| 释义 |
▪ I. potent, n.1 and a.2|ˈpəʊtənt|
[app. an alteration or variant of F. potence potence2.]
A. n.
†1. A crutch; a staff with a cross piece to lean upon; also transf. a crozier. Obs.
1362Langl. P. Pl. A. ix. 88 Dobest is a-boue boþe, And Bereþ a Busschopes cros,..A pyk is in þe potent to punge a-doun þe wikkede. a1366Chaucer Rom. Rose 368 So old she was that she ne wente A fote, but it were by potente. c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xxix. (Placidas) 28 For þe thryd fut hym worthis þen Haf a potent hym on to len. Ibid. xl. (Ninian) 495 His patent can [= gan] with hym ta Priuely, ore he wald ga [cf. 514 For-þi his stafe sone has he tan]. c1420Lydg. Thebes i. in Chaucer's Wks. (1561) 359 b/1 He taketh a potent, And on three feete, thus he goeth ayen. 1480Caxton Ovid's Met. xiv. xii, He..wente with a potente or stylthe on whyche he lened.
b. fig. A support, stay. Cf. crutch n. 1 c. Obs. or arch.
1426Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 9177 Thow art hys pyler & hys potent; And ellys he were Inpotent. c1430― Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 240 Jhesu be my staff and my potent. 1891Stevenson In South Seas (1900) 249 He was but waiting to capitulate, and looked about for any potent to relieve the strain.
†2. A gibbet. Sc. Obs. rare.
1549Compl. Scot. xix. 162 [He] gart heyde them, and syne he gart hyng ther quartars on potentis at diuerse comont passagis on the feildis.
†3. A cross handle like the head of a crutch.
1688R. Holme Armoury iii. 337/1 There is an other sort of these Dung Forks..without a Raspe, or Potent, on the head.
B. adj. Her. Having the limbs terminating in potents or crutch-heads, as cross potent; formed by a series of potents. potent (and) counter-potent: see counter-potent.
1610J. Guillim Heraldry ii. vii. (1660) 82 He bears..a Crosse potent. 1725Coats Dict. Her., Potent,..a Cross Potent, by reason of the Resemblance its Extremities bear to the Head of a Crutch. 1766–87Porny Heraldry (ed. 4) Gloss., Potent, a...said of a Cross terminating like a T, at its upper extremities. 1882Cussans Her. (ed. 3) 54 Potent is formed by a number of figures, bearing some resemblance to crutch-heads, arranged in horizontal lines, in the same manner as Vair. 1894Parker's Gloss. Her., Potent,..also gives its name to one of the heraldic furs, composed of any metal and colour: this is, however, usually blazoned Potent counter-potent. Ibid., Potent is also applied to the edge of an ordinary or to a line of division, though the latter but rarely. Ibid. s.v. Cross, Cross potent, written sometimes potence (fr. potencée): so called because its arms terminate in potents,..or like crutches. Also called a Jerusalem cross.
▪ II. potent, a.1 and n.2|ˈpəʊtənt|
[ad. L. potens, -ent-em powerful, pres. part. of posse (potis esse) to be powerful or able.]
A. adj.
1. a. Powerful, possessed of great power; having great authority or influence; mighty: used of persons and things, with many shades of meaning, as the power implied is political, military, social, supernatural, moral, mental, etc. (Usually a poetic or rhetorical word, felt to be stronger than powerful.)
a1500Priests of Peblis in Pinkerton Scot. Poems Repr. (1792) I. 10 Than come he hame a verie potent man; And spousit syne a michtie wyfe richt than. a1550in Dunbar's Poems (S.T.S.) 324 The potent Prince of joy imperiall, The he surmonting Empriour abone. 1598Shakes. Merry W. iv. iv. 89 The Doctor is well monied, and his friends Potent at Court. 1603Drayton Bar. Wars iii. viii, Thus sits the great Enchauntresse in her cell,..With Vestall fire her potent liquor warmes. 1630R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 84 The potentest state there, boasting of the bravery of 200. gallies, and eight or ten galleases. 1639N. N. tr. Du Bosq's Compl. Woman ii. 1 The wisest and potentest of men. 1667Milton P.L. xii. 211 Moses once more his potent Rod extends Over the Sea. 1696Tate & Brady Ps. viii. 7 They jointly own his potent Sway. 1711in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 164 A smaller garrison held the town..against a potenter host. 1783Crabbe Village i. 282 A potent quack, long vers'd in human ills, Who first insults the victim whom he kills. 1813H. & J. Smith Horace in Lond. 38 Potent once at quoits and cricket, Head erect and heart elate. 1880McCarthy Own Times IV. lxii. 375 His influence and his name were potent in every corner of the globe. 1897W. L. Clowes Royal Navy I. xi. 380 The danger of making any effort of the kind in face of a ‘potent’ fleet.
b. Of reasons, principles, motives, ideas: Cogent, effective, convincing.
1606Shakes. Tr. & Cr. iii iii. 192 But 'gainst your priuacie The reasons are more potent and heroycall. 1679J. Goodman Penit. Pard. iii. vi. (1713) 385 Fear..is neither so lasting a principle, nor so potent and effective a motive as hope. 1782F. Burney Cecilia vii. vi, An objection which, however potent, is single. 1875Helps Soc. Press. iii. 51 Ideas which should shiver into atoms some of our present most potent ideas.
2. Having strong physical or chemical properties: as a potent solvent, drug, etc.
1715Rowe Lady J. Gray i. i. 25 Is there no help in all the healing art, No potent juice or drug to save a life So precious? 1756C. Lucas Ess. Waters I. 113 The most potent and probably the proper solvent of iron, is the vitriolic acid. 1807–26S. Cooper First Lines Surg. (ed. 5) 242 With respect to mercury, or any other potent remedy. 1899Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 800 Of more potent remedies, salicylic acid is perhaps the most trustworthy.
3. Capable of orgasm in sexual intercourse: applied chiefly to men. Opp. impotent a. 2 b.
1893E. Martin Impotence & Sexual Weakness 74 He..took to himself a wife, and showed by subsequent events, that he was both potent and fertile. 1899Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 149 Such a man..impotent awake, potent only in dreams. 1929G. R. Scott Sex & its Mysteries xii. 110 So long as there is no disease or malformation of the genital organs a woman is potent until practically her dying days. 1975L. B. Hobson Examination of Patient ix. 360 Sexual arousal, erection, and even ejaculation..are emotional as well as hormonal, and a man castrated in later life is still able to have sexual intercourse; that is, he remains potent. He is, however, sterile, since he produces no sperm.
†B. n. Obs.
1. Power; a power.
1512Helyas in Thoms Prose Rom. (1828) III. 56 To praise and honour you as well for the honoure that God hath doone to you as for your noble potentes. 1631Celestina vii. 88 Such a peerelesse Potent, a commanding Power, as thy imperious unparaleld beauty!
2. One who has power or authority; a potent person; a potentate.
1595Shakes. John ii. i. 358 Cry hauocke kings, back to the stained field You equall Potents, fierie kindled spirits. 1642W. Bird Mag. Honor 8 There be other Potents under the King, which are called Barons.
3. A military warrant or order.
1622F. Markham Bk. War iii. vi. 103 The Victuall-Master..may send forth his warrants or potents for the bringing in of all manner of victualls at their ordinary prizes. 1689G. Walker Siege of Derry 15 A Fortnight later, we receiv'd a Potent to March to St. Johnstown. 1690J. Mackenzie Siege London-Derry 5/2 The Potent being more narrowly inspected, was found defective.
▪ III. potent, a.2
see after potent n.1 |