| 释义 |
minish, v. Now only arch.|ˈmɪnɪʃ|
Forms: 4–5 menus(e, (4 mynus(c)h, menus(c)h, Sc. menes, myniss, 5 menuze), 4–6 mynyssh(e, 5 minussh, (minys, minise, -issh, mynes(ch, mynuyssh, mynyss), 5–6 mynys, 6 mynish(e, (-issh, -essh, -usshe, myn(n)yshe), minishe, -issh(e), mynysch(e, Sc. menis(che, 6– minish.
[ad. OF. menusier, menuisier = Pr. menuzar, It. minuzzare:—vulgar Latin *minūtiāre, f. minūt-us minute a. Cf. mince v.]
1. trans. To make fewer in number or less in size; to make less in amount or degree; to reduce in power, influence, etc. (rarely † const. of).
c1375[see minishing vbl. n.]. 1382Wyclif Wisd. xi. 8 Whan thei weren mynusht [Vulg. minuerentur]..thou ȝeue to them abundende water. c1386Chaucer Pars. T. ⁋303 (Cambr. MS.) Ek ȝif he withdrawe or menuse the almesse of the poore. c1440Alphabet of Tales 31, I remevid þis stone in þe feld, to þe entent þat I wolde enlarge myne awn ground & mynys oþer mens ground. 1465Paston Lett. II. 175 And yff they wold wyrke ayenst me to minussh my power. 1513Douglas æneis i. Prol. 371 Latyne wordis..That in our leid ganand translatioun hes nane, Les than we menis thar sentence and grauite. 1535Coverdale Ps. cvi[i]. 39 When they are minished & brought lowe thorow oppression. 1538Starkey England i. i. 14 Vertues..be no les vertues, nor mynyschyd of theyr excellency, by any such frantyke fansy. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. V 46 b, His armie by sickenesse was sore minished and appaired. 1614Jackson Creed iii. xxi. §18 The testimonies of the Law and Prophesies, serued as a light..to minish the terrors of the night. 1826Scott Woodst. iii, I may come to trouble, since it may be thought I have minished their numbers. 1848Lowell Biglow P. Poems 1890 II. 68, I would not..minish by a tittle the respect due to the Magistrate.
absol.1509Hawes Past. Pleas. (Percy Soc.) 111 She [Nature] werketh upon all wonderly, Bothe for to minysshe and to multeply.
b. To break up into (powder, parts).
1382Wyclif 2 Kings xxiii. 15 And that heeȝ auter he..mynuschede in to poudre. 1851Landor Popery 33 Our kingdom is minished into parts and parcels.
†c. To reduce (a coin) by clipping or sweating. Obs. rare. Cf. diminish v. 1 b.
1622[see minished ppl. a.].
2. To remove, withdraw (a portion of or from something).
c1483Caxton Chaucer's Cant. T., Proheme, I had made it accordyng to my copye and by me was nothyng added ne mynusshyd. 1525Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 207 Shall mynysche noe part of yere. 1581W. Stafford Exam. Compl. i. (1876) 19 We are forced, either to minishe the third part of our househoulde, or to raise the thirde part of our reuenewes. 1860Pusey Min. Proph. 342 What they minish from the measure, that they add to the wrath of God.
b. absol.
c1400Apol. Loll. 3 Not presumand to put to His lawe, ne to minys þerfro. 1421Lett. Marg. Anjou & Bp. Beckington (Camden) 28 And ever to have libertee to adde and minise chaunge and amende. 1506Bury Wills (Camden) 108 Myn executours shall mynysshe as they thynke accordyng to conciens. 1526Tindale Rev. xxii. 19 And yf eny man shall mynnyshe of the wordes off the boke of this prophesy.
3. To decry the importance or worth of; to depreciate, belittle.
1402Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 53 Thi baffyng, lye thou never so lowde, may not menuse this seint [Wyclif]. Ibid. 85 Thou assentist thi silf in tresoun, menusynge the kyngis majeste. 1866J. B. Rose tr. Ovid's Metam. 136 Vaunted the Titan deeds, and minished those Of the great gods.
4. intr. To become less in quantity, number, size, power, etc.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. iv. vii. (1495) 90 As fatnesse wexyth the blode mynysshyth. 1494Fabyan Chron. v. cxviii. 94 Careticus..prouyd the strengthe of his enemyes, and sawe yt they increasyd, and his knyghtis lassed and mynysshed. 1511–12Act 3 Hen. VIII, c. 3 Preamble, Archerie..is right litell used but dayly mynessheth decayth and abateth. 1535Coverdale 2 Sam. iii. 1 But Dauid wente and increased, and the house of Saul wente and mynished. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. III. 539 Quhilk causit science to grow..And vice to menische ilk da les and les. 1901Henley Hawthorn & Lavender 7 The sovran sun, As he goes southing, weakening, minishing, Almighty in obedience.
Hence ˈminished ppl. a. Also ˈminisher.
1564Becon Wks. Pref. A v, He is not Episcopus, but Aposcopus, not a Minister, but a Minisher. 1590Spenser F. Q. i. xi. 43 The paw yett missed not his minisht might. 1622Bacon Hen. VII 215 In making all clipped, minished, or impaired Coines of Siluer, not to bee currant in payments. |