| 释义 |
punctuality|pʌŋktjuːˈælɪtɪ|
[f. punctual + -ity. Cf. med.L. punctuālitās (Wyclif 1361); F. ponctualité (1629 in Hatz.-Darm.).]
I. The quality or character of being punctual (in various senses), or an instance of this.
1. a. Exactness, accuracy, precision; regularity; minuteness; preciseness; circumstantialness. Now rare or arch.
1620Shelton Quix. ii. xlvii. 313 To recount with all the punctualitie, & truth that he vsually doth. 1631Massinger Emperor East i. ii, I have..With curious punctuality set down, To a hair's-breadth, how low a new-stamp'd courtier May vail to a country gentleman. 1750Johnson Rambler No. 62 ⁋9, I can relate, with great punctuality, the lives of all the last race of wits and beauties. 1846Trench Mirac. v, St. Mark, with his usual punctuality, notes that they [the Gadarene swine] were ‘about two thousand’.
†b. (with a and pl.) An instance of precision or accuracy; a small point, a nicety, a detail. Obs.
1661Fell Dr. Hammond 95 His Memory, 'twas..faithful to things and business, but unwillingly retaining the contexture and punctualities of words. 1701Grew Cosm. Sacra iv. i. 140 Which Punctualities..did not so much conduce to preserve the Text. 1714Mrs. Manley Adv. Rivella 12 She understands good Breeding to a Punctuality. a1734North Exam. iii. viii. §44, I kept no Journal... Therefore I am sensible that many Punctualities are here wanting.
c. Gram. The quality or character of being punctual (sense 5 e); the punctual aspect of a verb.
1962J. Gonda Aspectual Function of Ṛgvedic Present & Aorist i. 31 The basic notion of the opposition present stem: aorist stem in Greek is that of duration, the present being the marked term, the aorist which is the unmarked term sometimes being indifferent in respect to duration..sometimes expressing punctuality. Ibid. 34 The fundamental idea of nondurativeness (‘punctuality’) in the aorist. 1971Archivum Linguisticum II. 113 Both notions (non-duration and punctuality) became unified at a certain time, that is to say, their meanings became compatible, appearing alternatively according to context.
2. a. Formality, ceremoniousness; formal style: = punctilio 5 b. Obs. or arch.
1629Massinger Picture ii. ii, The state were miserable if the Court had none Of her owne breede..With forme and punctuallity to receiue Stranger Embassadours. 1742Akenside Let. to Dyson Poems (1845) 15 Those precisenesses of form and punctuality. 1755Johnson Let. to B. Langton 6 May in Boswell, Your own elegance of manners, and punctuality of complaisance.
†b. (with pl.) = punctilio 5. Obs.
1641Earl of Monmouth tr. Biondi's Civil Warres iv. 88 All punctuallities are vaine if unusefull, and foolish if harmfull. 1751Johnson Rambler No. 112 ⁋1 He that too long observes nice punctualities.
3. a. Precise observance of rule or obligation; strictness in the performance of duty; scrupulousness. Now rare or arch.
1640Howell Dodona's Gr. 169 Those that..hereafter should serve other Princes with that punctuality as Sophronio had done. 1689D. Granville in Surtees Misc. (1858) 95, I did faithfully, and with as much punctuallity as I was able, discharge those trusts. 1748Anson's Voy. iii. x. 406 The resolution of the English at the fire, and their trustiness and punctuality elsewhere, was the general subject of conversation. 1863A. Blomfield Mem. Bp. Blomfield II. ix. 185 Scrupulous punctuality in all his engagements.
b. (with pl.) An instance of strictness in conduct; a point of duty or right. Now rare or Obs.
1639Ld. Digby, etc. Lett. conc. Relig. (1651) 74 There were so many circumstances that might tempt and lead them from the exact punctualities of a sincere conveyer. 1750Johnson Rambler No. 70 ⁋5 Ready to exact the utmost punctualities of right, and to consider every man that fails in any part of his duty, as without conscience. 1858J. Martineau Stud. Chr. 131 What..must have been the feelings of the Hebrew, when told that all his punctualities had been thrown away?
4. Exact observance of an appointed time; the fact or habit of being in good time. (The prevailing current sense.)
1777Sheridan Sch. Scand. iv. iii, Joseph. O, madam, punctuality is a species of constancy—a very unfashionable custom among ladies. 1849–50W. Irving Mahomet viii. (1853) 29 The troops..summoned..arrived at the appointed time with a punctuality recorded by the Arabian chroniclers as miraculous. 1880M. E. Braddon Just as I am xlv, She is always a pattern of punctuality.
5. The character of a geometrical point; the fact of having position but no magnitude. rare—1.
1881G. S. Hall German Cult. 230 The very possibility of unspaciality or punctuality must be inferred as negative instances from indeterminate extension and movement.
II.
6. pl. Particulars or characteristics of punctuation. nonce-use.
1825Lamb Let. old Gentlem. Wks. 1870 III. 306 He must be a thorough master of vernacular orthography, with an insight into the accentualities and punctualities of modern Saxon, or English. |