| 释义 |
ger·ry·man·der
I. \ˈjerēˌmandə(r), -riˌm-, -maan-, ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ also ˈge- or ˌge-; the “G” in the surname “Gerry” is pronounced g\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Elbridge Gerry died 1814 American statesman + salamander; from the fancied resemblance to a salamander (made famous by caricature) of the irregularly shaped outline of an election district in northeastern Mass. that had been formed for partisan purposes in 1812 during Gerry's governorship
1. : the act or method of gerrymandering
< the district was the product of a 1950 gerrymander — Gladwin Hill >
2. : a district or pattern of districts varying greatly in size or population as a result of gerrymandering
< three new gerrymanders in New York City — Gus Tyler >
II. verb
(gerrymandered ; gerrymandered ; gerrymandering \-d(ə)ring\ ; gerrymanders)
transitive verb
1. : to divide (a territorial unit) into election districts in an unnatural and unfair way with the purpose of giving one political party an electoral majority in a large number of districts while concentrating the voting strength of the opposition in as few districts as possible
< California's Republican legislature gerrymandered the 26th … to make it overwhelmingly Democratic and turn four adjoining districts into Republican strongholds — Time >
2. : to divide (an area) into political units in an unnatural and unfair way with the purpose of giving special advantages to one group
< plans to gerrymander school districts so that de facto segregation could be maintained — Don Pryor >
intransitive verb
: to follow the practice of creating gerrymanders
< the electorate may punish them if they gerrymander too brazenly — W.K.Hancock > |