| 释义 |
charactn. Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French caracte. Etymology: < Anglo-Norman karecte, Anglo-Norman and Middle French caracte, carecte, Middle French caract, caratte spell, magic rite, charm (last quarter of the 12th cent. in Old French), magical sign (mid 14th cent.), distinctive mark, symbol (a1374), letter (beginning of the 15th cent.) < classical Latin charactēr character n. The β. forms show alteration of the spelling after classical Latin charactēr or (in later use) character n. Compare Old French characte magical sign, charm (end of the 12th cent. in an apparently isolated attestation).Compare Old Occitan carata, charata brand on an animal's body (14th cent. or earlier), Spanish †caracta symbol, letter (a1250), Italian †caratta indelible stain of original sin (a1306). Now historical and rare. †1. society > communication > writing > written character > [noun] society > communication > indication > marking > marking to identify > mark of identification > [noun] society > communication > indication > marking > imprinting > [noun] > imprint > of a stamp or device c1384 (Royal) (1850) Apoc. xiv. 11 If ony man toke the carecte [L. caracterem] of his [sc. the beast's] name. c1384 (Royal) (1850) Apoc. xx. 4 Hem that worschepiden not the beest..nether token the carect [c1400 Adv. carectis; L. caracterem] of it in forhedis, or in her hondis. c1400 (c1378) W. Langland (Laud 581) (1869) B. xii. l. 80 Þorw carectus þat cryst wrot. a1439 J. Lydgate (Bodl. 263) iv. l. 583 Auailed neueradeel..carectes of his woundis. c1449 R. Pecock (1860) 166 Sum seable cros or mark or carect. 1530 J. Palsgrave 203/1 Carracte in pricke song, minime. ?1550 J. Bale 96 The very charactes or markes of the infernall beast. 1561 J. Daus tr. H. Bullinger lxi. 427 These three charactes [L. characteribus; sc. χ, ξ, ς]. 1570 H. Billingsley tr. Euclid vii. f. 183v Figures or charactes of number commonly vsed in Arithmetique. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) v. i. 56 In all his dressings, caracts, titles, formes. View more context for this quotation 1655 J. Trapp x. 21 An altar..which must have its prints and carects. 1669 W. Holder 63 The written Alphabet ought to be just so many single proper Charactes, designed to signifie the Sound or Power of each Letter. society > communication > writing > written text > [noun] c1400 (c1378) W. Langland (Laud 581) (1869) B. xii. l. 90 (MED) Crystes carecte [a1450 Bodl. carectes, a1500 Oriel caractes; c1450 Rawl. carette] conforted and bothe coupable shewed. 1587 Sir P. Sidney & A. Golding tr. P. de Mornay iii. 42 The Ægyptians..described him [sc. God] in their holy Carects as a Pilot alone gouerning a Ship. the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > [noun] > sign or symbol used in a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) vi. l. 2340 (MED) He upon the creatures, Thurgh his carectes and figures, The maistrie and the pouer hadde. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) i. l. 470 Whan that a man..With his carecte him [sc. a serpent] wolde enchaunte. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) vii. l. 1571 Of Sorcerie the karectes. a1439 J. Lydgate (Bodl. 263) i. l. 2244 Bi carectis and incantaciouns..The yerde be-gan budde. a1529 J. Skelton (?1545) 694 By nycromancy, By carectes and coniuracyon. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane f. ccccxxxvij To Christen..with Salt, Oile, Water, Charactes and exorcismes. 1728 J. Strype (ed. 2) III. i. viii. 90 A Jacobine Frier..gave him some Characts in Paper, and certain little Bones. 1843 T. J. Pettigrew 45 Amulets in the form of Inscriptions are called Characts. 1885 R. F. Burton tr. I. xv. 142 Inscribed with talismans and characts. 1913 F. H. Garrison (1914) i. 33 Talismans..often consisted of written charms or ‘characts’, such as the Hebrew phylacteries or verses from the Bible, Talmud, Koran, or Iliad. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022). <  n.c1384 |
