| 释义 |
ˈplayhouse
1. a. A house or building in which plays are acted; a theatre.
a1000Aldhelm Glosses (Napier) 1752 Cęlestis theatri, þæs heofenlican pleᵹhuses. 1599Shakes. Hen. V, ii. Chorus 36 The Scene Is now transported (Gentles) to Southampton, There is the Play-house now, there must you sit. 1623in N. Shaks. Soc. Trans. (1885) 504 Att the play howse called the Cockpitt in Drurie Lane. 1666Pepys Diary 27 Oct., The playhouses begin to play next week. 1733Swift Lett. Wks. 1841 II. 697 The comedy (which our poor friend [Gay] gave to the playhouse the week before his death). 1809Kendall Trav. I. xiv. 164 There is no play-house in Harford, nor in any other place in Connecticut. 1851D. Jerrold St. Giles iv. 30, I was born a lady..though I do sell fruit in the playhouse. 1892[see playlet].
fig.1705Wycherley Let. to Pope 5 Nov., You may see..the two great Play-houses of the Nation, those of the Lords and Commons, in dispute with one another.
b. attrib. † playhouse pay (see quot. 1794). Obs.
1673Dryden Marr. à la Mode Prol. 16 The women..swore they would be true;..But..they were made of playhouse flesh and blood. 1700T. Brown Amusem. Ser. & Com. iv. (1709) 45 A Play-house Wit is distinguish'd by wanting Understanding. 1761(title) A New Academy of Compliments..With a collection of the newest Play-house Songs. 1790T. Wilkinson Mem. I. 146 The theatre being for the first month opened three nights in a week, my salary was only fifteen shillings as play-house pay, and when got to four nights, merely twenty shillings. 1794C. Mathews Let. 19 June in A. Mathews Mem. Charles Mathews (1838) I. v. 90 Most of the salaries are what they call ‘play-house pay’; that is, payment only each night they play; so that a man engaged at three pounds a-week, if he performs three times a-week only, has only half his salary. 1845Bentley's Misc. June 600 In the year 1728 a first-rate singer, according to play-house pay, which means the actual nights of performance, could command no more than forty-five pounds annually. 1896Kipling Seven Seas (Tauchn.) 54 Like playhouse-scenes, the shore slid past our sleepy eyes.
2. a. (Freq. play-house.) A house, usu. small, in or with which children may play.
1792A. Young Trav. France I. 108 These cases of models..have so much the air of children's playhouses, that I would not answer for my little girl..not crying for them. 1857M. J. Holmes Meadow-Brook xxv. 317 At a short distance from the house was a tall cypress..where now was a play-house. 1908G. Jekyll Children & Gardens ii. 11 A good play-house..is a little house somewhere in garden or shrubbery, consisting of a kitchen and a sitting-room. 1916Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 13 July 8/3 She makes all sorts of toys; animals and dolls, rocking horses and play houses. 1965Guardian 20 Nov. 3/8 (Advt.), Playhouse... 59/6... Takes 4/5 children. 1968Sunday Times 16 June 61 The Peter Murray play house..is big enough to hold several children at once. 1978Detroit Free Press 16 Apr. f11/1 (Advt.), 4 bdrm house,..att gar, play house for kids on 2 acres. |