| 释义 |
ˈtooth-brush
a. A small brush with a long handle, used for cleansing the teeth.
[1651,1751: see teeth-brush s.v. tooth n. 9 b.] 1690Wood Life (O.H.S.) III. 319 [Bought] toothbrush [of] J. Barret. 1807J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life 236 While you are waiting..for a fresh supply of tooth-brushes. 1844W. H. Maxwell Sports & Adv. Scotl. ii. (1855) 35 My chattels are safe,..even to a tooth-brush.
b. attrib., as tooth-brush glass, tooth-brush handle, tooth-brush holder, tooth-brush rack; tooth-brush moustache (humorous), a bristly moustache; tooth-brush tree, a name for Salvadora persica, from the use of its twigs for cleaning the teeth.
1931H. E. L. Mellersh Salt of Earth vii. 159 Put them [sc. flowers] in the toothbrush glass or something till May can see to them. 1979R. Jaffe Class Reunion (1980) i. i. 30 Go get your toothbrush glasses and we'll lock the door.
1886Fenn Master Cerem. i, That peg was an old tooth-brush handle.
1911T. Eaton & Co. Catal. Spring & Summer 199/2 Combination tumbler and tooth brush holder, nickel-plated. 1979M. Millar Murder of Miranda ii. 85 The chrome toothbrush holder was empty.
1904Daily Chron. 31 Aug. 4/4 Clothes of outlandish cut, toothbrush moustache.
1926–7Army & Navy Stores Catal. 121/2 Bath bracket outfit consisting of..tumbler ring, tooth brush rack. 1969Hurd & Osmond Smile on Face of Tiger v. 184 [He] stood leaning against the toothbrush rack, cup in hand.
1891Cent. Dict. s.v. Salvadora, S. Persica..in India furnishes kikuel-oil, and from the use of its twigs is sometimes called toothbrush-tree.
Hence ˈtoothbrushing vbl. n.; ˈtoothbrushy a. nonce-wd., resembling a tooth-brush; bristly.
1904‘A. Hope’ Double Harness xiii, His toothbrushy hair had..more than usual of its suggestion of comical distress. 1920A. Huxley Limbo 168 A foam of tooth-brushing. 1976J. Philips Backlash (1977) ii. ii. 93 Go into the bathrooms... Time for tooth brushing. |