| 释义 |
barbarity|bɑːˈbærɪtɪ|
In 6 -itie.
[f. L. barbar-us barbarous + -ity: not in L. or F.]
†1. = barbarism 2. Obs. or arch. (The earliest sense, taking place of the earlier barbarie, and now in its turn superseded by barbarism.)
1570Levins Manip. /109 Barbarite, barbaries. 1604Jas. I. Counterbl. (Arb.) 99 From base corruption and barbarity. 1698Sidney On Govt. iii. §13 (1704) 279 That wretched Barbarity in which the Romans found our Ancestors. 1773Johnson Lett. 81 I. 161 A nation just rising from barbarity. 1819R. Chapman Jas. V, 89 At this time..barbarity and ignorance had not overspread Scotland.
2. Barbarous or savage cruelty, such as is alien to civilization; inhumanity. (The usual sense.)
1685Gracian's Courtier's Oracle 197 The barbarity whereof will be more supportable than the fierce and haughty humour of these men. 1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 183 With breach of faith, with cruelty and barbarity. 1796Morse Amer. Geog. I. 95 When defenceless women..and even babes, are made the victims of their shocking barbarity. 1884Pall Mall G. 16 Aug. 2/1, I have seen some cases of horrible barbarity.
b. with pl. An act of barbarous cruelty.
1718Pope Iliad xxiv. 263 Oh! might I..these barbarities repay! a1731Atterbury Serm. Martyrd. Chas. I (R.) He had borne lesser barbarities. 1876J. H. Newman Hist. Sk. I. i. i. 3 These two extraordinary men rivalled or exceeded Attila in their wholesale barbarities.
3. Of language: = barbarism 1, and 1 b. ? Obs.
1706tr. Dupin's Eccl. Hist. 16th C. II. v. 39 He always uses Latine Terms and avoids Barbarity. 1727Swift Eng. Tongue Wks. 1755 II. i. 129 To quit their simplicity of style for affected refinements..which ended by degrees in many barbarities. 1796Pegge Anonym. (1809) 471 We have our monstrous, prodigious, vast, shocking, devilish, at every turn: are we not driving towards Barbarity?
4. Barbarism of style in art.b. with pl. An instance of want of artistic culture.
1644Evelyn Mem. (1857) I. 107 When architecture was but newly recovered from the Gothic barbarity. 1860Tyndall Glac. i. §27. 215 To shame by the beauty of her structures the comparative barbarities of Art. 1879M. E. Braddon Vixen I. i. 21 The oak panelling was painted white, a barbarity on the part of..the West End decorators. |