| 释义 |
▪ I. instinct, n.|ˈɪnstɪŋkt|
Also 6–7 instincte.
[ad. L. instinct-us instigation, impulse, f. instinguĕre to instigate, incite, impel; f. in- (in-2) + stinguĕre orig. to prick, stick (cf. distinct, extinct); root stig- as in instigate. Cf. also F. instinct (in 14th c. instincte). Formerly stressed inˈstinct.]
†1. Instigation; impulse; prompting. Obs.
1412–20Lydg. Chron. Troy ii. xii. (1555) H j/2 Whan that beastes of reason rude and blinde Desyre the same by iust instinct [MSS. instymt, instynat, instaunce] of kinde. 1513More in Grafton Chron. (1568) II. 777 Before such great thinges mennes harts (of a secret instinct of nature) misgeveth them. 1529― Dyaloge i. Wks. 160/2 By the secrete instyncte of the holy gost thei consent and agre together. 1563–87Foxe A. & M. (1684) III. 9 Damasus by the instinct of Hierom appointed Gloria Patri after the Psalms. 1633Bp. Hall Hard Texts 99 He began to have many instincts and strong motions from God. 1710Prideaux Orig. Tithes v. 221 These Tithes..by the instinct of the Devil many have detained them. 1730A. Gordon Maffei's Amphith. 168 This good Woman, following the Instinct of her own Piety [etc.].
2. Innate impulse; natural or spontaneous tendency or inclination. Formerly applicable to the natural tendencies of inanimate things. In modern use associated with sense 3.
1568Tilney Disc. Mariage A vj b, Yea the trees..have a naturall instinct of friendship. 1603Owen Pembrokesh. (1891) 78 A naturalle Instincte engraffed in the stones or lyme..against any wett weather to sweate with great dropps of water. 1663Butler Hud. i. i. 233 To whom our Knight by fast Instinct Of Wit and Temper was so linkt. 1726Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 41/1 There is a natural instinct in all heavy bodies to lean and press upon the lowest parts. 1845M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 9 The instinct of pilgrimage, as it has been said, belongs not exclusively to religion at all. 1874Symonds Sk. Italy & Greece (1898) I. i. 6 Our love of the Alps is..a Teutonic instinct. 1874Green Short Hist. viii. §5. 500 He [Charles I] had..neither the grander nor the meaner instincts of the born tyrant. 1875Stubbs Const. Hist. II. xiv. 107 Edward was by instinct a lawgiver.
3. spec. An innate propensity in organized beings (esp. in the lower animals), varying with the species, and manifesting itself in acts which appear to be rational, but are performed without conscious design or intentional adaptation of means to ends. Also, the faculty supposed to be involved in this operation (formerly often regarded as a kind of intuitive knowledge).
1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 299 Beware Instinct, the Lion will not touch the true Prince: Instinct is a great matter. I was a Coward on Instinct. 1664Power Exp. Philos. iii. 183 Beasts..obey the prescript of their Natures, and live up to the height of that instinct that Providence hath given them. a1677Hale Prim. Orig. Man. i. ii. 48 The instincts of Animals are sensible instincts of a more noble kind and nature than those of Vegetables. 1692Bentley Boyle Lect. ix. 314 That he might act, not of necessity, nor blind instinct like the Brutes. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. xxvi. (1869) II. 10 The operation of instinct is more sure and simple than that of reason. 1871Darwin Desc. Man I. iii. 100 The very essence of an instinct is that it is followed independently of reason. 1877Baring-Gould Myst. Suffer. 65 Instinct, the co-ordination and transmission of past experiences.
b. Any faculty acting like animal instinct; intuition; unconscious dexterity or skill.
1597Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, i. i. 86 He that but feares the thing, he would not know, Hath by Instinct, knowledge from others Eyes, That what he feard, is chanc'd. 1768Sterne Sent. Journ. (1778) I. 54 (Remise Door) Had not instinct more than reason directed me to the last resource. 1873Black Pr. Thule (1874) 6 It was by a sort of instinct that he guided this open boat through the channels. 1873Hamerton Intell. Life 445 The true instinct of genius.
4. Comb.
1845G. Murray Islaford 31 None to lull her instinct-dread of harm. 1890Boldrewood Col. Reformer (1891) 312 The scanty pasture provoked the instinct-guided cattle to wander far.
▪ II. instinct, ppl. a. Usually (in senses 2 and 3 always) const. as pa. pple.|ɪnˈstɪŋkt|
[ad. L. instinct-us, pa. pple. of instinguĕre (see prec.): cf. obs. F. instinct impelled, constrained (16th c. in Godef.).
Used in sense 2 by Milton, Swift, and Pope; but characterized by Johnson in 1755 as ‘a word not in use’, and so in Dicts. down to Craig 1847; revived about 1800 in sense 3, which is app. due to a misunderstanding of the meaning in Milton, Swift, and Pope.]
†1. Implanted naturally; innate. Obs.
1538Starkey England i. i. 18 Neclygence of man, wych suffryth hys sedys, by nature instincte, by wordly occasyonys to be ouer run. 1628T. Spencer Logick 34 It moues according vnto the instinct, and inbred disposition of nature.
†2. Impelled, moved, excited, inflamed, animated.
1667Milton P.L. ii. 937 The strong rebuff of som tumultuous cloud Instinct with Fire and Nitre. Ibid. vi. 752 Forth rush'd..The Chariot..undrawn, It self instinct with Spirit. 1704Swift Batt. Bks. Misc. (1711) 228 A new Species of controversial Books..instinct with a most malignant Spirit. Ibid. 247 Coffee-house Wits instinct by me, can correct an Author's Stile. 1715–20Pope Iliad xviii. 442 Full twenty tripods..That plac'd on living wheels..instinct with spirit roll'd From place to place.
3. In recent use: Imbued or charged with something, as a moving or animating force or principle.
1797–1803J. Foster Jrnl. in Life & Corr. (1846) I. 178 Burke's sentences are pointed at the end,—instinct with pungent sense to the last syllable. 1813Shelley Q. Mab i. 134 Ianthe's Soul..Instinct with inexpressible beauty and grace. 1821― Def. Poetry i. in Ess. & Lett. (Camelot) 21 Livy is instinct with poetry. 1822B. Cornwall Girl Provence lx, Through all the palace..Instinct with light, a living splendour ran. 1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. vii. iv, Instinct with life to its finger-ends. 1844Ld. Brougham A. Lunel (1872) I. i. 14 Her features were instinct with expression reflecting the spirit within. 1861Tulloch Eng. Purit. ii. 340 Digressions..instinct with meaning to his audiences. 1878H. S. Wilson Alp. Ascents i. 3 The Matterhorn..instinct with malignant cruelty. 1888Mrs. H. Ward R. Elsmere xiv. (1894) 196 The room seemed instinct with a harsh commanding presence.
▪ III. † inˈstinct, v. Obs.
[f. L. instinct-, ppl. stem of instinguĕre to instigate: see instinct n.]
1. trans. To instigate, prompt, impel internally.
1549Chaloner Erasm. on Folly F iij b, The good simple people of the olde golden worlde..lived onely as Nature taught and instincted them. 1663Flagellum or O. Cromwell 6 He Dreamed, or a Familiar rather instincted him and put it into his Head, that He should be King of England. 1694R. Burthogge Reason 40 This false conceit of his being immediately Instincted and moved by the Spirit of God.
2. To implant naturally or as an instinct; to infuse as an animating principle.
1538[see instinct ppl. a. 1]. 1540T. Raynalde Byrth Mankynde iv. ii. (1634) 187 God..hath..instincted such a power and vertue vnto these mortall creatures. 1627Feltham Resolves ii. [i.] lxiv. (1628) 183 Though I doubt whether I may bee of their opinion, who vtterly take away all reason from Beasts, yet I verily beleeue, these are things, that were neuer instincted in them. 1732Bentley Pref. Milton's P.L. a iij, What native, unextinguishable Beauty must be impress'd and instincted through the Whole, which the Defoedation of so many Parts by a bad Printer..could not hinder from shining forth?
3. To perceive by instinct. nonce-use.
1865Mrs. Whitney Gayworthys (1866) 204 There were sugar-plums in her bag, and the children instincted them afar off like flies. |