| 释义 |
prowler|ˈpraʊlə(r)|
Forms: α. 6–7 proller, 7–8 proler. β. 6– prowler, (6 prouler).
[f. as prec. + -er1.]
One who prowls; one who goes about on the look-out for what he can find or seize; one who sneaks about in search of prey or plunder; also, † one who seeks gain or advantage by any underhand or dishonourable means; a parasite, a ‘sponge’; a pilferer, impostor, cheat, plunderer (obs.) ; a burglar, a sneak thief.
α1519W. Horman Vulg. 28 b, He is a good proller for the bely. a1520Vox Populi Vox Dei 712 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 292 Customers and comptrollers, Purvyours and prollers. 1550Lever Serm. (Arb.) 63 Couetous greedyguttes and ambicious prollers. 1632Burton Anat. Mel. ii. iii. viii. (ed. 4) 366 No sharkers, no Cunnicatchers, no prolers. 1735Somerville Chase iv. 398 O'er the dank rushy Marsh The sly Goose-footed Proler [the otter] bends his Course.
β1557North Gueuara's Diall Pr. iv. vii. (1568) 125 b, Greedy gluttons, and shameles prowlers. 1670Milton Hist. Eng. iii. Wks. 1851 V. 130 Suttle Prowlers, Pastors in Name, but indeed Wolves. 1791Cowper Iliad xv. 712 Some prowler of the wilds. 1861Dickens Tom Tiddler i, You attract all the disreputable vagabonds and prowlers. 1912D. Lowrie My Life in Prison i. 5 Inadvertently we had left the back door open one night and a nocturnal prowler had taken advantage of it. 1926J. Black You can't Win xix. 295 What a fox he is, to roll his money up in the curtain... What chance would a prowler have of finding his money? 1955H. Kurnitz Invasion of Privacy (1956) xv. 99 It was Zorn's first ride in a police car. The radio chattered endlessly..of prowlers, burglars, rapists. 1976Flintshire Leader 10 Dec. 1/7 Many of them are elderly or handicapped and live in fear of prowlers, car accidents and falls on uneven pathways. |