| 释义 |
visibility|vɪzɪˈbɪlɪtɪ|
[ad. late L. vīsibilitāt-, vīsibilitās (Tertull.), f. L. vīsibilis: see next and -ity. So F. visibilité (OF. visibleté), It. visibilità, Sp. visibilidad, Pg. -idade.]
1. The condition, state, or fact of being visible; visible character or quality; capacity of being seen (in general, or under special conditions).
a. Of the Church, a kingdom, etc.
1581W. Fulke in Confer. ii. (1584) H ij b, What visibilitie could there be in those daies.., when there was no face at all of an outward Church? a1591H. Smith God's Arrow (1593) L j, And consequently visibility (which the Papists make a marke of the Church) is no perpetuall marke thereof. 1629Lynde Via Tuta Ep. Ded. 1 That the world may know, it is no difficult matter for a meane Lay-man to prooue the ancient visibilitie of the Protestant profession. a1662Heylin Laud (1668) 53 He maintained the constant and perpetual visibility of the Church of Christ. 1667Poole Dial. betw. Protest. & Papist 49 If Christ did indeed promise the perpetual visibility of his Church. 1699Burnet 39 Art. xix. 183 Another question may arise out of the first words of this Article, concerning the Visibility of this Church. 1841Myers Cath. Th. iv. §29. 315 The visibility of the Theocracy gradually grew fainter and fainter from the first establishment of a visible monarchy. 1866J. G. Murphy Comm., Exod. xv. 18 The kingdom thus rising into visibility never again disappears from the earth.
b. Of things in general.
1614Jackson Creed iii. xxx. §5 The actual visibility of colours wholly depends upon the light as well for existence as duration. 1651Baxter Inf. Bapt. 74 Where there is not so much as a seeming or visibility, there is no evidence. 1678Cudworth Intell. Syst. 407 The Sun gives to things not only their Visibility, but also their Generation. 1737Whiston Josephus, Hist. v. v. §4 This gate had no doors, for it represented the universal visibility of heaven. 1772H. Barnes Pract. Cas. C.P. (ed. 2) 322 The Affidavits as to Defendant's Visibility were fully answered, and his total Absconding proved. 1794G. Adams Nat. & Exp. Philos. III. xxv. 53 They considered the visibility of matter not a necessary consequence of its creation. 1813Shelley Q. Mab vii. 13 note, But the God of Theologians is incapable of local visibility. 1867J. Hogg Microsc. i. ii. 44 The visibility of the effect depends on the distance of the object from the object-glass. 1882Procter Fam. Sci. Stud. 35 The comet..attracted more attention when it had passed from view than..during the brief period of its visibility.
c. spec. The possibility of (a vessel, etc.) being seen under the conditions of distance, light, atmosphere, etc., existing at a particular time; hence conversely, the possibility of seeing, or the range of vision, under such conditions.
Cf. Harbord Gloss. Navig. (1863), s.v. Weather notation.
1914tr. Baudry's Naval Battle 265 The radius of visibility must fix the maximum time allowable for final preparations. 1916Sir J. Jellicoe Disp. 24 June, in Battle of Jutland 62 The visibility early on 1st June (three to four miles) was less than on 31st May.
d. fig. The degree to which something impinges upon public awareness; prominence.
1958March & Simon Organizations iv. 103 The greater the prestige of the organization..the greater the visibility of the organization. 1975New Yorker 26 May 28/1 These are busy times, and our report doesn't have so very much visibility. 1981Nordic Skiing Jan. 10/3 The purpose of the team is to increase skiing's visibility in this country. 1984Observer 5 Aug. 15/1 From a business standpoint, the visibility Carl receives during the Olympic Games can enhance his value to the companies.
2. a. With a and pl. A visible thing or object.
1628Feltham Resolves ii. [i.] xcii. 269 St. Paul grants, that they may know God, through the visibilities in his Workes. 1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. i. iii. 9 The beatitude of that part which earth and visibilities too weakly affect. 1660Jer. Taylor Worthy Commun. i. §1. 27 It cannot be natural flesh, however altered in circumstance and visibilities. 1828Carlyle Misc. (1857) I. 162 Mind, by being modelled in Men's imaginations into a Shape, a Visibility. 1843― Past & Pr. ii. xvi, The Highest God dwells visible in that mystic unfathomable Visibility, which calls itself ‘I’ on the Earth.
†b. = sight n. 1 c. Obs.—1
1775Johnson in Boswell Life (1904) I. 624 Sir, I have seen all the visibilities of Paris, and around it.
†3. Appearance, aspect, look. Obs.—1
1669Bunyan Holy Citie 114 ‘And the City lieth four square’... Now both the City, Gates and Wall, were exactly in their Visibility according to the Word.
†4. The faculty or power of seeing; the exercise of this; sight, vision. Obs. rare.
1616Bullokar Eng. Expos., Visibilitie, the abilitie or powre of seeing. 1641Milton Ch. Govt. v. Wks. 1851 III. 120 Why they choose to live by custome and catalogue, or as S. Paul saith by sight and visibility, rather then by faith. 1733W. Ellis Chiltern and Vale Farm. 42 The Fibers of Corn or Trees.., that in Clays and Loams have firm and holding Bottoms, and will lie two or three Years to visibility. |