| 释义 |
▪ I. demit, v.1|dɪˈmɪt|
[ad. L. dēmittĕre to send, put, or let down, to cast down, lower, sink, f. de- I. 1 + mittĕre to send, etc. Cf. OF. demetre in same sense.]
1. trans. To send, put, or let down; to cause to descend; to lower.
1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iii. xxv, If they decline their necke to the ground, they presently demit and let fall the same [their train]. 1762Falconer Shipwr. i. 226 These soon demitted stay-sails next ascend. 1885R. W. Dixon Hist. Ch. Eng. III. 442 This bill seems not to have been demitted by the peers.
†2. fig. To bring down, lower; to let down, humble, abase. Obs.
1611W. Sclater Key (1629) 64 To whose capacitie though it haue pleased the Lord to demit himself [etc.]. a1619M. Fotherby Atheom. Pref. (1622) 18 The highest points, which I haue carefully indeauoured to stoop and demitte, euen to the capacitie of the very lowest. 1656Jeanes Mixt. Schol. Div. 103 By taking on him the nature of man..he demitted, or humbled himselfe. 1688Norris Theory Love 173 When she, being Heaven-born, demits her noble self to such earthly drudgery.
†3. ? To lay down as a supposition; to suppose.
1556J. Heywood Spider & F. xlii. 29 Let vs here demit: one spider and ten flise All lyke honest: who seeing two sew at law, [etc.].
▪ II. deˈmit, v.2
[ad. F. démett-re, in OF. desmet-re, desmett-re, f. des-, dé-:—L. dis- + mettre to send, put, etc.: taking the place of L. dīmittĕre to send away, dismiss, release, put away, let go, lay down (office), renounce, forsake, etc.; cf. dismiss and dimit. Chiefly used by Scottish writers.]
1. trans. To let go, send away, dismiss. arch.
1529Frith Ep. Chr. Rdr. Wks. (1829) 473 That they..be compelled (as Pharaoh was) to demit thy chosen children. 1582–8Hist. James VI (1804) 168 Thairefter he demittit thame frielie to pas quhair they list. 1649Bp. Guthrie Mem. (1702) 11 Mr. John was demitted, and Balmiranoch sent Prisoner to the Castle of Edinburgh. 1690J. Mackenzie Siege London Derry 47/1 Walker [was] demitted, and Hamil reduced. 1829Carlyle Misc. (1857) II. 33 Poor Longchamp, demitted, or rather dismissed from Voltaire's service.
†b. fig. To send away, remit, refer. Obs.
1646S. Bolton Arraignm. Err. 123 To the Scriptures doth God demit and send us for the tryall of opinions.
†2. To put away, part with, let go. Obs.
1563Winȝet Four Scoir Thre Quest. Wks. 1888 I. 109 He geuis ane expres command to the innocent woman demittand hir husband, to remain vnmariit or to be reconcilit to hir husband [marg. 1 Cor. 7]. 1678R. Barclay Apol. Quakers ii. §10. 45 These, though they cease not to call upon God, do nevertheless demit the Spirit.
3. To let go, resign, give up, lay down (an office or dignity); to abdicate.
1567in Balfour Practicks (1754) 6 We [Mary Stewart]..haue renuncit and demittit..the gyding and gouerning of this our realme of Scotland. c1610Sir J. Melvil Mem. (1735) 185 The Queen's Majesty had demitted the Government. 1678Trans. Crt. Spain 26 [He] willingly demits his charge of President of Castile. 1798Dallas Amer. Law Rep. I. 107 We will..not demit any part of her sovereignty. 1855Neil Boyd's Zion's Flowers Introd. 36 His cousin..had demitted the Principalship of the University. 1876Grant Burgh Sch. Scotl. 361 An Office which he demitted in 1606.
b. absol. To give up office; to resign.
1719Wodrow Corr. (1843) II. 451 Greatly tempted to demit. 1818Scott Rob Roy ix, I advise him to get another clerk, that's all, for I shall certainly demit. 1865Carlyle Fredk. Gt. VI. xvi. ix. 238 La Mettrie had to demit; to get out of France rather in a hurry. 1880Daily Tel. 30 Nov., But the Ritualists will neither submit nor demit.
†4. To convey by lease, demise. Obs.
1774Petit. in A. McKay Hist. Kilmarnock App. iii. 304 In feu-farm let and demitted.
†5. To send out. Obs.[Perhaps belongs to demit v.1, from de- I. 2.] 1672Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iii. xvi. (ed. 6/161), This..is rather generated in the head, and perhaps demitted and sent from thence by salival conducts and passages. 1756P. Browne Jamaica 191 The rib..tapers from the base to the top..demitting its connected ribs or foliage equally on both sides.
▪ III. demit, n. U.S. Freemasonry.|diːˈmɪt|
Also dimit.
[f. demit v.2]
Written permission to leave a lodge, granted to a mason.
1856R. Morris in A. G. Mackey Encycl. Freemasonry (1879) 221/2 A ‘demit’, technically considered, is the act of withdrawing, and applies to the Lodge and not to the individual. 1879Ibid. 220/1 The granting of ‘a dimit’ does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that the Mason who received it has left the Lodge. He has only been permitted to do so. Ibid. 221/2 ‘A demit’ is..an Americanism of very recent usage. |