| 释义 |
adulteress|əˈdʌltərɪs, -trɪs|
Forms: 4–5 avoutres, avoutresse, avowtresse, 6 advoutrice, 6–7 advoutresse, advouteresse, 7 adultresse, adulteresse, 8– adulteress, occas. adultress.
[The form in -trice imitates Fr.; but the earliest form is a. OFr. avotresse, avoutresse f. avoutre; cf. maître, maîtresse, and see -ess. It is thus, formally, the feminine of adulter, not of the later adulter-er.]
A woman that commits adultery.
1382Wyclif Lev. xx. 10 Thurȝ deth dye both the lecchour and the auowtres [1388 bothe auowter and auowtresse]. 1502Arnold Chron. (1811) 275 Yf ony weddyd woman bee aduoutrice. 1548Hall Chron. (1809) 365 To pretende that his awne mother was an avoutresse. 1553Udall Rois. Dois. (1869) 81 Thou didst helpe the aduoutresse that she might be amended. 1567Jewel Def. of Apol. (1611) 176 She is twice an Aduouteresse. 1611Shakes. Wint. T. ii. i. 78 But be't knowne..Shee's an Adultresse. 1611Bible James iv. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses. 1625Bacon Ess. xix. 303 This kinde of danger, is then to be feared..that they be aduoutresses. 1626Massinger Rom. Actor i. iii, Bringing on the stage a loose adulteress. 1697Dryden Virgil (J.) Helen's rich attire; From Argos by the fam'd adult'ress brought. 1784Cowper Task iii. 64 Th' adultress! what a theme for angry verse. 1845Whewell Elem. Morality iv. v. §728 The adulteress was to be repudiated and otherwise punished. |