| 释义 |
† water-caster Obs.
1. One who practises inspection of patients' urine as a means of diagnosis: in early use sometimes depreciatively applied to the medical profession generally; latterly, used as equivalent to ‘quack’. Cf. cast v. 40.
1603Dekker Wonderf. Yr. D 3, Hipocrates, Auicen, Paracelsus,..with all their succeeding rabble of Doctors and Water-casters. 1609― Ravens Alm. Wks. (Grosart) IV. 193 Let some skilfull-water-caster toot vpon your vrinell. 1627J. Taylor (Water P.) Armado A 5, The fare of Quacksaluers, Mountebanckes, Ratcatching Watercasters. 1675E. W[ilson] Spadacrene Dunelm. 63 Oppilation or Obstruction, a noted hard word amongst our Water-casters, those pedantick pretenders to Science. 1804Med. Jrnl. XII. 213 The country people have long been deceived by water casters, as they are denominated. 1828Carr Craven Gloss.
fig.1681T. Flatman Heraclitus Ridens No. 3 (1713) I. 13, I am just running to a State Water-caster, to resolve me a Horary Question.
2. ? A workman employed to sprinkle water.
1610Assessm. Wages in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1898) XIII. 524 A water Caster, vd. A caster of stone Clay or marle, vd. |