| 释义 |
infancy|ˈɪnfənsɪ|
[ad. L. infāntia inability to speak, childhood, f. infānt-em infant n.1: see -ancy.]
1. The condition of being an infant; the earliest period of human life, early childhood, babyhood.
1494Fabyan Chron. iii. lviii. 38 This was from his Infancy norysshed and brought vp among the Romaynes. 1531Elyot Gov. i. v, Hit shall be expedient that a noble mannes sonne, in his infancie, haue with hym continually onely suche as may accustome hym by litle and litle to speake pure and elegant latin. 1594Shakes. Rich. III, iv. iv. 168 A greeuous burthen was thy Birth to me, Tetchy and wayward was thy Infancie. 1671Milton P.R. iv. 508 Seldom have I ceased to eye Thy infancy, thy childhood, and thy youth. 1692Locke Educ. §1 The little, or almost insensible impressions on our tender infancies, have very important and lasting consequences. 1736Butler Anal. i. i. Wks. 1874 I. 13 The helpless imperfect state of infancy. 1803–6Wordsw. Intimations v, Heaven lies about us in our infancy. 1871Educ. Times 1 June 49 The child begins to emerge from the state which is properly called infancy; in truth, he is no longer an infant, for he is no longer speechless. 1874Farrar Christ ii, In the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy, Simeon recognizes Jesus because he sees Him shining like a pillar of light in His mother's arms.
b. transf. Second childhood, dotage.
1697Dryden Virg. Georg. Ded., An insipid Manhood, and a stupid old Infancy.
2. Law. The condition of being a minor; the period of life during which a person remains under guardianship (extending, in common law, to the end of the twenty-first year); minority, nonage.
1658Grimstone tr. Croke's Rep., Jas. I (1791) 320 Debt brought upon a lease for years..The defendant in bar pleaded infancy at the time of the lease made. 1752Sir C. Viner Cancelled Will 1 July, I give to the Chancellor and University of Oxford (to whom I think myself in some measure obliged to make some Amends for my Indiscretions there in my Infancy). 1755Johnson, Infancy. 2. Civil infancy, extended by the English law to one and twenty years. 1769Blackstone Comm. IV. 22 We will consider the case of infancy, or nonage. 1786Burke W. Hastings Wks. 1842 II. 215 The ministerial party at Poona, who held and exercised the regency of that state in the infancy of the peshwa. 1818Cruise Digest (ed. 2) III. 34 It [the right of advowson] was not vested in a guardian in socage, nor was he accountable for any presentation made during the infancy of his ward. Mod. The defendant pleaded infancy, the goods having been supplied before he was of age.
3. fig. The earliest period in the history of anything capable of development; the initial and rudimentary stage in any process of growth.
1555Eden Decades Pref. (Arb.) 56 He wrought miracles..euen in thinfancie of faythe. 1633P. Fletcher Purple Isl. i. xlix, Thrice happy was the worlds first infancie. 1677A. Yarranton Eng. Improv. 62 There will be such advantage given to the Linen Manufacture in its Infancy. 1772Priestley Inst. Relig. (1782) I. 143 Our present being is but the infancy of man. 1872Raymond Statist. Mines & Mining 185 Our quartz interests are in their infancy. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) IV. 229 In the infancy of logic, a form of thought has to be invented.
4. concr. (chiefly rhetorical.) Childhood as embodied in living examples; infants collectively.
1598Shakes. Merry W. v. v. 56 Sleepe she as sound as carelesse infancie. 1606― Tr. & Cr. ii. ii. 105 Soft infancie, that nothing can but cry. 1781Cowper Charity 48 Nor age nor infancy could find thee there. 1813Shelley Q. Mab ii. 152 Old age and infancy Promiscuous perished. 1860Gen. P. Thompson Audi Alt. III. cvi. 17 When tender infancy evinces needless terror at cow, or dog, or shaggy goat.
†5. In etymological sense: Inability or unwillingness to speak; speechlessness; silence. Obs.
1641Milton Ch. Govt. ii. Introd., Dare not now to say or do anything better than thy former sloth and infancy. 1670― Hist. Eng. v. Wks. (1851) 202 So darkly do the Saxon Annals deliver thir meaning with more then wonted infancy. |