| 释义 |
▪ I. douce, a.|duːs|
Also, 4–9 douse, 5–8 dowse, 5–9 dowce. β. 5–7 doulce, 6 doulx (in sense 1).
[ME. douce, dowce, a. OF. dolz, dols, dous, later doux, fem. douce, also 15–16th c. doulce, = Pr. dolz, dous, It. dolce, Sp. dulce:—L. dulcis sweet.]
†1. Sweet, pleasant. (A well-known epithet of France, from Chanson de Roland onwards.) Obs.
[a1310in Wright Lyric P. 111 Oure dame douse shal sitten hym by. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xiv. 122 And diues in deyntees lyued and in douce vye.] c1380Sir Ferumb. 1269 We buþ knyȝtes alle y-vere: y-born in douce fraunce. c1420Liber Cocorum (1862) 32 Powder dowce and salt also. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xvi. 367 Ye shall never maye retourne in to douce Fraunce agayne. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 22 b, Whan..sommer draweth nere, it [an apple] waxeth mellowe douce & pleasaunt. 1596Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. iv. lviii. (1887) 251 Sa douse in exhortatione. 1614Forbes Comm. Revelation 126 (Jam.) The douce sounde of harpes.
βc1477Caxton Jason 18 b, To mete doulce regarde. 1531Elyot Gov. i. xiv. (1883) 154 The lawes..beyng in pure latine or doulce frenche. c1540Ld. Southampton & Bp. of Ely in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. II. 111 With doulx and myld wordes. 1542Boorde Dyetary xxi. (1870) 283 Peares..melow and doulce. a1577Sir T. Smith Commw. Eng. ii. iii. (1609) 43 Doulce and gentle termes.
2. Quiet, sober, steady, gently sedate; not light, flighty, or frivolous. Sc. and north. dial.
1728Ramsay Adv. to Mr. ― on his Marriage 16 I've given a douce advice and plain. 1776C. Keith Farmer's Ha' in Chambers Pop. Hum. Scot. Poems (1862) 36 The lads and lasses a' grow douse. 1816Scott Old Mort. iv, A douce woman she was, civil to the customers. 1825in Brockett N.C. Words. 1850Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 129, I think the new servant will do; she looks douce, intelligent. 1868Helps Realmah vii. (1876) 158 Realmah and the Ainah talked on in the douce, quiet way.
Hence ˈdoucely adv.; ˈdouceness.
1621S. Ward Happiness of Practice (1627) 14 Some luscious delight, yea, a kind of rauishing doucenesse there is in studying good Bookes. 1786Burns Earnest Cry & Prayer 3 An' doucely manage our affairs In parliament. 1822Galt Steam-Boat 191 (Jam.) The natural douceness of my character. 1850R. Simpson Mem. of Worth ii. 20 Mr. Hislop was riding doucely along this track.
▪ II. † douce, v. Obs. rare.
In 5 dowce, 7 doulce.
[Aphetic f. adoulce, adouce, a. OF. adoulcir, adoucir to sweeten: see addulce.]
trans. To sweeten; to soften, mollify, soothe.
c1420Liber Cocorum (1862) 7 With sugur candy þou may hit dowce. 1600Holland Livy xxiii. xvi. 484 The yong mans stout heart was so doulced, mollified, and easie to bee wrought.
▪ III. douce
var. of douse. |