| 释义 |
urbane, a.|ɜːˈbeɪn|
[ad. F. urbain (14th c.), or L. urbān-us urban a. For the difference, in form and stress, between urban and urbane, cf. human and humane.]
1. Of or pertaining to, characteristic of or peculiar to, a town or city. Now arch. or Obs.
1533Bellenden Livy i. xx. (S.T.S.) I. 114 Siclike vrbane & civil laubouris. Ibid. v. v. II. 161 Thus had al þe romane tentis almaist bene replete of seditioun vrbane. 1570Levins Manip. 19 Vrbane, vrbanus. 1607R. C[arew] tr. Estienne's World Wond. 233 They see greater cunning and dexteritie, and a more ciuill and vrbane kind of life. 1681Stair Inst. Law Scot. xvii. 343 Negative Urbane Servitudes, do chiefly concern the light view or prospect of Tenements. 1788Trifler No. 26. 344 In the simple beauty of the country the once wealthy merchant of Bassora lost the recollection of urbane magnificence. 1809–14Wordsw. Excurs. viii. 71 A poor brotherhood who walk the earth,..Raising..savage life To rustic, and the rustic to urbane.
†b. Exercising jurisdiction over, dwelling or residing in, a town or city. Obs.
1651Howell Venice 16 Among the Urbane or Cittie Magistrats the Judges are rankd. 1652Gaule Magastrom. 373 M. æmilius, the urbane prætor. 1658J. Harrington Oceana Introd. B j b, The Urbane Tribes of Rome consisting of the Turbaforensis [etc.]. 1681H. Nevile Plato Rediv. 61 The Rustik Tribes being twenty seven, and the Vrbane nine.
c. Following the pursuits, having the ideas or sentiments, characteristic of town or city life.
1698Fryer Acc. E. Ind. & P. 54 The Citizens are urbane, being trained up to Commerce. 1870Lowell Study Wind. (1871) 177 The same combination of circumstances produced Béranger, an urbane or city poet.
2. Having the manners, refinement, or polish regarded as characteristic of a town; courteous, civil; also, blandly polite, suave.
1623Cockeram i, Vrbane, ciuill, courteous. 1656Blount Glossogr., Urbane,..civil in curtesie,..pleasant in behaviour and talk. 1796T. Holcroft tr. Stolberg's Trav. lxii. I. 483 The urbane youth..gave due praise to the country of Menelaus. 1827Lytton Pelham xv, We took advantage of our acquaintance with the urbane Frenchman to join his party. 1873Dixon Two Queens IV. 139 In Eustace Chapuys, master of requests, he had a man of law,..urbane, alert, unscrupulous. 1882Stevenson Mem. & Portr. xi. (1887) 170, I feel never quite sure of your urbane and smiling coteries.
b. Characterized by urbanity, courtesy, or politeness.
1679Marg. Mason Tickler Tickled 2 To treat a Lady of Mrs. Ellen Rigby's Quality, with the name of Bitch-Fox,..is not at all Urbane. 1800W. Tooke Cath. II, III. 105 n., A man remarkable for his talents and urbane manners. 1832W. Irving Alhambra II. 289 His manners were gentle, affable, and urbane. 1860W. Collins Wom. in White II. 279 Stepping forward in the most urbane manner. 1871Browning Balaust. 1839 To guests, a servant should not sour-faced be, But do the honours with a mind urbane.
3. Refined in expression; politely expressed.
1806W. L. Bowles Pope's Wks. I. 298 The latter part of it [sc. an epistle] is certainly urbane, elegant, and unaffected. 1876Lowell Among my Bks. Ser. ii. 139 We miss the point, the compactness, and above all the urbane tone of the original.
Hence urˈbanely adv.; urˈbaneness (Bailey, 1727).
1822Monthly Rev. XCVII. 540 This taste is so finely polished and so urbanely expressive. 1881‘Rita’ My Lady Coquette xiii, ‘I am going to the wood,’ he answers urbanely. |