| 释义 |
glow-worm|ˈgləʊwɜːm|
Forms: 4 glou-, 5 gloo-, 6–7 glo-, gloe-, glowe-, 6– glow-worm (etc.: see worm). See also glose-worm.
[f. glow v. + worm.]
A coleopterous insect (Lampyris noctiluca, Linn.), the female of which emits a shining green light from the extremity of the abdomen. The female is wingless; the male is winged, but non-luminous.
a.c1320N. Bozon Contes Moralisés §76. 95 Un autre nature de ceo verm qe est appelle en Latyn eruke et en Engleiz glouworm. 1444Lydg. in Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 216 A fowle gloowerm in dirknesse shewith a lyght. 1530Palsgr. 225/2 Glowe worme that shyneth by night. 1555Eden Decades 212 In this Iland are certeyne glo woormes that shyne in the nyght as doo owres. 1602Shakes. Ham. i. v. 89 The Glowworme..gins to pale his vneffectuall Fire. 1626Bacon Sylva §224 A great Light drowneth a smaller, that it cannot be seene; As the Sunne that of a Gloworme. c1750Shenstone Elegies vi. 30 No lover bless'd the glow-worm's pallid ray. 1789G. White Selborne (1853) 382 Male glow⁓worms attracted by the light..come into the parlour. 1847Tennyson Princess iv. 7 Where below No bigger than a glow-worm shone the tent.
b. fig. (In 17th c. often applied contemptuously to persons.)
1624Burton Anat. Mel. ii. iii. ii. 260 A Nobleman there⁓fore in some likelyhood..[is] an outside, a gloworme, a proud foole, an arrant asse. 1628Timme Silver Watch Bell ix. §7 (ed. 10) 164 Reason (which the Fathers call Noctilucam cerebri, the brains Glo-worme). 1634Ford P. Warbeck iv. iv, A slave! A vagabond! A glow-worm! 1652Bp. Hall Rem. Wks. (1660) 152 The world is full of such glow-wormes, that make some show of Spriritual Light from God.
c. attrib. and Comb.
1621Lady M. Wroth Urania, Pamph. to Amphil. 47 How Glowworme-like the Sun doth now appeare. 1623B. Jonson Time Vindic., He works by glow-worme light, the Moone's too open. 1630J. Taylor (Water P.) Wks. ii. 341/1 Though I know my selfe vnworthy farre, With my poore Glow-worme Muse, t'attend this starre. a1649Drummond of Hawthornden Poems Wks. (1711) 44 How oft have we..Condemn'd earths glow-worm greatness. 1664Butler Hud. ii. iii. 450 He..rais'd it [his engine] till it levell'd right Against the glow-worm tail of kite. 1670Dryden 2nd Pt. Conq. Granada ii. iii, For, glow-worm-like, you shine, and do not see. 1686A. Horneck Crucif. Jesus iv. 60 Meer glowworm light, that shines, but warms not. |