| 释义 |
▪ I. zephyr, n.|ˈzɛfə(r)|
Forms: α. (in Latin form) 1 zefferus, 4 zeferus, 4–7 zephirus, 5 zeforus, 5–6 zepherus, 6– zephyrus; β. 7 zephir(e, -yre, 7– zephyr.
[a. or ad. L. zephyrus, a. Gr. ζέϕυρος: cf. F. zéphire, It. zefiro, zeffiro, Sp. cefiro, Pg. zephyro, G. zephyr, etc.]
1. The west wind, esp. as personified, or the god of the west wind.
αa1000Riddles xl[i]. 68 Nis zefferus se swifta wind þæt swa fromlice mæᵹ feran æᵹhwær. 13..E.E. Allit. P. C. 470 & sayez vnte Zeferus þat he syfle warme. c1386Chaucer Prol. 5 Zephirus..with his swete breeth. c1520Skelton Garl. Laurel 677 There blew in that gardynge a soft piplyng colde, Enbrethyng of Zepherus with his pleasant wynde. 1594Selimus ad fin., Zephyrus sweete smelling blast. 1616R. C. Times' Whistle (1871) 116 Art thou perhaps that purest breathing aire, Sweet Zephirus? 1667Milton P.L. v. 16 With voice Milde, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes. 1898Meredith Lett. (1912) II. 498 Like a gossamer puffed by summer Zephyrus.
β1598Chapman Iliad vii. [xi.] 120 When the hollow floode of ayre in Zephyres cheeks doth swel. 1605Drayton Idea liii, Sweet mirrh-breathing Zephire. 1632Milton L'Allegro 19 Zephir with Aurora playing, As he met her once a Maying. 1750Johnson Rambler No. 80 ⁋3 Regions in which no wind is heard but the gentle Zephyr. 1823B. W. Procter Flood of Thess. i. 89 Words more soft than Zephyr.
2. A soft mild gentle wind or breeze.
1611Shakes. Cymb. iv. ii. 172 They are as gentle As Zephires blowing below the Violet, Not wagging his sweet head. 1683Tryon Way to Health 47 The pure thin sweet Vapours of the Air (which are the Refreshing Zephiri of Nature). 1718Prior Henry & Emma 389 While gentle Zephyrs play in prosp'rous Gales. 1764Goldsm. Trav. 173 No zephyr fondly sues the mountain's breast. 1807W. Irving Salmag. (1824) 187 The flowers, the zephyrs, and the warblers of spring, returning after their tedious absence. 1883M. B. Betham-Edwards Disarmed x, The zephyrs breathed softly from the south.
3. a. Applied to various very light articles of clothing; e.g. a light shawl; a light dust-coat; esp. a light shirt worn by athletes.
1774Westm. Mag. II. 259 Negligees of pale lutestring,..with tassels and zephyrs in fancy, or of muslin. 1830Lady's Mag. 31 May 284/2 Some wear little square shawls of soft crape, called zephyrs. 1879F. W. Robinson Coward Consc. i. ii, The gentleman's light overcoat had once done duty as a ‘zephyr’ at the races. 1887Shearman Athletics 68 When the athlete has got a pair of the best shoes, a zephyr, and a pair of silk or merino drawers,..he has got all the stock-in-trade required to win half-a-dozen championships. 1891R. F. Murray Scarlet Gown 6 He sat upon the sofa, where my hat, My wanton Zephyr, rested on its rim.
b. [after Ger.] A fine light cotton cloth of the gingham type used for women's dresses, having the colours woven into the fabric.
1849, etc. [see 6 b]. 1863B. Taylor Han. Thurston I. 128 [To] measure a yard of calico..or choose a shade of zephyr. 1866in Abridgm. Specif. Patents, Spinning ii. (1868) 490 Equal in appearance to the finest German zephyr. 1905Wells Kipps i. vi. §1 I'm sorting up zephyrs to-morrow, Sir.
c. Cookery. (See quot.)
1894Garrett's Encycl. Cookery, Zephyrs. These might almost be described under the heading of Soufflés.
4. A butterfly of the genus Zephyrus.
5. [after Fr.] A soldier of the Algerian light infantry.
1854Househ. Words VIII. 145/1 Zephyrs is a nickname given in Algeria to a corps which is recruited from..the French army. 1911Blackw. Mag. May 595/2 Service with the ‘Zephyrs’, the malefactors of the French army.
6. attrib. and Comb., as (sense 2) zephyr-bough, zephyr-breath, zephyr-sigh, zephyr-whispering; zephyr-fanned, zephyr-haunted, zephyr-kissed adjs.; zephyr-flower = zephyranth (Miller Plant-n. 1884).
1818Keats Endym. ii. 318 Within my breast there lives a choking flame—O let me cool't the *zephyr-boughs among!
1854Brewster More Worlds ii. 17 The *zephyr breath among the distant foliage.
1880A. H. Swinton Insect Var. 96 The *zephyr-fanned summits of the oak wood.
1793Coleridge Lines to a beautiful Spring 5 Ere from thy *zephyr-haunted brink I turn.
c1840Eliza Cook Spring v, The *zephyr-kissed grass.
1818Keats Endym. i. 376 Where every *zephyr-sigh pouts, and endows Her lips with music for the welcoming.
1842Dickens Amer. Notes x, Nor was the atmosphere quite free from *zephyr whisperings of the thirty beds which had just been cleared away.
b. Applied to certain light yarns and fabrics (see quots.); also = made of zephyr (sense 3 b).
1849Jrnl. Design Aug. 143 Zephyr Silk Barège... This is one of those light and elegant fabrics which have done so much to reduce the demand for the higher class of light printed goods. 1852Househ. Words IV. 398/2 We have Paletôts,..Zephyr wrappers,..and a host of other garments. 1858Simmonds Dict. Trade, Zephyr-cloth, a kind of kerseymere made in Belgium; a waterproof fabric. Ibid., Zephyr-shawl, a kind of thin light worsted and cotton embroidered shawl. 1864Webster, Zephyr yarn, or worsted, a fine kind of yarn or worsted, called also Berlin wool. 1882Caulfeild & Saward Dict. Needlework, Zephyr Ginghams or Prings. These are pretty delicate textiles, resembling a cotton batiste. Zephyr Merino Yarn, the term employed by the wool staplers of Germany to signify what is usually called German or Berlin. Zephyr Shirting..a kind of gauze flannel, having a silk warp. 1883Truth 31 May 768/2 Two sisters in blue zephyr gowns. 1888M. Bradshaw Ind. Outfits 31 Two pairs of zephyr stays,..besides a few pairs of ordinary stays.
Hence zephyˈrean, zeˈphyrian, ˈzephyrous, ˈzephyry adjs., of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a zephyr; full of or having zephyrs; ˈzephyret, a gentle zephyr; ˈzephyrine, the name of a light thin material or a garment made of this; also attrib.; ˈzephyrless a., destitute of zephyrs.
1837Blackw. Mag. XLI. 146 The voice of Reason, like the *zephyrean breath of summer.
1848tr. J. P. F. Richter's Levana iii. iii. §54 To..send the *zephyrets of pleasure through artistic bellows and air-pumps, to the little flowers.
1734Poor Robin Mar. A 7, And from the West with a *Zephyrian Breath, Plants seeming dead he re-revives from Death.
1873Mrs. Whitney Other Girls iii, A span new tea-coloured *zephyrine polonaise. Ibid., Her zephyrine, with its silky shine.
1819Keats Lines to Fanny 37 Whose winds, all *zephyrless, hold scourging rods.
1847Tait's Mag. XIV. 267 This soft *zephyrous breeze.
1791J. Learmont Poems 188 The *Zephiry Summer breeze. 1880A. H. Swinton Insect Var. 169 In zephyry hay-fields.
▪ II. zephyr, v.|ˈzɛfə(r)|
[f. the n.]
intr. To blow like a zephyr. Hence ˈzephyring ppl. a.
1922Hardy Late Lyrics & Earlier 111 An aura zephyring round, That care infected not. 1939Joyce Finnegans Wake 418 Since longsephyring sighs sought heartseast for their orience? 1973J. Jones Touch of Danger xxiii. 131 A light little breeze zephyred in..from the open water. |