| 释义 |
▪ I. occasion, n.1|əˈkeɪʒən|
Also 4–5 -ioun, -youn, 5 -ione, 5–6 -yon(e, (5 -cion, 6 -cyon, -tyon, 6–7 -tion).
[ad. L. occāsiōn-em falling (of things) towards (each other), juncture, opportunity, motive, reason, pretext, in late L. also cause; n. of action f. occidĕre (see prec.); in F. occasion (12–13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.) a learned form, which at length displaced the popularly descended OF. ocheison, ochison, ochoison, north. Fr. okeson, okison, ocaison, etc., also OF. achais-, acheis-, aches-, achis-un, -on, etc., an-, encheison, etc., ‘occasion, cause, reason, motive, accusation, accident, circumstance’, whence the ME. forms achesoun, anchesoun, encheason, chesoun.]
I.
1. a. A falling together or juncture of circumstances favourable or suitable to an end or purpose, or admitting of something being done or effected; an opportunity. † In early use esp. in pregnant sense, Opportunity of attacking, of fault-finding, or of giving or taking offence; a ‘handle’ against a person. to take occasion, to take advantage of an opportunity (to do something). to rise to the occasion: see rise v. 15 b.
1382Wyclif 2 Kings v. 7 Takith heed and seeth, that occasiouns [Vulg. occasiones] he sechith aȝeyns me. ― 2 Cor. xi. 12 That that I do, and I schal do, that I kitte awey the occasioun of hem, that wolen occasioun. 1484Caxton Fables of æsop i. iv, Men..sekynge occasion to doo some harme and dommage to the good. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 17 b, All this he dyd to gyue vs an occasyon of reuerent familiarite. 1538Starkey Dialogue England i. i. 24 Let not occasyon slyppe. 1561T. Norton Calvin's Inst. ii. 143 Of which wordes the Apostle toke occasion to make this comparison. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 345 Till fitter occasion of revenge offered it selfe. 1660Pepys Diary 6 Dec., I took occasion to go up and to bed in a pet. 1703J. Logan in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem. IX. 230 We take all possible care to avoid giving occasions. 1779J. Moore View Soc. Fr. (1789) I. i. 2, I now seize the first occasion of communicating the whole to you. 1799Harris in Owen Mrq. Wellesley's Desp. (1877) 117 Colonel Wellesley's division turning the right flank of the enemy, gave occasion to General Floyd..to disperse a cutchery of infantry. 1825Bentham Ration. Rew. 244 A prime minister has not so many occasions for acquiring information respecting farming as a farmer. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 597 Here..we may take occasion to correct an error which occurred at p. 582. 1879Froude Cæsar ix. 103 Occasions of war had been caught at with rich communities.
b. Personified as a female bald behind; esp. in to take occasion by the forelock: see forelock n.2 2.
c1592Marlowe Jew of Malta v. ii, Begin betimes; occasion's bald behind. 1606L. Bryskett Civ. Life 9 If he may once lay hold vpon that locke, which, men say, Occasion hath growing on her forehead, being bald behind. 1671Milton P.R. iii. 173 Zeal and duty are not slow, But on Occasions forelock watchful wait. 1819Shelley Cenci v. i, We can escape even now, So we take fleet occasion by the hair. 1851Tennyson To the Queen 31 To take Occasion by the hand.
2. a. A juncture or condition of things, an occurrence, fact, or consideration, affording ground for an action or a state of mind or feeling; a reason, ground; also, in pregnant sense, good or adequate reason: = cause n. 3, 3 b.
† occasion why = ‘reason why’; cf. cause why, cause n. 3 c. † evil occasion, inducement to sin, ‘offence’, ‘stumbling-block’ (= Gr. σκάνδαλον in N.T.).
c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 994 Dido, And shortly tolde al the occasion Why Dido come in-to that Region. 1489Caxton Faytes of A. i. vii. 17 Be not moeued for lytyl occasion. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cxxxvii. 164 Tyll nowe there was none occasion why. 1526Tindale Matt. xviii. 7 Wo be unto the world because of evill occasions. Ibid. 8 Yff thy honde or thy fote geve the occasion of evyll. 1594La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 3 We shall at the least giue them occasion to thinke more seriously of their error. 1613R. Hill Pathw. Piety Pref., If ever people..had occasion to praise God, we are they. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 35 By degrees, upon small occasion he beheaded and strangled most of them. 1714Swift Pres. St. Aff. Wks. 1755 II. i. 210 What occasions the ministry may have given for this coldness. 1748Richardson Clarissa (1811) I. xxxvii. 278, I beg your pardon..for having given you occasion to remind me of the date of your last. 1763J. Brown Poetry & Mus. vii. 141 One of the first Efforts of a growing Politeness is to avoid all Occasions of Offence. 1843Dickens Christmas Carol ii, The occasion of its using..a great extinguisher for a cap.
†b. A pretext; an excuse. Obs.
1388Wyclif Phil. i. 18 The while on al maner, ethir bi occasioun [L. per occasionem], ethir bi treuthe, Crist is schewid. 1444Rolls of Parlt. V. 110/1 That none of the saide officers..be occasion or under colour of her Offices take none other thing. 1596Spenser F.Q. iv. x. 13 Delay,..Whose manner was all passengers to stay And entertaine with her occasions sly. 1649Milton Eikon. iv. Wks. (1847) 286 All this..was but a mere colour and occasion taken of his resolved absence from the parliament.
3. a. An occurrence leading to some result; hence, generally, That which produces an effect: = cause n. 1. Const. of, † that. to give occasion to, to give rise to, to occasion.
1382Wyclif Josh. xxii. 25 Bi this occasioun ȝoure sones shulen turne awey oure sones fro the dreed of the Lord. c1402Lydg. Compl. Bl. Knt. 165 Thought & seknesse were occasioun That he thus lay in lamentacioun. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 49 b, Heresies..to the reproch of Christ,..or the which may be an occasion of sedition. 1669Marvell Let. Mayor of Hull Wks. 1776 I. 112 The crowd of business..obliging us to sit both forenoon and afternoon,..which indeed is the occasion that I have the less vigor left at night. 1728Newton Chronol. Amended ii. 205 The expulsion of the Shepherds by the Kings of Thebais was the occasion that the Philistines were so numerous in the days of Saul. 1751Johnson Rambler No. 141 ⁋10 A mistake which had given occasion to a burst of merriment. 1859Tennyson Geraint 235 A little vext at losing of the hunt, A little at the vile occasion.
b. Something that contributes to produce an effect, by providing the opportunity for the efficient cause to operate; a subsidiary or incidental cause. Distinguished from cause = ‘efficient cause’ (cause n. 5).
[1551T. Wilson Logike i. I iij, Those causes, that are fetched farre of, and beeyng but halfe causes, partly and by the waye, geue onely the occasion.] 1605Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. x. §3 It [medicine] considereth causes of diseases, with the occasions or impulsions. c1705Berkeley Common-pl. Bk. in Fraser Life (1871) 430 What means Cause as distinguish'd from Occasion? Nothing but a being which wills, when the effect follows the volition. 1854De Quincey Autobiog. Sk., Coleridge II. 224 Such were the causes; but the immediate occasion of his departure..was the favourable opportunity..of migrating in a pleasant way. 1860Mansel Proleg. Log. ix. 301 Experience furnishes if not the cause at least the occasion of every object of our cognition. 1871W. Markby Elem. Law §433 The injury to the individual..though it is never the cause of the action of a Court of Law is the occasion of it.
c. A person who causes or brings about something; esp. one who does so incidentally.
a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VII 37 He suspected yt Geralde erle of Kyldare..was the cause and occasion yt he had no succoures nor ayde sent to him. 1605Verstegan Dec. Intell. vi. (1628) 185 The Queene of English blood royal, was occasion that the depressed English nation was raised againe vnto honor and credit. 1680Establ. Test 39 He will not forget those who have been the occasions..of cruelty. 1711Steele Spect. No. 136 ⁋3 He was the Occasion that the Muscovites kept their Fire in so soldier-like a manner. 1814Southey Roderick xxiv. 255 Vain hope—if all the evil was ordained..And we the poor occasion.
†d. The action of causing or occasioning. Also transf., that which is caused or occasioned.
a1533Ld. Berners Huon 531 He made his complayntis, how by the occasyon of duke Huon of Burdeaux, he had loste .iiii. of his nephues. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 276 They saye it is to be imputed, partly to their owne errour, partly to the occasion of others. 1598B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. iv. viii, Without adjection of your Assistance or Occasion. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. iv. i. 178 O that woman that cannot make her fault her husbands occasion, let her neuer nurse her childe her selfe.
†4. That which gives rise to discussion or consideration; the subject treated or debated. Obs.
1615Latham Falconry (1633) 91 In the forepart of this book I haue written more at large vpon the same occasion. 1618Bp. Llandaff Let. to Abp. Canterb. in Hales Gold. Rem., Since this time the Synod hath been somewhat warmed; for before we were held with small occasions. 1651Fuller's Abel Rediv., Melancthon (1867) I. 279 Telling them that in a general council all occasions, defendings, opinions and judgments ought to be free.
II.
5. a. A juncture of circumstances requiring or calling for action; necessity or need arising from circumstances. Const. for († of) or inf.
1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 278 Tell me (good friende) what occasion constrained you, to seeke accesse hether? 1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iii. ii. 74 When he had occasion to be seene, He was but as the Cuckow is in Iune, Heard, not regarded. 1607― Timon iii. i. 19 Hauing great and instant occasion to vse fiftie Talents. 1697W. Dampier Voy. I. 110, 5000 packs of flower, for a reserve, if we should have occasion of any. 1712Addison Spect. No. 439 ⁋3 There will be no Occasion for him. 1762–71H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) II. 235 Having frequent occasion to make use of enamel. 1802M. Edgeworth Moral T. (1816) I. xv. 129 The corrector..scarcely had occasion to alter a word. 1884Illustr. Lond. News 27 Sept. 291/2 There is no occasion to call in the magicians, and the astrologers. 1885Law Times LXXIX. 130/1 Every lawyer who has had occasion to thread the labyrinth of the statutes under which London is governed.
†b. A particular, esp. a personal, need, want, or requirement. Chiefly in pl. = needs, requirements. Obs.
1596Shakes. Merch. V. i. i. 139 My purse, my person, my extreamest meanes Lye all vnlock'd to your occasions. 1665Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1677) 174 Seeing the People cut them into many sluces, and divert the stream to serve their occasions. 1740J. Clarke Educ. Youth (ed. 3) 171 The Latin Tongue wants Words to answer a great many of our modern Occasions. 1752Fielding Amelia iii. vii, He had not a shilling left to spare from his own occasions. 1795Nelson 19 July in Nicolas Disp. (1845) II. 57 A total deprivation of sight for every common occasion in life is the consequence of the loss of part of the crystal of my right eye. 1806–7J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (1826) v. Concl., I hope you can contrive to suit them to my occasions.
†6.
a. That which one has need to do; necessary business; a matter, piece of business, business engagement. Chiefly in pl., Affairs, business. Obs.
1594Nashe Unfort. Trav. 28 No interpleading was there of opposite occasions. 1607Statutes in Hist. Wakefield Gram. Sch. (1892) 57 Sucche as..have occasion with the governours. 1609N. Riding Rec. (1884) I. 173 They going about their occasions. 1636Earl of Manchester in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 276 My occasions are so many as I know not whether they will give me any leave to see the country this summer. 1679G. R. tr. Boyatuau's Theat. World i. 41 They employed themselves about their lawful occasions. a1713T. Ellwood Autobiog. (1714) 70 You are discharged, and may take your Liberty, to go about your Occasions. 1783Nelson 28 Oct. in Nicolas Disp. (1845) I. 83 Six months leave of absence, to go to Lisle, in France, on my private occasions. 1840Barham Ingol. Leg., Leech of Folkest., Betake thy self to thy lawful occasions.
b. pl. Necessities of nature. Obs.
1698Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 156 Where they do all occasions, leaving their Excrements there. 1755Smollett Quix. iv. xx, My master Don Quixote..eats, drinks, and does his occasions like other men. 1789M. Madan tr. Persius (1795) 38 note, It was unlawful to do their occasions or to make water in any sacred place.
III. †7. a. A juncture of circumstances (in itself); the falling out or happening of anything; a casual occurrence; an event, incident, circumstance. Obs.
1534Elyot Doctr. Princes 9 b, Dooe thou nothyng in furie, sens other men knowe what time and occasion is meetest for the. 1602Sir R. Boyle Diary in Lismore Papers Ser. ii. (1887) I. 41 Since my last hear is growne no occasion worthy the advertising. a1649Winthrop New Eng. (1853) II. 368 There fell out at this time a very sad occasion.
b. gen. The falling out or happening of things or events; the course of events or circumstances. Obs.
1595Shakes. John iv. ii. 125 With-hold thy speed, dreadfull Occasion: O make a league with me, 'till I haue pleas'd My discontented Peeres. 1597― 2 Hen. IV, iv. i. 72 Wee see which way the Streame of Time doth runne, And are enforc'd from our most quiet there, By the rough Torrent of Occasion.
8. A particular casual occurrence or juncture; a case of something happening; the time, or one of the times, at which something happens; a particular time marked by some occurrence or by its special character. † Formerly sometimes in more general sense, A case, an instance.
1568Grafton Chron. II. 116 Hearyng the king upon an occasion to talke of breade. 1573J. Sandford Hours Recreat. (1576) 121 When there were deade at Milan.. certayne noble..yong men, Alciato made upon that occasion..these wittie verses. 1588Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 143 Vpon the next occasion that we meete. 1693Evelyn De la Quint. Compl. Gard. I. 37 It ought to have a Ballustre with some Steps to come down into that Garden, which is an Ornament to be wish'd for in such Occasions. 1707Curios. in Husb. & Gard. 145 Thus argues Boyle in several Occasions. 1748Hartley Observ. Man i. ii. 218 These Muscles drawing the Eye out on eminent Occasions. 1781Cowper Friendship 148 Sometimes occasion brings to light Our friend's defect long hid from sight. 1834Medwin Angler in Wales II. 24 Till that occasion, I never had known what terror really was. 1883Athenæum 8 Sept. 305/1 An article of his appearing on the occasion of the death of Gogol. Mod. On the occasion of her marriage with Mr. ―.
9. An event or function of some special kind.
a. A religious function or ceremonial; in Scotland, a Communion service; the annual, half-yearly, or quarterly sacramental season. arch. or Obs.
1789A. Wilson Poems & Lit. Prose i. (1876) 29 It has been our custom, on the Tuesday's night after our Occasion, to be hearty over a pint. 1803A. Pringle Serm. & Lett. (1840) 190 Our autumn occasions had been good times to many. 1844Sage's Wks. I. 368 note, They [servants] were to be allowed to attend a certain number of fairs and occasions or sacraments during the year. 1892C. G. McCrie Worship Presbyt. Scot. 311 The administration of the Lord's Supper upon what are styled ‘occasions’. 1900Charlotte Hanbury in Autobiog. (1901) xv. 224 When the Home-going is, I want to say..‘by desire’—no flowers;..Also I would much wish a Church of England occasion.
b. A special ceremony or celebration; a ‘function’; an ‘event’. Chiefly colloq.
1860Emerson Cond. Life, Culture Wks. (Bohn) II. 374 Keep the town for occasions, but the habits should be formed to retirement. 1870Dickens E. Drood iii, These occasions seem to go off tolerably well without me, Pussy. Mod. It was a great occasion.
IV. Phrases and Comb.
10.
†a. by occasion of, through the (incidental) operation or agency of; by reason of; on account of; because of. by occasion that, for the reason that, because. Obs.
1429Rolls of Parlt. IV. 346/2 Be occasion of the seide diversite. c1450tr. De Imitatione i. xvi. 18 What euery man verily is, best is shewid by occasion of aduersite. c1460Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. ix. (1885) 129 We haue also sene..somme off the kynges subgettes gyff hym bataill, by occasion þat thair livelod and offices were þe grettest off þe lande. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 466 The Archebyshops of Mentz, Trevers and Collon by occasion of the bathes met that tyme together. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 124 They which by occasion of iournying or uncleannesse could not now celebrate the Passeover. 1667Pepys Diary 15 May, The wrong the credit of this office has received by this rogue's occasion.
b. † by occasion, by chance, casually, incidentally (obs.). on occasion or upon occasion († by occasions), as occasion or opportunity arises; now and then, occasionally. on or upon († by) occasion of, in casual or incidental connexion with.
1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 378 A few daies after, Iohn Sleidane, by occasion of talke spake of the same to the Emperours Ambassadour. 1562Cooper Answ. Priv. Masse (1850) 46 One of the copies of this answer by occasion..lighted into my hands. c1585R. Browne Answ. Cartwright 3 The prayers may be..left off by occasions: as when the Minister is to preach. 1590Shakes. Mids. N. iii. i. 150 Nay, I can gleeke vpon occasion. a1649Winthrop Hist. New Eng. (1853) II. 26 Mr. Peter by occasion preached one Lord's day. 1665Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1677) 24 Petty Islands..which..environ, and in a sort defend her upon occasion. 1711Steele Spect. No. 136 ⁋3 Upon occasion of the mention of the Battle of Pultowa, I could not forbear giving an Account [etc.]. 1844Lingard Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858) I. App. K. 369 On occasion of these grants it may not be amiss to add a few remarks. 1884W. E. Norris Thirlby Hall ix, She could be extremely generous upon occasion.
11. for (on, upon) one's occasion, on one's account, for one's sake.
1656Bramhall Replic. v. 221 Had they not reason to wellcome them..who were come only upon their occasion? 1856Emerson Eng. Traits iii. 41 The traveller..reads quietly the Times newspaper, which..seems to have machinized the rest of the world for his occasion. 1860Pusey Min. Proph. 388 Whoso amendeth not on occasion of others, others shall be amended on occasion of him.
12. Comb., as occasion-giver.
1568Grafton Chron. II. 113 Stephen..which had bene the occasion gever of all the tumults.
▪ II. † oˈccasion, n.2 Obs. rare.
[ad. L. occāsiōn-em (see prec.), taken as n. of action of occidĕre in sense ‘to go down, set’, for which the actual L. word was occāsus.]
Setting (of the sun).
1533Bellenden Livy i. (1822) 87 Ane litil afore the occasioun of the son. Ibid. 171 Now was the sonne fast tending to his occasion.
▪ III. occasion, v.|əˈkeɪʒən|
[f. occasion n.1; = F. occasionner to cause, occasion (15th c. in Godef. Compl.); cf. OF. occasioner to pick a quarrel with, to accuse; med.L. occāsiōnāre to burden with occasional taxes.]
†1. trans. To give occasion to (a person); to induce by affording an opportunity or a ground; to urge or impel by circumstances; also, to do this habitually; hence, to habituate, accustom.
a. to a course of action. Obs.
1530Proper Dyaloge in Rede me, etc. (Arb.) 134 By the meanes wherof I & suche other..are occasioned to theft or murder. 1545Udall Erasm. Par. Luke xix. 156 This is thy daie, in whiche thou art occasioned to emendemente. a1555Latimer Serm. & Rem. (1845) 243 That ye..do..the best that you can to occasion your parishioners to peace. 1684I. Mather Remark. Provid. i. (1890) 4 My children..poor souls, whom I had occasioned to such an end in their tender years, when as they could scarce be sensible of death.
†b. to do something (passing into 2 b). Obs.
1538Coverdale N. Test. Ded., Such ignorant bodies..shall through this small labour be occasioned to attain unto more knowledge. 1563Homilies ii. Fasting (1859) 294 Fasting was one of the meanes whereby Almighty God was occasioned to alter the thing which hee had purposed concerning Ahab. 1590Recorde, etc. Gr. Artes (1640) 405 To occasion you to study the better, I will leave this doubt wholly to your owne search. 1678Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. iv. §13. 225 Aristotle..was not occasioned to do that..because it was a Doctrine then Generally Received, but only because he had a mind, odiously to impute such a thing to the Pythagoreans.
2. To be the occasion or cause of (something); to give ground for, give rise to, cause, bring about, esp. in an incidental or subsidiary manner (cf. occasion n.1 3 b).
a. With simple obj. (Sometimes also with indirect personal obj.)
1596Spenser F.Q. vi. i. 12 My haplesse case Is not occasioned through my misdesert. 1632J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 147 Either too light, or too free feeding hath occasioned you this dreame. 1665Pepys Diary 2 Jan., I occasioned much mirth with a ballet I brought with me. 1736Butler Anal. i. iv. Wks. 1874 I. 76 Any course of action which will probably occasion them greater temporal inconvenience. 1796Morse Amer. Geog. I. 170 Its spray rises a great height in the air, occasioning a thick cloud of vapours. 1863F. A. Kemble Resid. in Georgia 70, I saw an advertisement which occasioned me much thought. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 166 He whose folly is occasioned by his own jealousy..is to suffer more heavily.
b. With obj. and inf.: to cause (a person or thing) to be or to do something; in pass. To be caused or constrained by circumstances.
1610Boys Wks. (1630) 413, I am occasioned here to meet a peeuish and vncharitable people. 1717tr. Frezier's Voy. 77 When any Man happens to have a violent Fall, which occasions him to bleed at the Nose. 1802M. Edgeworth Moral T. (1816) I. xiv. 109 This occasioned him to be much in the shop. 1849Grote Greece ii. lv. (1862) V. 53 It occasioned them to make indignant remonstrance.
†c. To give (one) reason to go, to take (one).
1653Walton Angler i. 2, I have stretch'd my legs up Tottenham Hil to overtake you, hoping your businesse may occasion you towards Ware.
†3. To employ for one's occasions or needs, to make use of. Obs. rare—1.
1632Spelman Hist. Sacrilege (1698) 202, I know a Merchantman..that bought the Contents of two noble Libraries for 40s. a piece..this stuff hath he occasioned instead of Grey Paper by the space of more than these ten Years [A quot. from Bale, who has occupyed].
†4. The pa. pple. was formerly used to introduce the cause or occasion of a preceding fact; occasioned by, in consequence of. Obs.
1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 47 [The ship] sunke and was swallowed by the Sands, occasioned by a hole, neglected by the Carpenter. Ibid. 185 Some of which..were drowned, unable to swim to shore occasioned by age, and violent course of the Sea. 1657R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 27 Our locks too..will rust in the wards..and all this occasion'd by the moistness of the Air. 1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 117 The Indians' dwellings..were all at a distance from the river, occasioned..by the rivers overflowing the flat grounds near its banks.
Hence oˈccasioning vbl. n. and ppl. a.
1632Star Chamb. Cases (Camden) 144 Mr Broughton and Mr Young were both to be sentenced, the one for makinge the disturbance, and the other for occasioning of it. 1683Brit. Spec. 188 An easy Excise..upon such Commodities, as naturally tend to the occasioning of Pride, Idleness, Luxury. 1817Coleridge Biog. Lit. 50 He admits five agents, or occasioning causes. |