| 单词 | to hold in play |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto hold (also keep) in play b. to hold (also keep) in play: to keep (a person, military force, etc.) occupied or engaged; to distract, delay, or keep at bay (an enemy) by doing this. Also † to keep (a person) play. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > doing > activity or occupation > occupy or engage (a person) [verb (transitive)] busyeOE busyOE occupya1325 exercisec1384 employ1477 embusy1485 to hold (also keep) in play1548 exerce1584 engage1648 to tie up1887 the world > action or operation > continuing > continue (an action) [verb (transitive)] > keep in exercise or practice to hold (also keep) in play1548 society > armed hostility > armed encounter > contending in battle > fight (a battle, etc.) [verb (transitive)] > keep engaged in battle to hold (also keep) in play1548 the world > action or operation > difficulty > hindrance > types or manners of hindrance > hinder in specific manner [verb (transitive)] > hinder or delay > by keeping occupied to hold (also keep) in play1548 1548Kepe hym playe [see sense 3a]. 1578 T. Churchyard Lamentable & Pitifull Descr. Wofull Warres Flaunders 20 The enimies horsemen..came lustily on a great gallop to holde vs in play till their footemen hadde ouertaken them. 1582 A. Munday Eng. Romayne Lyfe sig. C1v They must war within, while other holds them playe with out. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxvii. xlvi. 662 [He] had by all the devises and policies of warre, mocked him and kept him play. c1645 I. Tullie Narr. Siege of Carlisle (1840) 12 Forest was the only man who held the Cavalliers in play. 1714 J. Swift Some Free Thoughts upon Present State Affairs (1741) 9 A struggling Faction kept them continually in Play. 1762 G. Cockings War v. 23 (note) They flung the stones off the ramparts on the advancing enemies! and held them in play for some time. 1842 T. B. Macaulay Horatius in Lays Anc. Rome 58 I, with two more to help me, Will hold the foe in play. 1851 J. Richardson in Harper's Mag. (1884) Jan. 234/2 Nothing that we have fallen in with..could hold her [sc. a ship] play. 1889 R. L. Stevenson Master of Ballantrae ix. 241 The count..kept him in play till his curiosity was highly inflamed, and then suffered himself, with seeming reluctance, to be overborne. 2004 Sunday Tel. (Nexis) (Review) 15 Allied commanders made a terrible hash of the Sicilian campaign. Some 60,000 Germans were able to hold in play eight times that number of British and American troops for 38 days. < as lemmas |
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