| 释义 |
ingenuity|ɪndʒɪˈnjuːɪtɪ|
[ad. L. ingenuitās the condition of a free-born man, noble-mindedness, frankness, f. ingenu-us ingenuous: cf. F. ingénuité (16th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), It. ingenuità (Florio, 1598), possibly the immediate source. The employment of the word as the abstract n. from ingenious (for ingeniosity or *ingeniety) appears to be confined to Eng. and is connected with the confusion of the two adjs. in the 17th c.: see ingenious II and ingenuous 6.]
I. Senses connected with ingenuous.
†1. The condition of being free-born; honourable extraction or station. Obs.
1598Florio, Ingenuita, freedome or free state, ingenuitie, a liberall, free, or honest nature and condition. 1614Selden Titles Hon. Pref. C ij, Ingenuitie, not Nobilitie, was designed by the three Names. 1614Raleigh Hist. World v. iii. §16. 705 Such other tokens of ingenuity for his wife and children as every one did use. 1638F. Junius Paint. of Ancients 254 The noble Art..being forced to seek her bread without any ingenuitie, after the manner of other sordide, mechanike, and mercenarie Arts. 1658Phillips s.v., Ingenuity is taken for a free condition or state of life.
†b. The quality that befits a free-born person; high or liberal quality (of education); hence, Liberal education, intellectual culture (cf. II). Obs.
a1661Fuller Worthies (1840) II. 214 He intended it for a seminary of religion and ingenuity. 1662Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. ii. ii. §1 He [Moses] was brought up in the Court of ægypt, and..was skilled in all the learning of the ægyptians; and these.. prove the ingenuity of his education.
†2. Nobility of character or disposition; honourableness, highmindedness, generosity. Obs.
1598[see sense 1]. 1603Florio Montaigne ii. viii. (1632) 215, I should have loved to have stored their mind with ingenuity and liberty. a1638Mede Wks. (1672) i. xxxii. 161 This word Meekness, whose notion in the Hebrew..is as large well-nigh as Vertue itself..may be expressed, as I think, by Ingenuity, or ingenuous goodness. a1716South Twelve Serm. (1744) II. 247 To injure or offend him that does but wish and desire our good argues little ingenuity.
3. Freedom from dissimulation; honesty, straightforwardness, sincerity; honourable or fair dealing; freedom from reserve, openness, candour, frankness. (Now rare, the current word being ingenuousness.)
1614Jackson Creed iii. xiii. §11 Melchior Canus,..for a Papist a man of singular ingenuity. 1656Jer. Taylor Deus Justif. Ep. Ded., When I find that men are angry at my Ingenuity and openness of discourse. a1694Tillotson Serm. (1743) VII. cxvii. 1960 This is to acknowledge that they were in an error, and mistaken..which few have the ingenuity to own. 1696Phillips (ed. 5), Ingenuity,..a natural Openness and Sincerity always to acknowledge the Truth. 1794Godwin Cal. Williams 8 An expression of frankness, ingenuity, and unreserve. 1889Stevenson Master of B. (1896) 188, I told her all with ingenuity, even as it is written here.
II. Senses connected with ingenious.
†4. High or distinguished intellectual capacity; genius, talent, quickness of wit. Obs. in general sense: see 6.
1599B. Jonson Ev. Man out of Hum. iii. ix, Ingenuitie! I see his ignorance will not suffer him to slander her, which he had done most notably, if he had said wit for ingenuitie, as he meant it. 1639Woodall Wks. Pref. (1653) 1 May not be so much undervalued as to be ascribed to humane ingenuitie. 1644H. Parker Jus Pop. 40 It often happens, that the servant has more naturall ingenuity then the master. 1713J. Warder True Amazons (ed. 2) 154 If any of more Ingenuity or Leasure, will graft upon this Stock. 1795Mason Ch. Mus. ii. 126 Now it is this learning and ingenuity that I chiefly object to in them.
†b. In pl. (of a number of persons). Obs.
1628Feltham Resolves ii. [i.] xlix. 144 No Age, either before or since, could present vs with so many towring Ingenuities. 1648Wood Life 15 Feb. (O.H.S.) I. 139 May it please your Gravities to admit..a kitten of the Muses..before your sagacious ingenuities.
†5. Intellectual capacity; intelligence, sense, good judgement; normal condition of the mental faculties; (one's) senses or wits. Obs.
1651Baxter Inf. Bapt. 43 This errour which so strangely bereaves men of common ingenuity! 1665Boyle Occas. Refl. ii. xiii. (1848) 141 He..may very probably lose his Soul, and has most certainly lost his Ingenuity. 1675tr. Camden's Hist. Eliz. iii. (1688) 392 A man of good Ingenuity, but not well skilled in Court Arts.
†b. transf. A course of action showing good sense or judgement; ‘wisdom’. Obs.
1657Trapp Comm. Ezra viii. 22 It is the ingenuity of Saints to study Gods ends more than their own. 1660Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 18 It will be each man's ingenuity not to grudge an after-payment.
6. Capacity for invention or construction; skill or cleverness in contriving or making something (material or immaterial). Also as attribute of the thing, action, etc.: Skilfulness of contrivance or design. (The current sense.)
1649W. Blithe Eng. Improv. Impr. (1653) 101 O Sloth! stand by, & let Ingenuity try a trick or two more. 1664Power Exp. Philos. i. 76 Men, who could not readily find out the ingenuity of his knavery. 1665Glanvill Def. Vain Dogm. 67, I acknowledge the ingenuity of Sir Kenelm Digbye's Hypothesis. 1774Pennant Tour Scotl. in 1772, 145 Such is the ingenuity of our weavers that nothing in their own branch is too hard for them. 1822Hazlitt Table-t. I. ix. 195 Ingenuity is genius in trifles..A clever or ingenious man is one who can do anything well. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 24 Coincidences too subtle to have been invented by the ingenuity of any imitator.
b. with an and pl. An ingenious device or contrivance; an artifice.
1650French Distill. Ded. (1651) A iv, It is pity there is such great encouragement for many empty..arts, and none for this, and such like ingenuities. 1726G. Roberts 4 Years Voy. 270 They had an Ingenuity peculiar to themselves in splitting the Trees after they felled them. 1829I. Taylor Enthus. vii. 177 The kind-hearted schemer..rich in petty ingenuities—always well intentioned and seldom well imagined. |