| 释义 |
▪ I. gerrymander, n. U.S.|gɛrɪˈmændə(r), ˈdʒɛrɪ-|
[f. the surname Gerry: see quot. 1881.]
(See quot. 1868.) Also, one elected by gerrymandering. Also attrib.
1812Columbian Centinel 23 May 2/3 The sensibility of the good people of Massachusetts is..awakened to this ‘Gerrymander’. 1812Massachusetts Spy 4 Nov. (Th.), Gerrymander Senate. 1813Ibid. 12 May (Th.), An official statement of the returns of voters for senators give[s] twenty nine friends of peace, and eleven gerrymanders. 1868Nat. Encycl. I. 619 Gerrymander, a method of arranging election districts so that the political party making the arrangement will be enabled to elect a greater number of representatives than they could on a fair system, and more than they should have in proportion to their numerical strength. 1881Mem. Hist. Boston III. 212 In 1812, while Elbridge Gerry was Governor of Massachusetts, the Democratic Legislature, in order to secure an increased representation of their party in the State Senate, districted the State in such a way that the shapes of the towns forming such a district in Essex county brought out a territory of regular outline. This was indicated on a map which Russell the editor of the ‘Continent’ hung in his office. Stuart the painter observing it added a head, wings, and claws, and exclaimed ‘That will do for a salamander!’ ‘Gerrymander!’ said Russell, and the word became a proverb. 1884Times (weekly ed.) 17 Oct. 17/2 The Ohio Democrats had made a partisan gerrymander of certain districts in order to retain power. 1891G. W. Curtis in Harper's Weekly 28 Mar. (Funk), Mr. McKinley..was defeated only by a gerrymander.
▪ II. gerrymander, v.|gɛrɪˈmændə(r), ˈdʒɛrɪ-|
Also erron. (in England) jerrymander.
[f. the n.]
trans. To subject (a state, a constituency) to a gerrymander. Also transf., esp. in sense: To manipulate in order to gain an unfair advantage.
1812Salem Gaz. 22 Dec. 2/4 So much..for War and Gerrymandering. 1812N.Y. Post 28 Dec. 3/1 They attempted also to Gerrymander the State for the choice of Representatives to Congress. 1859Bartlett Dict. Amer. (ed. 2) Introd. 24. 1862 T. Winthrop E. Brothertoft ii. ii. (1876) 111 A great scope of fertile plain, gerrymandered into farms. 1884Times (weekly ed.) 17 Oct. 4/1 A question how the constituencies can be gerrymandered. 1887Smyth in Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. XVIII. 123 Gerrymandering dialect phenomena cannot but hurt a domain of philology that is sadly in lack of material with which to operate. 1890Spectator 20 Sept. 367/2 They either had been ‘gerrymandered’ or thought they had been ‘gerrymandered’ out of their fair share of representative power. 1893Times 26 Apr. 9/3 Mr. C― described Mr. B― as a political puritan who had grossly gerrymandered the Lancashire bench [of magistrates].
Hence gerryˈmandered ppl. a.; gerryˈmandering vbl. n.; also attrib. Also gerryˈmanderer, one who gerrymanders (a constituency, etc.).
1848Bartlett Dict. Amer., Gerrymandering. 1872N.Y. Sunday Merc. 31 Mar. (Farmer), The Legislature of Ohio intends to prove itself a veritable master in the Gerrymandering business. 1883Q. Rev. Jan. 271 In 1832..some very remarkable feats of ‘jerrymandering’ were performed by the Whig Party. 1884Ibid. Oct. 577 It would enable ministers to appeal to a gerrymandered constituency. 1884Pall Mall G. 18 July, We do not think the astutest gerrymanderer could turn the scale. 1893Times 27 Apr. 8/1 He [Mr. Trevelyan] was admirably equipped for passing a gerrymandering Bill of this sort. |