| 释义 |
variance|ˈvɛərɪəns|
Forms: 4– variance (6 Sc. -ans, 6 vareance), 4–6 variaunce (5 -auns); 4–7 varyaunce (5 -awnce, -anse, 6 -ance); 5 wari-, warya(u)nce; 5 veryaunce (fery-), weryauns, -ouns; 6 vari-, Sc. warience.
[a. OF. variance, -aunce, -ence (= It. varianza), ad. L. variantia, f. variāre to vary.]
I.
1. a. The fact or state of undergoing change or alteration; tendency to vary or become different; variation.
c1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 1423 God ordayns here..Sere variaunce..Of þe tyms and wedirs and sesons, In taken of þe worldes condicions, Þat swa unstable er and variande. 1398Chaucer Fortune 45 Thou born art in my regne of varyaunce. Abowte the wheel with oother most thow dryue. c1400Brut xxxiv, [It] was callede þe citee of Ludstan; but now þat name is chaungede þrouȝ variance of lettres, and now is callede London. c1470Henry Wallace vi. 100 Bot this fals warld, with mony doubill cast, In it is nocht bot werray wariance. 1526Skelton Magnyf. 2052 She [Fortune] dawnsyth varyaunce with mutabylyte; Nowe all in welth, forthwith in pouerte. 1559Mirr. Mag., Duke of Glocester v, Any man to assure, In state uncarefull of Fortunes varyaunce. 1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 305 It being reasonable for every man to vary his opinion according to the variance of his reason. 1762Falconer Shipwr. i. 752 By this magnetic variance is explored. 1840Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. I. iii. 282 The variance in the produce of the wheats I attribute to the nature of the soil. 1859Tennent Ceylon II. vii. vii. 260 The temperature..ranges from 36° to 81° with a mean daily variance of 11°. 1888Harper's Mag. Apr. 752 Even as the blood loses and replaces its corpuscles, without a variance in the volume and vigor of its current.
†b. Inconstancy in persons; variableness, changeableness. Obs.
1390Gower Conf. I. 22 Ther is deceipte in his balance, And al is that the variance Of ous, that scholde ous betre avise. c1400Beryn 1135 The most parte of Room held it for dotage, And had muche mervell of his variaunce. c1449Pecock Repr. ii. vii. 176 He spekith of a variaunce and of a chaunging..in mannis wil. c1480Henryson Test. Cres. 223 In hir face semit greit variance, Quhyles perfyte treuth, and quhyles Inconstance. 1500–20Dunbar Poems xlv. 6 Luve..Quhilk is begun with inconstance, And endis nocht but variance.
†c. In the phr. without (Sc. but) variance. Obs.
The phrase occurs also in sense 3 b.
c1430Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 10 We say offte hert, withowte variaunce, Sovereigne lord, welcome, welcome ye be! c1470Henry Wallace iv. 42 Wallace..spak to thaim with manly contenance. In fayr afforme, he said, but wariance [etc.]. 1500–20Dunbar Poems xxxi. 17 He that with gud lyfe and trewth, But varians or vder slewth,..Dois evir mair with ane maister dwell.
2. a. The fact or quality of varying or differing; difference, divergence, discrepancy.
c1374Chaucer Troylus v. 762 For that that som men blamen ever yit, Lo, other maner folk commenden it. And as for me, for alle swich variaunce, Felicitie clepe I my suffisaunce. c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. I. 28 For alle Cristene men shulden be of oo wille, and variaunce in siche sectis makiþ variaunce in wille. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) xiii. 60 In many poyntes þai vary fra vs and fra oure faith. All þaire variaunce ware to mykil to tell. c1450Myrr. our Ladye 277 Ye haue not many chaunges [of service] after the varyaunce of feastes,..as the comon seruyce of the churche vseth. 1570–6Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 221 So is there variance between written storie, and common speech, touching the true place of that building. 1605Camden Rem. (1623) 36 Words, that in their originall are Latine, and yet (saue some small variance in their terminations) fall out all one with the French, Dutch, and English. 1839Hallam Hist. Lit. iv. ii. §12 It is evident that variance of opinion proves error somewhere. 1846Landor Imag. Conv. Wks. I. 243 The variance of knowledge and will, where no passion is the stimulant. 1892Law Times XCII. 156/1 Whether variance between the provisional and complete specification of a patent..is still a ground of invalidity.
†b. Variety. Obs.—1
a1400–50Alexander 4632 Mekill variaunce of vertus enveronis oure saules.
3. a. Law. A difference or discrepancy between two statements or documents.
1429Rolls of Parlt. IV. 346 For whiche diversite and variaunce of the seide name. c1470Henry Wallace viii. 1736 Thar may na band be maid so sufficians, Bot ay in it thai fynd a warians. a1592Greene Jas. IV, v. iv, Lawyer. This matter craues a variance, not a speech. 1596Bacon Max. & Use Com. Law xxv. (1636) 98 So if I graunt you..a way ouer my land according to a plot..whereof a table is annexed to these presents, and there be some speciall variance betweene the table and the originall plot [etc.]. 1706Phillips (ed. Kersey), Variance, an alteration of something formerly laid in a Plea. 1817Selwyn Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4) II. 1107 Advantage cannot be taken of a variance between the plaint and the declaration in the superior court. 1827Bentham's Ration. Judic. Evid. V. 598 The designation..by the name of St. Ethelburgh, instead of Saint Ethelburgha, was held to be (as lawyers term it) a fatal variance. 1835Tomlins Law Dict. (ed. 4) s.v., If there is a variance between the declaration and the writ, it is error; and the writ should formerly abate.
b. In general use: A difference or discrepancy; a discriminating or divergent feature.
1497Naval Acc. Hen. VII (1896) 83 The particuler variances betwene the Indentures and book of shipping. 1511in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. V. 325 There have bene greate variaunce now of late in taking of principales. 1534More Dial. agst. Trib. i. Wks. 1153/1 That is a ryght heauy thyng to see suche varyaunces in our belief ryse and grow among our self. 1825Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 656 Though in the preceding statements there is an apparent variance,..the variations may have arisen [etc.]. 1860Tennent Ceylon Introd. xxxix, I have to apologise for variances in the spelling of proper names. 1884Law Times LXXVII. 27/1 The variances..which have arisen between the real property law of the United States and England.
†c. Divergence from the truth. Obs.
c1450Lovelich Merlin 706 How scholde I ȝeven the ony penaunce whanne I knowe wel thou makest variawnce. Ibid. 748, 958.
d. U.S. Law. An official dispensation from a building regulation.
1925New Hampshire Public Laws xlii. 191 To authorize upon appeal in specific cases such variance from the terms of the ordinance as will not be contrary to the public interest. 1938Atlantic Reporter CC. 521 A literal enforcement of the ordinance may be disregarded to permit a variance, while conditions for an exception must be found in the ordinance and may not be varied. 1973N.Y. Law Jrnl. 19 July 13/7 Judgment is granted in favor of the petitioner..directing the issuance of a variance for the installation of a second kitchen in the premises. 1977Sat. Rev. (U.S.) 3 Sept. 47/3 The only hotel on the island [sc. Bermuda] ever given a variance to be built on a hilltop. The permission took 12 years to get.
e. Econ. The difference between actual and expected costs, profits, output, etc., in a statistical analysis.
1964Times Rev. Industry Apr. 8/2 An expression of the variation between standard cost and actual achieved cost is called ‘variance’. In 1951 under manual control the variance was 31.6 per cent. 1967D. Goch in Wills & Yearsley Handbk. Managem. Technol. 145 The following example will illustrate the application of this method of variance analysis to an imaginary product. 1974Terminol. Managem. & Financial Accountancy (Inst. Cost & Managem. Accountants) 13 Variance analysis, that part of variance accounting..which relates to the analysis into constituent parts of variances between planned and actual performance. 1978Accountants' Rec. Dec. 15/1 Causal factors of the sales variance have been established by analysis... Sales variance analysis..provides data enabling management to reconsider its marketing philosophies.
4. The fact of changing, altering, or varying from a state, opinion, etc.; an instance of this.
1415Hoccleve To Sir J. Oldcastle 253 Holsum to thee now were a variaunce Fro the feend to our lord god. c1430Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 45 After variaunce Fro lif to dethe. 1529More Dyaloge iv. Wks. 271/1 In this point I assure you faythfully, there is no maner change or varyaunce from his oppinion. 1792Jefferson Writ. (1859) III. 460 The first and only instance of variance from the former port of my resolution, I was duped into.
5. Statistics. The mean of the squares of the deviations of a set of quantities; the square of the standard deviation.
1918R. A. Fisher in Trans. R. Soc. Edin. LII. 399 It is..desirable in analysing the causes of variability to deal with the square of the standard deviation as the measure of variability. We shall term this quantity the Variance. 1948New Biol. IV. 34 Measurements of the resting blood pressure of a group of fifty young men... We compute the mean blood pressure and the variance of the observed values, the variance being a measure of scatter of values around the mean. 1970Nature 25 July 376/2 Analysis of variance gave highly significant population and fertilizer effects. 1977R. E. Megill Introd. Risk Analysis iii. 23 Because all values are squared in the variance the standard deviation is larger than the mean deviation.
II.
6. a. The state or fact of disagreeing or falling out; discord, dissension, contention, debate. (Cf. 8 and 9.)
c1425Lydg. Assembly of Gods 409 In came Dyscord to haue made varyaunce. 1477Rolls of Parlt. VI. 184/1 If variance falle betwixt any fynder, affermyng ayenst any other persone. 1490Caxton Eneydos xxiv. 89 [It] maketh theim to enterteyne well togider wythoute varyaunce. 1535Act 27 Hen. VIII, c. 26 §1 Great discorde, variance, debate,..& sedicion hath growen betwene his said subiectes. 1598R. Bernard tr. Terence, Hecyra iv. iv, When you seeke forged matter to cause strife and varience. 1639G. Daniel Ecclus. xxvii. 43 Murder attends the variance of the Proud. 1684Bunyan Pilg. Prog. ii. 192 She makes Variance betwixt Rulers and Subjects, betwixt Parents and Children. 1711Beveridge Thes. Theol. III. 193 What is variance? A sin opposed to amity. 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) IV. 65 If any attempted to..defraud me of my property, I yielded it without variance. 1838Thirlwall Greece IV. 293 It would be necessary for a time to keep up a show of variance between them. 1855H. Reed Lect. Eng. Lit. v. (1878) 159 The bloody variance of a feudal nobility. 1864C. M. Yonge Trial II. 152, I never saw a child with such an instinct for preventing variance, or so full of tact and pretty ways.
Comb.1552Huloet, Variaunce makers, litistonsores.
b. Opposition or antagonism to something. rare.
1842Manning Serm. i. (1848) I. 16 An energetic variance of will to the mind of God. 1875― Mission H. Ghost viii. 210 We have used our wills for all manner of conscious variance to His holy will.
7. a. A disagreement, quarrel, or falling out; a dispute.
c1425Lydg. Assembly of Gods 244 Wyll ye agre that Phebe your mastresse May haue the guydyng of your varyaunce? 1453Rolls of Parlt. V. 265/1 To make variaunces and commotion betwene you..and youre true people. 1473J. Warkworth Chron. (Camden) 6 As thei went togedere..there felle in a varyaunce for ther logynge. 1541Barnes Wks. (1573) 339/2 Certaine articles, for y⊇ which there is a varience in the world at this day. 1560in W. Cotton Elizabethan Guild (1873) 21 Yf any variance or controversie shall at any tyme happen to ryse betwene any youre brethren. 1607Merry Devil of Edmonton Induct. 84 Then thus betwixt vs two this variance ends. 1673Essex Papers (Camden) I. 92 It were too long a Story to tell..y⊇ originalls and beginnings of their variances. 1782J. Brown View Nat. & Rev. Relig. iv. ii. 318 No variance hath ever taken place between God and holy angels.
†b. spec. A difference or dispute leading to legal action between parties. Obs.
1476Searchers Verdicts in Surtees Misc. (1890) 21 Award & jugement..of a variaunce of a ground be twix John Gilyot Alderman..and Ambrose Preston of London. 1498Cov. Leet Bk. iii. 595 Where-as diuerse discordes and wariaunces were late moved & had bitwen the seid parties. 1529Supplic. to King (E.E.T.S.) 51 To here and iudge suche causes and varyaunces. 1562Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 203 In respect of the variance and debait standand betuix thame. 1732Pope Ep. Bathurst 271 Is there a variance? enter but his door, Balk'd are the Courts, and contest is no more.
III. 8. in variance. †a. Forming a subject of debate, contention, or legal action. Obs.
1461–2Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 4 He is agred..to put all thing that is in variance betwixt you & him in the said Sir John & me. 1468Searchers Verdicts in Surtees Misc. (1890) 18 A grounde þat stode in variaunce betwix thabbot & Convent. 1534Star Chamber Cases (Selden Soc.) II. 317 Suche matteres as then were in varyaunce bytwene the seid Mulsho and the seid Selby. 1559Bp. Scot in Strype Ann. Ref. I. App. x. 32 Consider, I beseche you, the matters here in Varyaunce. 1588Lambarde Eiren. iv. iv. 438 One that mooueth pleas or sutes..to the end to have part of the land, or other thing in variance. 1713M. Henry Conc. Meekness Spirit (1822) 118 If meekness rule, matters in variance may be fairly reasoned and adjusted.
†b. At variance; = 9 b. Obs.
c1465Engl. Chron. (Camden) 64 It happid that with boistez langage.. he fil in variaunce with thaym, and thay fil on him. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cccxix. 493 The realme of Englande was as then in great variaunce among themselfe.
9. at variance.
a. Of persons: In a state of discord, dissension, or enmity.
1513More in Grafton Chron. (1568) II. 757 The Lordes whome he knew at varyaunce, himselfe in his deathbed appeased. 1598R. Bernard tr. Terence, Andria iii. ii, Simo and Davus are at variance about the birth of the child. 1650T. Bayly Worcester's Apophth. 4 The Servants of his house..were never at variance, in point of Religion. 1683in Verney Mem. (1907) II. 363 Whielst the Emperor and Turke are at variance. 1710Beveridge Thes. Theol. II. 337 God and man naturally are at variance. a1781R. Watson Philip III (1793) I. i. 60 Neither of the courts at variance seemed..inclined to prolong the war. 1836Thirlwall Greece II. 77 The rest of the Peloponnesian allies, seeing the two kings at variance, followed the example of the Corinthians. 1870Bryant Homer I. ii. 34 The powers who dwell In the celestial mansions are no more At variance.
transf.1718Free-thinker No. 73. 126, I heard a violent Noise, as if the Elements were all at Variance.
b. Const. with, among(st or between, from.
(a)1528Star Chamber Cases (Selden Soc.) II. 177 James hath brokyn with..his Neyburus..and is at gret waryance with them. 1593Bacchus Bountie C 4, Hee falls at variance with mistris Merigodowne. 1650Nicholas P. (Camden) 204 And they do their best to set this good Princess at variance with her Mother in Law. 1671Milton Samson 1585 What cause Brought him so soon at variance with him⁓self Among his foes? 1736in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. I. 454 One..with whom you were at Variance. 1782F. Burney Cecilia viii. ii, It is with myself only I am at variance. 1839Thirlwall Greece VI. 39 On all matters as to which he was at variance with the Athenians. 1874Green Short Hist. iii. §5. 138 Every year found the Justiciary at greater variance with Rome.
(b)1577Holinshed Chron. I. 78/1 The Britaynes..were at variance amongst themselues. 1656Milton Lett. State Wks. 1851 VIII. 373 We have beheld the Protestant Princes..more and more at weakning Variance among themselves. 1867Freeman Norm. Conq. (1877) I. 214 The Breton princes were at variance between themselves.
(c)1885Times (weekly ed.) 6 Mar. 11/4 A Government from which..he is totally at variance on points even more important.
c. In the phrases to set (or † fall) at variance.
(a)1526Tindale Matt. x. 35 For Y am come to sett a man att varyaunce ageynst hys father. [So in later versions.] 1535Coverdale Prov. xvii. 9 He yt discloseth the faute, setteth frendes at variaunce. 1643R. Baker Chron. (1653) 541 The Spaniards set York and Stanley at variance. 1655in Verney Mem. (1907) I. 557 Pale-faced envye, mixt with hatred and mallice, hath done there best indeavour to sett us att variance. 1713Addison Cato i. iv, To disguise our passions, To set our looks at variance with our thoughts. 1755Young Centaur i. Wks. 1757 IV. 107 Prone to..set things at variance, which, by nature, are allies.
(b)1522More De Quat. Noviss. Wks. 89/1 Now shal ye se men fall at varyance for kissyng of the pax. a1578Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) II. 45 The earle of Lennox and the cardinall was fallin at warience. a1635Naunton Fragm. Reg. (Arb.) 35 Mars and Mercury fell at variance whose servant he should be.
d. Of things: In a state of disagreement or difference; conflicting, differing. Usu. const. with.
(a)1704Pope Spring 60 She runs, but hopes she does not run unseen; While a kind glance at her pursuer flies, How much at variance are her feet and eyes! 1797S. & Ht. Lee Canterb. T. (1799) I. 72 His tongue and his countenance were a little at variance. 1826Art of Brewing (ed. 2) 9 The opinions and practices of most brewers are completely at variance upon the subject of mashing. 1868E. Edwards Ralegh I. 505 Men's opinions of the worth of what Ralegh actually did as an historian are much at variance. 1910Edin. Rev. Jan. 39 The brow and the mouth are at variance.
(b)1780Mirror No. 84, Nature and Fashion are two opposite powers, that have long been at variance with one another. 1784Cowper Task iv. 621 Arms,..in whatever cause, Seem most at variance with all moral good. 1816Singer Hist. Playing Cards i. 58 An exquisite Chinese painting is at variance with this assertion. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. i. I. 246 His conduct was not a little at variance with his professions. a1881A. Barratt Phys. Metempiric (1883) 240 With a doctrine, like Kant's, that [etc]..., my philosophy is wholly at variance. |