| 释义 |
mayhem, n. Old Law.|ˈmeɪhɛm|
Forms: 5 mahyme, 5–7 mayme, 6 mayom, maiheme, mayheme, mahym, 6–7 maime, 6–8 mayhim, 7 mahin, 7–8 maim, 7–9 maihem, mahim, 7– mayhem.
[a. AF. mahem, mahaym, maiheme, maheyng, etc.: see maim n.]
The crime of violently inflicting a bodily injury upon a person so as to make him less able to defend himself or annoy his adversary.
1472–3Rolls of Parlt. VI. 54/2 For the punycion of the said murdre and maymes. 1503Ibid. 550/1 The same Sir William, suyde Appele of Mayme ayenst the said Sir Edward. 1523in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxford (1880) 33 Morders, fellonyes, mayoms. 1529S. Fish Supplic. Beggers (1871) 8 Robbery, trespas, maiheme, dette or eny other offence. 1620J. Wilkinson Coroners & Sherifes 22 Mayhem is properly said where any member of a man is taken away. 1641Termes de la Ley 198 The cutting off of an eare or nose, or breaking of the hinder teeth, or such like, is no Maihem. 1765Blackstone Comm. I. 130 Those members which may be useful to him in fight, and the loss of which only amounts to mayhem by the common law. 1802–12Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) V. 139 All imaginable crimes,—rape, robbery, burglary, mayhem, incendiarism. 1853T. Wharton Digest Cases Pennsylv. (ed. 6) 486 An indictment for maihem which does not contain the words ‘lying in wait’ is bad.
fig.1868Lanier Jacquerie ii. 44 Thou felon, War, I do arraign thee now Of mayhem of the four main limbs of France. 1894Critic (U.S.) 30 June 444/1 The literary mayhem becomes as inexplicable as it is unpardonable.
Hence mayhem v. trans., to inflict mayhem on.
1534Act 26 Hen. VIII, c. 11 Diuers..haue beaten, mayhimed..and somtimes murdered diuerse of the same pursuers. 1743Conn. Col. Rec. (1874) VIII. 579 For that he..did feloniously mayhem the body of one Thomas Allyn. 1879Tourgee Fool's Err. xxxix. (1883) 251 To buy, to sell, to task, to whip, to mayhem this race at will.
Restrict Old Law to sense in Dict. and add: 2. In weakened sense (orig. U.S.): violent behaviour, esp. physical assault.
1870‘Mark Twain’ in Territorial Enterprise 20 Jan. 1/1 This same man..pantingly threatened me with permanent disfiguring mayhem, if ever again I should introduce his name into print. 1930Times 11 Jan. 9/5 Murderous gang feuds and ‘racketeering’, a form of business brigandage which makes free use of mayhem [mutilation] and murder, are increasing to an alarming extent in New York and its vicinity. 1949‘H. Robbins’ Dream Merchants (1950) 89 If Borden had known what was to be done with his picture, he would have committed mayhem. 1952Manch. Guardian Weekly 25 Sept. 5/1 In the United States..‘Smena’ tells its readers, ‘It [sc. baseball] is a beastly battle, a bloody fight with mayhem and murder.’ 1985Mail on Sunday 3 Mar. (Colour Suppl.) 19/2 City Heat, a tale of murder and mayhem. 1992M. Medved Hollywood vs. Amer. v. xv. 247 Many titles..contained more than sixty moments of mayhem per hour—or one each minute.
3. Rowdy confusion; chaos, disorder.
1976Daily Mirror 15 Mar. 24/4 (caption) Without wishin' to cast nasturtiums on your worm—I feel he's not goin' to make much mayhem today. 1976Economist 20 Mar. 12/1 Thus were the trade unions tacitly egged on..to the inflationary mayhem in 1970–74. 1978H. Carpenter Inklings i. i. 11 He developed the ability to work at his desk in the middle of domestic mayhem. 1980Times 2 Sept. 17/4 There is a plentiful supply of receptions, cocktail evenings, and general mayhem. 1982L. Cody Bad Company xv. 107 Bernie avoided the scented mayhem of the ground floor at Peter Jones. 1987R. Manning Corridor of Mirrors xv. 156 The dragon..moors himself in the harbour and creates his usual mayhem. 1989Daily Express 9 Jan. 1/1 It was mayhem on the motorway, which was blocked off to allow emergency services to reach the scene. |