释义 |
▪ I. conquer, v.|ˈkɒŋkə(r)| Forms: 3 cuncweari, 3–4 conquery, 4–5 -queren, -queryn, 4–6 -quere, (-qwere, -queere), conquyr, 5–6 conquire, (6 quonquer), 4– conquer. [ME. cuncwear-i, conquer-e(n, a. OF. cunquer-re, conquer-re = Pr. conquerre, It. conquidere:—L. conquærĕre, conquīr-ĕre to seek for, search for, procure, whence the later sense ‘to procure by effort, gain, win, conquer’, f. con- expressing completion + quærĕre to seek. The OF. form represented a late L. conquærĕre, conformed (as usual in popular L.) to the simple quærĕre; variation of conjugation in Romanic produced Pr. conquerer, 16th c. F. conquerer, and OF., Pr., Sp. conquerir, mod.F. conquérir. For the sense-development cf. note to conquest.] I. To acquire (by effort). †1. trans. To acquire, succeed in gaining, get possession of (by effort); to win, gain, attain to.
[1292Britton vi. ii. §12 Le einznee..le conquera par bref de dreit. transl. The eldest shall obtain it by a writ of right.] c1230Hali Meid. 33 Þat luueð hire were wel & habbes his laððe, oðer cuncweari his luue o-þulliche wise. c1325E.E. Allit. P. B. 1632, I [Belshazzar] fayn wolde Wyt þe wytte of þe wryt, þat on þe wowe clyues..If þou with quayntyse conquere hit, I quyte þe þy mede. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 183 Bi þis falsnesse a fewe pore wrecchis myȝten conqueren in-to here owene hondis..almost al þe lordischipe þat may be sold. c1475Partenay 1450 Helth neuer shal I not conquere. 1480Caxton Chron. Eng. xxiii. 21 Brenne had..in fraunce..conquerd a grete lordship thurgh maryage. 1552Huloet, Conquyre or get, adquiro, conquiro. II. To acquire by force of arms. 2. a. To acquire by fighting, win in war; to make a warlike conquest of; to subjugate. [So in OF. 11th c., Chanson de Roland.]
1297R. Glouc. (1724) 82 Constance..conquerede of Spayne Þe truage. c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 25 He..ferde ouer þe see, & conquerd Normandie; Duke þan was he cald, þorh conquest of hond. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 8969 Alexander the gret kyng Þat conquerd Affryk, Europe and Asy. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 585 Cleopatra, To conqueryn [v.r. conqueren] regnys & honour. 1480Caxton Chron. Eng. xxxix. 27 Claudius come in to this land for to conquere the truage thurgh strength. a1533Ld. Berners Huon lxxxiii. 258 My cuppe, & horne, & harnes, y⊇ whiche Huon conqueryd of y⊇ Gyaunt Angolaffer. 1570in Lodge Illust. Brit. Hist. (1791) II. 47 Land to be quonquered by the Scottes. 1667Milton P.L. iv. 391 By conquering this new world. 1845S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. II. 295 But they first determined jointly to conquer Lombardy. b. Const. from (formerly upon, on) the loser. [OF. conquerre une chose sur quelqu'un.]
1475Bk. Noblesse (1860) 7 To conquere straunge countrees..as king Alexandre conquerid uppon the Romayne. 1480Caxton Chron. Eng. xxi, Helpe and socour for to conquer al the londe upon Belyn. 1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxviii. [ccxiv.] 673 They were conquered vpon the turkes, and tourned perforce to the crysten faythe. 1726–31Tindal Rapin's Hist. Eng. xvii. (1743) II. 54 Calais and the other places in Picardy conquered upon the English. †c. Const. to, into the hands of (a person). Obs.
c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 55 Þe arke or couere of god was conquerid in-to enemyes hondis. Ibid. 63 Þus alle men ben conquerid to þe fend almost. d. To gain honour, a name, peace, etc., in war.
1375Barbour Bruce ii. 397 The gude..held the stour To conquyr thaim endles honour. 1475Caxton Jason 33 For to conquere a name in armes. 1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. clxix. [clxv.] 477 Yonge and lusty, and lykely to conquere honour. 1842Alison Hist. Europe (ed. 8) X. lxx. §42. 540 At all hazards we must conquer a maritime peace. †3. To gain, or win (a battle, a victory). Obs. [So OF. conquerre une bataille.]
c1475Partenay 4319 Er the victory be conquere[d] and gette. 1557North tr. Gueuara's Diall Pr. 123 a/1 The greate battayles they haue conquered. 4. fig. To gain or win by a struggle in which opposition or obstruction is overcome. [In OF. 12th c.]
1676Hale Contempl. i. 75 Here was Love and Goodness..sufficient to conquer our hearts into admiration and Astonishment. 1706Phillips (ed. Kersey), Conquer..to gain or win Peoples Hearts or Affections. 1844Kinglake Eothen xxxv. (1878) 319 Conquer his daily bread by the threats of his dragoman. 1881Pall Mall G. 25 Feb. 3/2 Nationalities striving to conquer their independence. 188419th Cent. Dec. 1020 He was left to conquer for himself the education he was determined to have. III. To overcome by force. 5. To overcome (an adversary), gain the victory over, vanquish, subdue. [So in OF. 12th c.]
a1300Cursor M. 2233 (Cott.) Godd we sal conquer wit fight. c1374Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 37 The hardy quene Of Cithea that he conquerd had. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 330 Hou lyȝtly myȝt antecrist conqwere þe churche. a1400–50Alexander 3096 Quatt suld a knyght more Couett þen conquer hys foes. 1594Shakes. Rich. III, v. iii. 332 If we be conquered, let men conquer vs, And not these bastard Britaines. 1767A. Young Farmer's Lett. to People 195 A northern nation possessing iron, has ever conquered southern ones that roll on gold. 1856Emerson Eng. Traits, Race Wks. (Bohn) II. 24 The Germans, whom the Romans found hard to conquer in two hundred and ten years. 6. a. transf. and fig. To get the better of; to master, overcome.
1654Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 583 We had already so far conquer'd our voyage, that we were come to the top of..Taurus. 1662Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. i. i. §17 Their necessities kept them in continuall employment; and after that they conquered them, they, etc. 1732Pope Ep. Bathurst 154 The ruling Passion, be it what it will, The ruling Passion conquers Reason still. 1755–73Johnson, To surmount; to overcome: as, he conquered his reluctance. 1780Cowper Table T. 523 Like a proud swan, conquering the stream by force. 1832H. Martineau Hill & Vall. iii. 44 To conquer the shyness she felt coming on. 1872Ruskin Eagle's Nest i. 3 If they had completely conquered the old habit. b. Mountaineering. To climb successfully.
1883H. Frith Ascents & Adventures ii. 27 The White Mountain [i.e. Mont Blanc] had been conquered by stern pluck and resolution. 1892C. T. Dent et al. Mountaineering 367 Most of the principal peaks had been conquered. 1902Daily Chron. 5 Nov. 7/3 The same mountain was ‘conquered’..by an Englishwoman. 1903Ibid. 29 Oct. 3/1 Three of the more important peaks had been conquered. IV. 7. absol. and intr. To be the conqueror, make conquests, gain the victory, be victorious. Formerly construed with upon, of (= from), on. [In OF. 11th c.]
c1300K. Alis. 4875 And evermore hy beth werrende And upon other conquerrende. 1393Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 251 A kyng þat conquereþ of hys enemyes. 1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. xciii. [lxxxix.] 280 We thought we conquered greatly on them whan we had of their money. 1526–34Tindale Rev. vi. 2 He went forth conqueringe and forto overcome [1611 hee went foorth conquering, and to conquere]. 1594Shakes. Rich. III, v. iii. 150 Arme, fight, and conquer, for faire Englands sake. 1611Beaum. & Fl. King & no K. i. i, Trust me Tigranes, she can do as much In peace, as I in war; she'll conquer too. 1773Goldsm. (title), She Stoops to Conquer. 1843Prescott Mexico vii. v. (1864) 457 Cortez..did not conquer from the mere ambition of conquest. ▪ II. conquer var. conker. |