| 释义 |
punctilio|pʌŋkˈtɪlɪəʊ|
Forms: α. 6–7 puntilio, 7 -illo, -illio, -iglio. β. 7 punctiglio, 7–8 -illo, -illio, 7– punctilio.
[a. It. puntiglio and Sp. puntillo, dim. of punto point; = L. type *puncticulum; later with punct- after Latin. Cf. F. pointille (ad. It.) c 1560.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1596Harington Metam. Ajax Prol., Standing upon the puntilio of honour hauing been challenged. 1615R. Brathwait Strappado (1878) 61 note, Who stands on the puntiglio of his honour. 1626T. H. Caussin's Holy Crt. 290 Animosityes, reuenges, quarrels, puntilloes. 1626, etc. Punctilio [see B. 5]. 1630Earl of Strafford in Slingsby Diary (1836) 324 Concerning that Punctillo. 1642Puntillo's [see B. 4]. a1648Ld. Herbert Hen. VIII (1649) 207 As for the little cavills and punctiglios, concerning the receiving of Giovanni Joakim and the like. 1649Milton Eikon. xi. Wks. 1851 III. 420 With reason, conscience, honour, policy, or puntilios. 1659Gentl. Calling v. §23. 423 [To] descend..from their punctilioes. 1666Temple Let. Godolphin 1 Apr., Wks. 1757 I. 257 To lay by the puntiglio. 1709O. Dykes Eng. Prov. & Refl. (ed. 2) 181 Tim'd according to the nice Punctillo's of nicking the Opportunity. 1792Anecd. W. Pitt III. xxxviii. 28 The noble Lord talks of Spanish punctillios.
B. Signification.
†1. A small or fine point or mark, esp. one of those on a dial (with play on sense 5). Obs. rare.
1596Harington Ulysses upon Ajax C v b, He shall finde the Puntilio of his honour blunted. 1599B. Jonson Ev. Man out of Hum. ii. i. (1600) E j b, To the perfection of Complement (which is the dyall of the thought..) are requirde these three Proiects: the Gnomon, the Puntilios, and the Superficies: the Superficies is that we call Place; the Puntilios, Circumstance: and the Gnomon, Ceremonie.
†2. The highest point, acme, apex; a high projecting point or tip (sometimes with mixture of sense 4). Obs. rare.
1599B. Jonson Cynthia's Rev. ii. iii. (1601) D 3 b, He that is yet in..his Course..& hath not toucht the Puntillio or point of hopes. 1650W. Brough Sacr. Princ. (1659) 1 A three-fold knowledge of religion..of pinacles or punctilio's, high and curious points in the building.
†3. A minute point of time, a moment, an instant; = point n.1 A. 7. Obs.
1620Bp. J. King Serm. 24 Mar. 23 Let no man..tye him to canonicall houres, atomes, and puntilio's of time, tempus, tempus, statutum tempus. 1659Unhappy Marksman in Harl. Misc. (1809) IV. 4 In that punctilio of time wherein the bullets struck him..he is in an instant disanimated. 1679C. Nesse Antichrist 235 To leave the pointing out of this punctilio of time to God only.
†4. A minute point, detail, or particular; a particle, whit, jot; a trifling point; a thing of no importance, a trifle. Obs. (exc. as in 5).
1642Fuller Holy & Prof. St. iv. xvi. 323 He is zealous of the least puntillo's of his Masters honour. 1642Chas. I Treaty at Oxford Wks. 1662 II. 257 If every Punctilio must be forced to be sent forwards and backwards a hundred miles. 1796Burke Regic. Peace iii. Wks. VIII. 330 When one of the parties..will not..abate a single punctilio. 1815J. Adams Wks. (1856) X. 131 We have never..lost any one punctilio of those rights or liberties.
5. a. A minute detail of action or conduct; a nice point of behaviour, ceremony, or honour; a small or petty formality. Formerly sometimes, A fine-drawn or fastidious objection, a scruple.
1599[see 1]. 1626J. Pory in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. III. 245 The Bishop stood upon his punctilios. 1638Ford Lady's Trial i. ii, Guzman..observes the full punctilios of his nation. a1680Butler Rem. (1759) II. 50 He professes a mortal Hatred to Ceremonies, and yet has more Punctilios than a Jew. 1775Sheridan Duenna i. ii, To trifle with me at such a juncture as this!—now to stand on punctilios! 1809–10Coleridge Friend (1818) III. 248 In consequence of some punctilio, as to whose business it was to pay the compliment of the first call. 1836H. Rogers J. Howe ii. (1863) 17 He [Laud] was ready to visit the omission of the most trifling ecclesiastical punctilios with relentless severity.
b. (without pl.) Strict observance of or insistence upon minutiæ of action or conduct; petty formality in behaviour; punctiliousness.
1596,1615[see A]. 1676D'Urfey Mme. Fickle i. i, My Lord was as unmannerly a Fellow as I ever saw... Ha, ha, ha—He a Noble man, and punctilio no better. 1709Steele Tatler No. 36 ⁋2 [She] takes the Whole of this Life to consist in understanding Punctilio and Decorum. 1747Richardson Clarissa (1811) I. xxxvi. 271 People of birth stood a little too much on punctilio. 1820W. Irving Sketch Bk., Spectre Bridegr., The preliminaries [of the marriage] had been conducted with proper punctilio. 1943R.A.F. Jrnl. Aug. 22 All the matchless punctilio of an iron discipline coloured his daily round. 1978J. Updike Coup (1979) iv. 171 These noodly motifs the French had brought, along with military science, the metric system, and punctilio.
†c. (?) A punctilious person. Obs. rare—1.
1603Harsnet Pop. Impost. 47 A Male-content standing upon his worth like some of our high Puntilios scorned to sort himselfe with any of his ranke.
†6. A (or the) precise point or fact. Obs. rare.
1654Vilvain Theol. Treat. ii. 76 By their doctrin al depends on the peremptory punctilio of Gods..Decree. 1683F. Hodelston in Lond. Gaz. No. 1860/5 Treasonable Practices to a Punctillio of Rebellion, contriving the Murder of Your Person.
7. attrib. (or adj.) and Comb.
1660Milton On Griffiths Serm. Wks. 1851 V. 396 Should they who were left sitting, break up, or not dare enact aught..for the punctilio wanting of a full number? 1702Vanbrugh False Friend v. i, The injury's too great for a punctilio satisfaction. 1761Churchill Rosciad Poems (1769) I. 40 The nice punctilio-mongers of this age, The grand minute reformers of the stage.
Hence (nonce-wds.) puncˈtilionist, one who is scrupulous about punctilios, a stickler about small points of behaviour or proceeding; puncˈtilioship, punctilious performance (= sense 5 b).
1714Savage Art of Prudence 183 Punctilioship is tire⁓some. 1825New Monthly Mag. XV. 200 A compliance..which we could wish to see more frequent with other punctilionists of the drama. |