| 释义 |
sweetness|ˈswiːtnɪs|
Forms: see sweet a.
[OE. swétnes (suoet-): see -ness. Cf. MDu. soetenisse; also sootness (OE. swótnes).]
The quality of being sweet, concr. something sweet.
1. a. Of taste or flavour.
c897ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xvii. 125, & eac sceal bion on ðæm breostum ðæs monnan swetnes. 1340Ayenb. 55 Þe zuetnesse of þe mete. a1425tr. Arderne's Treat. Fistula, etc. 89 One [oil] for þe rednes and swetnez is called sanguis veneris. 1477Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 68 The bittrenesse of the aloe tre distroyeth the swettenesse of the hony. 1555Eden Decades (Arb.) 110 These apples..haue a certeyne sweetnes myxte with a gentell sharpnes. 1588Kyd Househ. Philos. Wks. (1901) 247 The Malmesey and Greeke and Roman Wines..haue some kind of sweetnes. 1704Swift Batt. Bks. Wks. 1841 I. 128/2 Instead of dirt and poison, we have rather chosen to fill our hives with honey and wax, thus furnishing mankind with the two noblest of things, which are sweetness and light. 1781Cowper Charity 190 Has God then giv'n its sweetness to the cane..in vain? 1855Bain Senses & Int. ii. ii. §9 The sweetness of every kind of fruit [etc.] is known to arise from sugar.
¶ Phr. sweetness and light, taken from Swift (see quot. 1704 above) and used with æsthetic or moral reference; now usu. in trivial (freq. ironic) use, under influence of senses 6, 7: pleasantness, good will.
1869M. Arnold Cult. & An. 28 Their ideal of beauty and sweetness and light, and a human nature complete on all its sides. 1879Farrar St. Paul (1883) 410 Gallio..was pre⁓eminently endowed with that light and sweetness which are signs of the utmost refinement. 1927Wodehouse Meet Mr Mulliner vi. 186 He had been all sweetness and light and had not done a thing to them. 1949N. Balchin Sort of Traitors xi. 191 You know how it is when you've got to poke about round somebody else's work—it's not all sweetness and light as a rule. 1953P. Wentworth Anna, where are You? vii. 45 A desire to spread sweetness and light. 1968G. Jones Hist. Vikings ii. iii. 106 Anskar, the monk of Corbey,..whose sweetness and light were probably much lightened and sweetened by his biographer Rimbert. 1974Times 16 Jan. 16/5 When this Act was introduced it was done..to create sweetness and light between management and unions. 1982Sunday Tel. 12 Dec. 14/5 Hell hath no fury like a peace-woman scorned, by comparison with whom even a Cruise missile becomes a soft symbol of sweetness and light.
b. concr. Something sweet to the taste; a sweet substance. spec. molasses. (Canad.)
c725Corpus Gloss. (Hessels) A 524 Ambrosea, suoetnis. 1382Wyclif Joel ii. 18 And it shal be, in that day mounteyns shuln droppe swetnes. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xix. xliii. (W. de W.), Swetnesse layed to the tonge openyth moderatly and hetyth moderatly. 1553Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 42 Who hath not of sowrenes felte the bitter tast, Is not worthy of swetenes to take his repast. 1655G. S. in Hartlib Ref. Commw. Bees 27 There is worthily a great difference to be acknowledged between Honey and other inspissated sweetnesses. 1890Opelousas (Louisiana) Democrat 20 Dec. 2/1 Sweetness by the barrel, bon-bons, sugar plums [etc.]. 1912N. Duncan Best of Bad Job xxi. 143 T' beg a barrel o' flour an' a gallon o' sweetness. 1920W. T. Grenfell Labrador Doctor viii. 164 The fact that we were without butter, and that ‘sweetness’ (molasses) was low, was scarcely even noticed.
2. Of smell or odour: Fragrance.
c900tr. Bæda's Hist. iv. x. (1890) 292 Micel swetnes wundorlices stences. c1175Lamb. Hom. 145 Þer scal beon..smellinge mid swetnesse. c1220Bestiary 750 Ut of his ðrote cumeð a smel..ðat ouer-cumeð haliweie wið swetnesse. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 216 Whanne men schullen..smelle..þe swettenesse & good odour of herbis. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 120 Floures..Of swich suetnesse and swich odour ouer al. 1626Bacon Sylva §489, I thinke Rosemary will leese in Sweetnesse, if it be set with Lauender. 1750Gray Elegy 56 Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air. 1870Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. xlv. 8 All his dress is fragrant with all sweetness.
3. a. Of sound: Melodiousness, musical quality.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. xxiii. (Bodl. MS.), Orpheus..plesid treen wodes hulles and stones with swetnes of his voice. 1448–9J. Metham Amoryus & Cleopes 410 Syngyng in ther lay With mornyng joy in sqwetnes off songe. 1553T. Wilson Rhet. (1580) 30 The swetenesse of the tongue, the wholsomnesse of the aire in other countries. 1590Spenser F.Q. iii. xii. 6 The rare sweetnesse of the melody. 1681Dryden Abs. & Achit. To Rdr., There's a sweetness in good Verse, which Tickles even while it Hurts. 1797Mrs. Radcliffe Italian i, The sweetness and fine expression of her voice. 1836Dubourg Violin ix. (1878) 273 His violoncellos..are..not so strong..as old Forster's, but, in sweetness and purity, excelling them. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. i. I. 30 Rude societies have versification, and often versification of great power and sweetness.
b. A sweet sound or tone. rare.
c1400Destr. Troy 342 There was wellit to wale water full nobill,..with plentius stremes, With a swoughe and a swetnes sweppit on þe grounde. 1632Milton L'Allegro 140 With many a winding bout Of lincked sweetnes long drawn out. 1651Jer. Taylor Serm. for Year, Summer xix. 238 It is not the eye that sees the beauties of the heaven, nor the ear that hears the sweetnesses of musick. 1895F. Thompson New Poems 107 The wailful sweetness of the violin Floats down the hushèd waters of the wind.
4. In specific uses, denoting various desirable physical qualities, e.g. freshness (as opp. to saltness, putridity, etc.), mellowness (of soil), etc.
c1400Mandeville (1839) i. 7 The Watre of the See is fressche and holdethe his swetnesse 20 Myle within the See. 1607Markham Caval. ii. (1617) 52 It giueth libertie to the tongue,..and keepeth the mouth in tendernesse and sweetnesse. a1700Evelyn Diary 25 Jan. 1645, These [beds] are in a very long rome having an inner passage..with as much care, sweetenesse, and conveniency as can be imagin'd. 1733W. Ellis Chiltern & Vale Farm. 46 The Remedy of this is, to give it constantly its due Course of Fallowings, whereby it may enjoy a thorough Sweetness. 1815J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 355 This powder will also restore the sweetness of flesh-meat but slightly tainted with putridity. 1844H. Stephens Bk. Farm III. 1046 Oil-cake..is an excellent medicine for live-stock,..giving to the hide a sweetness of coat unattainable by other means. 1894Walrond Archery xvii. 297 No bow can come up to a good self for sweetness, softness, and steadiness in the hand when it is loosed.
5. a. Pleasantness to the senses generally, esp. the sight; pleasantness of aspect, artistic effect, etc.
a1568R. Ascham Scholem. ii. (Arb.) 138 The right forme..fit and dew, to the dignitie of a man, to the bewtie of a woman, to the sweetnes of a yong babe. 1617Moryson Itin. i. 118 Baie, an ancient Citie, and for the sweetnesse preferred to Rome by Horace. a1661Fuller Worthies (1840) I. 224 It is confessed that Oxford far exceeds it [sc. Cambridge] for sweetness of situation. 1707Mortimer Husb. (1721) I. 285 The use that is made of it [sc. wax] for Lights, the clearness and sweetness of which makes it preferr'd before all other Sorts. a1822Shelley Pr. Wks. (1888) I. 407 The curved lines of her fine limbs flow into each other with a never-ending sinuosity of sweetness. 1888M. E. Braddon Fatal Three i. v, The house and gardens had all the sweetness and freshness of a scene to which one is restored after absence.
b. as a technical term of Art.
1695Dryden tr. Dufresnoy's Art Paint., etc. 220 He painted with great Strength, great Heightning, great Sweetness, and liveliness of Colours. 1706Art of Painting (1744) 68 His colouring had not the vigour and sweetness of Giacomo Bassano's. 1816Sir J. Reynolds Life Raffaello, etc. 156 The gliding motion of his [sc. Correggio's] outline, and the sweetness with which it melts into the ground. 1816J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 770 The pen should have a diamond point, which..imparts an admirable degree of regularity and sweetness to the work.
6. a. Pleasantness to the mind or feelings; delightfulness.
c900tr. Bæda's Hist. iv. xxiv. (1890) 346 Bi swetnesse þæs heofonlecan rices he moniᵹ leoð ᵹeworhte. 971Blickl. Hom. 37 Swa we sceolon eac ure heortan ᵹefyllan mid þære swetnesse godcundra beboda. a1310in Wright Lyric P. xxv. 68 Iesu, suete is the love of the,..Al that may with eȝen se, Haveth no suetnesse aȝeynes the. 1340Ayenb. 92 Þe more þet lykeþ þe zuetnesse of þe wordle þe lesse me wylneþ þe zuetnesse of god. 1390Gower Conf. II. 57 Thei..resten as hem liketh best In all the swetnesse of delices. c1440York Myst. xlvii. 137 All kynnys swetnesse is þer-in. 1528Tindale Obed. Chr. Man 15 b, To translate it welfaveredly, so that it have the same grace and swetnesse..in the latyne, as it hath in the hebrue. 1585–7T. Rogers 39 Art. xi. (1625) 55 Neither shall they bee partakers of the sweetnesse of this truth which say, that [etc.]. 1699T. Baker Refl. Learn. iv. 38 He..to whom he gives the Force of Demosthenes, the Sweetness of Isocrates, and the Copia of Plato. 1748J. Geddes Comp. Antients 7 The two things then, which every good writer either in prose or verse is to aim at, are sweetness and dignity. 1840J. H. Newman Par. Serm. (1842) V. xxii. 365 Even sorrow must have a sweetness, if love be in it.
b. Pleasant feeling, delight, pleasure; also, a source of delight or pleasure. Now rare or merged in other senses.
a1225Ancr. R. 102 Þes cos..is a swetnesse & a delit of heorte, so unimete swote & swete. c1230Hali Meid. 7 Swuch swettnesse þu schalt ifinden in his luue & in his seruise..þet [etc.]. a1240Ureisun in O.E. Hom. I. 183 Ihesu min hali loue min sikere swetnesse [printed spetnesse]. c1386Chaucer Melib. ⁋192 Salomon seith That ..‘the conseil of trewe freendes yeueth swetenesse to the soule.’ a1400Prymer (1891) 51 Heyl queene mooder of mercy, oure lyf and oure swetnesse. c1440Jacob's Well 280 Whan þin herte is harde as a stone, & hath no deuocyoun to god, ne loue, ne dreed, ne swetnesse. c1485Digby Myst., Mary Magdalene 794 O lord Iesu, ower melleflueus swettnesse. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 159 b, To..use y⊇ maner of prayer..in y⊇ whiche he fyndeth moost swetnes. Ibid. 287 Swetenesses of grace. 1612Brinsley Lud. Lit. 9 They feele such a sweetnesse in play and idlenesse, as they can hardly bee framed to leaue it. 1863Pusey Serm. Matt. v. 4. 6 Rather it is an abiding sorrow, sweeter than all life's sweetnesses. 1870Bryant Iliad I. iii. 102 Such glow of love Possesses me and sweetness of desire. 1886Pall Mall G. 14 Sept. 5/2 She was one of those brave souls who have fought the good fight with little help of spiritual sweetnesses.
7. Of disposition, manner, or conduct: Graciousness, gentleness, kindliness, mildness.
c1000Ags. Ps. (Th.) xxx. 21 [xxxi. 19] Hu micel..is seo mycelnes þinre swetnesse. a1225Ancr. R. 254 Jesu Cristes deorewurðe wordes & werkes, þet weren alle ine luue & ine swetnesse. a1300Cursor M. 9803 Mikel it was his suetnes þan, Mikel reuth he had þat sith o man. 1340Ayenb. 145 Mansuetudo oþer beningnitas þet is zuyetnesse of herte. c1366Chaucer A.B.C. 51 Glorious mayde and moder..ful of swetnesse and mercy euer. c1450Mirk's Festial 220 Aȝeynes passyon he schowyd louyng swetenes. 1598B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. ii. i, So full of man, and sweetnesse in his carriage. 1641J. Jackson True Evang. T. ii. 102 Grace of Regeneration..introduceth gracious habits of sweetnesse, peace and love. 1680Otway Orphan i. i, They're both of Nature mild, and full of sweetness. 1784Cowper Task ii. 708 In his speech was heard Paternal sweetness, dignity, and love. 1848Thackeray Van. Fair xxxiv, She repaid Miss Crawley's engoûment by artless sweetness and friendship. 1891Farrar Darkness & Dawn x, In his eyes and mouth there was an expression of honesty and sweetness which endeared him to the heart of the lonely prince.
†8. Addiction to sweet things; self-indulgence. Obs. rare.
c1440Gesta Rom. xxx. 110 (Harl. MS.), He yaf him so muche to this swettnes, that he wolde not thens, but yete hony, and made him murye. 1603Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. iv. 45 To remit Their sawcie sweetnes, that do coyne heauens Image In stamps that are forbid. |