释义 |
ham·let I. \ˈhamlə̇t, usu -ə̇d.+V\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French hamelet, diminutive of hamel, diminutive of ham, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English hām homeland, village, house — more at home 1. : a settlement that is smaller than a village < performances are being contemplated in cities, in towns, and even in hamlets — Joseph Wechsberg > 2. : the smallest incorporated unit of municipal government < incorporation into a hamlet, the bottom rung of the municipal ladder — New York Times > II. noun (-s) Etymology: origin unknown 1. a. : a large grouper (Epinephelus striatus) common from Florida to Brazil and in the Caribbean and important as a food fish — called also Nassau grouper b. Bahamas : any young grouper 2. : a yellow and black thickly spotted moray (Gymnothorax moringa) used for food in the West Indies III. noun (-s) Usage: usually capitalized Etymology: after Hamlet, chief character of the tragedy Hamlet (1600-1601) by William Shakespeare died 1616 English dramatist : a brooding indecisive person < the very Hamlet of our age … a philosopher thrust into power at a time of violence — Michael Amrine > < tortured by indecision, a Hamlet in politics — Newsweek > |