| 释义 |
imperfectionn. Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French imperfection; Latin imperfectio. Etymology: < (i) Anglo-Norman and Middle French imperfection, Middle French imperfeccion (French imperfection ) condition or quality of being imperfect (12th cent. in Old French as imperfectiun ; use as singular in sense ‘defect, fault’ is first attested considerably later than in English: late 16th cent.), and its etymon (ii) post-classical Latin imperfection-, imperfectio incompleteness, unfinished state (4th cent.), defect, flaw (from 13th cent. in British sources), (in music) making of a note ‘imperfect’, condition of its being ‘imperfect’ (14th cent. in British sources) < classical Latin imperfectus imperfect adj. + -iō -ion suffix1, originally after Hellenistic Greek ἀκατάρτιστον . Compare imperfectness n., earlier unperfectness n., and unperfection n.Compare Catalan imperfecció (14th cent.), Spanish imperfección , Portuguese imperfeição (both 15th cent.), Italian imperfezione (early 14th cent.). Specific senses. With sense 4b compare French imperfections , plural (1680 or earlier in this sense). Specific forms. The α. forms show prefix substitution (see in- prefix4); compare Old French inperfection (late 12th cent.; rare). the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > imperfection > [noun] a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. ii. vii. 69 But her [sc. the angels] purgacioun is not vndirstonde of corrupcioun of vices and of synne, but more verreyliche [of] inperfeccioun of goodnes. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer (Ellesmere) (1877) §1007 Ihesu crist is entierly al good in hym nys noon inperfeccion [c1410 Harl. 7334 imperfeccioun]. a1475 tr. Thomas à Kempis (Cambr. Gg.1.16) (1997) i. iii. 7 Alle maner perfeccion in þis worlde hath a maner of imperfeccion annexid þerto. 1545 T. Raynald in tr. E. Roesslin i. sig. G.iiv Imperfection is when that any perticular creature doth lacke any properte, instrument, or qualite, which communely, by nature is in all other or the moore part of that kynde. 1592 G. Babington (xv.) f. 57 Wee see the great..goodnesse of God,..neuer snubbing any childe of his for imperfection of faith. 1651 Bp. J. Taylor ii. 15 The materiality and imperfection of the law. 1682 H. More Annot. Disc. Truth 211 in Indiscerpibility..of an Atom..from imperfection and privativeness. 1754 J. Edwards iv. viii. 247 The Imperfection of our Manner of conceiving of Things, and the Obscureness of Language. 1772 J. Priestley (1782) II. 65 [They] bear the marks of human imperfection. 1817 S. T. Coleridge I. xvii. 35 Some [principles] which are unsteady and subvertible from the narrowness or imperfection of their basis. 1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato (ed. 2) IV. 44 The necessary imperfection of language seems to require that we should view the truth under more than one aspect. 1919 J. Ruysbroeck tr. T. A. Hyde xxx. 157 Thus indeed shall we, without any imperfection, hasten unto and stand before the super-substantial essence of God. 1958 F. J. Turner in W. S. Fyfe et al. vii. 239 If they emphasize the imperfection of present knowledge they also serve to show where additional field, petrographic, and experimental data are most needed. 2006 A. Kuczynski vii. 134 While Hollywood celebrates perfection, it also yearns for the delicious, shuddering schadenfreude of imperfection. the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > imperfection > [noun] > an imperfection a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. x. x. 565 Askis haþ þis defaute and imperfeccioun, þat þouȝ he be euery day imoistid..ȝet he is alway bareyne. ?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden (Harl. 2261) (1874) V. 323 (MED) Dionisius exiguus, abbotte, began to laboure the his compte, The imperfeccions [a1387 J. Trevisa tr. defautes] of whom he advertisede firste or allone. 1502 tr. (de Worde) v. vi. sig. ss.i The seconde imperfeccyon of glorye worldely is a maner of anoysaunce. 1576 E. Aggas tr. P. de Mornay sig. B All the imperfections of humain nature, which before..vnder the lightnes of youth lay hidden, are therein reuealed. 1656 T. Stanley II. vi. 66 Inconcoction is an imperfection in the opposite passive qualities, proceeding from defect of heat. 1690 J. Locke iii. xi. 251 The natural and improved Imperfections of Language. 1711 J. Addison No. 163. ¶4 One would take more than ordinary Care to guard ones self against this particular Imperfection [sc. Inconstancy]. 1774 C. J. Phipps 87 Error [to] be attributed to the imperfections in the manner of measuring the distance. 1827 T. Carlyle Richter in June 191 This man, alloyed with imperfections as he may be, is consistent. 1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato (ed. 2) V. 8 He has left imperfections, which would have been removed if he had lived a few years longer. 1919 177 744/2 The matter opposite marginal numeral 3..is radically imperfect. It is not an imperfection which may be cured by judicially inserting..words plainly omitted by reference to the context. 1949 R. K. Merton v. 153 The community at large, however, evidently emphasizes the imperfections of bureaucracy. 2003 Jan. 18/1 Applied under foundation, colour corrective creams and concealers mask imperfections that can't be disguised with standard concealer. society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > duration of notes > proportion of notes or rhythm > [noun] > types of proportion 1561 T. Sternhold et al. To Rdr. sig. B.iii To set out a ful and absolute knowledge of the nature of the scale... What modes there are: and how many. What is perfection, what imperfection. 1596 sig. Diii Imperfection is the taking away of the third part of the value of the perfect note. 1609 J. Dowland tr. A. Ornithoparchus 54 Imperfection is made not only by the neere part of the Notes, but also by the remoued part. 1614 T. Ravenscroft (title) A briefe discovrse of..charact'ring the degrees by their perfection, imperfection and diminution, in measurable musicke. 1776 J. Hawkins II. iv. i. 395 When the circle was discontinued, or cut through by a perpendicular or oblique stroke, it signified imperfection, or a progression by two, or, as we should say, in duple time. 1825 J. F. Danneley at Poinct The point of imperfection, placed on the left of the longa, diminishes its value. 1879 C. H. H. Parry in G. Grove I. 767/1 There are other ways in which the Perfection of certain notes may be changed to Imperfection. 1942 W. Apel iii. iii. 229 Three important concepts of mensural notation, namely, perfection, alteration, and imperfection. 2000 A. Blachly in R. W. Duffin xxxviii. 515 The next dot isolates the following semibreve in the manner of a dot of division, preventing its imperfection by the aforesaid second minim. 4. society > communication > printing > types, blocks, or plates > relating to type > [noun] > belonging to font > to make up deficiency in font 1669 J. Leigh 4 Feb. (Rawl. D. 398) f. 141 I saw yoe letter to Mr Scott wherin yu mention Mr Halls intention to goe upon ye Greek but wanted directions from mee of ye defects (I suppose yu meane imperfections). 1683 J. Moxon II. 381 When the Founder has not Cast a proportionable number of each sort of Letter, the wanting Letters are called Imperfections, as making the rest of the Fount unperfect. 1755 J. Smith iii. 40 The word will measure longer, if it has letters of Imperfections in it that are cast thicker than the Sorts which were cast with the Fount. 1770 P. Luckombe 243 Less occasion to cast imperfections, which often prove very hurtful to a new fount of letter; as they are seldom exact to the prior sorts. 1825 T. C. Hansard i. viii. 394 Imperfections..too often differ from the original fount, either in thickness, in height, in depth, or in lining, even when cast in moulds of the same body. 1894 Board of Trade: Rep. Wages & Hours of Labour: Pt. II 145 in (C. 7567-I) LXXXI. ii. 305 No imperfection to be written at less than 1s. 1962 H. Davis & H. Carter in (new ed.) 344 (note) Sorts to supplement a fount, if ordered within three months of delivery of the fount, are called ‘imperfections’ and charged at fount-price. society > communication > book > leaves or pages of book > [noun] > leaf > surplus or missing leaf 1683 J. Moxon II. 348 He Doubles or Quires up all the other Heaps and..writes upon them Imperfections of (the Title of the Book), and Writes on it the Signature of the Sheet that is Wanting. 1790 A. Smith Let. 25 May in (1977) 19 July lot 74 The bookbinder informed me..that one of the copies is imperfect, wanting the sheet E. I will beg the favour of you to send down the imperfection by the first parcel you send to Scotland. 1835 ‘J. A. Arnett’ i. 13 If any sheet is wanting or belongs to another volume, or is a duplicate, the further progress of the work must be suspended, till the imperfection is procured or exchanged. 1875 Ann. Rep. Congress. Printer 2 in (44th Congr., 1st Sess.: Senate Misc. Doc. 11) I The amount realized during the year from the sale of paper-shavings, imperfections, documents, Congressional Records, &c, is $34,580.35. 1914 Dec. 293/2 Fiction need not be collated, although such a ruling may give annoyance to the reader who discovers the imperfection. 2000 53 239 This seems to refer to the later printing of imperfections. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022). <  n.a1398 |
