| 释义 |
assailant, a. and n.|əˈseɪlənt|
Also 6–7 assaylant, -aunt.
[a. F. assaillant. pr. pple. (also used subst.) of assaillir: see assail v. and -ant.]
A. adj. Assailing, attacking, actively hostile. arch.
1592W. Wyrley Armorie 138 Assailant conqueror, this brave English king. 1671Milton Samson 1693 And as an ev'ning Dragon came, Assailant on the perched roosts. 1855H. Reed Lect. Eng. Lit. viii. (1878) 258 Such offensive, assailant unbelief as Gibbon's and Hume's.
B. n.
1. He who, or that which, assails or attacks.
c1532Ld. Berners Huon (1883) 339 Y⊇ assaylauntes were fayne parforce to recule backe. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. i. iii. 116 So shall we passe along, And neuer stir assailants. 1665Manley Grotius' Low-C. Wars 487 They threw down Stones upon the Assaylants heads. 1777Johnson Pope Wks. IV. 90 His most frequent assailant was the headach. 1839Keightley Hist. Eng. I. 341 His guards rescued him and slew all the assailants.
†b. spec. One who challenged another to wager of battle; one who accepted the defiance of a champion to combat in the lists. Obs.
1586J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie 315 Because he is the assailaunt..it lyeth in his choyce, to take eyther a ciuill or martiall tryall. 1611Cotgr. s.v. Preux, The first time he presents himselfe, as an assailant, in the Lists. 1627Lisander & Cal. ix. 180 Spurring against the assailants, and the assailants against them.
2. A hostile critic, controversial opponent.
1665Glanvill Sceps. Sci. Introd. 1 My Assailant takes the Liberty to recede from my Style. a1764R. Lloyd Poet. Wks. 1774 II. 150 Rome's fierce assailant. 1843Mill Logic iii. ix. 6 The assailants of the syllogism had also anticipated Dr. Whewell. |