| 释义 |
conjurer, conjuror
(see senses)
Forms: 4–5 conjurere, 5 -jeroure, 6 -juroure, (6 cowngerar, cunngerer), 4– conjurer, 6– conjuror.
[L. conjūrātor, -ōrem, regularly became in OF. conjuˈrere, conjureˈor (later -eur, Anglo-Fr. -our). The earliest forms of the word in Eng. are conjurer in Wyclif, conjurour in Gesta Rom. The latter represents AF. conjurour, and has come down as conjuror: the former may possibly represent the OF. nom. conjurere, but is more prob. a native formation in -er1; it has come down as conjurer.]
I. Pronounced |ˈkʌndʒərə(r)|.
1. One who practises conjuration; one who conjures spirits and pretends to perform miracles by their aid; a magician, wizard.
1382Wyclif Acts xix. 13 Summe of the Iewis exorcistis, or coniureris. 1388― Isa. viii. 19 Axe ȝe of coniureris [1382 deuel cleperes]. c1440Gesta Rom. lxix. 375 (Add. MS.) The clerke wente to a conieroure of deuyls. 1570Dee Math. Pref. 45 As a..Caller, and Coniurer of wicked..Spirites. 1589in Stationer's Reg., Ric. Iones. Allowed vnto him for his Copie, A ballad of the life and deathe of Doctor Faustus the great Cunngerer, vjd. 1590Shakes. Com. Err. v. i. 242. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia ii. 30 They seldome steale one from another, least their coniurers should reveale it. 1651Hobbes Leviath. (1839) 611 The Egyptian conjurers, that are said to have turned their rods to serpents. 1727De Foe Syst. Magic i. i. (1840) 5 Conjurers and dealers with the Devil. 1836W. Irving Astoria I. 278 Which set the skill and experience of their conjurers and medicine men at defiance.
2. One who practises legerdemain; a juggler.
1727Pope, etc. Art of Sinking 78 When an audience behold a coach turned into a wheelbarrow, a conjurer into an old woman, etc. 1755Gentl. Mag. XXV. 65 Bottle-conjurors, and persons who will jump down their own throats. 1842Dickens Amer. Notes (1850) 60/1 Dancing-dogs, Jugglers, Conjurors..or even Barrel-Organs. 1876J. Parker Paracl. i. i. 3 The skilled conjuror will make a fool of any man who insists that seeing is believing.
b. fig. One who performs tricks with words.
1847Emerson Repr. Men, Swedenborg Wks. (Bohn) I. 328 Literary men are conjurors and charlatans. 1871Morley Voltaire (1886) 190 In the sight of Lutheran or Wolfian conjurors with words, this was egregious shallowness.
3. transf. Said ironically of a person of superior cleverness. no conjurer: one who is far from clever.
1667Dryden Sir M. Mar-all iii. 40 Sir M. But how could I know this? I am no Witch. W. No, I'le be sworn for you, you are no conjurer. 1678Cudworth Intell. Syst. 177 Atheists are no such Conjurers, as they would be thought to be. 1695Congreve Love for L. ii. ix, By the account I have heard of his education [he] can be no conjurer. 1709Steele Tatler No. 17 ⁋2. Ibid., Some would be apt to say, he is a Conjurer; for he has found, That a Republick.. is composed of Men only, and not of Horses. 1732Berkeley Alciphr. iii. §16 A man, without being a conjuror, might guess.
4. Applied to an apparatus or machine that performs surprising feats.
1812Chron. in Ann. Reg. 262 He..cooked his victuals in a conjuror in the stable-yard.
II. Pronounced |kənˈdʒʊərə(r)|.
5. One who is bound with others by a common oath.
1836in Smart; and in mod. Dicts.
6. One who solemnly charges or entreats.
1836in Smart; and in mod. Dicts.
Hence ˈconjurership, the dignity or personality of a conjurer.
a1679Earl of Orrery Guzman iii, By your Conjurership's leave. 1741–70E. Carter Lett. (1808) 3 If your conjurorship's worship is not engaged tomorrow. |