| 释义 |
▪ I. compassing, vbl. n.|ˈkʌmpəsɪŋ|
[f. as prec. + -ing1.]
The action of the verb compass.
1. A devising, planning; a device, design, artifice, contrivance.
a1300Cursor M. 27286 Wit quentise and wit compasing, vt of his denn þe nedder bring. c1375Barbour Troy-bk. ii. 2140 Throw Dyomedis compassinge Hire broþir was slayne. c1384Chaucer H. Fame iii. 1188 Many subtil compassinges, Babewinnes and pinacles, Ymageries and tabernacles, I saw. 1486Act 3 Hen. VII, c. 14 Such false Compassings, Imaginations, and Confederacies had against any Lord. 1681Trial S. Colledge 3 Treasons and trayterous Imaginations, Compassings and Purposes. 1769Blackstone Comm. IV. 78 Compassing or imagining..are synonymous terms; the word compass signifying the purpose or design of the mind or will, and not, as in common speech, the carrying such design to effect. 1848Act 11 Vict. (Better Security of Crown), Compassings, imaginations, inventions, devices.
2. A going round or about, a circuit; surrounding, circling, or curving.
1530Palsgr. 207 Compassyng of tyme, reuolution. 1665Manley Grotius' Low-C. Warrs 209 Francis Drake..in the compassing of the World.
†b. Circumlocution. Obs.
1580Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong., Circuition de parolles, a compassing in with wordes. 1580Apol. Pr. Orange in Phœnix I. 453, I had not used..any Circuits or Compassings of words.
3. Attaining, achieving. arch.
1586A. Day Eng. Secretarie i. (1625) 90 The compassing thereof. 1659Fuller App. Inj. Innoc. iii. 57 There was no compassing of it without compace-ing it; no reaching the end without going out of the way. 1769[see 1]. 1863Kinglake Crimea (1876) I. iii. 44 The compassing of vast distances.
†4. Adulteration (of wine). Obs.
1703Art of Vintners 20 The Transmutation or Sophistication of Wines, which they call Trickings or Compassings.
▪ II. compassing, ppl. a.|ˈkʌmpəsɪŋ|
[f. as prec. + -ing2.]
That compasses: see the vb.
c1440Generydes 4163 By a subtill and false compassing trayn, Clarionas..is betrayed. 1576Fleming Panop. Epist. 400 His fine compassing witte and eloquence. 1621Burton Anat. Mel. ii. ii. iii. (1651) 245 Every fixed star a Sun, with his compassing Planets.
b. Curving, curved.
1576Fleming Panop. Epist. ⁋ iij b, The crooked turnings, and the compassing arbours of the same [garden]. 1588–1607 [see compass v.1 15]. 1769Falconer Dict. Marine (1789) H ij b, A strong piece of timber incurvated nearly into a circular arch, or, according to the technical term, compassing. c1850Rudim. Navig. (Weale) 107 Compassing, crooked or curved.
Hence † ˈcompassingly adv. Obs., in a curve.
1578Banister Hist. Man iv. 52 When the one [muscle] worketh onely, then is the head compassingly turned to the one side. |