| 释义 |
voracity|vɒˈræsɪtɪ|
Also 6–7 voracite, -itie.
[a. F. voracité (14th c., = It. voracità, Sp. voracidad, Pg. -idade), or ad. L. vorācitas, f. vorāci-, vorax: see voracious a. and -ity.]
The quality or character of being voracious; greediness in eating.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 99 b, Voracite or gredynesse in eatyng,..sayth, O, how hungry I am. 1584Lodge Alarm agst. Usurers F iij, What though you cloath your selues in simplicitie of Doues, and your inwarde habite be worse then the voracite of Wolues. 1615G. Sandys Trav. 18 Those that with the rarities of the earth do pamper their voracities. 1638Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 241 No people in the world have better stomacks, drinke more, or more affect voracity. 1652Earl of Monmouth tr. Bentivoglio's Hist. Relat. 64 This Army is like a great Animall which lives in continual voracity. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) III. 399 The animal's voracity is greater than its feelings, and it never seizes without bringing down its prey. 1833J. Rennie Alph. Angling 6 To me it appears much more probable, that..fishes have intervals more or less extended of fasting, after which they eat with great voracity. 1868Peard Water-farm. xvi. 164 Innumerable Anecdotes have been related regarding the voracity of this fish [the pike]. 1891Farrar Darkn. & Dawn xxvi, Who is that extremely stout personage..who is devouring his dainties with such brutal voracity?
b. transf. and fig. Also const. of.
1601Holland Pliny I. 47 What a Nature is that which feedeth the most greedie voracitie in the whole world [sc. that of fire] without losse of it selfe? 1638Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 274 In Iberia also and Armenia they entred with no lesse voracity. 1664H. More Apology 496 The fierceness and voracity of what we ordinarily call Fire. a1701Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1721) 62 The voracity of time..has left nothing but a few Foundations remaining. 1779Johnson L.P., Pope Wks. IV. 46 Pope's voracity of fame taught him the art of obtaining the accumulated honour both of what he had published, and of what he had suppressed. 1860Emerson Cond. Life, Wealth Wks. (Bohn) II. 358 The eating quality of debt does not relax its voracity. Ibid., Consid. 421 Afflicting other souls..with ministrations to its voracity of trifles. |