| 释义 |
devotee|dɛvəʊˈtiː|
[An Eng. formation, from devote v. or a. + -ee, after words like assignee, refugee, etc., in which this suffix came historically from Fr. -é of the pa. pple. Devotee may be looked upon as a re-fashioning of the n. devote, which was formerly used in the same sense: devote and devotee were used indifferently from c 1675 to 1725. (Cf. assign and assignee.) In early instances, writers or printers sometimes made devotée, as if a French feminine: cf. devoté.]
1. gen. A person zealously devoted to a particular party, cause, pursuit, etc.; a votary.
1657–83Evelyn Hist. Religion (1850) I. 22 Our atheistical devotees to Dame Nature. 1669Hacket Let. in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) II. 553, I was once an vnworthy member of your Bodie, and will be euer a most affectionat deuotee vnto it. a1670― Abp. Williams ii. §212 (1693) 230 A great Devotee to publick and private Prayer. 1676D'Urfey Mad. Fickle v. ii, Come, my witty Devottees of Venus. 1691Wood Ath. Oxon. (R.) He [Edward Dyer] was esteemed by some a Rosie-crucian, and a great devotee to Dr. Job Dee. 1788Reid Aristotle's Log. iv. §6. 98 A devotee of Aristotle. 1862Burton Bk. Hunter (1863) 284 As fanatical a devotee of vegetarianism. 1878H. M. Stanley Dark Cont. II. xiii. 377 He was a devotee to his duty.
2. spec. One zealously devoted to religion, or to some form of worship or religious observance; one characterized by religious devotion, esp. of an extreme or superstitious kind.
1645Evelyn Diary (1879) I. 208 As much trudging up and downe of devotees. 1698Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 220 Those Vessels set out to carry Devotees to Mahomet's Tomb. 1712Steele Spect. No. 354 ⁋1 You have described most sorts of Women..but I think you have never yet said anything of a Devotée. A Devotée is one of those who disparage Religion by their indiscreet and unseasonable introduction of the Mention of Virtue on all Occasions. 1748Smollett Rod. Rand. xxv. (1812) I. 171 A set of devotees in some parts of the East Indies who never taste flesh. 1780Harris Philol. Enq. Wks. (1841) 503 He grew older, became..from a profligate a devotee. 1852Robertson Serm. Ser. iii. xvi. 202 The highest form of religion was considered to be that exhibited by the devotee who sat in a tree until the birds had built their nests in his hair.
Hence devoˈteeism, the principles or practice of a devotee.
1828J. Hunter in C. More Life Sir T. More Pref. 56 The spirit of religious devoteeism which appears in his work. 1852Stone A. Ballou's Spirit Manif. vii. 93 Victims of these popular devoteeisms. |