| 释义 |
necessitous, a.|nɪˈsɛsɪtəs|
[ad. F. nécessiteux, or f. necessit-y + -ous.]
1. Placed or living in a condition of necessity or poverty; having little or nothing to support oneself by; poor, needy; hard-up.
1611Cotgr., Necessiteux, necessitous, needie, poore, indigent. 1660Jer. Taylor Duct. Dubit. iii. v. rule 3 §5 The necessitous father may put the duty actually upon the son. 1727A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. I. iv. 39 He exhausts all his Revenues, and is always necessitous. 1780Burke Œcon. Reform Wks. III. 252 It holds out a shadow of present gain to a greedy and necessitous publick. 1826Disraeli Viv. Grey iii. ii, The wants of their necessitous neighbours. 1877C. M. Yonge Cameos Ser. iii. iii. 22 His niggardly or necessitous master had only advanced one thousand francs.
absol.1693Humours Town 95 What they can in any way screw out of the necessitous. 1742Chesterfield Lett. (1792) II. clxiii. 90 The ambitious hoped for kingdoms; the greedy and the necessitous for plunder. 1786Horsley Serm. (1816) III. 103 It may be proper that the law should do something for the protection of the necessitous. 1866Felton Anc. & Mod. Gr. I. ii. xi. 482 The very wealthy..on the one hand, and, on the other, the necessitous.
†b. In need of a thing. Obs. rare—1.
1650R. Gentilis Consid. 213 The German Legions cry up Vitellius for Emperour, they see him necessitous of money.
†c. Standing in need of aid. Obs. rare.
1711M. Henry Forgiv. Sin Wks. 1853 II. 318/2 Our natures are necessitous, and continually depending upon the divine providence. 1754Edwards Freed. Will iv viii. (1762) 251 Being more sinful, and so more miserable and necessitous than others.
2. Characterized by necessity or poverty.
1639Massinger Unnat. Combat Dedic., Divers whose Necessitous fortunes made it [poetry] their profession. 1654Nicholas Papers (Camden) II. 75 He..was in a most necessitus condicion. 1726G. Shelvocke Voy. round World 417 By means of our necessitous misfortunes. 1791Cowper Iliad xvi. 1021 That I may turn from them that evil hour Necessitous. 1885Act 48 & 49 Vict. c. 40 Preamble, Relations of the said testator..in necessitous circumstances.
†b. Caused by want or necessity. Obs. rare—1.
1716M. Davies Athen. Brit. II. 341 The incurring of necessitous Debts, by reason of the Penurious straightness of his Fortune.
†3. Enforced, obligatory. Obs. rare—1.
1631Massinger Emperor East iv. iv, If sick with the excess of heat or cold, Caused by necessitous labour.
†4. Necessary, requisite. Also const. for. Obs.
(In quot. 1742 attributed to an illiterate speaker.)
1742Fielding J. Andrews i. iii, [Mrs. Slipslop] proceeded: ‘And why is Latin more necessitous for a footman than a gentleman?’ 1793J. Williams Calm Exam. 59 Drawing the line of necessitous propriety between what the people require, and their leaders would enforce.
Hence neˈcessitously adv.; neˈcessitousness.
1637Heywood Lond. Spec. Wks. 1874 IV. 307 One thing more is necessitously to be added. a1668Davenant Fair Favorite Wks. (1673) 96 Patience, which Before was but necessitously kind, is grown Most willingly devout. 1682Sir T. Browne Chr. Mor. (1716) 6 Though sometimes necessitousness be dumb,..yet true Charity is sagacious. 1776Paine Com. Sense 10 Tho' avarice will preserve a man from being necessitously poor. |