| 释义 |
black art
[Probably ‘black’ refers primarily to the dark and secret nature of the magician's art, or to the popular belief in the association of the magician with the devil; but the name is also associated with the med.L. nigromantīa, corruption of necromantīa (= Gr. νεκροµαντεία, f. νεκρός dead body), as if this contained L. niger, nigro- black.]
1. The art of performing supernatural acts by intercourse with the spirits of the dead or with the devil himself; magic, necromancy.
c1590Marlowe Faust. ix. 53, I have heard strange report of thy knowledge in the black art. 1611Cotgr., Nigromance, nigromancie, coniuring, the blacke Art. 1674R. Godfrey Inj. & Ab. Physic 178 He useth Astrology, (which the Vulgar call the Black Art). 1775Sheridan Rivals i. ii, I'd as soon have them taught the black art as their alphabet! 1831Brewster Nat. Magic iv. (1833) 69 A native of Pistoia, who cultivated the black art.
†2. Thieves' slang. Lock-picking, burglary. Obs.
1591Greene Conny-Catch. ii. Wks. 1883 X. 72, I can set downe the subtiltie of the blacke Art, which is picking of lockes. 1608Dekker Belman Lond. Wks. 1884–5 III. 137 This Blacke Art..is called in English Picking of Lockes.
Hence, † black-ˈartist, Obs., a necromancer. † black-ˈartship, Obs. nonce-wd.
1620Sylvester Lit. Bartas (1877–80) 408 (D.) Those Black-Artists that consult with Hell. 1697Mountfort Faustus i. ad fin., I came only to ask your Black Artship a Question. 1825Carlyle Schiller ii. (1845) 66 Spectres..the terror-struck black-artist cannot lay them. |