| 释义 |
▪ I. extortion, n.|ɛkˈstɔːʃən|
Forms: 4–6 extorcion, -cioun(e, 4 -cyoune, 5 -cyon, 4–7 extorsion, 4 -scion, -siun, 5 -sioun, -syoun, 6 -syon, 4– extortion.
[ad. L. extortiōn-em, also extorsiōn-em, n. of action f. extorquēre (see extort). Cf. F. extorsion.]
1. The action or practice of extorting or wresting anything, esp. money, from a person by force or by undue exercise of authority or power; an instance of this; an act of illegal exaction.
a1300Cursor M. 27825 (Cott.) O couaitise..cums..reuelaic, theft, extorsiun. c1340Hampole Prose Tr. v. (1866) 11 Thurghe extorcyone, as lordes duse. c1386Chaucer Friar's T. 131 My wages ben ful streyt..by extorciouns I lyve. 1429Pol. Poems (1859) II. 142 Cherisshe thy lordes, hate extorcioun. 1593Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, i. iii. 132 The Clergies Bags Are lanke and leane with thy Extortions. 1651Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxviii. 166 The continuance, and increasing of..extortion. a1715Burnet Own Time (1724) I. 306 To bring them [the Bankers] to an account for their usury, and extortions. 1858Froude Hist. Eng. III. xvii. 494 By bribery and extortion he had obtained vast sums of money.
b. Law (see quot. 1769).
1607J. Cowell Interpr., Extortion..signifieth..an unlawful or violent wringing of mony or mony worth from any man. 1674Essex Papers (Camden) I. 229 This Country hath long layn under great Oppressions by y⊇ Extortion of y⊇ Clerks of y⊇ Crowne. 1769Blackstone Comm. IV. 141 Extortion.. consists in any officer's unlawfully taking, by colour of his office, from any man, any money or thing of value, that is not due to him, or more than is due, or before it is due. 1789Bentham Princ. Legisl. xiii. §1 An act of extortion on the part of an officer of police. 1848in Wharton Law Lex. 1861in W. Bell Dict. Law Scot.
†c. An extortionate claim or impost. Obs.
1745De Foe's Eng. Tradesman I. xxx. 303 Paying an intolerable extortion of fifteen to twenty per cent premium.
†2. In etymological sense:
a. A wresting of the sense of a word or phrase.
b. A straining (of the nerves). Obs.
1652Needham tr. Selden's Mare Cl. 27 The Italian Lawyers..do force themselves with all extortion to verifie upon the Western Emperor that saying. 1725Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Nerves, The same will also cure the Extorsions of the Nerves, if apply'd moderately hot.
▪ II. exˈtortion, v.
[f. prec. n.]
a. intr. To practise extortion. Const. upon.
b. trans. To charge extortionate prices to; to overcharge.
1494Fabyan Chron. vii. ccxxxiii. 267 The soldyours stale and extorcioned vpon both partyes. 1502Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) iv. xxi. 251 Yf he extorcyon or dystresse or gyueth ayde or consentynge that to do. 1663Spalding Troub. Chas. I (1792) I. 124 For such [meat] as they got they were extortioned. 1833Marryat P. Simple viii, A bed and a breakfast..for which they extortioned me three shillings and sax-pence. [Still in dialectal use (Chesh.).]
Hence † exˈtortioning ppl. a.
1655Heywood Fort. by Land iv. Wks. 1874 VI. 423 My poor usuring, extortioning Master. |