| 释义 |
trefoil, n. (a.)|ˈtriːfɔɪl, ˈtrɛfɔɪl|
Forms: α. 5–7 trifolie, 5 tryfolye, 5–6 -foly, 6 -folly, 6–7 (9 arch.) trifoly. β. 5 treyfoyle, (iij.foill), 6 treifoile; traif-, treff-, (terf-, treef-), tryfoyle; 6–7 tri-, tre-, -foil(e, -foyl(e, 7 trey-, (tree-) foile, 5– trefoil. γ. 5 trey-, trayfole, (6 -folde), 6–7 trifole, 7 trifol, tre-fole. See also trefle n.
[The α-forms appear to be directly ad. L. trifolium, f. tri- three + folium leaf, whence Sp. trifolio, It. trifoglio; the β-forms, from AF. trifoil (c 1265 in Wr.-Wülcker 556/33): cf. late OF. trefeuil, -feul (15th c. in Godef.), Pr. trefueil. The Fr. form trèfle represents a late L. *trifolum: cf. the γ-forms.]
1. A plant of the genus Trifolium, having triple or trifoliate leaves; a clover: commonly applied to species or varieties other (esp. smaller) than those cultivated under the name of ‘clover’; often to the yellow-flowered T. minus, and also to the similar Medicago lupulina.
αa1450Stockh. Med. MS. ii. 666 in Anglia XVIII. 323 Of trifolie ȝif þou take þe jows. 1562Turner Herbal ii. 5 Ye lefe [of Fenegreke] is lyke vnto trifoly. 1657S. Purchas Pol. Flying-Ins. i. xv. 94 Another kinde of Trifoly with long red blossomes. 1840Browning Sordello iii. 2 Braid moon⁓fern now with mystic trifoly.
βc1400Three Kings Cologne 92 Þe leuys be liche treyfoyles. c1440Pallad. on Husb. i. 701 For wonte of gresse, on trefoil let hem byte. 1552Huloet, Trifoyle herbe, trifolium. 1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. 45 The best hearbe for Pasture or Meddowe, is the Trefoyle or Clauer. 1601Chester Love's Mart. (1878) 82 Sweete trefoile, Weed⁓wind, the wholesome Wormewood..Stone hearts tongue, Blessed thistle, and Sea Trifoly. 1610J. Guillim Heraldry iii. x. (1660) 146 The Treefoile is accounted the Husbandmans Almanack, because when it shutteth in the leaves it foretelleth raine. 1765Museum Rust. IV. 120 Those useful grasses, the clovers and trefoils. 1815Elphinstone Acc. Caubul (1842) I. 387 They first soil them [horses] with trefoil, and then give them lucerne. 1830Withering's Brit. Plants (ed. 7) III. 854 note, [St. Patrick] plucking a Trefoil, and thereby illustrating the mystery of the Trinity in Unity. Ibid., Hence originated the custom of wearing the Shamrock, (a bunch of Trefoil) on the anniversary of that Saint [Patrick].
γ [c1420Trayfole: see 3.] 1580Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 376 As salfe..as sleeping in the grasse Trifole, where..no serpent..dare venture. 1670Evelyn Sylva (ed. 2) 3 The Tre-fole or Clover.
†b. gen. Any plant with trifoliate leaves, as wood-sorrel. Obs. rare—1.
c1425tr. Arderne's Treat. Fistula 68 Panis cuculi alleluya, i. wodsour, is a treyfole growyng vnder buschez..a ful sour herbe.
c. With defining words, applied to particular species of Trifolium, or to plants of other genera having triple leaves, or otherwise resembling trefoil.
bird's-foot trefoil, a book-name for Lotus corniculatus and other species. bitumen or bituminous trefoil, Psoralea bituminosa, a S. European evergreen shrub. bog trefoil, Menyanthes trifoliata. hare's-foot trefoil, Trifolium arvense. honeysuckle trefoil, a former name for the white and red clovers (Trifolium repens and T. pratense). hop trefoil: see hop n.1 4 b. meadow trefoil, purple trefoil, T. pratense, also the wild T. medium. † sea trefoil (trifoly), a name given by Turner to Astragalus Glaux. shrub trefoil, the same as tree-trefoil; formerly also identified with Cytisus, and by some applied to Yellow Jasmine; also to the Shrubby Trefoil of N. America. shrubby trefoil, in Gerarde, app. the same as prec.; now the N. American hop-tree, Ptelea trifoliata; sometimes vaguely applied to other shrubby plants with trifoliate leaves. † sour trefoil, an old name for wood-sorrel. strawberry-bearing or strawberry-headed trefoil, the strawberry clover, Trifolium fragiferum. sweet trefoil: see quot. 1884. thorny trefoil, a thorny shrub of the genus Fagonia, esp. F. cretica. water trefoil, Menyanthes trifoliata. white trefoil, white or Dutch clover. yellow trefoil, any yellow-flowered species of Trifolium, as T. procumbens; also Medicago lupulina. zigzag trefoil, Trifolium medium. See also bean-trefoil, heart t., marsh t., melilot t., milk-t., moon-t., snail t., tick t., tree-trefoil.
1760J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 330 *Bird's foot Trefoil, Lotus. 1833[see bird's-foot 2].
1658Rowland Moufet's Theat. Ins. 1063 Take seed of *bituminous Trifoly. 1884Miller Plant-n., Psoralea bituminosa, Bitumen Trefoil.
Ibid., Menyanthes trifoliata,..*Bog-Trefoil,..Marsh Trefoil, Water Trefoil.
1867Babington Man. Brit. Bot. (ed. 6) 85 T[rifolium] arvense..*Hare's-foot Trefoil.
1763Museum Rust. I. 27 The sweet white-flowered, or *honeysuckle, trefoil. 1796[see honeysuckle 8].
1707Mortimer Husb. (1721) I. 41 The Yellow *Hop Trefoil. 1855–[see hop n.1 4 b].
1578Lyte Dodoens iv. xxxvi. 495 *Medow Trefoyle, or Common Trefoyle.
1785Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xxv. (1794) 367 *Purple Trefoil. Honeysuckle Trefoil, or Red Clover.
1548Turner Names of Herbes 40 Glaux..may be called in englishe *sea Trifoly.
1597Gerarde Herbal iii. xiv. 1128 Of the *shrub Trefoile,..most do call it Cytisus, but we had rather name it Trifolium fruticans. 1640Parkinson Theat. Bot. 1466 Shrub Trefoile or the ordinary yellow Iasmine. 1771J. R. Forster Flora Amer. Septentr. 6 Ptelea trifoliata. Shrub trefoil. Virginia.
1597Gerarde Herbal iii. xi. 1122 The first kinde of Cytisus or *Shrubbie Trefoile. Ibid. xiv. 1129. 1866 Treas. Bot. 936 P[telea] trifoliata, the Shrubby Trefoil of North America, is frequently grown in shrubberies. 1884Sargent Rep. Forests N. Amer. 31 Hop tree. Shrubby Trefoil. Wafer Ash.
1578Lyte Dodoens iv. xliii. 503 This herbe is called..in English Wood-sorel,..*Sower Trifoly. 1796Withering Brit. Plants (ed. 3) II. 430 Oxalis Acetosella..Wood Sorrel..Sour Trefoil.
1796H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) I. 10 One species..bears..it's seeds aggregated into the form of a strawberry, from which it derives the botanic name of trifolium fragiferum, the *strawberry-bearing trefoil.
1884Miller Plant-n., Melilotus cœrulea, *Sweet Trefoil.
1760J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 330 *Thorny Trefoil, of Candia, Fagonia.
1860Mayne Expos. Lex., Marsh Trefoil, *Water Trefoil, common names for the Menyanthes trifoliata, or buckbean.
1785Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xxv. (1794) 367 *White Trefoil, commonly called Dutch clover, has a creeping perennial stem... The *Yellow Trefoil, cultivated under this name, or that of Nonesuch. 1870Morris Earthly Par. III. iv. 191 Some from amidst the daisies gleaned The yellow trefoil.
1796Withering Brit. Plants (ed. 3) III. 651 *Zigzag Trefoil,..Tr. medium. 1843Penny Cycl. XXV. 211/1 [T. medium] can be recognised by its zigzag stem, from which..it is sometimes called Zigzag Trefoil.
†2. A set or rosette of three leaves; the first three leaves of a young plant. Obs. rare—1.
c1440Pallad. on Husb. iii. 623 To make hem [mustard and colewort] hoor as frost..Let grounden glas go syfte on hem aboute, When theyr trefoyl or quaterfoyl is owte.
3. An ornamental figure representing or resembling a trifoliate leaf; spec. in Arch. an ornament with an opening divided by cusps so as to present or suggest the figure of a three-lobed leaf. (Cf. cinquefoil, quatrefoil.)
1418E.E. Wills (1882) 36 Wroght wit mapil leues and fret of .iij.foill. c1420Anturs of Arth. 510 (Thornton MS.) Trayfolede with trayfoles, and trewluffes by-twene. 1536in Antiq. Sarisb. (1771) 198 Four Basons,..with Trifoils within pounced and chased in the midst with a Falcon of Gold. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 207 A cote of greate riches, in braides of golde laied lose on Russet Veluet and set with Traifoyles, full of pearle and stone. 1551Sir J. Williams Accompte (Abbotsf. Cl.) 76 Another paier of candelstickes chased withe trayfoldes. 1842–76Gwilt Encycl. Archit. Gloss., Trefoil, in Gothic architecture, an ornament consisting of three cusps in a circle. 1863Sir G. G. Scott Glean. Westm. Abb. (ed. 2) 38 The tracery is not only in circles, but in quatrefoils and trefoils.
b. Her. A bearing conventionally representing a clover-leaf with its stalk; resembling a small cross with rounded leaves or lobes in place of the three upper arms.
1562Leigh Armorie 172 b, He bearethe Or, a Treffoyle, doble, slepped vert. 1622Peacham Compl. Gentl. xvi. (1634) 206 Hee beareth Argent: a Cheveron Azure between 3 Treyfoiles Vert. The Treyfoile is the Herald of the Spring and the first grasse that appeareth; hereupon it was the Embleme of Hope. c1828Berry Encycl. Her. I. Gloss., Trefoil, or Three-leaved Grass. This bearing often occurs in coat-armour.
4. fig. A set of three closely united.
1826Scott Mal. Malagr. i. 48 One leaf of the holy Trefoil—one distinct and component part of the United Kingdoms. 1827Carlyle Germ. Rom. IV. 47 Among the children..Wilhelm noticed Felix; the other two were the Angels of last night. The friendly trefoil came running towards him.
5. as adj. Three-leaved; consisting of three leaflets or lobes; having the figure of a trefoil or clover leaf; furnished with such figures.
1752H. Walpole Lett. (1845) II. 440 A beautiful tomb, all in our trefoil taste. 1785Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xxv. (1794) 350 They are ternate, trefoil, or three-leaved. 1874Parker Goth. Archit. i. iv. 151 Small trefoil arches..between the corbels.
6. attrib. and Comb., as trefoil head, trefoil juice, trefoil leaf, trefoil seed; trefoil-headed, trefoil-like, trefoil-purpled adjs.; trefoil-wise adv.; trefoil burnet, trefoil green, moths of which the larvæ feed on trefoil.
1825Owen & Blakeway Hist. Shrewsbury II. 88 Six narrow pointed arches,..decorated with *trefoil heads.
1874Parker Goth. Archit. i. iv. 134 A window of two *trefoil-headed openings.
1619Sir A. Gorges tr. Bacon's De Sap. Vet. 30 The Goate..doth greedily aspire To haue the *trifol iuyce passe downe her throate.
1758Mrs. Delany in Life & Corr. (1861) III. 504 The receipt for tooth-ache is, ‘Little *trefoil leaves, primrose leaves and yarrow pounded’.
1911Encycl. Brit. XX. 399/2 The wood⁓sorrel, a small stemless plant with radical *trefoil-like leaves.
1782J. Scott Elegy iii, The fragrant *trefoil-purpled field.
1765Museum Rust. IV. 79 *Trefoil-seed, 2 d. per pound.
1727–41Chambers Cycl. s.v. Mistletoe, Its flowers grow by three and three, *trefoil-wise. 1889Q. Jrnl. Geol. Soc. Feb. 64 Groups of three globulites massed trefoilwise. |