| 释义 |
outfield, out-field, n.|ˈaʊtfiːld|
[out- 1.]
1. a. The outlying land of a farm; esp. in Scotland, the outlying land which is either unenclosed and untilled moorland or pasture, or was formerly cropped from time to time without being manured. outfield and infield system: see infield.
1637Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 361, I know that it is not my home nor my Father's house: it is but..the outer close of His house, His outfields and muir-ground. 1812Sir J. Sinclair Syst. Husb. Scot. i. 315 His land is..originally all outfield, being mostly covered with whins and heath not many years ago. 1861Smiles Engineers II. 94 The chief part of each farm consisted of ‘out-field’ or unenclosed land, no better than moorland.
attrib.1765A. Dickson Treat. Agric. xv. (ed. 2) 123 This land is what is called out-field land; that is, land not improved, and that has received but little manure. When brought into tillage, three or four crops exhaust it. 1820Scott Monast. i. 1823Blackw. Mag. XIV. 189 Ropes..thrown over all the outfield hay ricks.
b. An outlying field.
1676Connect. Col. Rec. (1852) II. 464 Thirty men to be a Guard while we gather in your harvest from your out-fields. 1733–1856 [see infield]. 1775Adair Amer. Ind. 406 The chief part of the Indians begin to plant their out-fields, when the wild fruit is so ripe, as to draw off the birds from picking up the grain.
2. fig. The region of thought or fact outside defined limits; an outlying region.
1851Trench Stud. Words vi. 174 The enclosure of a certain district..from the great outfield of thought or fact. 1859― On Author. Vers. 22 Words are enclosures from the great outfield of meaning.
attrib.a1850S. Miller Serm. in Mem. iv. (1883) 99 We would ‘go forth’ in more than human might against the outfield masses festering in our midst.
3. In Cricket and Baseball:
a. The outlying part of the field, that part most remote from the batsman. Also transf. and fig.
1851W. Clark in W. Bolland Cricket Notes 136 If you are in the out field, and the batsman is on the alert, he will steal a run. 1868H. Chadwick Game of Base Ball 73 The Irvingtons..placed the substitute in the out-field. 1895Daily News 5 Feb. 3/5 The rest of the wickets fell for catches, most of them in the out-field, and the innings closed for 72. 1896Ibid. 11 Aug. 7/2 The outfield ground was so dead that many hits that would ordinarily have been fours and twos only produced twos and singles. 1948Denison (Texas) Herald 2 July 12/3 Have you ever played the outfield? 1971Times 16 Feb. 7/6 The groundsman at the cricket ground here has been mowing the out⁓field. 1975Cricketer May 19/1 When they batted the opening pair put on 85 in the first 20 overs, a splendid rate on an extremely wet outfield. 1976Billings (Montana) Gaz. 16 June 1-C/3 Playing both first base and the outfield, Rudi was regarded as one of the most valuable players in the league every season from 1970–75. 1976P. Harcourt Dance for Diplomats ii. 15 We taxied around the runways..and came to a stop somewhere in the out-field. 1977J. Le Carré Hon. Schoolboy iii. 58 Martindale..in the Whitehall outfield lived in a state of primaeval innocence about the reality of Smiley's world.
b. = out-fielder. Also, the out-fielders collectively.
1867J. Lillywhite's Cricketers' Compan. 160 [He is] a fine out-field. 1867H. Chadwick Base Ball Player's Bk. Reference 138 The Out-Field—The out-fielders are the left[,] centre and right-field positions. 1868― Game of Base Ball 17 The out-field being neither active in their movements, or sure catchers. 1884Lillywhite's Cricket Ann. 101 J. E. K. S―, a magnificent out-field. 1894Westm. Gaz. 18 Dec. 7/2 He is a good out-field. 1910Blackw. Mag. Jan. 93/2 Tyldesly..ten years ago was one of the finest out⁓fields imaginable. 1948Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, Okla.) 30 Mar. 6/4 If the Boston Braves win.., they will do it without an outfield which is particularly strong defensively. 1956People 13 May 13/3 Cliff is an attractive all-round cricketer and an especially good long-throwing fast-moving outfield. |