| 释义 |
▪ I. moˈlest, n. Obs., exc. arch.
[a. OF. moleste, ad. L. molestia trouble, f. molest-us: see next.]
Trouble, hardship; molestation, injury.
13..K. Alis. 5443 The kyng thereof hadde molest. Ibid. 5811 Bot of bestes and wormes felle, And of the wederes stronge, and tempestes, That hem duden grete molestes. a1412Lydg. Two Merch. 577 What grevous molest and what heuynesse With many assaut in dreed doth vs to doute! c1489Caxton Blanchardyn xviii. 58 Neuertheles, they lefte not to lodge hem self there, what for daunger nor moleste that men coude do to them. 1590Greene Mourn. Garment (1616) K 2, Thus clogg'd with loue, with passions and with griefe, I saw the country life had least molest. 1647Lilly Chr. Astrol. clxxxv. 821 You have victory,..and acquire what you desired..even out of these molests. 1865W. J. Linton Claribel, etc. 53 Alfred..Sat down to keep the feast of Epiphany Within his walls, secure from all molest.
▪ II. † moˈlest, a. Obs. rare.
[a. OF. moleste, ad. L. molest-us: see next.]
Troublesome, vexatious.
1539Taverner Erasm. Prov. (1552) 64 Many ther be which while they studie to do a man good do hym much harme, or otherwise be molest and greuouse unto him.
▪ III. molest, v.|məʊˈlɛst|
[a. OF. molester (12–13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.) = Sp. molestar, It. molestare, ad. L. molestāre to trouble, annoy, f. molest-us troublesome, burdensome, annoying, f. *moles-, perh. cogn. w. mōlēs mass, burden.]
†1. trans. To cause trouble, grief, or vexation to; to vex, annoy, put to inconvenience. Obs.
c1374Chaucer Troylus iv. 852 (880) But how this cas doth Troilus moleste, That may non erthely mannes tonge seye. c1400Rom. Rose 5274 If he do not his requeste, He shal as mochel him moleste As his felow. 1490Caxton Eneydos vi. 26 Elysse faynynge that she ne myghte no lenger duelle in the hous of Acerbe late her husbonde, bycause that she was overmoche moleste and greved by [etc.]. 1541Act 33 Hen. VIII, c. 35 For lacke of the saide water [they] shall be muche greeued annoyed and molested. 1549Compl. Scot. xv. 134 Ȝour gudscheir molestit the pepil vitht intollerabil exactions. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 645 Neither will I molest you with the recitall of all the perticulers thereof. 1617–18W. Lawson New Orch. & Gard. (1623) 4 If ouerflowing molest you after one day, auoid it then by deepe trenching. a1667Cowley Ess. in Verse & Prose, Liberty i, These are the small uneasie things Which about Greatness still are found, And rather it Molest than Wound. 1705Addison Italy (1733) 51 The Colds of Winter, and the Heats of Summer, are equally incapable of molesting you. 1726Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 4/1 The Western..Reflections of the Sun..molest us most of all: because they double the Heat.
†b. Of disease: To afflict, affect. Also fig. Obs.
1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 268 If he be molested still, with that mischiefous maladie, yet [etc.]. 1600J. Pory tr. Leo's Africa viii. 299 With the French poxe I think that no other countrie vnder heauen is so molested. 1604T. Wright Passions i. iv. 17 If the passions of the Mynde bee not moderated according to reason..immediately the Soule is molested with some maladie. 1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. v. xiii. 253 Using continuall riding, they were generally molested with the Sciatica or hippegowte. 1696Phil. Trans. XIX. 252 He has been..generally molested with a Diarrhœa for some years past.
2. To interfere or meddle with (a person) injuriously or with hostile intent. Now almost exclusively in negative contexts.
1494Fabyan Chron. vii. 469 Certayne men of the duchie of Burgoyne..gaue vnto hym, to the entent he shulde nat molest or hurte that countre, CC. M. floryns of golde. 1553Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 34 Their chiefe studie is in no case to moleste their neyghboures. 1598R. Barckley Felic. Man (1631) 458 Another companie of Mice joyned with these and molested them more then before. 1659Milton Civ. Power 34 No protestant..ought, by the common doctrine of protestants, to be forc'd or molested for religion. 1660R. Coke Power & Subj. 231 No person shall be molested for any offences abovesaid. 1695Ken Hymn, ‘Glory to thee, my God’ v, Let..No powers of darkness me molest. 1769Blackstone Comm. IV. 115 By the statute 1 & 2 Ph. & Mar. c. 8. to molest the possessors of abbey lands granted by parliament to Henry the eighth, and Edward the sixth, is a praemunire. 1861Hurlstone & Norman Excheq. Rep. VI. 450 He the plaintiff should not nor would molest or disturb the said Ann Thomas in her person or in her manner of living. 1864Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xv. ii. (1872) V. 278 Prussians, under strict discipline, molest no private person. 1884Law Rep., 14 Q.B.D. 796 The Countess..‘molested’ the defendant contrary to the covenant contained in the separation deed. 1902A. Lang Hist. Scot. II. vii. 156 It does not seem..to follow that she intended to persecute or molest Protestants.
†b. To tamper with (a thing). Obs.
1603T. M. True Narrat. Ent. Jas. I E 4 b, A great common (which as the people there-about complaine, sir I. Spenser of London hath very vncharitable molested). 1774T. West Antiq. Furness (1805) 366 When it was first molested, some of the tomb stones were removed.
†3. intr. To cause annoyance or vexation. Obs.
1580Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 421 Your pardons obteyned, if I offend in sharpnesse, and your patience graunted, if molest in length, I thus beginne to conclude against you all [etc.].
Add:[2.] c. spec. To harass, attack, or abuse sexually.
1895T. Hardy Jude the Obscure iii. iv. 182 No average man—no man short of a sensual savage—will molest a woman by day or night, at home or abroad, unless she invites him. [1929Statutes Calif. ccclxxvi. 697 Every person who annoys or molests any school child..is a vagrant. 1951Session Laws State Arizona cx. 261 If such subsequent conviction is for petit larceny, molesting a school child, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or an offense involving lewd or lascivious conduct.] 1958G. Greene Our Man in Havana iv. i. 150 A notice in Spanish and bad English forbade the audience to molest the dancers. 1972A. Sillitoe Raw Material v. 21 She would carry a bag of pepper to throw in the face of any man who might try to molest her. 1992Globe & Mail (Toronto) 3 Dec. a1/1 An Ontario woman awarded $284,000 in damages against the father who molested her from the time she was 5. |