| 释义 |
spring-head
Also springhead.
[f. spring n.1 2 and 22. Cf. the earlier headspring.]
1. The source or fountain of a stream or river; a well-head; = spring n.1 2.
1561J. Daus tr. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573) 303 b, Finally he sheweth also the originall or springe head of this riuer. 1570T. Norton Nowell's Catech. (1853) 181 Though dutiful works of godliness be derived from the Spirit of God, as little streams from the spring-head. 1605Bacon Adv. Learn. i. iv. §12 Water will not ascend higher than the levell of the first springhead from whence it descendeth. a1691Boyle Hist. Air (1692) 140 The place where it works most, is about 40 or 50 yards from the spring-head. 1748Anson's Voy. ii. xii. 262 We found the water a little brackish, but..the nearer we advanced towards the spring-head the softer and fresher it proved. 1787Best Angling (ed. 2) 127 He may with delight observe the spring head..and confluxes of each particular river. 1825Beverley Lighting Act ii. 11 Aqueduct, feeder, pond or spring-head. 1868Rep. U.S. Commissioner Agric. (1869) 328 Close below a spring⁓head dig a trench,..so that the whole water shall pass through it gently.
b. fig. and in fig. context.
1610J. Healey St. Aug. Citie of God (1620) 549 We should go to drinke at truths spring-head. 1647Cowley Mistress, The Wish iii, Here's the Spring-head of Pleasures flood, Where all the Riches lie. 1718Blackmore Alfred (1723) ii. 38 At the Spring-Head to drink the purest Streams..Of Truth Divine, I all my Hours apply'd. 1816Coleridge Lay Serm. (Bohn) 377 Out of which..all our other opinions flow, as from their spring-head and perpetual feeder. 1837Whewell Hist. Induct. Sci. (1857) I. 14 When our speculations are duly fed from the spring⁓heads of Observation,..we may have a living stream of..Knowledge.
c. The source or fountain of some quality, the origin or cause of some action, etc.
1555Harpsfeld in Bonner Hom. 9* He wayeth ryghtlye hys synnes, from the originall roote and sprynge heade. 1596G. Babington Profit. Exp. 150 God is the author and verie spring head of all good. 1642Answ. ‘Plain English’ 5, I can lead them backward to the spring-head of their calamity. 1669Gale Ct. Gentiles i. Introd. 4 Touching the spring⁓head and Derivations of human Arts and Sciences. 1694Atterbury Serm. (1726) I. ii. 63 Love (the Spring-Head of Charity) as it is the sweetest of All Passions, so it is one of the strongest too. 1868Stanley Mem. Westm. Abbey 140 Those famous ‘seven sons’ [of Edward III], the spring⁓heads of all the troubles of the next hundred years. 1896Sunday Mag. Nov. 724 Who made London..the springhead of the world's philanthropies?
2. techn. (See quot.)
1875Knight Dict. Mech. 2290/2 Spring-head, a box, clutch, or connection at the point of contact of the outer ends of an elliptic spring. |