. Causing disorder of the system; morbid, unhealthy, corrupt: used esp. in the humoral pathology; also, inducing disease.
1604T. Wright Climact. Years 15 Some few peccant humours. 1661Hickeringill Jamaica 103 Adjourning Plagues they use to bring, In Peccant Autumns or the Spring. 1667Phil. Trans. II. 621 It was not at all probable that his blood was peccant in the quantity. 1706Phillips, Peccant,..among Physicians, the Humours of the Body are said to be Peccant, when they contain some Malignity, or else abound too much. 1899Allbutt's Syst. Med. VI. 742 The patient..pointing to the peccant tooth as the source of his woe. Ibid. VIII. 495 Purgatives and diuretics may be given to eliminate any peccant matter. b. In figurative use.
1605Bacon Adv. Learn. i. iv. §12 Thus I have gone over these three diseases of learning: besides the which there are some other rather peccant humors, than fourmed diseases. 1727Pope, etc. Art of Sinking iii, A discharge of the peccant humour in exceeding purulent metre. 1790Burke Fr. Rev. Wks. 1808 V. 58 The change is to be confined to the peccant part only. 1860Emerson Cond. Life, Power Wks. (Bohn) II. 333 Where is great amount of life, though gross and peccant, it has its own checks. B. n. A sinner; an offender.
1621I. C. in T. Bedford Sin unto Death ⁋vj b, No time nor age..hath beene more likely to bring forth plenty of peccants in this kinde. 1803C. K. Sharpe Let. 3 Apr. in Corr. (1888) I. 165 A swinging blow on some peccant's rump from the cudgel of the serjeant! Hence ˈpeccantly adv.; ˈpeccantness.
1847Webster, Peccantly. 1727Bailey vol. II, Peccantness, offensiveness, hurtfulness. |