| 释义 |
▪ I. postilion, postillion|pəʊˈstɪljən, pɒ-|
Also 6–7 postillon, 7 postilian.
[a. F. postillon (1538 in Godef.), ad. It. postiglione ‘a postilion, a postes guide, a forerunner’ (Florio), f. It. posta post n.2 + -iglione, compound suffix (cf. vermilion); so Sp. postillon, Pg. postilhão.]
†1.
a. (See quots.) Obs.
1591Percivall Sp. Dict., Postillon, a postillon, a guide for a post, dux praecursoris. 1611Cotgr., Postillon, a Postillon, Guide, Postes boy. 1658Phillips, Postillon, (French) a Post's guide, or fore-runner.
†b. fig. A forerunner. Obs.
a1586Sidney Arcadia iii. (1891) 318 But when he strake,..his arme seemed still a postillion of death. 1647Fanshawe tr. Pastor Fido i. i. 11 Seest thou yon Star of such excelling hew, The Suns Postillion?
†2. One who rides a post-horse, a post-boy; a swift messenger. Obs.
1616Bullokar Eng. Expos., Postilion, a speedy poste or messenger. 1678Lond. Gaz. No. 1281/4 It is now four days since any Vessel, Post or Postillion came from Ghent to Bruges. 1708Ibid. No. 4464/6 The Postillion of Ghent is just now arrived, with Letters to Mr. de Caris.
fig.c1645Howell Lett. (1650) I. To Rdr., Those wing'd Postillions that can fly, From the Antartic to the Artic sky. Ibid. I. viii. 14 Those swift Postillions my thoughts find you out daily. 1685Gracian's Courtiers Orac. 160 These are the Postillions of life, who to the swift motion of time, add the rapidity of their own minds.
3. One who rides the near horse of the leaders (or formerly sometimes, each of the riders of the near horses) when four or more are used in a carriage or post-chaise; esp. one who rides the near horse when one pair only is used and there is no driver on the box.
1623–33Fletcher & Shirley Night-Walker ii. iii, Thou shalt have horses six, and a postilion. 1632Massinger City Madam ii. ii, Drawn by six Flanders mares, my coachman, grooms, Postillion, and footmen. 1771N. Nicholls Corr. w. Gray (1843) 118 The Yarmouth coach, when it has gone at all, has gone with eight horses and four postilions. 1811Wellington in Gurw. Desp. VIII. 286 The account of the rations issued to the post horses and mules, and postillions. 1881Besant & Rice Chapl. of Fleet III. 173 They called aloud to the postilions to stop the horses.
fig.1656Cowley Pindar. Odes, Muse i, Let the Postilion Nature mount, and let The Coachman Art be set.
4. (transf. from 3.) See quot.
1888Goode Amer. Fishes 8 The use of supplementary floats, or ‘postillions’,..to keep the line from sinking.
5. = postilion-basque: see 6.
6. attrib. and Comb., as postilion harness, postilion saddle, postilion whip; postilion-wise adv.; in recent use applied to female costume imitating that of a postilion, as postilion-basque, postilion-belt, postilion-tab, etc.
1676W. Perwich Despatches (Camden) 311 They..tore all his cloaths off, and with two postilion whips scurged him..severely. 1689Lond. Gaz. No. 2475/4 A Postilion Saddle of black Leather. 1794W. Felton Carriages (1801) II. 153 A postillion..harness is the same expence as either the postillion or wheel harness of the other sort. 1840Dickens Barn. Rudge lix, One of them..sat postillion-wise upon the near horse. 1872Young Englishwoman Dec. 651/2 A dress of olive-brown..had a basque bodice with a postilion back. 1890Cent. Dict., Postilion-basque, a woman's basque having its skirt cut at the back into short square tabs or coat-tails, after the fashion of a postilion's coat. Postilion-belt, a leather belt with a large buckle, worn by ladies about 1860. 1904Daily Chron. 2 Jan. 8/4 The postilion tabs at the back of the bodice. Ibid. 28 May 8/4 The corslet belt, with postillion back.
Hence poˈstilioned, postill- |-jənd| a., provided with or ridden by a postilion; poˈstil(l)ioness, a female postilion; poˈstilionize v. trans., to provide with a postilion, or to ride as a postilion.
1809in Spirit Pub. Jrnls. XIII. 165 Then spank away drives I,..with my six greys (postilionized) against all England! 1858B. Taylor North. Trav. xxxv. 378 At Vik..we parted with the postillioness and with our host of Kettbo. 1879Daily News 25 Nov. 5/6 Lord Rosebery,..driving down in an open barouche drawn by four magnificent horses, daintily postillioned.
▪ II. poˈstil(l)ion, v. slang.
[f. the n.]
trans. To insert and manipulate a finger in the anus of (a sexual partner) as a means of sexual excitement. Hence poˈstil(l)ioning vbl. n.
1888tr. Tableaux Vivants xi. 95 The fair houri was postillioning me. 1969G. Legman Oragenitalism i. 90 Postillioning can best be done by the middle finger. |