| 释义 |
miscarriage|mɪsˈkærɪdʒ|
[mis-1 4.]
†1.
a. Misconduct, misbehaviour. Obs.
1618Sir H. Mountagu in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 253, I have received..the note that imports the miscarriage of the new Justice of Peace. It was very insolent, if the information be true. 1645in Essex (Mass.) Antiquarian (1904) VIII. 6 Wife of Mr. Samuel Hall fined for miscarriage in words against the constable of Salsbery. 1682Wood Life 17 June (O.H.S.) III. 22 The chancellor's letters for regulating the rudeness and miscarriag of the Masters in Convocation.
†b. An instance of this; an error of conduct; a misdemeanour, misdeed. Obs.
1635Bp. Hall Char. Man 34 Miscariages of children, miscasualties, unquietnesse [etc.]. 1647Trapp Comm. Jas. ii. 7 A sad thing that a Heathen should see such hellish miscarriages among Christs followers. 1649Roberts Clavis Bibl. 337 His [sc. Job's]..irreverent miscarriages against God under his afflictions. 1710Norris Chr. Prud. vi. 288 As to the personal Miscarriages of the Minister, our prudent Christian will not for these disesteem his Office. 1749Fielding Tom Jones viii. xi, The miscarriages of my former life. 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1792) III. 232 Many miscarriages and woful defaults are recorded of Saul, as a man, yet, as a king, he was held perfect in the eyes of the people. 1829Scott Rob Roy Introd. (1865) 495/1 [They] conducted themselves with such loyalty..to his Majesty, as might justly wipe off all memory of former miscarriages.
2. a. (A person's) mismanagement or maladministration (of a business); ill-success, failure (of an enterprise, etc.). Now rare.
1651–2Sir E. Nicholas in N. Papers (Camden) I. 286 The miscarriage of the business in the Downs was not inferior to any treason that I have heard of. 1674Baker's Chron. (an. 1625) 453/2 He excused himself, laying a great part of the miscarriage on the stubbornness of the Earl of Essex. 1706De Foe Jure Divino p. v, Some People, who are too apt to make Misconstruction, watch for my Miscarriage. a1715Burnet Own Time (1724) I. 251 He did not wonder at the miscarriage of the late King's counsels. 1784–5Burns Poem on Pastoral Poetry in Poems & Songs (1968) I. 191 Scarce ane has tried the Shepherd-sang But wi' miscarriage? 1800Chron. in Asiat. Ann. Reg. III. 113/2 The sagacious and intrepid commander, to whom success and miscarriage..are now alike indifferent. 1807Vancouver Agric. Devon (1813) 431 The miscarriage of one crop only..would..involve him in ruin. 1880‘Mark Twain’ Lett. to Publishers (1967) 123 Chatto waits..without asking a solitary question about the book, and then pitches into me about the miscarriage.
b. An instance of this; a failure; a blunder, mistake. Now rare exc. as in e.
1614R. Baillie Satan 3 When a hard piece of worke is put in the hand of an Apprentice for the first assay of his skill, the beholders are justly afraid for a miscarriage in his young and inexperienced hand. 1650[see carriage 10]. 1667–8Marvell Corr. Wks. (Grosart) II. 234 That the division of the Fleet was a miscarriage. 1714Garth Dispens. v. (ed. 7) 61 Your Cures..aloud you tell, But wisely your Miscarriages conceal. 1824Travers Dis. Eye (ed. 3) 338, I have now adverted to the principal miscarriages of the operation. 1834Macaulay Ess., Pitt (1850) 300/2 An inquiry into the circumstance which had produced the miscarriage of the preceding year.
†c. Mishap, disaster. Obs.
1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 46 If I should meet with any..miscarriage in the voyage. 1776Johnson Let. Mrs. Thrale 1 Apr., His wife died at last, and before she was buried he was seized by a fever, and is now going to the grave. Such miscarriages..fill histories and tragedies.
†d. An unfortunate lapse (into). Obs.
1754H. Walpole Lett. (1846) III. 76 The chimney-pieces, except one little miscarriage into total Ionic..are all of a good King James the First Gothic.
e. miscarriage of justice: a failure of a court to attain the ends of justice.
1875Act 38–9 Vict. c. 77 Order xxxix, Unless in the opinion of the Court..some substantial wrong or miscarriage has been..occasioned in the trial of action. 1878Peek in Contemp. Rev. XXXII. 105 In cases where the defendant is poor or ill-defended, there is often positive miscarriage of justice. 1882W. Ballantine Exper. vi. 160 In both.., through no fault of the judge, there was a miscarriage of justice. 1891Daily News 5 Feb. 7/1 It was submitted..to their lordships that there had been a miscarriage, and that the order of reference should be revoked.
3. Untimely delivery (of a woman): usually taken as synonymous with abortion = expulsion of the fœtus before the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy.
‘Some pathologists have sought to establish a distinction between abortion and miscarriage (see quot. 1822), but this is not generally recognized.’ N.E.D. In popular speech, however, abortion is used chiefly of the induced termination of pregnancy, but miscarriage is never so used.
1662J. Graunt Bills Mort. v. 38 Miscarriages and Abortions. 1710–11Swift Jrnl. to Stella 15 Feb., I dined at Sir John Germain's, and found lady Betty but just recovered of a miscarriage. 1754–64Smellie Midwif. II. 67 She had eight children, besides two miscarriages. 1822Good Study Med. IV. 176 If the exclusion [of the fœtus] take place within six weeks after conception, it is usually called Miscarriage; if between six weeks and six months, Abortion; if during any part of the last three months before the completion of the natural term, Premature Labour. 1967M. M. Bookmiller et al. Textbk. Obstetr. (ed. 5) xxii. 333/2 The term early abortion refers to expulsion of the fetus up to 12 weeks' gestation. When expelled from 12 to 28 weeks it is called a late abortion and from 28 to 36 weeks it is said to be premature termination of pregnancy. Many laymen still associate the word abortion with illegal interference and prefer to call a spontaneous termination of pregnancy a miscarriage. The nurse should be guided accordingly. 1970Sci. Jrnl. June 75/2 Most hospitals regard the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks as a miscarriage. 1971Rugh & Shettles From Conception to Birth (1972) x. 157 There are generally signs of an impending miscarriage (another term for a spontaneous abortion). 1974Passmore & Robson Compan. Med. Stud. III. xlii. 1/2 Abortion may be defined as the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is viable. In Britain this is considered to be before the 28th week of pregnancy. However, fetuses expelled before the 28th week occasionally survive, and to allow for this possibility the 20th week is sometimes used as the watershed between viability and non-viability... In many North American centres abortion is defined as the expulsion of a fetus weighing less than 500 g. A precise definition is required for medico⁓legal purposes and in Britain abortion means the termination of pregnancy before the 28th week. Miscarriage is synonymous with abortion and is often more acceptable to the lay public.
fig.1688Crowne Darius ii. Dram. Wks. (1874) III. 398 They who poorly fell Were embrios, and miscarriages of war.
4. The failure (of a letter, etc.) to reach its destination.
1650Ld. Beauchamp in Nicholas Papers (Camden) I. 179, I have been very unfortunate in the miscarryage of your former addresses. 1670Blount Law Dict. s.v. Duplicat, A second Letter written and sent to the same party and purpose, as a former, for fear of a miscarriage of the first,..is called a Duplicat. 1877Raymond Statist. Mines & Mining 172 The miscarriage of a paper by Mr. Alexander Trippel prevents me from presenting..some further notes. 1893W. M. Thomas Lett. Lady M. W. Montagu II. Contents p. vi, Miscarriage of letters.
5. Failure to carry or convey properly.
1862‘Shirley’ (J. Skelton) Nugæ Crit. iv. 195 Public carriers must carry the public safely, or take the consequences; and neither a voluntary, nor an extorted consent, will relieve them from the legal results of mis-carriage. |