| 释义 |
darken, v.|ˈdɑːk(ə)n|
Forms: 4 derkn-en, darkn-en, derkin, 4–5 durken, 5 dyrkyn, 6 dirken, -in, darcken, 6– darken.
[f. dark a.: see -en suffix5. Cf. OHG. tarchanjan under dark a. Not very common in ME.; in later times it has taken the place of dark v.]
I. intr.
1. To grow or become dark, said esp. of the coming on of night. (Sometimes with down.)
a1300Cursor M. 24414 (Cott.) Þe aier gun durken [v.r. to derkin] and to blak. 13..Thrush & Night. 4 in Relig. Antiq. I. 241 The dewes darkneth in the dale. 1731Pope Ep. Burlington 80 Behold Villario's ten years' toil complete, His Quincunx darkens, his Espaliers meet..And strength of Shade contends with strength of Light. 1821Shelley Prometh. Unb. i. 257 The Heaven Darkens above. 1863Hawthorne Old Home, London Suburb (1879) 239, The chill..twilight of an Autumn day darkening down.
b. To become obscure. (With upon, from.)
1722Wollaston Relig. Nat. ix. 209 When yonder blue regions and all this scene darken upon me and go out. 1848Lytton Harold i. i, The vision darkens from me.
†2. To lie dark, lie concealed; to lurk privily after. Cf. dark v. 6. Obs.
c1420Anturs of Arth. v, Alle dyrkyns [v. rr. durkene, darkis] the dere, in the dym scoghes. 1508Dunbar Mariit Wem. & Wedo 9, I drew in derne to the dyk to dirkin eftir myrthis.
3. To become blind. lit. and fig.
1580Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong s.v. Entrecharger, My sight diminisheth, darkneth, or waxeth darke. 1813Shelley Q. Mab 149 Man..Shrank with the plants and darkened with the night.
4. To become dark in shade or colour.
1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) II. 234 The complexions of different countries..darken in proportion to the heat of their climate. 1858Hawthorne Fr. & It. Jrnls. II. 39 A bright angel darkening into what looks quite as much like the Devil. 1883Hardwich's Photogr. Chem. (ed. Taylor) 248 Such papers darken in the sun.
5. To grow clouded, gloomy, sad; esp. of the countenance: to become clouded with anger or other emotion.
1742Young Nt. Th. viii. 97 Where gay delusion darkens to despair! 1797Mrs. Radcliffe Italian xii, ‘Do you menace me?’ replied the brother, his countenance darkening. 1824Scott Redgauntlet ch. xvii, His displeasure seemed to increase, his brow darkened. 1850Hawthorne Scarlet L. iii, His face darkened with some powerful emotion.
II. transitive.
6. To make dark, to deprive of light; to shut out or obstruct the light of. Also fig.
1382Wyclif Isa. xiii. 10 Al to-derkned is the sunne in his rising. c1535G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. (in Palsgr. 951), To darken, obscurer. 1555Eden Decades 245 The heauen is seldome darkened with clowdes. 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. i. 226 Whose Figure euen this instant Clowd puts on, By Darkning my cleere Sunne. 1667Milton P.L. i. 501 When Night darkens the Streets. 1768Sterne Sent. Journ. (1775) I. 15 (Calais), I perceived that something darken'd the passage more than myself..it was effectually Mons. Dessein. 1847Tennyson Princess iv. 295 You stood in your own light and darken'd mine. 1862― Idylls Ded. 17 Like eclipse, Darkening the world. 1864― Aylmer's F. 416 The tall pines That darken'd all the northward of her Hall. 1874Lowell Agassiz i. i, The veil that darkened from our sidelong glance The inexorable face.
b. to darken (a person's) door or doors: emphatic for to appear on the threshold (as a visitor); usually with negative (expressed or implied).
1729Franklin Busy-Body Wks. 1887 I. 341, I am afraid she would resent it so as never to darken my door again. 1748Richardson Clarissa Wks. 1883 VIII. 237 If ever my sister Clary darkens these doors again, I never will. 1826Blackw. Mag. XIX. 11/1 You are the first minister that ever darkened these doors. 1842Tennyson Dora 30 You shall pack And never more darken my doors again.
7. To deprive of sight, to make blind; fig. to deprive of intellectual or spiritual light.
1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. iii. 30 That he might obscure and darken all men. 1582N. T. (Rhem.) Rom. i. 21 Their folish hart hath been darkened. 1611Bible Ps. lxix. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not. 1758S. Hayward Serm. 41 We shall find the understanding awfully darkned. 1843Carlyle Past & Pr. (1858) 115 His eyes were somewhat darkened.
8. fig. To make dark or obscure in meaning or intelligibility; to destroy the clearness of.
1548–9(Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Of Cerem. 35 b, They dyd more confounde, and darken, then declare..Christes benefites. 1611Bible Job xxxviii. 2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 1674Allen Danger Enthus. 20 You confound things together which are distinct, to the darkning of them in your understandings. 1781Cowper Hope 769 They speak the wisdom of the skies, Which art can only darken and disguise. 1865Kingsley Herew. viii, This belief was confused and darkened by a cross-belief.
9. fig. To cloud with something evil, painful, or sad; to cast a gloom or shadow over.
1553T. Wilson Rhet. (1580) 119 He..that poisoneth..and seeketh to obscure and darken his estimation. 1606Shakes. Ant. & Cl. i. iv. 11 Euils enow to darken all his goodness. 1611― Wint. T. iv. iv. 41 With these forc'd thoughts, I prethee darken not The Mirth o' th' Feast. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. III. 96 The fame of the apostles..was darkened by religious fiction. 1829Lytton Disowned 41 No, I will not darken your fair hopes. 1883S. C. Hall Retrospect II. 138 Domestic affliction..darkened the later years of his life.
†b. To deprive (a person) of lustre or renown, to eclipse. Obs.
1606Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iii. i. 24 Ambition (The Souldiers vertue) rather makes choice of losse, Then gaine which darkens him. 1607― Cor. iv. vii. 5 And you are darkned in this action Sir, Euen by your owne.
10. To make dark in shade or colour.
1717Pope Eloisa 168 Her gloomy presence Shades ev'ry flow'r, and darkens ev'ry green. 1821Shelley Ginevra 16 The bridal veil Which..darkened her dark locks. 1869E. A. Parkes Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3) 90 Organic matter from the lungs, when drawn through sulphuric acid, darkens it. |