| 释义 |
ˈnight-walker
[f. night n. + walker n.]
1. One who walks about by night, esp. with criminal intentions; a bully or thief. Now rare. (Common in 17th c.)
1467Nottingham Rec. II. 264 Ricardus Colman..est communis noctivagus vocatus Anglice ‘a nyghtwalker’ contra formam Statuti. c1500Virgilius in Thoms Prose Rom. (1858) II. 41 The nyght walkers carede not a poynt for that crye. 1581Lambarde Eiren. ii. vi. (1588) 196 Watches to be kept for arresting of suspected persons, and of nightwalkers. 1601Holland Pliny I. 400 Nero Cæ sar,..vsing (as he did) to be a night-walker,..met otherwhiles with those that would so beat him. 1671F. Philipps Reg. Necess. 580 To lodge the remainder of the night among the debauched or unruly sort of people, calld Rats or Night-walkers. 1732Lond. Mag. I. 334 Give some share of credit to the out-lying Night-walkers, and Suburbian ghosts. 1771E. Long in Hone Every-day Bk. II. 206 He never..hurt any body but rogues and night-walkers. 1808Sporting Mag. XXX. 263 One of the night-walkers came in with his legs foremost. 1820Scott Abbot xxxv, If he turns resetter of idle companions and night-walkers, the place must be rid of him.
b. A street-walker, a prostitute. Now rare.
1670–1N. Riding Rec. VI. 152 A Huby woman presented for being a common night-walker. 1711Steele Spect. No. 8 ⁋3, I am very well acquainted with all the Haunts and Resorts of Female Night-walkers. c1730Fielding Pleasures of Town Wks. 1771 I. 246 Young virgins are scarce as rails, sir; Plenty as batts the night-walkers go. 1825Act 6 Geo. IV, c. 97 §3 Every common Prostitute and Night-Walker.
†c. ‘A bell-man’. Obs. rare—0.
a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew.
2. An animal that moves about by night. Also in specific uses (see quots.).
1686Plot Staffordsh. 243 Most certain it is that Eeles are such night-walkers. 1691Ray Creation (1692) 131 The Tamandua, or Ant-Bear, described by Marcgrave and Piso, who saith of them, that they are Night-walkers, and seek their Food by Night. 1754Strype Stow's Surv. (ed. 6) I. i. xx. 124/1 What the Keepers call their School of Apes, which contains two Egyptian Night-walkers, and two Apes from Turkey. a1779Cook Voy. iii. viii. (1784) I. 152 We caught..another [fish].., of a reddish colour with a little beard, which we called night walkers, from the greatest number being caught in the night. 1894Outing XXIV. 137/2 The huge nightwalkers or bob-worms.
3. A somnambulist. rare—1.
1753Chambers Cycl. Suppl. s.v. Noctambulatio, Those..afflicted with it..are by some called lunatic night-walkers. |