| 释义 |
▪ I. decorate, ppl. a. Obs. or arch.|ˈdɛkərət|
[ad. L. decorāt-us adorned, beautiful, pa. pple. of decorāre: see next. For some time after the adoption of the vb., decorat, -ate continued to serve as the pa. pple., until superseded by decorated, which has also taken its place in ordinary use as adjective.]
Adorned, decorated; ornate.
1460in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 81 Heyle flece of gedion, with vertu decorate! 1491Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) i. xlviii. 92 b/2 They sawe a chirche decorate and ornate aboue alle puyssaunce humayne. 1513Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 3248 The place was decorat with myracles many. 1550J. Coke Eng. & Fr. Heralds (1877) §203 Considre the magnifique and decorate churches [of London]. 1876J. Ellis Cæsar in Egypt 56 Rigg'd in gay colours, decorate with flowers. 1886Burton Arab. Nts. (abr. ed.) I. 102 A fair hall and richly decorate.
▪ II. decorate, v.|ˈdɛkəreɪt|
[f. L. decorāt-, ppl. stem of decorāre to adorn, beautify, f. decus, decor- grace, honour, embellishment. As in other verbs of similar formation, the L. pa. pple. was first adapted as a ppl. adj. (see prec.), and subsequently the same type was taken as the stem of a vb.]
1. trans. To adorn, beautify, embellish; to grace, honour. Obs. or arch.
1530Palsgr. 509/1, I decorate, I make fayre or gay, je decore. You have decorate our assemblye with your presence. 1541Act 33 Hen. VIII, c. 37 The same..with goodli and parkely parks..to beautifie adorne and decorite. 1577–87Holinshed Scot. Chron., Malcolm (R.), His familie..is decorated with the office of the marshalship of Scotland. 1642W. Ball Caveat for Subjects 15 The name of the House of Austria decorates their dominions. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. lxviii. VI. 282 His mother has been decorated with the titles of Christian and princess. 1856Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) II. viii. 245 War and plunder were decorated by poetry as the honourable occupation of heroic natures.
2. To furnish or deck with ornamental accessories:
a. said of the personal agent.
1782F. Burney Diary 26 Oct., I..was then decorated a little, and came forth to tea. 1820W. Irving Sketch Bk. I. 81 The head was decorated with a cocked hat. 1874Parker Goth. Archit. i. vi. 207 The custom of decorating churches with flowers at certain seasons is very ancient.
b. said of the things serving as ornaments.
1870E. Peacock Ralf Skirl. III. 193 The old armour which decorated its walls. 1887Times 7 Mar. 9/3 In ages..more robustly conscious of the difference between evil and good their heads would have decorated the City gates.
3. To invest (a person) with a military or other decoration, as the badge of an order, medal of honour, or the like.
1816[see decorated]. 1878Print. Trades Jrnl. xxiii. 7 Prince Charles of Roumania has decorated two printers in his dominions.
Hence ˈdecorating vbl. n. and ppl. a.
1877Athenæum 3 Nov. 571/3 An apprenticeship to a decorating carver. Mod. In the decorating of the church.
▸ a. trans. To paint or wallpaper the walls of (a room or building); to refurbish or change the decor of (a room, house, etc.).
1858Times 11 Jan. 10/5 The deleterious effects produced..are very generally experienced by persons inhabiting rooms so decorated. 1905Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) 19 Apr. (advt.) 14/2 If you want to decorate your home with up-to-date goods, with fresh goods and with decorative effects you can be proud of, remember the store that can serve you best is..Empire Wall Paper Co. 1990Country Living Aug. 142/1 The fashion then was to decorate the hall and landings in marbled paper and the Lodge is done with book endpapers of the period. 1998P. H. McMillan & K. K. McMillan Home Decorating for Dummies 8 Before you can begin decorating—or redecorating—your home, you have to consider a few of the practicalities.
b. intr. To paint or wallpaper the walls of a room or building; to refurbish or change the decor of a room, house, etc.
1939Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 31 Jan. 8/7 (advt.) 1939 Wall Paper arriving daily. If you are going to decorate, it will be of interest to you to see the new styles. 1972Times 3 Nov. 5/1 (advt.) Magnificent first floor flat with spacious accommodation modernised and decorated to a high standard. 1982D. Lucie Hard Feelings in Fashion (1991) ii. iv. 257 You'll probably want to decorate, won't you? 2004Liverpool Echo (Nexis) 26 May 12 Long gone are the days when people simply decorated because they were fed up with the chintzy wallpaper. |