| 释义 |
▪ I. ˈbloodhound, n.
1. A large, very keen-scented dog (Canis sanguinarius), formerly much used for tracking large game, stolen cattle, and human fugitives. There are three important breeds, the English, Cuban, and African.
c1350Will. Palerne 2183 Seiȝe blod-houndes bolde. c1440Promp. Parv. 40 Bloode hownde, molosus. 1483Cath. Angl. 35 A Blude hunde. 1548Hall Chron. Rich. III, an. 3. 26/1 Pleiyng the parte of a good blood hunde. 1624Capt. Smith Virginia II. 32 They follow him like bloud-hounds. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. II. 166 The bloodhound was a dog of great use & high esteem among our ancestors. 1820Keats St. Agnes xli, The wakeful bloodhound rose, and shook his hide.
2. fig. applied to men: A hunter for blood.
a1400Morte Arth. 3641 And gere theme brotheliche blenke, alle ȝone blod-hondes. 1550Coverdale Spir. Perle xi. Wks. 1844 I. 128 Manasses..was a very bloodhound and a tyrant. 1818Scott Hrt. Midl. xxxiii, The blood-hounds of the law were so close after me.
3. attrib.
1820Byron Mar. Fal. iv. ii. 248 To have set The bloodhound mob on their patrician prey. 1864Times 17 Nov., Possessing an almost bloodhound instinct in following up the very faintest tracks.
▪ II. ˈbloodhound, v. rare.
[f. the n.]
trans. To pursue ruthlessly.
1935G. Barker Janus i. 15, I am by blood bloodhounded out of doors. 1961Guardian 25 May 10/4 Naïvely imagining that MI 5 was only bloodhounding those with supposed Cliveden or Mosley ideas. |