| 释义 |
▪ I. lessen, v.|ˈlɛs(ə)n|
Also 4 lasnen, 5 lessyn, 7 leasen.
[f. less a. + -en5 1.]
1. intr. To become less in size, quantity, amount, scope, etc.; to decrease.
13..E.E. Allit. P. B. 438 Þenne lasned þe llak þat large watz are. Ibid. 441 Þenne lasned þe loȝ lowkande togeder. 1423Jas. I Kingis Q. 187 Quhen lessen gan my sore. 1480Caxton Chron. Eng. iv, For kyng Goffarus peple might every day encrease mo & mo & Brute's lessen. 1633P. Fletcher Purple Isl. i. xli, The world might die to live, and lessen to increase. 1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 262 The river..lessened every step we went. a1728Woodward Nat. Hist. Foss. i. (1729) I. 51 A Flint of Cylindric Figure, only lessening a little toward each end. 1745Wesley Answ. Ch. 10 My Regard for them lessen'd. 1798Landor Gebir i. 182, I..seemed to lessen and shrink up with cold. 1821Lamb Elia Ser. i. New Year's Eve, In proportion as the years both lessen and shorten.
2. To decrease in apparent size by the effect of distance: orig. said with reference to a bird's flight (also refl.).
1611Shakes. Cymb. v. v. 472 The Romaine Eagle From South to West, on wing soaring aloft Lessen'd her selfe, and in the Beames o' th' Sun So vanish'd. 1660Fuller Mixt Contempl. v. 9 The wealth of the Land doth begin (to use the Faulconer's phrase) to flie to lessen. a1720Sheffield (Dk. Buckhm.) Wks. (1753) I. 93 Away she flies,..She lessens to us, and is lost at last. a1771Gray Ode Pleas. fr. Viciss. ii, The sky-lark..lessening from the dazzled sight Melts into air and liquid light. 1795–7Southey Juvenile & Minor P. Poet. Wks. II. 56 As the white sail is lessening from thy view. 1807J. Barlow Columb. i. 195 Spain, lessening to a chart, beneath it swims. 1859Kingsley Misc. (1860) l. 145 The warm dark roof lessening away into endless gloom.
3. trans. To make less in size, quantity, amount, scope, etc.; to diminish.
a1400–50Alexander 5368 Ser, if þou lessen my life, na lowere þou wynnes. c1440Jacob's Well 196 To lessyn his blood in blood-letyng. 1530Palsgr. 607/1 His treasure is lessened sythe I knewe hym first. 1632Heywood 1st Pt. Iron Age i. Wks. 1874 III. 283 It could not..Leasen my zeale to you. 1651Hobbes Leviath. iv. xlvi. 373 Other things that serve to lessen the dependance of Subjects. 1713Steele Englishm. No 34. 220 The late Tax upon Books and Pamphlets will lessen the Number of Scriblers. 1748Anson's Voy. i. vi. 60 We once or twice lessened our water to forty fathom. 1793Blackstone's Comm. I. 277 note, The increase of our paper has only a tendency to lessen the value of money at home. 1850Hawthorne Scarlet L. xv. (1879) 199 She upbraided herself for the sentiment, but could not overcome or lessen it. 1878Jevons Prim. Pol. Econ. 64 It is one thing to lessen the hours of work; it is another thing to increase the rate of wages per hour.
absol.1611Shakes. Cymb. iii. iii. 13 Consider, When you aboue perceiue me like a Crow, That it is Place, which lessen's, and sets off.
†b. Math. ? To reduce (an equation). Obs.
1676Glanvill Ess. iii. 15 How to convert the false Roots into true, to avoid Fractions, and to lessen æquations.
†c. pass. To suffer loss or curtailment of; to be reduced in (some quality). Obs.
c1400tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 114 Kepe þe fro vche mysauentrous man, þat ys lesnyd of any membre. 1647N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. xvii. (1739) 34 The Lords thus lessened in their judiciary power. 1691T. H[ale] Acc. New Invent. 38 Lessened..in that only quality upon which our Friggats most value themselves. 1793Nelson 21 Feb. in Nicolas Disp. (1845) I. 301, I will not suffer any poor fellow to be lessened of his due.
4. To make less in estimation, represent as less; to extenuate, palliate (faults); to disparage, cast a slur upon. Obs. or arch.
1585C. Fetherstone tr. Calvin on Acts xxvi. 12. 564 They goe about to lessen or paint [L. extenuare aut fucare] these thinges, for which they ought humbly.. to craue pardon. 1612T. Taylor Comm. Titus ii. 14 They obscure the brightnesse of this our sunne of righteousnesse, and lessen the merits of his sufferings. 1677Wycherley Pl. Dealer i. i. 2, I never attempted to abuse, or lessen any person, in my life. 1714Steele Lover No. 24 (1723) 143 Whenever..you have the evil Spirit upon you to lessen any Body you hear commended. 1769Junius Lett. xxviii. 129, I am far from wishing to lessen the merit of this single benevolent action. 1799Nelson 9 Nov. in Nicolas Disp. (1845) IV. 96 Your Royal Highness will not believe that I mean to lessen the conduct of the Army; I have the highest respect for them all. 1877Mrs. Oliphant Makers Flor. xii. 290 The meaner pleasure with which the ordinary observer often exerts himself to lessen a heroic figure.
†5. To lower the dignity, position, or character of; to humble; to degrade, demean. Obs.
a1654Selden Table-t. (Arb.) 69 The making of new Lords lessens all the rest. 1667Milton P.L. iii. 304 Nor shalt thou, by descending to assume Mans Nature, less'n or degrade thine owne. 1706Prior Ode to Queen 192 When swift-wing'd rumour told..How lessen'd from the field Bavar was fled. 1706De Foe Jure Div. xii. 243 King Charles the First..when ever he invaded their Priviledges, had the Misfortune to see his Mistake, and lessen himself, by undoing all he had done before. a1715Burnet Own Time (1724) I. 245 It lessened him much in esteem of all the world. 1788Disinterested Love I. 102 (F.H.).
▪ II. lessen, conj. U.S. dial.|ˈlɛs(ə)n|
Also less'n.
Unless. Cf. less conj.
1881J. C. Harris Nights with Uncle Remus (1884) xix. 94 But less'n we gits dat Moon out er de pon', dey aint no fish kin be ketch. 1912Mulford & Clay Buck Peters (1921) xxiii. 207 ‘Ain't that yore pinto?’ queried Slick. ‘Less'n I'm blind,’ agreed the cow-punch. 1929W. Faulkner Sound & Fury 35 And they aint going to be no luck in saying that name, lessen you going to set up with him while he cries. 1938M. K. Rawlings Yearling iii. 23 None o' the dogs bayed him, Pa. Lessen I didn't hear, for sleepin'. 1970H. Waugh Finish me Off (1971) 133 He's not bothering with girls less'n they're going to do him some good. |