释义 |
encurtain, v.|ɛnˈkɜːtɪn, -t(ə)n| Forms: 4 encortin, 6 encurtine, incorteyn, incurtain, -teyn, 7 en-, incourtaine, 7– encurtain. [a. OF. encortine-r, encourtine-r, f. en- in + cortine, courtine curtain.] 1. trans. To surround, or envelop with curtains.
1393Gower Conf. I. 71 A softe bedde of large space They hadde made and encortined. c1530Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814) 6 To lye in the bed incorteyned wyth sylke. 1601Holland Pliny xix. i, They began at Rome to encourtaine their Theatre with such vailes dyed in colours. 2. trans. and fig. To surround as with a curtain; to shroud, veil.
1596C. Fitzgeffrey Sir F. Drake (1881) 97 Since first these clouds his [the sunne's] face incurtained. c1800K. White Poet. Wks. (1837) 71 Encurtain'd in the main. 1869Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. xviii. 11 Blessed is the darkness which encurtains my God. †3. Fortification. (See quot.) Obs. rare—1. [So encortiner in OF.; cf. curtain n.]
1598Florio, Cortinare, to encurtine, to flank or fortifie about with a wall. Hence enˈcurtained ppl. a.
1595Markham Sir R. Grinvile lxxxviii, Bright day is darkned by incurtaind light. 1606Chapman M. D'Olive Plays 1873 I. 190 Through the encourtaind windowes..I see light Tapers. 1631R. Brathwait Whimzies, Gamester 40 At the end of every act, the encurtain'd musique sounds. |