| 释义 |
▪ I. kerb, n.|kɜːb|
Also kirb.
[Variant of curb n., used in special senses.]
1. In various uses in which curb is the more frequent spelling (see curb III).
1664[see curb 8 b]. 1733,1793[see curb 9]. 1797Monthly Mag. III. 221 The skirting, or kirb, which keeps in the ground, may be cast, or framed, with the boxes. 1873F. Hall Mod. Eng. p. xi, Mistaking the kerb of our own little philologic well for the far-off horizon of science.
2. a. spec. An edging of stone or the like, bordering a raised path, side-walk, or pavement: = curb 12. on the kerb: said of stock-exchange business done on the street-pavement, esp. after the exchange is closed for the day.
1805Chron. in Ann. Reg. 359/2 A young man..fell down off the kirb, in Thames-street. 1851Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib. 243 A section of a street, with improved kerb, for keeping the pavement clean. 1863M. Hopkins Hawaii 71 An ancient lava road..defined on each side with a kerb or bordering of stones. 1894Times 19 Apr. 4/4 Later in the day the trading was slow, and on the Kerb cash was done at {pstlg}40. 2s. 6d.
b. Comb., as kerb-merchant, kerb-vendor, one who sells his wares on or beside the street-kerb; kerb-edge, kerb-side; kerb market, kerb stocks (see on the kerb in 2 a and curb n. 15); kerb crawling vbl. n. = gutter crawling vbl. n. (gutter n.1 8); also as ppl. a.; also kerb-crawl v. intr. [as a back-formation]; kerb-crawler; kerb drill, the exercise of standing on the kerb and looking right, then left, then right again before crossing the road; kerb service, see curb service (curb n. 15); kerb weight (see quot. 1967).
1971Daily Tel. 13 Jan. 11/1 A man who *kerb-crawls is not committing an offence. 1972Ibid. 16 Oct. 3 A campaign against motorists who ‘kerb crawl’ in search of prostitutes.
1955‘C. H. Rolph’ Women of Streets ii. 43 The solicitation of respectable women in the streets by ‘*kerb-crawlers’{ddd}is causing much disquiet. 1969Sunday Tel. (Brisbane) 20 Apr. 3/6 Women who complain of kerb-crawlers who pester them are often hypocritical to sex.
1949in Partridge Dict. Slang 1091/2 *Kerb-crawling vbl. n. and ppl. a. 1971Times 10 Aug. 2/1 The Rev. Peter Hawkins..complaining of kerb-crawling by men looking for girls. Ibid. 2/2 Respectable women had complained of being importuned by kerb-crawling motorists.
1948R. Bailey Safety Way iii. 17 In some schools the children practise *Kerb Drill with their teachers and learn to judge speeds. 1969Highway Code 5 Kerb drill. Before you cross, stop at the kerb, look right, look left, look right again. 1970R. Rendell Guilty Thing Surprised ix. 105 They poured through the gates.., paying no attention to the kerb drill.
1930D. H. Lawrence Nettles 11 Idle we stand at the *kerb-edge, Auntie, Dangling our useless hands. 1955W. Faulkner Fable 306 On through the gate into an alley, a blank wall opposite and at the kerb-edge [curb-edge, 1954 U.S. ed.] a big..car.
1905Daily Chron. 28 Apr. 4/4 The *kerb market in New York reflects in a general way the tone of the stock market.
1897Daily News 30 Mar. 6/4 Some *kerb merchants..were also driving a good trade in loyal buttons.
1956P. Highsmith Blunderer viii. 69 Walter..bought her chocolate sodas at the *kerb-service drugstore.
1905Daily Chron. 11 Nov. 4/7 Fruit from the *kerbside barrow is marvellously cheap nowadays. 1923Daily Mail 21 July 3 The growing tendency of motorists to avail themselves of kerb-side pumps. 1959Times 8 Dec. 5/6 The all-day parker has become so accustomed to free kerbside accommodation that the very idea of having to pay a parking charge seems to him an outrage. 1969Daily Tel. 19 Aug. 15/1 A kerbside cafe. 1971Slaughter & Goodman Every Man should have One ii. 18 If they succeed in looking like a model girl..it is meant as a compliment to you, not an expectation of ritzy treatment with champagne flowing and nothing less than an Aston Martin at the kerbside.
1923Daily Express 30 July 2/6 *Kerb Stocks.
1894Fenn Tiger Lily I. 139 A silk umbrella—one of those..declared by the *kerb vendor as being better than new.
1958Economist 25 Oct. (Suppl.) 10/1 With a *kerb weight of 26 cwt and 240 BHP of power from the 3.7-litre engine, the maximum speed will equal that of any four-seater car in the world, close to 150 mph. 1967E. Rudinger Consumer's Car Gloss. (ed. 2) 64 Kerb weight, weight of a car without occupants or luggage but with oil and water and some petrol.
▪ II. kerb, v.|kɜːb|
[f. kerb n. Cf. curb v.2]
trans. To furnish with a kerb.
1861[see curb v.2 3]. 1887Athenæum 8 Jan. 58 The muddy streets were gravelled and kerbed. |