| 释义 |
mortiferous, a. Now rare.|mɔːˈtɪfərəs|
[f. L. mortifer, -fer-us: see mort n.1 and -ferous. Cf. F. mortifère.]
Bringing or producing death; death-dealing, deadly.
1535Stewart Cron. Scot. I. 20 The perelus poysoun, mortiferus melancolie,..In that distres hes done him for to de. 1660H. More Myst. Godl. vi. x. 240 Burnt up by this mortiferous Fever. 1699Evelyn Acetaria 74 The Cicuta..whatever it is in any other Country 'tis certainly Mortiferous in ours. 1702C. Mather Magn. Chr. vii. vi. (1852) 555 Many of them..were a fair mark for the mortiferous bullets. 1859R. F. Burton Centr. Afr. in Jrnl. Geog. Soc. XXIX. 40 That fevers are in these regions the natural expression of mortiferous influences generally. 1902Fortn. Rev. June 1019 If such a ‘mortiferous’ action really exists, perhaps it could be checked chemically.
b. transf. Bringing spiritual death.
1542Becon Christmas Banq. iii. F iij, In the body of him, which without ony carnall entysemente & mortiferous delectacion was conceyued. 1654Hammond Fundam. viii. 73 While we make no distinction of sins, and deem every invincible infirmity..to be as dangerous and mortiferous as the most wilful act. 1844S. R. Maitland Dark Ages 117 [tr. Eligius] Whenever you sin, do not wait in mortiferous security until your wounds putrefy. 1851Sir F. Palgrave Norm. & Eng. I. 198 Every erroneous doctrine..is only the repetition of an earlier error,..the venom enfeebled or more mortiferous.
Hence morˈtiferously adv., in a mortiferous or deadly manner; morˈtiferousness, deadliness.
1685H. More Paralip. Prophet. xlii. 364 That was not the healing of the Beast, but the mortiferously wounding the Dragon. 1856Ruskin Mod. Paint. IV. v. xix. §21 The pure mortiferousness of this mind, capable neither of patience, fidelity, grace, or wit. |