| 释义 |
heifer|ˈhɛfə(r)|
Forms: α. 1 heahfore, heafor, heahfru, 4 hayfre, (? heyffer), 5 heyfre, hayfare, (hawgher), 5–6 heyghfer, 6 heighfer, hayfer, -farre, heyffer, heyfar, haifer, -ir, hafir, 6–8 heyfer, 7 heifar, 6– heifer. β. 5 hekfore, -fere, hekefeer, hefker, 6 heffeker, effker, hec(k)fare, -forde, -forthe, -furthe, hek-, heke-, heckefar, 7 heckfer, heicfar, 9 dial. heifker. γ. 5 heffre, 6 heffour, effer, heffarth, -orth.
[OE. heahfore (prob. héahfore), heahfru, -fre, of obscure etymology; not found outside English.
As to the form, héahfore might perh. mean ‘high-farer’, i.e. high-goer or high-stepper (-fŏre unstressed form of -fare, fem. of -fara, f. faran to fare, go). But the applicability of such a name is not apparent; and the form héahfru, -fre, remains without satisfactory explanation. The difficulties of form and sense are increased by connecting, as some suggest, -fare, -fru, with OE. fearr, OHG. far(r, farro bull.]
1. a. A young cow, that has not had a calf.
αc900tr. Bæda's Hist. iv. iv. (1890) 272 In Scyttisc ᵹenemned Inisbofinde, þæt is ealond hwitre heahfore. c1000ælfric Lev. iii. 1 Bringe unwemme fear oþþe heafre. c1000― Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 120/29 Annicula, uel vaccula, heahfore. Ibid. 120/35 Altilium, fæt heahfore. c1000Ags. Voc. Ibid. 274/20 Antile, heahfru. a1327in Pol. Songs (Camden) 239 With lowe lacede shon Of an hayfre hude. 1387Trevisa Higden IV. 451 An hoyffer [? heyffer; v.rr. heyfre, heffre]..enyed a lomb [vitula agnum peperit]. 14..Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 624/14 Hayfare, iuuenca. c1483Caxton Dialogues (E.E.T.S.) 10/17 Flessh of moton or of lambe Of an hawgher or of a calfe. 1526Tindale Heb. ix. 13 The asshes off an heyfer. 1548Will of J. Plume (Somerset Ho.), A blake bulloke otherwyse called a Hayfer. 1555Eden Decades 4 Heyghfers and such other of bothe kindes. 1560Bible (Genev.) Deut. xxi. 4 Let the Elders of that citie bring the heifer vnto a stonie valley. 1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iii. (1586) 131 b, Oxen, Kine, and Hayfarres. 1587Harrison England iii. i. (1878) ii. 2 For the steere and heighfer. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 781 Four fair Heifars yet in Yoke untry'd. 1767A. Young Farmer's Lett. People 232 Two steers, or heifers, may be kept and fatted in the place of one cow. 1863P. Barry Dockyard Econ. 121 The Greek philosophers sat on their stools chewing the facts in much the same fashion as heifers chew their grass.
β1407in Kennett Par. Antiq. (1818) II. 212 De debili vitulo cujusdam hekfore vendito. c1425Found. St. Bartholomew's (E.E.T.S.) 41 A yonge hefker alone leuyng, Lay yn thryssheholde. c1440Promp. Parv. 234/1 Hekfere, beeste..juvenca. 1510Will of Parker (Somerset Ho.), Yong mete callid Heffekers. 1529Acc. Metyngham Coll. (B.M. Add. MS. 27404), For xx kien and for xx heckforthes. 1570Bury Wills (Camden) 156 One blacke heckforde of two yeares age. 1570Levins Manip. 29/1 Heckfare, bucula. 1572Will of R. Gibson (Somerset Ho.), To Mary Pye, one heck⁓furthe. 1583Golding Calvin on Deut. cxx, Take a young Hekfar from the droue. 1606in Maddison Linc. Wills Ser. ii. 23 To my sister Harrington one Heckfer. a1825Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Heifker, a heifer. This is the pronunciation of the word, whatever may be its orthography.
γ1387Heffre [see in α.]. 1525Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 210 A heffour in calf. 1552Huloet s.v. Yonge, Yonge cowe or heffarth, iunix.
b. to plough with one's heifer: derived from the story of Samson (Judges xiv. 18).
1560Bible (Genev.) Judg. xiv. 18 If ye had not plowed with my heiffer, ye had not founde out my ridle. 1655Sir E. Nicholas in N. Papers (Camden) II. 172 If he doe not, wee will plough with his heifer as well as with others. 1663J. Spencer Prodigies (1665) 15 Some few which had their own heifer to plough withal. 1677Gilpin Demonol. (1867) 63.
c. fig. Wife.
1609B. Jonson Sil. Wom. ii. v, Her, whom I shall choose for my heicfar.
d. A woman, a girl. depreciatory slang.
1835A. B. Longstreet Georgia Scenes 143 He rushed into the Kitchen in a fury. ‘You infernal heifer!’ said he to Aunt Clory. 1853T. C. Haliburton Sam Slick's Wise Saws II. xii. 282, I have half a mind to marry that heifer, tho' wives are bothersome critters when you have too many of them. 1940M. Marples Pub. Sch. Slang 115 Charwomen were satirically known as heifers at Charterhouse. 1964O. E. Middleton in C. K. Stead N.Z. Short Stories (1966) 201 Was that heifer of Blackie's the same one he had a fortnight ago? 1973Black World Jan. 62/2 That heifer that been trying to get next to my man Lucky since the year one.
2. Comb., as heifer calf, heifer yearling; † heifer-bud, a weaned she-calf of the first year; heifer dust slang, (a) nonsense (see also quot. 19272); (b) (see quot. 1945); heifer-paddock Austral. slang, a girls' school.
1507Will of Walter (Somerset Ho.), Juvencas voc. *heffer⁓buddes.
1865H. H. Dixon Field & Fern vii. 140 The brothers only sell a few *heifer calves.
1927‘J. Barbican’ Confess. Rum-Runner xxiii. 256 Even if they do get pinched, they always have some *heifer dust ready about laying a trap for a ship. 1927Dialect Notes V. 449 Heifer dust act, the, an arrest and cross-questioning by the police. 1941Baker Dict. Austral. Slang 35 Heifer dust, nonsense. 1945― Austral. Lang. vi. 123 Other Australianisms for girls or young women include:..a bit of heifer dust.
1885Mrs. C. Praed Sketches Austral. Life ii. 50 Next year I shall look over a *heifer-paddock in Sydney, and take my pick.
1865H. H. Dixon Field & Fern vii. 133 Deacon Milne bought the *heifer yearling.
Hence ˈheiferhood, the state or age of a heifer.
1886All Year Round 14 Aug. 36 The cows never get a run after they have once grown out of heiferhood. |