| 释义 |
acerbity|əˈsɜːbɪtɪ|
[a. Fr. acerbité, ad. L. acerbitāt-em, n. of quality f. acerb-us acerb.]
1. Sourness of taste, mingled with bitterness or astringency; harshness, roughness of taste.
1611Cotgr., Acerbité: Acerbitie, sharpnesse, sournesse. 1620Venner Via Recta vii. 113 By reason of their acerbity, they are soone offensiue to the teeth. a1735Arbuthnot Aliments, in Philol. Anglic., Fruit, especially unripe fruit, has a degree of acerbity in it. 1814Edin. Rev. XXIII. 118 Salt communicates an unpleasant acerbity to substances.
2. fig. Of men, their words and actions: Sharpness mingled with bitterness, keen harshness.
1572G. Buchanan in Knox's Wks. (1846) I. 29 Thai ar in consultation to mitigat sum part the acerbite of certain wordis. 1626T. H. tr. Caussin's Holy Crt. 411, I yet among so many acerbityes sucke some sweetnesse out of the world. a1677Barrow Serm. Wks. 1716 I. 339 We may imagine what acerbity of pain must be endured by our Lord. 1844Disraeli Coningsby i. ix. 35 A spell that can soften the acerbity of political warfare. 1877E. J. Worboise Our New House xiv. 214 There was an acerbity in her tone that made me feel extremely uncomfortable. |