| 释义 |
fruitfulness|ˈfruːtfʊlnɪs|
[f. fruitful + -ness.]
The quality, fact, or state of being fruitful, in senses of the adj.
1. Fertility in crops; exuberant production.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. lxi. (1495) 637 The fygge tree..hath that name of fruitfulnesse, for it is more fruytfull than other trees. 1561T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. xvi. (1634) 85 As though the fruitfulnesse of one yeare were not the singular blessing of God. 1601Weever Mirr. Mart. B ij, A ground Which thrice a yeere her fruitfulnes did show. 1695Ld. Preston Boeth. i. 18 note, Named Felix..famous for its Fruitfulness and Number of Cities. 1775Adair Amer. Ind. 184 The vine was..a symbol of fruitfulness. 1879Cassell's Techn. Educ. I. 245 Some idea of its [banana's] fruitfulness may be gathered from the statement [etc.].
concr.1649Roberts Clavis Bibl. 80 And plentifully he did eate The fruitfulnesses of the field.
2. Fertility in offspring; fecundity.
1624Gataker Transubst. 138 By that blessing hee bestowed fruitfulnesse upon them. 1647Fuller Good Th. in Worse T. (1841) 120 That water..proved like the spa unto her, so famous for causing fruitfulness. 1702Addison Dial. Medals ii. 93 The Cornu-copiæ in her hand is a type of her fruitfulness. 1846McCulloch Acc. Brit. Empire (1854) I. 420 The increase..must..be attributed to an increased fruitfulness of the female sex.
3. Productiveness in general:
a. of material things. ? Obs.
1630R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 237 The fruitfulnesse of the Mines is no whit diminished. 1641J. Jackson True Evang. T. ii. 103 The milkie fruitfulnesse of the Cow.
b. of immaterial things. Also, profitableness, utility; occas. † liberality.
1509Hawes Past. Pleas. xi. xxxvii, He shal attaste the well of frutefulness Which Vyrgyl claryfied. 1551Bible Ps. xxxvi. note, The fertilitie and fruitfulnes of the holy Ghoste. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 266 To heale that up by the fruitfulnesse of physicke. 1604Shakes. Oth. iii. iv. 38 This argues fruitfulnesse, and liberal heart. a1661Fuller Worthies (1840) III. 87 It [woad] giveth them [colours] truth and fruitfulness. 1702Addison Dial. Medals ii. 52 Shows at the same time the great fruitfulness of the Poet's fancy. 1833Lamb Elia, Product. Mod. Art, To the lowest subjects..the Great Masters gave loftiness and fruitfulness. 1881J. R. Illingworth Serm. Coll. Chapel 150 The fruitfulness of the fragmentary lives of old. |