| 释义 |
explain, v.|ɛkˈspleɪn|
Forms: 6 explaine, 6–7 explayne, 6–8 explane, 7– explain.
[ad. L. explānāre, f. ex- (see ex- prefix1) + plān-us flat, plain. Cf. OF. ex-, esplaner.]
†1. To smooth out, make smooth, take out roughness from. Obs.
1549Chaloner tr. Erasm. Moriæ Enc. B j, He must caulme and explane his forehead. 1650Bulwer Anthropomet. 9 Their faces are explained or flatted by art.
†2.
a. To open out, unfold, spread out flat (a material object). Also refl. and intr. for refl. to explain (itself) into: to develop. Obs.
1607Deloney Strange Hist. i. (Percy Soc.) 10 Her wit..like a ship her selfe explaines. 1644Bulwer Chiron. 53 The left hand explained into a Palme. 1664Evelyn Sylva (1776) 231 Before they [buds] explain into leaves. 1684― in Phil. Trans. XIV. 560 The Horse-Chesnut is..ready to explain its leaf. 1721R. Bradley Wks. Nat. 46 In the Gourd..a Seed..coming to explain itself into a Plant of full Perfection, will spread its Vine in six months. Ibid. 144 Beetles..have..Wings..so disposed as to fold up or explain themselves at the Will of the Insect.
†b. To make plainly visible; to display; also, to explain itself to be (something). Obs.
1607Rowlands Famous Hist. 71 That life she entertains..And such severity therein explains. 1608R. Johnson 7 Champions ii. P iv b, The darke night began..to give Aurora libertie to explayne her purple brightnesse. 1647N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. lvii. 105 England would..explain itself unto the World to be a regular Government.
3. a. To unfold (a matter); to give details of, enter into details respecting. Occas. with indirect question as obj. Also absol.
(In some examples, sense 3 a is indistinguishable from 3 b.)
1513More Rich. III Wks. 63/2 Other thinges, which the..doctor rather signified then fully explaned. 1571Digges Pantom. iv. xxv. Ff iv b, To explane the composition, fourme, nature, and proportion. 1729Butler Serm. Pref. Wks. II. 9 The following Discourses..were intended to explain what is meant by the nature of man. 1756C. Lucas Ess. Waters I. Pref., I thought it just to explane the Medicinal Qualities. 1856Reade Never too Late II. v. 83 ‘Then what were you in the black hole for?’ ‘For obeying orders.’ ‘Nonsense! hum! Explain.’ 1866J. Martineau Ess. I. 71 Does he explain the business of Ethics? Mod., You have not explained how your results are obtained. 1886‘M. Gray’ Silence of Dean Maitland iii. xi, He took a card from his pocket... ‘That will explain to Dr. Everard,’ he said. 1899Skeel & Brearley King Washington 122, I cannot explain about the robbery in your father's garden without disloyalty to my duty. 1922Joyce Ulysses 449 Gentlemen of the jury, let me explain. 1968Wodehouse Do Butlers burgle Banks? (1970) 28 Horace..lost no time in going on to explain.
absol.1671Milton Samson 1583 Wearied with slaughter then, or how? explain. 1741Middleton Cicero I. iii. 169 A tongue that could explane.
b. To make plain or intelligible; to clear of obscurity or difficulty.
1552Huloet, Explayne, explico. 1579Fulke Heskins' Parl. 345 He hath not explaned the manner of the mysterie. 1651Hobbes Leviath. iv. xlvi. 378 The Power of Explaining them [Laws] when there is need. 1676Glanvill Ess., Confidence in Philos. 6 How the pure Mind can receive information from things that are not like it self..is..not to be explain'd. a1732Gay (J.), You will have variety of commentators to explain the difficult passages to you. 1875Manning Mission H. Ghost ii. 44 What the child cannot understand you explain. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 131 Allow me to explain my meaning.
4. a. To assign a meaning to, state the meaning or import of; to interpret.
1608Shakes. Per. ii. ii. 14 'Tis now your honour, daughter, to explain The labour of each knight, in his device. 1667Milton P.L. ii. 518 The sounding Alchymie By Harald's voice explain'd. 1692Dryden St. Euremont's Ess. 109 An innocent word maliciously explained. 1726Chetwood Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 48 This he told Mirza in the Moorish Tongue, but explain'd it to me in English. 1744Berkeley Siris §221 To define fire by heat would be to explain a thing by itself. 1878Browning La Saisiaz 30 Hindrance is the fact acknowledged, howso'er explained as Fate, Fortune, Providence.
b. to explain away: to modify or do away with (a meaning, etc.) by explanation; to explain so as to deprive of force or significance, esp. an offensive one. † to explain oneself away: to explain away one's meaning.
1709Pope Ess. Crit. 117 Those explained the meaning quite away. 1729Butler Serm. Pref. Wks. II. 22 There is a strange affectation in many people of explaining away all particular affections. 1786H. Tooke Purley Introd. (1798) 11 You shall not be permitted to explain yourself away. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 741 His words were taken down; and, though he tried to explain them away, he was sent to the Tower. 1877Mozley Univ. Serm. vii. 154 To explain away the natural meaning of this part of Scripture language. 1885Hemming in Law Rep. 29 Chanc. Div. 293 He seeks to explain away the authorities we rely on.
5. To make clear the cause, origin, or reason of; to account for.
1736Butler Anal. i. v. Wks. I. 90 It may be hard to explain the faculty, by which we are capable of habits. 1777Sheridan Sch. Scand. iv. iii, I make no doubt—but I shall explain everything to your satisfaction. 1860Tyndall Glac. ii. viii. 267 The principles we have laid down enable us to explain the difference. 1863M. Howitt F. Bremer's Greece II. xiv. 91 It has been known from the most ancient times, but has never yet been explained in a satisfactory manner.
6. refl. To make one's meaning clear and intelligible, speak plainly. Also, to give an account of one's intentions or motives. Formerly with subord. clause: To state in explanation of one's conduct that, etc.
1624Gataker Transubst. (1626) 86 More particularly explaining himselfe he saith. 1647N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. xliv. (1739) 71 The Duke must now explain himself, that it was the value of the English Crown, and not the Title, that brought him over. 1660Fuller Mixt Contempl. (1841) 216 Being desired farther to explain himself; I mean, said he, [etc.]. 1791Mrs. Radcliffe Rom. Forest ix, Explain yourself, lovely Adeline.
7. intr.
a. With subord. clause. To say in explanation that.
1867Baker Albert N'yanza II. 162 Explaining that I was quite out of stores and presents. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) IV. 132 He..explains to Socrates that he has attained the conception of ideas by a process of generalization.
†b. To speak one's mind against, upon.
(Somewhat common in 18th c.)
1709Steele Tatler No. 45 ⁋9 My intended Purpose..was to explain upon the Order of Merry Fellows. 1718Hickes & Nelson J. Kettlewell ii. xxxiv. 141 The Designs..which they had..so loudly explained against. 1764Chesterfield Lett. IV. 202 The Public..begins to explain upon him.
c. With a direct statement as obj.: to utter in explanation.
1856Reade Never too Late II. v. 94 ‘Yes sir clammed and no mistake.’ ‘North-country word for starved’ explained Mr. Eden. 1903R. Langbridge Flame & Flood x, Tears came into Susette's eyes... ‘I have bitten my tongue,’ Susette explained. 1908Smart Set June 93/1 He slapped down a yellow envelope upon the desk. ‘Telegram,’ he explained tersely.
Hence exˈplained ppl. a.; in quot. as compar.
1685Col. Rec. Pennsylv. I. 140 Y⊇ Assembly requested..that a further Explainter Sence might be admitted. |