| 释义 |
twelvepenny, a. (n.) Now rare.|ˈtwɛlvpənɪ|
1. Of the value of, or amounting to, twelvepence. † twelvepenny piece, a shilling (obs.).
1594Blundevil Exerc. i. vii. (1636) 21, 7 twelue-penny peeces of silver. 1710Addison Tatler No. 249 ⁋1 The Adventures that this Twelvepenny-Piece has been engaged in. 1712Prideaux Direct. Ch.-wardens (ed. 4) 99 Done for the base Lucre of a Six-penny or Twelve-penny Fee.
2. Costing or priced at twelvepence; for or in connexion with which a shilling is paid or payable.
1609Dekker Gvlls Horne-bk. Proœm B j b, When at a new play you take vp the twelue-penny roome, next the stage. 1609B. Jonson Sil. Wom. ii. v, At the tweluepeny ordinary. 1678Dryden All for Love Pref. b iv, This Rhyming Judge of the Twelve-penny Gallery. 1712Lond. Gaz. No. 4988/3 The Twelvepeny Stamps prescrib'd by Law for Ale-house-Licenses. 1726Swift Gulliver ii. iii, A bit of bread..as big as two twelve-penny loaves. 1728Morgan Algiers I. Pref. 15 A twelve-penny Pamphlet would contain full as much. 1814J. Shirreff Agric. Shetl. Isl. 21 Rent is paid by the merk of land,..an indefinite quantity..of ground; merks being divided into different classes, such as sixpenny, ninepenny, and twelvepenny merks.
3. That may be hired for twelvepence; paying, or receiving, twelvepence.
1614B. Jonson Bart. Fair v. vi, Thou Esquire of Dames, Madams and twelue-penny Ladies. 1620Melton Astrolog. 31 The twelve-penny Hirelings made artificiall Lightning. 1683Bunyan Greatn. Soul Wks. 1853 I. 132 More vigilant in dealing with a twelvepenny customer than they will be with Christ. 1707Lond. Gaz. No. 4296/3 The Out-Pensioners (commonly called the Twelve-Penny Pensioners).
4. fig. Of small value, paltry, insignificant.
1603in Fuller Ch. Hist. (1655) x. i. §24 ad fin., That men be not excommunicated for trifles, and twelve-peny matters.
B. n. Sc. (in form twalpenny). A twelvepenny piece, a shilling (Scots): see shilling 1 b. Hence twalpenny worth = twelve pennyworth.
1786Burns Twa Dogs 115 An' whyles twalpennie worth o' nappy Can mak the bodies unco happy. 1816Scott Antiq. Advt., Perhaps a Scottish ‘twalpenny’, or English penny, which was expended in snuff or whisky. |