| 释义 |
seamstress, sempstress|ˈsiːmstrɪs, ˈsɛm(p)strɪs|
Forms: α. 7 semstress(e, seamstresse, 8 seemstress, 9 semstress, 7– seamstress; β. (7 sempstresse, sempstriss), 7– sempstress.
[f. seamster, sempster + -ess.]
A woman who seams or sews; a needlewoman whose occupation is plain sewing as distinguished from dress or mantle-making, decorative embroidery, etc.
α1644Howell Twelve Treat. (1661) 47 A great masse of money and plate was brought into the Guild-hall, the Semstresse brought in her silver Thimble,..the Cook his Spoons. 1665Pepys Diary 8 Apr., To the Old Exchange, and there, of my pretty seamstress, bought four bands. 1711Steele Spect. No. 182 ⁋3 An Irish Fellow, who dresses very fine..and is the Admiration of Seamstresses who are under Age in Town. 1872Daily News 24 July, The wrongs and hardships of the seamstress and the milliner have been set forth in thrilling poetry.
βa1613Overbury Charact., Maquerela Wks. (1856) 100 Shee can easily turne a sempstresse into a waiting gentle⁓woman. 1659–60Pepys Diary 2 Feb, I..went to Mrs. Johnson, my Lord's sempstress. 1726Swift Gulliver i. vi, Two hundred sempstresses were employed to make me shirts, and linen for my bed and table. 1758Johnson Idler No. 33 ⁋23 My sempstress..has lost the measure. 1871Daily News 6 Nov., Among the prisoners..were two women—a sempstress..and a servant.
Hence ˈseamstressing nonce-wd., the action of working as a seamstress. ˈseamstress-ship, the position, work, or skill of a seamstress.
1816Scott Antiq. xvi, The little apartment was..ornamented too by such relics of her youthful arts of sempstress-ship as Mrs. Hadoway had retained. a1854C. A. Southey Poet. Wks. (1867) 94 And near at hand [sat] The maiden sister friend..At her coarse sempstresship. 1873Mrs. Whitney Other Girls vii, Dull work in the great ware⁓rooms, or now and then all days' seamstressing in families. |