| 释义 |
pestiferous, a.|pɛˈstɪfərəs|
[f. L. pestifer, -fer-us plague-bringing, f. pesti-s plague + -fer, stem of fer-re to bear, bring: see -ferous. In F. pestifère. In sense 3, f. F. pestiféré.]
I.
1. Bringing or producing pest or plague; destructive to health; noxious, deadly; of the nature of a pest, pestilent, pestilential.
1542Boorde Dyetary xxvii. (1870) 289 An ordre to be vsed in the Pestyferous tyme. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utop. i. (1895) 55 Sendynge amonge the shepe that pestiferous morreyn. 1601Holland Pliny I. 183 Vexed at certain houres..with the pestiferous heats and shaking colds of the feuer. 1632Lithgow Trav. vi. 256 [No] Trees, or Bushes, grow neere to Sodome..such is the consumation of that pestiferous Gulfe. 1726Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 3/1 We affirm the Air to be pestiferous, where there is a continued Collection of thick Clouds and stinking Vapours. 1830Miss Mitford Village Ser. iv. (1863) 229 Having lost many children in the pestiferous climate of Barbadoes. 1830Herschel Stud. Nat. Phil. i. iii. 56 Regions almost desolated by pestiferous exhalations.
b. Of animals: Hurtful; noxious.
c1600Timon iii. iii, These women are a pestiferous kinde of animals. 1731Gentl. Mag. I. 12 The depredations of Locusts, Palmer-worms, and other pestiferous vermin. 1894Chicago Advance 27 Dec. 438/1 As pestiferous a creature as could be allowed to roam at large.
2. fig. Bearing moral contagion; hurtful to morals or society; mischievous; pernicious.
1458in Pecock's Repr. (Rolls) I. Introd. 55 note, The damnable doctrine and pestiferous sect of Reynold Pecock exceedeth in malice and horribility all other heresies and sects of heretics. 1523St. Papers Hen. VIII, VI. 124 Moche bounde to Allmyghty God, that the Popes Holynes is rid of so pestiferous a Counsailour. 1630R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 111 Done by the perswasions of the pestiferous Jesuites. a1715Burnet Own Time (1766) I. 2 One of the most pestiferous forms of calumny. 1824Hist. Gaming 16 Those pestiferous hordes of gamblers, black-legs, and sharpers. 1885Manch. Exam. 18 July 5/3 They are said to pursue their pestiferous occupation unchecked.
II.
3. [= F. pestiféré.] Plague-stricken; smitten with a contagious disease.
1665Evelyn Diary 11 Oct., I was environ'd with multitudes of poore pestiferous creatures begging almes. 1858Faber tr. Life Xavier 369 A malady contracted in attending on the pestiferous.
Hence peˈstiferously adv., pestilentially, noxiously, ‘plaguy’; peˈstiferousness.
1727Bailey vol. II, Pestiferousness. 1847Webster, Pestiferously. 1863Geo. Eliot Romola xlv, Melema, you are a pestiferously clever fellow.
Add:[I.] [2.] Also, in weakened sense (chiefly U.S. colloq.): irritating, annoying, constituting a pest or nuisance. (Later examples.)
1890Texas Siftings 1 Nov. 8/1 The Mugwumps..are a pestiferous coterie of meddlesome, conceited, crack-brained cranks. 1909Dialect Notes III. 356 [East Alabama] Pestiferous, annoying, bothersome. ‘These pestiferous mosquitoes.’ 1979Homes & Gardens June 34/3 Well, if I was a pestiferous jobbing gardener, I was going to look like one. 1986New Yorker 7 July 66/2 He goes to no lengths at all to disguise the fact that he believes that Congress is pestiferous and should be told as little as possible. |