| 单词 | to rack one's brain |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto rack one's brain (also brains, wit, memory, etc.) d. transitive. to rack one's brain (also brains, wit, memory, etc.): to make a great effort to think of or remember something. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > thought > think [verb (intransitive)] > hard to burst one's brainc1385 to break one's mind (heart)a1450 to break one's brain, mind, wind1530 to beat the brains1579 to rack one's brain (also brains, wit, memory, etc.)1583 hammer1598 beat1604 to cudgel one's brains1604 to bother one's brains (also brain)1755 1583 W. Byrd in E. Farr Sel. Poetry Reign Elizabeth (1845) I. 224 Racke not thy wit to winne by wicked waies. c1680 W. Beveridge Serm. (1729) I. 193 They rack their brains..they hazard their lives for it. 1713 R. Steele Guardian No. 47. ⁋7 She racked her invention to no purpose. 1768 F. Burney Early Jrnls. & Lett. (1988) I. 6 I have rack'd my brains half an Hour—in vain. 1831 Society 1 216 Fanny was racking her brains for something to say. 1880 L. Stephen Alexander Pope iv. 82 Racking his wits to contrive exquisite compliments. 1940 D. Hardy tr. A. Koestler Darkness at Noon iii. iii. 189 He racked his memory, but could not place anywhere this apparition. 1990 Stud. Eng. Lit.: Eng. Number (Tokyo) 24 The English court racked its brains over the questions of guests and dates of performance. < as lemmas |
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