| 释义 |
▪ I. intercourse, n.|ˈɪntəkɔəs|
Also 5–7 entercourse, (6 -cours).
[a. OF. entrecours exchange, commerce (Godef.; in AF. also -course), f. entrecorre to run between:—L. intercurrĕre: see intercur, course. Cf. the L. abl. intercursu ‘by intervention’, and med.L. intercursus.]
1. Communication to and fro between countries, etc.; mutual dealings between the inhabitants of different localities. In early use exclusively with reference to trade, and hence sometimes = commerce, traffic; now in more general sense.
α1494Fabyan Chron. vii. 368 She..besought the Kynge that his marchauntes myght vse their entercourse into Flaundres as they before tymes had done. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 60 b, Straungiers..take the lyvinge from all the artificers, and the entercourse from all merchauntes. 1584Cogan Haven Health ccxvii. (1636) 239 God hath divided his blessings, that..one Country might have entercourse with an other. 1623Bingham Xenophon 57 They had free entercourse of trade one with another. 1669Gale Crt. Gentiles i. i. iv. 23 Their vicinitie, and mutual entercourses, made the Jews passe under their neighbors names.
β1473Rolls Parlt. VI. 65/1 The..Company..have had and used free and frendely communication and intercurse of Marchaundise with his Subgetts. 1599Hakluyt Voy. II. 178 He wil not but maintaine yt faith promised her, & the intercourse in due force. 1656Burton's Diary (1826) I. 181 The intercourse merchants are many of them traders into the Spanish countries, which are your enemies. Ibid., Whether the city or the merchants of the intercourse should pay it. 1803Med. Jrnl. X. 405 The almost innumerable means of intercourse now introduced into most parts of this island. 1863Lyell Antiq. Man 40 It is clear that the Ohio mound-builders had commercial intercourse with the natives of distant regions.
2. a. Social communication between individuals; frequent and habitual contact in conversation and action; dealings.
1547–64Bauldwin Mor. Philos. v. iii. (Palfr.), Men, between whom happeneth to be entercourse or familiarity. 1652–62Heylin Cosmogr. Introd. (1682) 7 That civil Enter⁓course, and mutual Society which the nature of Mankind doth most delight in. a1714Burnet Hist. Ref. I. ii. 244 For justifying himself, he [Sir Thomas More] wrote a full account of all the intercourse he had with the Nun and her complices. 1751Johnson Rambler No. 160 ⁋6 Those with whom time and intercourse have made us familiar. 1852Dickens Let. to Mrs. Watson 5 Aug., We looked forward to years of unchanged intercourse.
b. With of (= in respect of, as regards).
1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 163 Amongst all which was peace, but no intercourse of marriages in differing Sects. 1641J. Jackson True Evang. T. iii. 174 [They] have friendly and mutuall entercourse of affections, actions, customes, habits.
c. pl. Now rare.
1742Richardson Pamela IV. 220 Disengaging myself from all Intercourses that have given you Uneasiness. 1748Hartley Observ. Man. i. iii. 311 Their former Intercourses with the Israelites. 1804A. Ranken Hist. France III. i. v. 75 New scenes, objects and intercourses enlarged his views. 1855H. Martineau Autobiog. (1877) II. 446 My hours are now best spent in affectionate intercourses.
d. Sexual connexion.
1798Malthus Popul. i. ii. (1806) I. 21 note, An illicit intercourse between the sexes. 1804Abernethy Surg. Obs. 143 Propagated by promiscuous intercourse. 1919M. K. Bradby Psycho-Anal. iii. ix. 118 Witches were examined during their trials for evidence of their fleshly intercourse with the devil. 1922Joyce Ulysses 402 He..did not scruple..to attempt illicit intercourse with a female domestic. 1963A. Heron Towards Quaker View of Sex i. 6 The incidence of extra-marital intercourse is great. 1973S. Fisher Female Orgasm i. 26 Some of the decline in intercourse frequency and responsiveness..may be caused by the..physiological decline of their husbands.
3. Communion between man and that which is spiritual or unseen.
1561T. Norton Calvin's Inst. ii. 145 He suffered other nations to walke in vanitie, as though they had not any entercourse or any thing to do with him. 1597Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xxiii. §1 His heavenly inspirations and our holy desires are as so many Angels of entercourse and commerce betweene God and us. 1649Roberts Clavis Bibl. 354 The sweet entercourse and communion betwixt God, and his Church. 1727De Foe Hist. Appar. Introd. (1840) 2 It does not follow that there is no intercourse or communication between the world of spirits and the world we live in. 1860Pusey Min. Proph. 605 A devout intercourse with God.
†4. Communication of ideas; discourse, conversation, discussion. Obs. (exc. as included in 2).
1570–6Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 421 After some entercourses, and when they had agreed upon a plat of their businesse. 1611Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. vi. xl. §4. 144 After much inter-course, and many intreaties passed, at length..he accepted their offer. 1660R. Coke Power & Subj. 259 To these may be added a profound Judgement in the affaires both of Church & State, how much it appeared in the former, appears in the entercourse between him and Master Hinderson. 1692Ray Dissol. World 38 This Tradition..which they could not receive from the Greek Philosophers or Poets, with whom they had no entercourse.
†5.
a. Intercommunication between things or parts.
1626Bacon Sylva §700 We see plainly what an Intercourse there is between the Teeth, and the Organ of the Hearing, by the taking of the end of a Bow between the Teeth, and striking upon the String. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 95 This Caspian Sea, which..has no commerce or entercourse with any Sea, except..it be subterranean. 1661Boyle Spring of Air i. v. (1682) 12 When the Mercurial Cylinder..has at the other end of it Air, kept from any Entercourse with the Atmosphere. 1787Best Angling (ed. 2) 126 Those [rivers] that have a more immediate intercourse with the sea, participate of its influences, and have the same vicissitudes.
†b. A means or way of intercommunication.
1660Boyle New Exp. Phys. Mech. xli. 333 We thought fit to open..an intercourse betwixt the Air in the Receiver, and that without it. 1781Hist. Eur. in Ann. Reg. 14/1 Smaller armed vessels..master of all the channels and intercourses, as well as of the adjoining sea.
†6. Passage in; entrance. Obs.
1598Stow Surv. xxv. (1603) 226 A doore of entercourse into this garden. 1658Evelyn Fr. Gard. (1675) 293 Where both the sun and air have free entrecourse.
7. Continuous interchange or exchange of (letters, etc.). Now rare.
1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 130, I will not write..what I thinke toucheing the weale publique..because the inter⁓course of suche letters are daungerous. 1667Milton P.L. ix. 238 This sweet intercourse Of looks and smiles. 1729Butler Serm. Forgiveness Wks. 1874 II. 106 The first offence..becomes the occasion of entering into a long intercourse of ill offices. 1818Jas. Mill Brit. India II. v. i. 344 An active intercourse of letters and messengers ensued. 1828D'Israeli Chas. I, II. ii. 54 These letters were afterwards followed by an intercourse of civilities.
†8. Interchange of one thing with another; alternation. Obs.
1571Golding Calvin on Ps. xix. 2 The orderly intercourse of dayes and nightes so fitly succeding. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage ii. viii. (1614) 137 Yet had the Kingdome of Judah their entercourses of corruption and reformation, according as they had good or bad kings. 1621Quarles Argalus & P. (1678) 14 The entercourses Of whose mixt fortunes taught her tender heart To feel the self-same joy, the self-same smart. 1655H. Vaughan Silex Scint., Man i, Birds like watchful clocks the noiseless date, And inter⁓course of times divide.
9.
†a. The fact of coming between or intervening; intervention; an intervening course or space; an interval. Obs.
a1586Sidney Arcadia vi. (1590) 487 The Arcadian plaines, beautified by the intercourse of many forrests. 1589Nashe Anat. Absurd. Ep. Ded. 3 But from such entercourse of excuse, let my vnschooled indignities conuert themselves to your courtesie. 1645E. Pagitt Heresiogr. (1662) 8 Three courses of meat, but between them there was an entercourse, for the king accused a man of treason and cut off his head and returned again.
†b. Intervention on the part of some agent.
1586J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie 67 By the intercourse of the Kinges royall assent adhibited by the hande of his heralde. 1603Sir C. Heydon Jud. Astrol. To Rdr. 6 [It] is effected immediately by the..arme of God, without the intercourse of naturall causes. 1646J. Gregory Notes & Obs. (1650) 115 If we betake our selves to this other way, one onely entercourse of Omnipotency will serve the turne.
▪ II. † interˈcourse, v. Obs. rare.
[f. prec. n.]
1. intr. To run through, run across.
1597Gerarde Herbal ii. liii. §1. 272 Two colours occupying halfe the flower, or intercoursing the whole flower with streakes and orderly streames. 1611Florio, Intercorrere, to entercourse or run.
2. To have intercourse with.
1571Hanmer Chron. Irel. (1633) 53 Entercoursing with domesticall and forraigne students. |