释义 |
† speight Obs. Also 5 Sc., 6–7 specht, 6 speicht, 6–7 speight, 7 spight. [Either repr. an unrecorded OE. *speht (*speoht), or a. MDu. or MLG. specht (Du. specht, WFris. specht, spjucht), = OS. speth (sic), OHG. speht (MHG. speht, speiht, G. specht): cf. Da. spætte, Norw. spetta, Sw. hackspett, and OF. espoit, espois (from Germanic). The ultimate affinities of the word are uncertain. Speckt in Johnson (1755) is due to a misprint in Ainsworth (1736) s.v. Picus.] The green woodpecker, Gecinus viridis. (Cf. speck n.3 and wood-spite.)
c1450Holland Howlat 334 The Specht was a purcevant, provde till apper, That raid befor the empriour. 1513Douglas æneid vii. iv. 91 Ane byrd..Wyth sprutlit wyngis, clepit a Speicht wyth ws, Quhilk in Latyne hecht Pycus Marcyus. 1552Elyot, Picus martius, a birde:..of this bee three kyndes, the fyrst a specht, the seconde a hecway, the third..is not in Englande. 1598Sylvester Du Bartas ii. i. iv. Handicrafts 157 Eve, walking forth about the Forrests, gathers Speights', Parrots', Peacocks', Estrich' scatt'red feathers. 1601Holland Pliny I. 278 Some little birds there are also that haue hooked clees, as the Spights. 1656W. Dugard tr. Comenius' Gate Lat. Unl. 43 The Gnat⁓snapper used to feed on figs; and the Speight on Bees. |