| 释义 |
neuter, a. and n.|ˈnjuːtə(r)|
Also 5–6 neutre, 6 nuter, 6–7 newter.
[a. F. neutre (14th c.) or L. neuter neither, f. ne not (see ne) + uter either (of two).]
A. adj.
1. Gram.
a. Of gender: Neither masculine nor feminine. Hence also, in later use, of parts of speech, etc.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xix. cxxviii. (1495) 933 Cathinum..is better sayde in the neutre gender than in the Mascul. 1530Palsgr. Introd. 24 A latin nowne of the newter gender. 1579Fulke Heskins' Parl. 101 Aliud in the Neuter gender put absolutely. a1637B. Jonson Eng. Gram. i. x, The neuter, or feigned gender: whose notion conceives neither sex. 1694Salmon Bate's Dispens. (1713) 323/1 We used it as a Neutral, putting the adjective in the Neuter Gender. 1727–38Chambers Cycl. s.v., In English, and other modern tongues, there is no such thing as neuter nouns. 1838Penny Cycl. XI. 111/1 In the age of Shakspeare the only form for the neuter genitive was his. 1894W. M. Lindsay Latin Lang. 369 The confusion of masculine and neuter O-stems.
absol.1612Brinsley Lud. Lit. 128 In wordes of three terminations..the third is the Neuter. 1654Warren Unbelievers 105 ϕυράµατος in the Neuter. 1838Penny Cycl. XI. 110/1 The neuter is employed to denote that the notion of gender is not entertained. 1896Toynbee Hist. French Gram. 177 This suppression of the neuter..was brought about in two ways.
b. Of verbs: Neither active nor passive; intransitive.
1530Palsgr. 107 Verbes personnalles, besydes actives, as neuters. 1668Wilkins Real Char. iii. i. 303 That part of speech, which..is stiled a Verb (whether Neuter, Active or Passive). 1696Phillips (ed. 5) s.v. Verb, The Verb Neuter, which..hath such a kind of Active Signification, as is not capable of a Passive, as Curro, I run. 1740J. Clarke Educ. Youth (ed. 3) 99 To teach them the Difference betwixt a Neuter and a Transitive Verb. 1824L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 5) I. 107 A Verb Neuter expresses neither action nor passion, but being. 1845Stoddart Gram. in Encycl. Metrop. I. 48/1 The neuter verb supposes an action terminating with the agent.
transf.1658Owen Temptation i. 16 Though temptation seemes to be of a more active importance,..in the Scripture it is commonly taken in a neuter sense.
c. neuter passive, having the character both of a neuter and a passive verb. Also fig.
In Latin grammar applied to those neuter verbs in which the perfect tense has a passive form (as audeo, ausus sum), in French grammar to those which form their perfect tense with être.
1530Palsgr. 107 The Latins have many other sortes of verbes personnalles,..as neuters, deponentes, commons, neutre passives and suche other. 1647Trapp Comm. Rev. iii. 115 Such are our..neuter-passive Christians. 1650― Num. xxiii. 2 God abhors these luke-warme neuter-passives. 1755Johnson Gram. b 4/1 There is another manner of conjugating neuter verbs, which, when it is used, may not improperly denote them neuter passives.
2. Taking neither one side nor the other; not declaring oneself on, or rendering assistance to, either side:
a. of rulers, states, etc., in relation to others, esp. in time of war; also of the towns, ships, etc., of such states. Cf. neutral a.
1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. clx. [clvi.] 441 The Kynge of Aragon, and his father before hym was as neuter. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 427 It was a neuter town indifferent to both. 1614Raleigh Hist. World ii. (1634) 417 An opinion, that the Trojans..sought for succour from David, and that hee stayed neuter in that warre. 1693Mem. Count Teckely i. 74 When they had taken the Count of Serin, and knew that the Turks continued neuter. 1755Mem. Capt. P. Drake I. xiv. 117 The Ship he was in (though neuter) was boarded by a French Privateer. 1771Goldsm. Hist. Eng. IV. 363 He supposed that the Russians would at least continue neuter. 1827Southey Penins. War I. 582 The port would be considered neuter. 1859Jephson Brittany xiv. 225 In the wars of Blois and Montfort the citizens flattered themselves that they could remain neuter.
b. Of individuals in relation to any matter where difference of opinion or conduct exists or is possible.
1713Steele Guard. No. 1 ⁋3 As to these matters I shall be impartial, though I cannot be neuter. 1769Burke Corr. (1844) I. 176 When it came to the question, eleven were for it, only three against. One was neuter. 1802–12Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) V. 457 In some instances, interest would really be neuter. 1886Act 49 Vict. c. 22 §4 An answer stating whether the person so served assents, dissents, or is neuter in respect of taking such land.
c. In phr. to stand neuter.
a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VII 11 b, Helpe hym, or elles stand neuter betwene both parties. 1642Fuller Holy & Prof. St. v. ii. 362 The sword of the Magistrate cannot stand neuter. 1699Bentley Phal. xii. 343 Cicero himself ..seems to stand Neuter, and pronounces on no side. 1721De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 214 Had the Scots stood neuter. a1774Goldsm. Hist. Greece I. 308 Those who had stood neuter took this occasion to declare against them. 1863Kinglake Crimea (1876) I. xiv. 221 His conscience being used to stand neuter in these mental conflicts.
3. Belonging to neither of two specified or usual categories.
a1591H. Smith Wks. (1867) II. 444 Thou art not God, neither art thou man, but neuter, mixed of both! 1660Stanley Hist. Philos. xii. (1701) 497/2 Dialectick is the Science of things True, False and Neuter. 1668Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. Man. iv. i. 336 Obscure (which others cal neuter or doubtful Articulation). 1890Athenæum 4 Jan. 24/1 Their samisens..were marked on the neck for a neuter third in one part of the octave... The Japanese pentatonic scale..would be minor were it not for the one indeterminate third.
4. a. Bot. Having neither pistils or stamens; neither male nor female; asexual.
1785Martyn Rousseau's Bot. x. (1794) 101 The fourth of these I call neuter floscules. 1849Balfour Man. Bot. 344 Florets of the disk hemaphrodite, those of the ray neuter. 1870Hooker Stud. Flora 185 Ray-flowers female or neuter.
b. Ent. Sexually undeveloped, sterile.
1816Kirby & Sp. Entomol. xvii. (1818) II 50 That the neuter ants..are imperfectly organized females appears from the following observation. 1859Darwin Orig. Spec. vii. 239 Considering how few neuter-insects out of Europe have been examined.
B. n.
1. Gram.
a. A neuter verb.
1530Palsgr. Introd. 34 All suche verbes as be used in the latin tong, lyke neuters or deponentes. 1535Joye Apol. Tindale (Arb.) 9 Tindale..turneth..the verb passiue into a neuter. 1611Cotgr. Brief Direct. 4/2 Newters, whose Preterperfect tense is formed by je suis. 1727–38Chambers Cycl. s.v. Verb, Others..form their compound parts by the auxiliary to be;..These are called neuters passive. 1751Harris Hermes i. ix. 178 Even those Verbs, called Actives,..can drop their subsequent Accusative, and assume the Form of Neuters. 1843Proc. Philol. Soc. I. 100 In both languages most of the verbs belonging to this conjugation are passives or neuters.
b. A neuter noun or adjective.
1611Brinsley Pos. Parts (1669) 105 Give your Rule for Neuters wanting the singular. 1668Wilkins Real Char. iii. i. 303 Adjectives, which are also distinguishable into Neuters Active, Passive. 1755Johnson Gram. b/1 He and his having formerly been applied to neuters in the place now supplied by it and its. 1838Penny Cycl. XI. 110/1 This third class [of nouns] are called somewhat incorrectly neuters. 1896Toynbee Hist. French Gram. 177 As a rule Latin neuters singular..became masculine in French.
2. A neutral thing. rare.
1522Skelton Why not to Court 902 Your cupboard that was Is turned to glasse. From gold to pewter Or els to a newter. 1547Boorde Brev. Health cxci. 67 b, I do saye al inflacions and appostumacions be nuters, for they may be as well exteryal as interial. 1574Whitgift Def. Answ. ii. Wks. 1851 I. 252 There be other some traditions which we may call neuters.
3. One who holds himself neutral; one who takes neither side in a dispute or controversy, or favours neither of two opposed views.
1556J. Heywood Spider & F. lxiii. 15 These indiffrentes (or newters) that part most take, That strongest is. 1600W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 21 Thus thinke worldlings to haue a good excuse to hold out, and so be of neither side, but be as neuters or impersonals. 1646J. Whitaker Uzziah 16 He was loved of his friends, feared by his enemies, honoured by the neuters. 1699Bentley Phal. 293 Must we stand dubious and neuters between both? 1761Hume Hist. Eng. II. xxxi. 203 A certain creed was embraced by each party; few neuters were to be found. 1814Byron Lara ii. viii, Which knows no neuter, owns but foes or friends. 1885E. Gosse Shaks. to Pope (1893) 86 To use his influence to collect the neuters into a body strong enough to paralyse the extreme party.
†b. Of rulers, states, etc. (Cf. A. 2 a and neutral n. 1) Obs.
1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 209 The Duke of Lorayne..had long syns couenaunted with them both, that he myght be a newter. 1636E. Dacres tr. Machiavel's Disc. Livy II. 328 Their agents that were with the King, agreed with him, to stand neuters. 1665Surv. Aff. Netherl. 182 The first are either shut up by neuters, or blocked by Enemies. 1747in Col. Rec. Pennsylv. V. 146 They all stood Neuters except the French Praying Indians.
4. a. Ent. A sexually undeveloped female insect; a mature worker.
1797Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) VII. 348/2 The neuters or working ants which have no sexual characteristics. 1816Kirby & Sp. Entomol. xvii. (1818) II. 33 These neuters are quite unlike those in the Hymenoptera perfect societies. 1877Huxley Anat. Inv. Anim. 31 It depends on the nutriment supplied to the female larva of a bee whether it shall become a neuter or a sexually perfect female.
b. A castrated animal.
1900Daily News 10 Jan. 6/5 A finer assembly of Blues, Siamese, Manx, and Long-haired neuters..it would be difficult to secure.
Hence ˈneuter v. trans., to castrate. ˈneuterdom, the state of being (sexually) neuter. ˈneuterlike a., neutral. ˈneuterly adv., in a neuter sense. ˈneuterness, the fact of being (grammatically) neuter.
1556J. Heywood Spider & F. lxiii. 96 That we all maie..cut of clerelie All vnkindnesse of newterlike indiffrencie. 1774Barclay Eng. Dict., To Emaciate...Neuterly, to grow lean. 1894Davidson Hebr. Syntax 2 When 3 p. pr. is used neuterly for it. 1893A. Kenealy Dr. Janet 136 With the bugbear of neuterdom before her eyes. 1899Amer. Jrnl. Philol. XX. 246 The neuterness of the uncompounded neuter verbal. 1903F. Simpson Bk. Cat xxi. 237 A cat should be kept on low plain diet..before being neutered.
Add after neuter v.: ˈneutered ppl. a., castrated (esp. of cats); also fig.
1963B. Vesey-Fitzgerald Cat Owner's Encycl. 39 A neutered cat is much more likely to stay around the house. 1980L. Cody Dupe (1981) xiv. 94 The cat woke Anna at eight, wailing outside her door like a neutered donkey. 1984Time 19 Mar. 15/1 The establishment of a neutered ‘civil religion’ is offensive to many who believe deeply in their own faiths. |