| 释义 |
nigh hand, adv.
[f. nigh adv. + hand n. Cf. near hand.]
1. Near or close at hand; close by.
a1122O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1100 Þa witan þe þa neh handa wæron, his broðer Heanriᵹ to cynge ᵹecuran. a1225Ancr. R. 424 Ancre þet naueð nout neih hond hire uode, beoð bisie two wummen. c1275O.E. Misc. 85/46 Þat schal cume þe ilke day, and nv he is neyh honde. c1320Cast. Love 444 Pes ne bydyth in no londe Ther as Werre is nyȝhhonde. a1400Pistill of Susan 348 An angel is neih honde..Wiþ a brennynge bronde. 1470–85Malory Arthur vii. xx. 244 His castel is here nyhe hand but two myle. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utop. ii. (1895) 161 They maye be welcome to good and fyne fare so nyghe hande at the hall. 1588Parke tr. Mendoza's Hist. China 332 They of this towne..fled vnto the mountaines that were nighest hande. 1600Fairfax Tasso vi. xli, The shocke made..woods and mountaines all nie-hand resound. 1667Milton P.L. iii. 566 Amongst innumerable Starrs, that shon Stars distant, but nigh hand seemd other Worlds. 1890W. A. Wallace Only a Sister? 80, I shan't forget it till I die, but that's nigh hand now, I'm assured.
b. Governing a n. Near, close to (a person or place).
a1300Cursor M. 12863 Ihesus to þat water yode, And sant Ihon neghand him stode. c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 161 R. rode stilly neihand þe Emperour. c1440Generydes 951 He had them sett Nyhand the town. 1860Reade Cloister & H. lv, So forward, Bon Bec, for my life is not sure nigh hand this town.
2. Almost, nearly.
c1350Will. Palerne 1494 He þan swoned for sorwe & swelt neiȝhonde. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xv. xx, Here londe is closid all aboute nyȝe honde with woodes and mounteynes. a1450Le Morte Arth. 1591 In poynte had he nevir bene So nyghe hande for to haue be slayne. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 123 b, All the peisants..nye hand to the nomber of vii. or viii. score. 1592G. Harvey Four Lett. iii. 38, I had nigh-hand ouer-skipped the learned allegation in the margine. 1784Unfortunate Sensibility II. 70 He said he could tell me of something that he dared say would go nigh hand to make me well. 1842S. Lover Handy Andy ix, Wasn't it enough for you to nigh-hand kill one of my horses? 1883Stevenson Treas. Isl. xvi, He came nigh-hand fainting, doctor, when he heard the cry.
So † nigh hands adv., nearly. Obs. rare—1.
c1350Will. Palerne 438, I mase al marred for mournyng neiȝh hondes. |