| 释义 |
▪ I. prince, n.|prɪns|
Also 3–6 prynce, 4 princs, pryns, prines, preins, 4–6 prins(e, 6 prynse, Sc. prence.
[a. F. prince (12th c. in Littré) = Pr. prince, ad. L. princeps, -cip-em adj., first; as n. the first or principal person, a chief, leader, sovereign, prince; f. prīm-us first, prime a. + -cip-, from capĕre, -cipĕre to take.
As applied in sense 1, it prob. came down from Roman usage under the principate and empire: see princeps, and cf. Hor. C. 1. 2. 50, Ovid P. 1. 2. 23, Tac. A. 1. 1.]
I. In primary general sense.
1. a. A sovereign ruler; a monarch, king. Now arch. or rhetorical.
a1225St. Marher. 2 Of þat heðene folc patriarke ant prince. a1225Leg. Kath. 578 Ða onswerede þe an swiðe prudeliche, þus, to þe prude prince. c1290S. Eng. Leg. I. 20/32 He dude him sone bringue To þe prince of Engelond Aþelston þe kyngue. 1340–70Alex. & Dind. 811 God by-secheþ to saue þe soueraine prinse. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 375 Seculer lordis, pryncis of þe worlde. c1400Destr. Troy 7371 Then partid the prinsis, and the prise dukes. c1440York Myst. xv. 7 Preued þat a prins withouten pere. 1536Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1889) I. 498 We most umbly desyre youre grase to be oure solester to oure prynse. 1552Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion, Prayer Ch. Mil., We beseche thee also to saue and defende all Christian Kynges, Princes, and Gouernoures. a1555Lyndesay Tragedy 344 Imprudent Prencis but discretioun, Hauyng in erth power Imperiall. 1607–12Bacon Ess., Empire (Arb.) 308 Princes are like the heavenly bodyes which cause good, or evill tymes, and which have much veneration, but noe rest. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) II. 398 These animals are often sent as presents to the princes of the east. 1861Thackeray Four Georges i. (1904) 29 In the good old times..noblemen passed from Court to Court, seeking service with one prince or another. 1885Encycl. Brit. XIX. 738/1 The emperor of Russia, the queen of England, and the king of the Belgians are equally princes or monarchs, and the consorts of emperors or kings are princesses.
†b. Applied to a female sovereign. Obs.
1560Geste Serm. in H. G. Dugdale Life (1840) App. i. 191 Let us low our prince [Q. Eliz.],..nothing thinking sayeng or doyng that may turne to hyr dyshonor, prayeng all way for hyr long and prosperus reigne. 1562Act 5 Eliz. c. 13 Preamble, The Reigns of the late Princes King Philip and Queen Mary. 1581W. Stafford Exam. Compl. i. (1876) 29 Yea, the Prince,..as she hath most of yearely Reuenewes,..so should shee haue most losse by this dearth. 1594Willobie Avisa (1880) 29 Cleopatra, prince of Nile. 1610Holland Camden's Brit. (1637) 511 Another most mighty Prince Mary Queene of Scots. 1650Stapylton Strada's Low C. Warres ii. 37 They had now been governed by female Princes for forty years together.
c. In phrases and proverbs: see quots.
1589Greene Spanish Masquerado Wks. (Grosart) V. 266 The iolly fellowes that once in England liued like Princes in their Abbeies and Frieries. 1660Pepys Diary 1 Nov., We came to Sir W. Batten's, where he lives like a prince. 1804Europ. Mag. Jan. 33/2 If I..would send..a pound of good tobacco, I should make her husband as happy as a Prince. 1868Yates Rock Ahead iii. iii, ‘Princes and women must not be contradicted’, says the proverb.
†2.
a. One who has the chief authority; a ruler, commander, governor, president; also, the head man, chief, or leader of a tribe: cf. duke 1 c. Obs.
prince of priests, chief priest, high priest.
a1225Ancr. R. 54 Hire ueader & hire breðren, se noble princes alse heo weren, vtlawes imakede. a1300Cursor M. 16903 Þe prince o preistes o þair lagh went to þat monument. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xix. 218 And pryde shal be pope, prynce of holycherche. 1382Wyclif Matt. ii. 6 Thou, Bethlem,..thou art nat the leste in the princis of Juda. 1382― Acts iv. 23 The princes [1388 the princis of preestis] and eldere men seiden to hem. Ibid. xviii. 8 Crispe..prince of the synagoge, bileuyde to the Lord. a1450Knt. de la Tour (1906) 106 Whiche Iacob hadde .xij. sones that were the princes of .xij. lynages. 1535Coverdale Gen. xxxvi. 40 Thus are the princes of Esau called in their kynreds, places & names. 16..in Longfellow's M. Standish App., It is incredible how many wounds these two prinses, Pecksuot and Wattawamat, received before they died.
†b. A literal rendering of princeps in the Vulgate (Gr. ἀρχή) where the English Authorized and Revised Versions have ‘principality’. Obs.
1382Wyclif Ephes. vi. 12 For stryuynge is not to vs aȝens fleisch and blood, but aȝens the princes [L. principes, Gr. ἀρχαι] and potestatis, aȝens gouernours of the world of thes derknessis. [Tindale, Cranmer, etc. rule; Geneva rulers; Rheims Princes, 1611 principalities.]
3. a. One who or that which is first or pre-eminent in a specified class or sphere; the chief, the greatest. Cf. king n. 6.
c1275Serving Christ 39 in O.E. Misc. 91 Seynte peter wes prynce and pyned is on rode. c1315Shoreham Poems iv. 306 Þat oþer feend of onde [envy] Hys pryns and cheuetayn. 13..Cursor M. 28071 (Cott.), I will first at pride be-gin, Þat prince es of all oþer sin. 1484Caxton Fables of Poge v, One named Hugh prynce of the medycyns sawe a catte whiche had two hedes. 1583Fulke Defence x. Wks. (Parker Soc.) 381 As though you were prince of the Critici or Areopagitae. a1658Cleveland Elegy B. Jonson 1 Poet of Princes, Prince of Poets (we, If to Apollo, well may pray to thee). 1698Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 373 Des Cartes, the Prince of Philosophy in this Age. 1753Hogarth Anal. Beauty viii. 47 Sir Christopher Wren,..the prince of architects. 1799C. Winter Let. in W. Jay Mem. (1843) 28 Mr. Toplady called him [Whitefield] the prince of preachers. 1891Speaker 2 May 527/2 Gray is a prince of letter-writers. 1896Westm. Gaz. 31 Jan. 2/1 The prince of Australian reptiles is the black snake.
b. A person with power or influence; a magnate. U.S.
1841J. S. Buckingham America III. 427 Capitalists and merchants [of Boston]..are here called ‘princes’. 1884Century Mag. Sept. 796 At a shady end of the veranda, are seen the railroad king,..the bonanza mine owner, the Texas rancher, and the Pennsylvania iron prince. 1904[see baron 2 b]. 1976T. Gifford Cavanaugh Quest (1977) viii. 137 He was a perfect reflection of the typical Minneapolis power broker, though somewhat better dressed than the grain barons and the department store princes and computer tycoons.
c. An admirable or generous person. colloq. (chiefly U.S.).
1911H. B. Wright Winning of Barbara Worth xvi. 252 Yes sir, gents, I'm here to tell you that that there man, Jefferson Worth, is a prince—a prince. Let me tell you what he done for me. 1939I. Baird Waste Heritage v. 69 Hep ain't like other guys, he's a prince. 1951J. D. Salinger Catcher in Rye iii. 31 He's crazy about you. He told me he thinks you're a goddam prince. 1966J. Cleary High Commissioner viii. 164 ‘You have a lot of time for him, haven't you?’ ‘They don't come any better. He's a prince, you know?’
4. a. Applied to Christ, esp. in the phrase Prince of Peace. b. Applied to an angel or celestial being of high rank; sometimes (in pl.) = principality 5. (Cf. 2 b, above.) c. Applied to Satan in the phrases prince of the air, darkness, evil, fiends, the world, etc.
a1300Cursor M. 9317 ‘Princs o pees’ sal man him call. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 1084 Þarfor God him [the devil] prince of þe world calles. 1382Wyclif Isa. ix. 6 Fadir of the world to come, Prince of Pes. ― Dan. x. 13 Mychael, oon of the first princis, came in to myn help. Ibid. 21 No man is myn helper in alle these thingis, no bot Miȝhel, your prince. ― John xii. 31 Now is dom of the world, now the prince of this world schal be cast out. c1440Alphabet of Tales 295 So his sawle was broght vnto þe prince of Hell syttand opon þe pytt bra. 1573L. Lloyd Marrow of Hist. (1653) 3 That..Princes should be so misguided by the Prince of the ayr. 1599Shakes. Hen. V, iii. iii. 16 Impious Warre, Arrayed in flames like to the Prince of Fiends. 1601― All's Well iv. v. 44 The blacke prince sir, alias the prince of darkenesse, alias the diuell. c1800Coleridge Christmas Carol, Peace, Peace on Earth! the Prince of Peace is born. 1854Faber Oratory Hymns, St. Michael, Hail, bright Archangel! Prince of Heaven! 1861R. M. Benson Hymn, ‘Praise to God Who reigns above’, Thrones, Dominions, Princes, Powers, Marshall'd Might that never cowers.
II. Specific uses.
5. spec. The ruler of a principality or small state actually, nominally, or originally, a feudatory of a king or emperor.
In origin, app. a use of sense 2, describing a ruler who had no recognized title such as duke, count, etc. First used of Italian and Welsh, subseq. of German and other rulers of petty states. The rulers of Wales, or its divisions, down to the 11th c., bore the title of ‘king’ (brenhin, rex); then the title sank to ‘prince’ (tywysog, princeps).
1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 11484 Lewelin prince of walis robbede mid is route. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VIII. 187 Kyng John mariede his baast douȝter to Lewelyn prince of Wales. 1432–50tr. Higden, Harl. Contin. (Rolls) VIII. 438 A soore batelle was hade..betwene Edward prince of Aquitanny and Henricus Bastarde occupyenge the crowne of Speyne. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. Pref., How he [Luther]..pleaded his own cause, before themperour and counsell of princes. Ibid. 54 b, The Princes that were of the confederacie and league of Sweland..were these, Cesar as Prince of Austriche [etc.]. 1617Moryson Itin. iii. 193 Not onely the Emperour, but also many Princes of Germany..haue Kingly power in their owne Dominions, and these absolute Princes are so many in number, as a passenger in each dayes iourney, shall obserue one or two changes of Prince, Money and Religion. 1727–41Chambers Cycl., Prince is also used for a person who is sovereign in his own territory; yet holds from some other, as his superior or lord, and pays homage or tribute to him. Thus all the princes of Germany are feudatories of the Emperor. 1845S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. I. 371 The hostility of the most able and prudent of all the princes of the empire was provoked. 1885Encycl. Brit. XIX. 738/2 Princes regarded as the political chiefs of states are inferior to emperors and kings, and not necessarily superior to reigning grand-dukes or dukes. 1885Whitaker's Alm. 314/2 Bulgaria. Prince, Alexander (of the House of Hesse)... The Principality of Bulgaria is under the suzerainty of Turkey. 1890Ibid. 511/1 Waldeck. Prince, George Victor, Prince of Waldeck-Pyrmont. 1900Ibid. 456/1 Native States of India... The States are governed by their native Princes, Ministers, or Councils, with the help and under the advice of a political officer of the Supreme Government. 1905Ibid. 595/1 Lippe, Principality of. Reigning Prince, Charles Alexander.
6. A male member of a royal family; esp. in Great Britain, a son or grandson of a king or queen. Also called prince of the blood (royal) (blood n. 9). Prince Consort, the husband of a reigning female sovereign being himself a prince.
In this sense originating in the title Prince of Wales, which, in the first instance, was simply a continuation of sense 5, as title of the deposed native Welsh princes; but being, from the reign of Edward III, customarily conferred upon the eldest surviving son of the King or Queen of England, came to be associated with this relationship. The Prince of Wales was at first the only ‘prince’ in England (see quot. 1577); but in the reign of James I ‘prince’ was extended to all the sons of the sovereign, and under Victoria (with ‘princess’) to all the grandchildren, being children of sons (quot. 1885). After the example of England, the equivalent of ‘prince’ has been given, with some addition, to the heir-apparent to the throne in various countries, as crown-prince in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Japan, prince imperial in the French Empire of 1852–70, Prince of Asturias in Spain, Prince of Piedmont in Italy, etc. In most of these countries the title of prince has also been given to male members of the reigning family. (This sense may have been partly influenced by Roman usage under the empire, in which the title princeps juventutis ‘chief’ or ‘prince of the youth’, which was bestowed by the Equites upon the two grandsons of Augustus, was afterwards customarily conferred upon the probable successor to the throne on his first entry into public life.)
c1305Flem. Insurr. in Pol. Songs (Camden) 194 Ȝe[f] the Prince of Walis his lyf habbe mote. 1455E. Clere in Four C. Eng. Lett. (1880) 5 The Queen..brought my Lord Prynce [of Wales] with her. c1475Harl. Contin. Higden (Rolls) VIII. 433 Edwarde sonne of kynge Edwarde, prince of Wales, saylede to Caleys. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. IV 32 b, The prince his sonne..entered into the chamber and toke away the crowne. Ibid., Leuyng behind him by the lady Marie..Henry prince of Wales, Thomas duke of Clarence [etc.]. Ibid., Hen. VIII 9 On Newyeres daye, the first day of Ianuary, the Quene was deliuered of a Prince. 1563, etc. [see Black Prince]. 1577Harrison England ii. v. (1877) i. 106 The title of prince dooth peculiarlie belong to the kings eldest sonne... The kings yoonger sonnes be but gentlemen by birth (till they haue receiued creation of higher estate, to be either visconts, earles, or dukes) and called after their names, as lord Henrie, or lord Edward. 1597Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iv. iv. 83 Health to my Soueraigne,..Prince Iohn, your Sonne, dothe kisse your Graces Hand. 1610― Temp. iii. i. 60, I am, in my condition A Prince (Miranda), I do thinke a King. 1611― Wint. T. iv. iii. 13, I haue seru'd Prince Florizell,..but now I am out of seruice. 1614Selden Titles Hon. 178 After the Conquest, no speciall title more then Primogenitus filius Regis was for the Prince, vntill the name of Prince of Wales came to him. 1624Massinger Parl. Love i. iv, Next unto the princes of the blood, The eyes of all are fixed on you. 1707Chamberlayne Pres. St. Eng. ii. vii. 102 Prince George, Hereditary Prince of Denmark and Norway. Ibid. 103 By the Articles of Marriage, he is declared to be received as one of the Princes of the Blood-Royal of England. 1725Watts Logic i. iv. §4 When we speak of the Prince, we intend his Royal Highness George Prince of Wales. 1839Encycl. Brit. (ed. 7) XIX. 513/2 The husband of a queen regnant, as Prince George of Denmark was to Queen Anne, is her subject. 1885Encycl. Brit. XIX. 738/2 In England..it was considered necessary only about a quarter of a century ago to make express provision by royal authority that the titles of ‘prince’ and ‘princess’ should be enjoyed by the children of the sons as well as by the sons and daughters of any sovereign of the United Kingdom. 1901Daily Chron. 9 Nov. 3/1 Dukes of Cornwall, like poets, are born; but the King alone can make a Prince of Wales.
7. a. The English rendering of a title of nobility in some foreign countries, which, in Germany (when representing Fürst), France, Italy, Belgium, Holland, in the early 20th c. ranked next below duke: see quot. 1885.
1727–41Chambers Cycl. s.v., The moment a pope is elected, all his relations become princes. 1819Shelley Cenci i. iii. 2 Welcome, ye Princes and Cardinals, pillars of the church. 1831Sir J. Sinclair Corr. II. 275 Prince Gabriel de Gagarin. This Prince held a high office at Moscow,—that of ‘Procureur de Senat’. 1885Whitaker's Alm. 322/1 The German Empire...Chancellor, Otto, Prince Bismarck. 1885Encycl. Brit. XIX. 739/1–2 In Germany and Austria the title of ‘prince’ is represented by ‘Prinz’ when it appertains to the members of imperial and royal families..and by ‘Fürst’ when it appertains to the members of..noble families... According to its identification with ‘Prinz’ or ‘Fürst’ it is a higher or lower dignity than ‘Herzog’ (duke). Ibid., In Spain and Portugal we are not aware that the title of ‘prince’ has ever been conferred on a subject outside of the royal family except in the well-known case of Godoy, Prince of the Peace.
b. Applied as a title of courtesy in certain connexions to a duke, marquis, or earl.
1707Chamberlayne Pres. St. Eng. iii. iii. 273 Duke...His Title is Grace; and being written unto may be Stiled, Most High, Potent and Noble Prince... Marquis... His Title is Most Noble, Most Honourable, and Potent Prince. 1851Burke's Peerage Introd. 12 He [an earl or marquis] bears also, upon some occasions, the title of ‘Most Noble and Puissant Prince’. 1898Whitaker's Titled Persons Introd. 10 A Duke is styled ‘Most Noble’, or more commonly ‘Your Grace’; but in very formal language he can be spoken of as ‘The Most High, Potent, and Noble Prince’. Ibid. 11 The style of a Marquess is ‘Most Honourable’, not ‘Most Noble’, though it is stated that in some formal descriptions both he and an Earl may be termed ‘Most Noble and Puissant Prince’.
c. Prince of the (Holy Roman) Church, a title applied to a Cardinal.
[1782Priestley Corrupt. Chr. II. x. 251 Cardinals..have the rank of princes in the Church.] 1901Walker & Burrow Cdl. Newman x. 145 His body was laid in state with the insignia of a Prince of the Holy Roman Church.
III. Transferred applications.
†8. Applied to a queen-bee. Obs. rare—1.
1609C. Butler Fem. Mon. v. (1623) N ij, I obserued once, that the Prince being scarce ready, fell downe from the stoole vnable to recouer hir wings, whereupon the swarme returned. She being put into the Hiue, the next day the swarme rose againe and setled.
†9. Chess. = bishop n. 5. Obs. rare.
1562J. Rowbotham Play Cheasts A iv, The Bishoppes some name Alphins, some fooles, and some name them Princes. Ibid. A vj, Of the Bishop or Archer... The Spaniardes named him prince..for he is nerer vnto the King and the Quene then any other of the Cheastmen.
IV. attrib. and Comb.
10. a. appositive, ‘that is a prince’: as prince-abbot, prince-angel, prince-duke, prince-god, prince-infanta, prince-poet, prince-pope, prince-priest, prince-primate, prince-teacher. See also prince-bishop, -elector, Prince Regent.
1650R. Stapylton Strada's Low C. Warres x. 19 Whether the King would allow him place, as a Prince-Infanta within the Cloth of State. 1656Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. i. lix. (1674) 76 Apollo..created him Prince-Poet, and..gave him the Royal Ensigns used to be given to Poets-Laureat. 1679C. Nesse Antid. agst. Popery 92 That Prince-fowl of the air, the Devil. 1865T. F. Knox tr. Life H. Suso 28 As if he were a prince-angel. 1866–7Baring-Gould Cur. Myths Mid. Ages, Prester John (1894) 47 The papal epistle..assures the Eastern Prince-Pope that his Christian professions are worthless, unless he submits to the successor of Peter. 1897Prince-abbot [see prince-bishop]. 1908H. A. L. Fisher Bonapartism iii. 54 ‘Monsieur L'Abbé’, said Napoleon to Dalberg, the subservient prince-primate.
b. simple attributive, ‘of a prince, princely’, as prince-dish, prince-humour; objective and obj. genitive, etc., as prince-killer, prince-pleaser, prince-queller, † prince-treacher, prince-worship; prince-killing adj.; instrumental, etc., as prince-fit, prince-graced, prince-loyal, prince-protected, prince-proud, prince-ridden, prince-trodden adjs.
a1618Sylvester Wood-man's Bear xxxvii, In the Crofte so faire and pleasant, Harbour of the *Prince-dish Pheasant.
1614― Bethulia's Rescue iv. 197 From Powdred Tresses, from forc't Apish Graces, From *Prince-fit Pompe.
1591― Du Bartas i. vi. 655 Through Newbery, and *Prince-grac't Aldermaston.
1602Fitzherb. Apol. 39 For manquellars and *princekillers, traytours, and homicides.
1595Polimanteia (1881) 57 A Queene..more valiant then *prince-killing Judith.
a1618Sylvester Miracle of Peace xxxiv, Th'yerst most *Prince-loyal people..Are now Prince-treachers.
1589Puttenham Eng. Poesie i. viii. (Arb.) 32 Poesie was a delicate arte, and the Poets them selues cunning *Princepleasers.
a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VI 135 b, The people..found out the *princequellers, and theim brought to straight prisone. a1548[see regicide1 1].
a1618*Prince-treacher [see prince-loyal].
1652Persuasive to Compliance 16 His poor *prince-trodden people.
11. Combinations with prince's; prince's cord, ? a fabric resembling corduroy; prince's mixture, a kind of snuff: see quot. 1858; prince's pine, (a) the Grey Pine, Pinus Banksiana; (b) = pipsissewa; prince's stuff, a corded textile material, ? = prince's cord. Also Prince's feather, metal.
1810Sporting Mag. XXXVI. 240 White *Prince's-cord breeches.
1836Backwoods of Canada 124 A little rappee or *prince's mixture added by way of Sauce. 1858Simmonds Dict. Trade, Prince's-mixture, a dark kind of snuff so called, which is scented with otto of roses.
1807F. Pursh Jrnl. Bot. Excursion (1869) 15 Pyrola umbellata calld here *Princess [sic] pine. 1818A. Eaton Man. Bot. (ed. 2) 203 Chimaphila..umbellata, (prince's pine, bitter wintergreen). 1884[see pipsissewa]. 1891Lancet 3 Oct. 772/1 Liquor kava kava..composition, kava kava.., prince's pine.., golden seal.., tag alder.., and uva ursi. 1954C. J. Hylander Macmillan Wild Flower Bk. 280 Pipsissewa... Also known as Prince's Pine, this is a trailing and somewhat woody perennial.
1814Hist. Univ. Oxford II. 261 The gown of Bachelor of Arts is made of *prince's stuff, with a full sleeve. 1825in Hone's Every-day Bk. I. 1334 The lord mayor of London..the household now all wear black gowns,..made of prince's stuff faced with velvet.
12. Phraseological combinations: Prince of Wales check, a large check pattern; Prince of Wales('s) feathers: (a) see feather n. 8; also ellipt. and fig.; (b) = crape-fern (crape n. 3 b); Prince of Wales knot (see also quot. 1978); Prince Rupert's drop: see drop n. 10 h; also fig.; Prince Rupert's (erron. Robert's) metal = Prince's metal.
1958P. Mortimer Daddy's gone a-Hunting vii. 35 A tall, thin man in *Prince of Wales check. 1959Sunday Express 21 June 14/3 Prince of Wales check trousers. 1960News Chron. 11 July 6/5 The Prince of Wales check Sudan cotton in grey and black. 1972Vogue Feb. 73 Prince of Wales check wool tent coat.
1882T. H. Potts Out in Open 108 T[odea] superba, ‘the glory of the west’. How great the impression made by its marvellous beauty, may be assumed from the number of familiar names..bestowed upon it, as the Royal fern, the King's fern, *Prince of Wales' feather. 1919T. Wright Romance of Lace Pillow ix. 82 Other patterns were the Prince of Wales's Feathers. 1933Flight 29 June 626/2 And a final break-up in a ‘Prince of Wales Feathers’, were other manoeuvres which held the spectators literally spell⁓bound. 1944,1951[see crape-fern]. 1958C. Freeman Pillow Lace in E. Midlands 46 The names given to the various patterns often refer to some element of the design... Other favourites were..Prince of Wales's Feathers [etc.]. 1966H. Sheppard Dict. Railway Slang (ed. 2) 9 Prince of Wales, blowing off steam by engine. 1971D. J. Smith Discovering Railwayana x. 58 Prince of Wales, short for Prince of Wales' feathers, a plume-like emission of steam. 1977Binney & Burman Change & Decay 143/2 (caption) Lea, Wiltshire; St. Giles. Bell of 1622, with Prince of Wales feathers. 1977R.A.F. News 22 June–5 July 1/1 The manœuvre takes the nine Gnats up into a Prince of Wales feathers, with eight aircraft trailing white smoke and the leader trailing red.
1897Sears, Roebuck Catal. 222/2 Illustration No. 2205 shows the De Joinnile [necktie] as worn with an ordinary finger ring. No. 2206 shows it tied in a *Prince of Wales knot. 1971Guardian 3 Aug. 9/3 Broad kipper ties..tied in loose Prince of Wales knots, were featured by many Paris houses. 1978‘K. Blake’ Professionals 1: Where Jungle Ends iii. 39 His Prince of Wales knotted tie in rich brown.
1695Lond. Gaz. No. 3121/4 The Drops known by the name of *Prince Rupert's Drops. 1849Dana Geol. iii. (1850) 180 Nearly as brittle as a Prince Rupert's drop. 1862Ruskin Unto this Last iv. 145 Nay, boiled bulbs they might have been—glass bulbs—Prince Rupert's drops, consummated in powder..for any end or meaning. 1878Emerson Misc. Papers, Fort. Rep. Wks. (Bohn) III. 395 In Mr. Webster's imagination the American Union was a huge Prince Rupert's drop..which will snap into atoms if so much as the smallest end be shivered off.
1698Phil. Trans. XX. 170 The Buttons we wear..said to be made of *Prince Robert's Mettal. 1789Chambers' Cycl. s.v. Zinc, Compositions or alloys called tombac, similor, pinchbeck, and Prince's metal... The English..called their invention Prince's metal, or Prince Rupert's metal. 1875Knight Dict. Mech., Prince Rupert's Metal, an alloy for cheap jewelry,..composed of copper, 75; zinc 25.
▪ II. prince, v. ? Obs.|prɪns|
[f. prec. n.]
intr. with it: To play the prince, carry oneself as a prince. Also refl.
c1590Greene Fr. Bacon i. 103 I'll to the court, and I'll prince it out. 1611Shakes. Cymb. iii. iii. 85 Nature prompts them In simple and lowe things, to Prince it, much Beyond the tricke of others. 1656S. H. Gold. Law 100 Whose Principles are to Prince themselves, and precipitate al sorts. 1658J. Harrington Pop. Govt. ii. v, A Metropolitan..with whom nothing will agree but Princeing of it in the Senat. |