| 释义 |
▪ I. quest, n.1|kwɛst|
Also 4 quiste, 4–6 queste, 5–6 whest, (qw-), 6 queast.
[a. OF. queste (F. quête) = Prov. questa, quista, Sp. cuesta, It. chiesta:—pop. L. *questa, pa. pple. of quērĕre, L. quærĕre to seek, inquire: cf. inquest n.]
I.
1. An official or judicial inquiry. = inquest n. 1. Obs. exc. dial. (cf. crowner2).
1303R. Brunne Handl. Synne 5508 Þerof shal Gode take a quest. c1330― Chron. (1810) 238 Of clippers, of roungers, of suilk takes he questis. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xx. 161 Her syre was a sysour..ateynte at vch a queste. c1440Gesta Rom. i. lxx. 387 (Addit. MS.) When the Iustice was comyn, he ordeyned a false queste. 1545Brinklow Lament. (1874) 91 There is a custome in the Cytie, ones a yeare to haue a quest called the warnmall queste, to redresse vices. a1577Sir T. Smith Commw. Eng. (1609) 73 Enquest or quest is called this lawfull kinde of triall by twelue men. 1694Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) III. 417 The lord mayor and aldermen of London have forbid feasting at the quests. 1876–In dial. glossaries (Yks., Chesh., Som., etc.).
2. The body of persons appointed to hold an inquiry. = inquest n. 2. Now rare.
13..Evang. Nicod. 243 in Archiv neu. Spr. LIII. 396 He chesed a quest, on him to pas. c1440Jacob's Well 257 Þou schalt..aftyrward be pourgyd out wyth a quest of clerkys. 1470–85Malory Arthur iii. viii, By ordenaunce of the quene ther was set a quest of ladyes on syr gauayn. 1549Latimer 5th Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 153 The quest commes in and sayes not guilty. 1579Fulke Heskins' Parl. 499 He shoulde haue twelue which make a quest, to giue verdict in this matter. 1612T. Taylor Comm. Titus iii. 1 Which is as if a theife should be tried by a quest of cut-purses. a1661Fuller Worthies (1840) II. 483 One quest of gentlemen, another of yeomen passed upon him. 1706[see questman 1]. a1845Hood To Tom Woodgate vi, Twelve brave mermen for a 'quest. 1884St. James's Gaz. 4 Jan. 3/2 The coroner's quest pronounces ‘in accordance with the evidence’.
fig.c1600Shakes. Sonn. xlvi, To side this title is impannelled A quest of thoughts, all tennant to the heart.
†b. transf. A dozen (cf. quot. 1579 above). Obs.
1589Almond for Parrat 14 Ile haue a spare fellowe shall make mee a whole quest of faces for three farthinges.
3. Any inquiry or investigation made in order to discover some fact; also, the object of such inquiry.
1598Florio Dict. Ep. Ded. 3, I in this search or quest of inquirie haue spent most of my studies. 1627Lisander & Cal. iii. 39 The quest ended with no more knowledge than it began. 1727Swift To Earl of Oxford, In quest, who might this parson be. 1831Carlyle Sart. Res. ii. viii, Let us not forget the great generality, which is our chief quest here. 1878Masque Poets 101 The guest Half paused to ask in idle quest.
II.
4. Search or pursuit, made in order to find or obtain something. Const. of, for.
13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 39 Hit arn fettled in on forme..& by quest of her quoyntyse enquylen on mede. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 96 b, Peace & brotherly concorde dissolueth this quest & assaute of enuy. 1605Shakes. Lear i. i. 196 What..Will you require in present Dower with her, Or cease your quest of Loue? 1655H. Vaughan Silex Scint. i. Search (1858) 34 My Quest is vaine, Hee'll not be found where he was slaine. 1704F. Fuller Med. Gymn. (1711) 138 To rouse People into a Quest of Health. 1816Byron Ch. Har. iii. lxxvi, Whose desire Was to be glorious; 'twas a foolish quest. 1874Green Short Hist. viii. §4. 491 Luckily the quest of gold proved a vain one.
b. Freq. in phr. in quest of († after, or inf.).
1575Churchyard Chippes (1817) 24 In quest of solace, he retired to Bath. c1600Shakes. Sonn. cxxix, Had, hauing, and in quest to haue. 1663Butler Hud. i. iii. 233 He went in quest of Hudibras. 1705Hearne Collect. 6 Oct. (O.H.S.) I. 52 He is in quest after other Pieces. 1820W. Irving Sketch Bk. II. 349 The ghost rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head. 1862Goulburn Pers. Relig. iv. i. (1873) 256 Eager running to and fro in quest of worldly wealth.
†c. A person (or set of persons) employed in searching. Obs. rare—1.
1604Shakes. Oth. i. ii. 46 The Senate hath sent about three seuerall Quests, To search you out.
5. In mediæval romance: An expedition or adventure undertaken by a knight to procure some thing or achieve some exploit; the knights engaged in such an enterprise. Also transf.
c1384Chaucer H. Fame iii. 648 They that have do noble jestes And acheved all hir questes. c1450Merlin 503 Thei entered in to many questes forto knowe which was the beste knyght. 1470–85Malory Arthur xvi. xii, They supposed he was one of the quest of the Sancgreal. 1590Spenser F.Q. iii. viii. 53 Her well beseemes that Quest. 1813Scott Trierm. i. xi, Rather he chose, that Monarch bold, On vent'rous quest to ride. 1850Kingsley Alt. Locke xl, You are my servant now, by the laws of chivalry, and you must fulfil my quest. 1876Green Stray Stud. 262 The Quest of æneas is no self-sought quest.
6. a. The search for game made by hounds. b. The baying of hounds in pursuit of game; a peculiar barking uttered by dogs when in sight of game. Obs. exc. dial.
13..Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1150 At þe fyrst quethe of þe quest quaked þe wylde. c1420Anturs of Arth. 49 Withe gret questes and quelles Bothe in frethes and felles. 1513Douglas æneis v. v. 26 For hundis quest it semyt the lift rife wald. 1589R. Robinson Gold. Mirr. (Chetham Soc.) 12 Thus as I stood to heare this merry quest I heard the names of houndes that hunted best. 1649G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. IV, lxxiv, 'Twas soe resolu'd; vpon the doubtfull Quest The Game gets to safe Covert. 1688Holme Armoury iii. 188/2 Quest,..the first opening, or cry, of the Dogs when they have found the scent. 1876Swinburne Erechtheus 1306 Lo, night is arisen on the noon, and her hounds are in quest by day. 1878Cumbld. Gloss., Quest, the early morning search for a hare by the scent of the hounds. 1886Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. s.v., He don't never give no quest 'thout he's right 'pon it.
transf.13..S. Erkenwolde 133 in Horstmann Altengl. Leg. (1881) 269 Þe masse he begynnes..With queme questis of þe quere with ful quaynt notes. a1633G. Herbert Temple, Content ii, Gad not abroad at ev'ry quest and call Of an untrained hope or passion.
7. R.C.Ch. The collection of alms or donations for religious purposes.
1528Roy Rede me (Arb.) 76 The observauntis no people do spare, Makynge their quest every wheare With most importunate cravynge. 1691tr. D'Emilliane's Frauds Romish Monks 262 The Farmer [of Purgatory money] sends some of his Emissaries into the Fields, to carry on the Quest there for the said Souls. 1748Earthquake Peru i. 85 If we consider the extraordinary Product of the Quest [of the Franciscans]. 1873Browning Red Cotton Night-Cap Country 971 When Marquise jokes ‘My quest, forsooth? Each doit I scrape together goes for Peter-pence.’
8. Comb., as † quest-ale, prob. ale of special quality (cf. audit-ale); † quest-diter, -ganger, = quest-monger. Also quest-house, -man.
c1460Towneley Myst. xxii. 24 All fals endytars, Quest-gangars, and Iurars,..Ar welcome to me. Ibid. xxx. 185 Thise rolles Ar of bakbytars And fals quest-dytars. a1704T. Brown Pleas. Epistle Wks. 1730 I. 110 Private deliberations over brawn and quest-ale.
▪ II. † quest, n.2 Obs.
[Related to quethe v., as bequest (q.v.) to bequeath.]
A bequest.
c1300Havelok 219 He made his quiste swithe wel. c1400Gamelyn 64, I byseke yow..For Gamelynes love, that my queste stonde. 1418E.E. Wills (1882) 35 After my dettis payde and my questes fulfilled. 1478Croscombe Church-w. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.) 8 And bryngs in of the quest of Water Bigge xijd.
So † questword. Obs. rare—1.
1792Archaeologia X. 197 The legacies or questword of the deceased supplied the rest.
▪ III. quest, v.1|kwɛst|
[a. OF. quester (F. quêter), f. queste quest n.1]
1. a. intr. Of hunting dogs, etc.: To search for game. Also with about.
c1350Ipomadon (Kölbing) 619 A brachet of thee beste, That euer wold trewly queste And securly pursewe. c1420Anturs of Arth. 49 Þay questede and quellys By frythis and fellis. 1523Skelton Garl. Laurell 1409 The howndes began to yerne and to quest. 1607Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 133 Such [Dogs] as delight on the land, play their parts, either by swiftness of foot, or by often questing, to search out and to spring the bird. a1680Butler Rem. (1759) II. 88 If they prosper they..give the Jackal some small Snip for his Pains in questing. 1826Scott Woodst. xxxi, Bevis, questing about, found the body. 1954J. I. Lloyd Beagling 142 Quest, draw for a hare. 1969M. Pugh Last Place Left x. 60 We heard the shot then saw the spaniel questing. 1976Shooting Times & Country Mag. 16–22 Dec. 25/2 Two short toots on the horn..had hounds questing among the tufts of coarse grass and gorse bushes.
fig.1590Southwell M. Magd. Funerall Teares 113 Why doth thy sorrow quest so much upon the place where he is? 1668Dryden Even.'s Love ii. i, Cast about quickly,..Range, quest, and spring a lie immediately.
b. Of animals: To search about for food.
1796Pegge Anonym. (1809) 137 It would be natural for them [the whales] to quest about for that jelly they live upon. 1879Jefferies Amateur Poacher xii. 236 There was the pheasant not fifteen yards away, quietly questing about.
2. a. Of hunting dogs: To break out into a peculiar bark at the sight of game; to give tongue; to bark or yelp. Obs. exc. dial.
c1420in Rel. Ant. II. 7 Kenettes questede to quelle, Al so breme so any belle. 1470–85Malory Arthur ix. xxi, This lytel brachet..lepte vpon hym and..whyned and quested. 1577Stanyhurst Descr. Irel. in Holinshed VI. 41 The hunter may perceive the beast resting on the one banke, the dogs questing on the other brim. 1616Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 681 You shall then take care, that not at any time,..he dare to quest or open his mouth, but that he hunt so silent and mute as is possible. 1681Otway Soldier's Fort. iv. (1735) 84 Lie still, you knave, close, close,..you had best quest, and spoil the Sport, you had. 1831Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life (1870) II. xiv. 328 Just before the coursing season began, he [a dog] began to dream of going out and ‘quested’ in his sleep. 1886in Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk.
†b. transf. Of frogs: To croak. Obs. rare—1.
1607Topsell Serpents (1658) 725, I mean the little Frog questing hoarse voyce amain.
3. a. Of persons: To go about in search of something; to search or seek. Also with about, and constr. after, for. (Chiefly transf. from sense 1.)
1624Heywood Captives i. i. in Bullen O. Pl. IV, This too yeares I have quested to his howse. 1686F. Spence tr. Varilla's Ho. Medicis 281 This young Lord had won the prize of a Turnament, and lay questing after a panegyrick. 1701Collier M. Aurel. (1726) 89 They went questing with flambeaux. 1864C. M. Yonge Trial I. v. 91 One of the bridal pairs..was seen questing about as if disposed to invade our premises. 1882Stevenson Mem. & Portraits xvi. (1887) 288 Neither Mr. James nor the author..has ever gone questing after gold.
b. R. C. Ch. To ask for alms or donations.
1748Earthquake Peru iii. 303 If the Friars go into the Country, a questing for their Monastery. 1867R. Palmer Life Philip Howard 104 There were not to be more than thirteen religious, who were never to quest or beg alms.
4. trans.
a. To search for, pursue, seek out.
1751Byrom Enthusiasm in Poems 1773 II. 34 Averse to Heav'n,..They quest Annihilation's monst'rous Theme. 1842Miss Mitford in Friendsh. Miss Mitford (1882) II. v. 77 Flush found a hare, and quested it for two miles. 1855Singleton Virgil I. 164 In noontide heats Quest out a shady dell. 1882E. Arnold Pearls of Faith xxviii. (1883) 99 A wild bee questing honey-buds.
b. To question, request, demand. rare.
1897F. Thompson New Poems 35, [I] quested its secret of the sun.
▪ IV. † quest, v.2 Obs. rare.
[? cf. LG. questen, var. quessen, quetsen (G. quetschen, Du. kwetsen) to press, squeeze.]
trans. To crush.
1647Harvey Schola Cordis xv. 8 If Thy presse stand, Mine heart may chance slip out. O quest it into nothing. 1674–91Ray N.C. Words s.v., Pies are said to be quested, whose sides have been crushed by each other.
▪ V. quest
variant of queest, ring-dove. |