| 释义 |
usual, a.|ˈjuːʒuːəl, -ʊəl|
Forms: 4–7 vsual, -all (6 vsial, wsuall), 6– usual (6–7 -all, 7 usewal); 4–7 vsu-, usuale; 4–5 vsu-, usuell.
[a. OF. usual (1298 in Godef.), usuel (F. usuel), or ad. L. (post-class.) ūsuāl-is (whence It. usuale, Sp. and Pg. usual, Pr. uzual), f. ūsus use n.]
1. That is in ordinary use or observance; having general currency, validity, or force; commonly observed or practised; current, prevalent.
1396in Scottish Antiq. XIV. 218, xix. marcis of vsuale moneth. 1396–7in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1907) XXII. 296 Oure usuel presthod þe qwich began in Rome. c1450Godstow Reg. 553 Robert yaf to him xij. shillings of vsuall money. 1495Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 43 Preamble, Noe gretter fees..but such [as] at this tyme be usuell. 1523Fitzherb. Surv. 36 b, F. G...payeth vnto the lordes at the termes their vsuels sixtene shillynges. 1575Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1848) II. 24 Fortie markis wsuall money of Scotland. a1577Sir T. Smith Commw. Eng. ii. xii. (1589) 67 In this court [of Chancery] the vsuall and proper forme of pleading of England is not vsed. 1620Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1848) II. 368 Tua vsuall termis in the yeir, Witsonday and Martimes. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. i. 278 He never goes up thither but at the usual hours, unless it be [etc.]. 1747Berkeley Lett. Wks. 1871 IV. 315 Pray give him the usual fee for the best lawyer. 1848Wharton Law Lex., Usual terms, a phrase in the common law practice, which means pleading issuably, rejoining gratis, and taking short notice of trial. 1855Poultry Chron. II. 580/2 At half the usual rates of charge. 1897Daily News 10 April 7/2 Stay of execution for a fortnight upon ‘the usual terms’.
†2.
a. Of a year: Solar. Obs. rare.
1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 37 For þe Iewes in tretys and couenauntes haueþ a ȝere vsual, and bygineþ in Ianuarie. 1398― Barth. De P.R. ix. iii. (Tollem. MS.), Some ȝere is clepid usuale, as is þe ȝere of þe sonne.
†b. Of a month: Calendar. Obs.—1
1594Blundevil Exerc. iii. i. xlv. (1597) 172 b, The vsuall month is that number of daies which are set downe in our common Kalenders.
3. a. Ordinarily used; constantly or customarily employed; in common use; ordinary, customary.
c1444Pecock Donet 34 He must take þe eukarist, not as oþire comoun or vsual meete and drynk. a1479Caxton Epil. Boeth. 92 b, Maister Geffry Chaucer hath translated this sayd werke oute of latyn in to oure vsual and moder tonge. 1532More Confut. Tindale Wks. 621/1 He turned the vsuall englyshe woordes of churche, priest, and penaunce, to congregacyon, senior, and repentaunce. 1550Bale Eng. Votaries ii. 40 A Consuetudynary or vsuall boke of the churche. 1579Fulke Refut. Rastel 781, Thou perhaps wilt say, my bread is common and vsual bread. 1610Holland Camden's Brit. i. 673 From whence there is an usuall passage over into Ireland. 1641J. Jackson True Evang. T. I. 37 Earth-quakes, which (according to the usuall scandall)..were ascribed as a punishment to the Christians. 1671Milton P.R. iv. 316 They..Rather accuse him [sc. God] under usual names, Fortune and Fate. 1729T. Innes Crit. Essay (1879) 236 He reforms the bard Forchern's story of it (according to the usual custom of posterior bards). 1776Trial Nundocomar 24/2 What was Selabut's usual method of attesting papers as a witness? 1797Monthly Mag. III. 549 The sheriff shall make..proclamations..at or near to the most usual door of the church, or chapel. 1836W. Irving Astoria II. 31 He began by the usual expressions of friendship. 1860Tyndall Glac. i. ix. 61 We reached the place by the usual route. 1883Manch. Exam. 30 Oct. 8/4 Beer in the usual stately German flagons with pewter covers.
(b) Freq. in usual channels [channel n.1 8]; usual office(s: see office n. 9 b.
1905Hansard Commons 16 May 500 In reply to the Question of the hon. Member for Waterford, I have to ask him to communicate with my right hon. friend near me through the usual channels. 1946Erskine May's Law of Parl. (ed. 14) xii. 245 The Government Chief Whip..together with the Chief Whips of the other parties, constitutes what is known as the ‘usual channels’, through which communications pass as to business arrangements and other matters which concern the convenience of Members as a whole. 1975J. P. Morgan House of Lords & Labour Govt. viii. 213 The usual channels had collapsed and, in the absence of the customary arrangements, the Government could only hope that they might limit discussion by imposing a guillotine.
†b. Habitually done or made. Obs. rare.
1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. A ij b, Often reading, and usual marking the epistles of Tullie. Ibid. 2 Sundry Gentlemen, that haue usual resort to my house. 1577Harrison England ii. iii. (1877) i. 81 One thing onlie I mislike in them, and that is their vsuall going into Italie.
c. Of persons: Commonly employed or serving in a particular capacity.
1590Shakes. Mids. N. v. i. 35 Where is our vsuall manager of mirth? Mod. He sent the money by his usual messenger. Our usual postman did not come to-day.
4. a. That ordinarily happens, occurs, or is to be found; such as is commonly met with or observed in ordinary practice or experience; common, wonted.
1577Misogonus iv. i, Gods providence in shewinge mercye to his servauntes is alwayes vsiall. 1579Tomson Calvin's Serm. Tim. 248 It was a verie vsuall thing in the East countrie, for a man to haue two or three wiues. 1638Junius Paint. Anc. 8 So is it likewise an usuall thing in..our life, that we..study alwayes to [etc.]. 1651Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxii. 122 The usuall meeting of men at Church, or at a publique Shew, in usuall numbers. 1759R. Brown Compl. Farmer 91 The usual signs that precede their swarming. 1784Cowper Task ii. 61 And th' old..earth has had her shaking fits More frequent, and forgone her usual rest. 1831James Phil. Augustus III. v, A table groaning under a repast not very usual on the boards of a prison. 1855J. Phillips Man. Geol. 204 The usual hardening of sandstone and shale, carbonization of coal, &c., occur.
b. Customary on the part of a person or persons to do something.
1605Verstegan Dec. Intell. ix. 310 It hath..grown somwhat vsuallin England, to giue vnto children..the surnames of their Godfathers. 1630R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 183 It is usuall with all the Gauls..to constraine Travellers (though unwilling) to stay. 1716Addison Freeholder No. 10 ⁋5 It was usual for him to shew the Delicacy of his Taste by [etc.]. 1719London & Wise Compl. Gard. 312 It is very usual to meet with those. 1825Encycl. Metrop. (1845) XVII. 36/1 In most Pigeon-houses it is usual to have a Salt⁓cat. 1839Hallam Hist. Lit. iv. vii. 506 note, It is not usual for..[a] woman to turn it into drollery.
c. Common or habitual to a person or thing.
1655Marquis of Worcester Cent. Inv. §18 Several shapes and effects usual to Fountains of pleasure. 1693Congreve Old Bach. i. i, Why truth on't is, these early Sallies are not usual to me.
d. as (or than) usual, as (or than) is or was customary or habitual. (Cf. usually adv. 1 b.) as per usual: see per prep. III. 1.
[1617Moryson Itin. i. 114 Liuing things cast into that caue, and held there for longer time then is vsuall.] 1716Addison Freeholder No. 22 ⁋2 Our Conversation opened, as usual, upon the Weather. 1725Fam. Dict. s.v. Pulse, When the Strokes are much smaller than usual. 1795Gentl. Mag. 539/2 The blights were this year..more destructive than usual. 1854Poultry Chron. II. 348/2 The poultry department was, as usual, the principal attraction. 1865Dickens Mut. Fr. i. xiv, The huddled buildings looked lower than usual. 1876[see usualness].
†5. usual fruit, = usufruit, usufruct. Sc.
1558Knox First Blast (Arb.) 46 God wold not suffer that the commoditie and vsuall frute..shulde passe to an other [tribe].
†6.
a. Of persons: Customary, regular. Obs.
1579Southampton Crt. Leet Rec. (1906) ii. 167 Owen symons is a vsuall convayor of wood beyond the seas.
†b. Habitually resorting. Obs.—1
1597J. Payne Royal Exch. 27 The devill perswades sum carnall and viciouse parsons that there tyme ys well spent, beinge vsuall in the taverne.
7. absol.
a. the (his, etc.) usual, what is usual, customary, or frequent (esp. with a person or persons).
1876Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. v. xxxv. III. 22 To be an unusual young man means for the most part to get a difficult mastery over the usual. 1892E. Reeves Homeward Bound 189 Nothing in Naples is so clean as the horses' harness, and to-day the drivers outdid their usual. 1897Daily News 23 Dec. 3/5 Coroner: How much whisky did he drink?—Witness: Eighteen half quarterns a night..was his usual.
b. colloq. Customary state of health.
1887A. S. Swan Gates of Eden xx, Aunt Susan is in her usual, I know.
Hence ˈusualness.
1653H. More Antid. Ath. i. x. 30 The usualnesse of such dangers have made them loose the sense of the danger. 1705Clarke Evid. Nat. & Rev. Relig. xiv. (1716) 297 'Tis only usualness or unusualness that makes the distinction. 1727Bailey (vol. II), Frequentness, oftenness; usualness. 1876Mrs. Whitney Sights & Ins. II. ix. 405 They had been two days together, as usual; the usualness is a great power. |