| 释义 |
▪ I. wavering, vbl. n.|ˈweɪvərɪŋ|
[-ing1.]
The action of the verb waver, in various senses.
1375Barbour Bruce vi. 584 The hund alwais followit the kyng, And changit nocht for na parting, Bot ay followit the kyngis tras, But vaueryng, as he passit was. a1400Morte Arth. 2224, I watte be thi wauerynge, thow willnez aftyre sorowe. 1548Udall Erasm. Par. Luke vi. 12–16 Whan the people wer in a waueryng and mammeryng what he was. 1593Nashe Christ's T. E 3 b, Had you rested them on the true Rocke, they had beene ruine-proofe; but now the raine wil rough-enter through the crannies of theyr wauering. 1605Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. §8. 13 Massiue bodies..haue certaine trepidations and wauerings before they fixe and settle. a1768Secker Serm. (1770) IV. 2 Why this perpetual Wavering and Fluctuation, about the first thing, that you ought to fix. 1816Jane Austen Emma xxii, Had there been no pain to her friend, or reproach to herself, in the waverings of Harriet's mind, Emma would have been amused by its variations. 1828–41Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) I. 120 The wavering of the English lines was now discernible by the Scottish soldiers. 1831Alford in Life (1873) 68 Quick waverings about of bands of light such as take place in the Polar Auroras. 1868E. Edwards Ralegh I. xx. 443 The King's wavering between a course of clemency and one of rigour.
▪ II. ˈwavering, ppl. a.
[f. waver v. + -ing2.]
†1. Wandering, vagrant. Obs.
1375Barbour Bruce vii. 112 Thai saw on syde thre men cumand, Lik to licht men and vauerand. 1607N. Riding Rec., Q. Sess. Rec. (1884) I. 91 Tho. Best of Wath, a wavering person, [presented] for three assaults on the Constable of Melmerby.
2. Tottering, shaking, faltering, reeling.
c1400Destr. Troy 13546 And wayuerand, weike, [I] wan to the lond. 1569Roest tr. J. van der Noot's Theat. Worldlings 76 Theyr proude titles haue no sure foundation, but are buylded only vppon the waueryng sandes of doubtefulnesse and falshode. 1816Byron Siege Cor. xxix, The portal wavering grows, and weak! 1839Kinnear Cairo, Petra & Damascus iii. (1841) 95 A dim shadowy figure on a dromedary appeared, moving at a wavering and uncertain pace through the sand drift. 1845–7Longfellow Ev. i. v. 127 And like the day of doom it seemed to her wavering senses. 1896H. G. Wells Wheels of Chance i, The nervous clutch of the wavering rider.
3. Fluttering, floating, waving, surging.
c1425Wyntoun Cron. v. 845 Wauerande [v.r. welterand] wawis. c1470Golagros & Gaw. 290 As leif of the lynd..That welteris doun with the wynd, sa wauerand it is. 1534Ld. Berners Gold Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) P viii b, Their waueryng boughes ar aduentured in the wynde. 1660Boyle New Exper. Spring of Air xxiv. 193 These bubbles..ascended with a wavering or wrigling motion. 1662Dryden Astræa Redux 225 The wavering Streamers, Flags, and Standart out. 1703Pope Thebais i. 266 As when two winds with rival force contend, This way and that, the wav'ring sails they bend. 1884W. C. Smith Kildrostan i. i. 42 Broken prismic lights are woven On the thin veils of wavering cloud.
4. Vacillating, undecided, inconstant; faltering in resolution or allegiance.
c1315[see waver v. 5]. 1375Barbour Bruce xii. 185 Mony ane hert sall vaverand be That semyt ere of gret bounte. c1440Alphabet of Tales 424 He went vnto his prayers, & stude with a waveryng ee and a waveryng mynde. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. IV (1550) 16 b, This realm..inuaded and infested with the frantike waueryng Welshemen. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iv. i. 138 Remember where we are, In France, amongst a fickle wauering Nation. 1598R. Bernard tr. Terence, Andria i. v. (1607) 27 Hee is as wauering as a wether-cocke. 1642J. Taylor (Water P.) Henry Walker A 3 b, To Allienate or estrange the hearts of wavering Subjects from their allegiance. c1660in Verney Mem. (1907) II. 227 His mind is so wavouring that I think hee will setill to nothing. 1743Ld. Hardwicke in G. Harris Life (1847) II. 37 If our allies are timorous and wavering, it is necessary to encourage them by vigorous measures. 1862Sir C. Dilke Let. 7 Nov. Life (1917) I. 32 How wavering and shortsighted the policy of England in Turco-Grecian matters has been of late! a1886Stubbs Germany in E. Middle Ages (1908) 167 The wavering princes returned to their allegiance.
b. absol. (with the).
1603Knolles Hist. Turks (1638) 380 Carambey..incouraged the wauering, and restored the battel. 1780Mirror No. 94 That I might be able..to alarm the inconsiderate, to confirm the wavering. 1891Farrar Darkn. & Dawn lv, The most wavering could not but be confirmed by his calm wisdom.
c. Comb.
1526Tindale Jas. i. 8 A waverynge mynded man is vnstable in all his wayes. 1658J. Spencer Things New & Old 179 How to prevent wavering-mindedness.
5. Of fortune, affairs, etc.: Variable, mutable. † Of a person: Having a doubtful or uncertain title.
c1425Wyntoun Cron. lxv. 1838 (Wemyss) Few personis lynealye, Sum vther few collateralye, As cours maid and qualite Airis waverand for to be. 1500–20Dunbar Poems lxvi. 1 This waverand warldis wretchidness. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VI 148 b, Suche is worldly vnstablenes, and so waueryng is false flatteryng fortune. 1660Milton Free Commw. Wks. 1851 V. 438 In this wavering condition of our Affairs.
6. Changing in intensity, now strong, now faint; flickering, fitful, intermittent; tremulous, unsteady; tending to fade or become dim.
c1470Henry Wallace iv. 340 Now wauerand wind, now weit. 1513Douglas æneis ii. xii. 64 Or mast liklie a waverand sweving or dreyme [L. volucrique simillima somno]. c1622Rowley Birth of Merlin iii. vi. 17 The incertain Changes of a wavering Skie. 1688Holme Armoury iii. xvi. (Roxb.) 62/2 It is a kind of wavering fluteing sound. 1815Scott Guy M. xlviii, The fire..now rose high into the air, a wavering column of brilliant light. 1842J. Wilson Chr. North (1857) I. 152 His sight is dim and wavering. 1866M. E. Braddon Lady's Mile i, Making a little spot of crimson amongst the wavering shadows of the trees. 1868Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 393 Till these things shall seem The wavering memory of a lovely dream. 1890Retrospect Med. CII. 370 It is heard as a wavering or tremolo note.
Hence ˈwaveringly adv., ˈwaveringness.
c1400Sc. Trojan War ii. 1547 He has chapit, & so long past Throw þe wyld sees wawerandly [v.r. wauerandly]. 1549Coverdale etc. Erasm. Par. 1 Pet. v. 6–14 Loke not waueringly about you, haue no distrust, be not afrayed. a1603T. Cartwright Confut. Rhem. N.T. (1618) 27 How doubtfully and waueringly Augustine iudged of this case. 1614J. Robinson Relig. Commun. 124 Men become perfit, and growen past that childish waveringnes. 1698Atterbury Serm. (1734) II. 311 The Uncertainty and Waveringness of this [belief]. 1820Blackw. Mag. VII. 176 The candles glimmer somewhat waveringly. 1863Geo. Eliot Romola xxi, His hearers more or less waveringly believed, that he had a mission like that of the Hebrew prophets. 1885Bridges Nero ii. ii, Speak nothing waveringly. |