| 释义 |
pickeer, v. Obs. or arch.|pɪˈkɪə(r)|
Forms: α. 7–8 piˈckere, piˈcqueer, (7 piˈckeere, piˈquere, piˈckqueer, piˈckear, peˈkeer), 7– piˈckeer, (8 piˈquier, pickuˈeer, 8–9 piqueer; β. 7 pickquer, picquer, 7–8 picker.
[Derivation obscure: perh. an unexplained alteration of F. picorer (16th c.) to forage, maraud, pillage, plunder, pilfer, f. picorée foraging, marauding; according to Hatz-Darm., ad. Sp. pecoréa, vbl. n. from pecorear to steal or carry off cattle, f. L. pecus, pl. pecora cattle: cf. med. or mod.L. pecorare, pr. pple. pecorantes ‘pillagers of cattle’, cited by Littré, and pecoria (‘duo prædia, quæ secundum linguæ suæ (Flandricæ) consuetudinem pecorias appellant’ Chron. Afflegemiense c. xx), in Du Cange.
The chief difficulty in thus accounting for the word is the final stress, proved by rimes, and by the spellings -eer, -eere, -ere, -ear, -ier. The occasional later picquer'd, pickering suggest indeed the pronunciation ˈpicker; but pickering in D'Urfey 1719 is piˈckering from piˈckere. Moreover, the Fr. word is not cited in the maritime sense; nor have we much evidence for the Eng. vb. in the sense ‘to forage’.]
†1. intr. To maraud, pillage, plunder; to practise privateering or piracy. Obs.
[c1645Tullie Siege of Carlisle (1840) 12 The restlesse spirits, weary of rest, went out a pickquering every day, and seldome returned without pray or prisoner.] 1651Ogilby æsop (1665) 18 A rush Candle purchas'd by pickeering. a1661Fuller Worthies, Hants. ii. (1662) 10 Our Coasts were much infested with French-piracies. There was a Knight of Malta..who liv'd by pickeering, and undoing many English Merchants. 1678E. Smith in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 51 The French Ambassador..said they were a fine company of men for picqueering and forrageing. 1718Ozell tr. Tournefort's Voy. I. 111 Your Lordship has forbid pickeering from island to island for plunder.
2. trans. To skirmish, reconnoitre, scout (in war); to bicker (with the enemy).
c1645Tullie Siege of Carlisle (1840) 6 The scot[c]h hors Picquering a while close by the wals on the east, drew of, after they had faild in snapping Col. Grayes small regement of hors at Stanwick. Ibid. 20 Ye Scots sent out 6 or 7 horse to pickere with the other three scouts. 1652Wadsworth tr. Sandoval's Civ. Wars Spain 290 The Garrison of Simancas,..went almost every daie Pekeering to the gates of Valladolid. a1657Lovelace Lucasta ii. Poems (1864) 203 So within shot she doth pickear, Now galls the flank, and now the rear. 1658Phillips, To Pickear (French piquer), is when particular persons fight between two Armies before the main Battle is begun. 1674Blount Glossogr. (ed. 4), Pickeer (from the Ital. Picare), to skirmish, as Light-horsemen do. 1691Lond. Gaz. No. 2686/3 Several of our young Gentlemen passed over towards the Enemies Camp, and picquer'd with some of the French. 1705Sir E. Walker Hist. Disc. i. 65 Every Day to see ours and their Parties piquier from their Guards. 1719D'Urfey Pills (1872) I. 141 When bold Dragoons have been pickering there. 1728Gordon Tacitus, Annals xiii. 335 Tiridates, on his side, pickeer'd about, yet never approach'd within the throw of a dart. 1862Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xiii. xii. (1872) V. 122 South of us..are the Enemy, camped or pickeering about.
3. fig.
a. To reconnoitre, to scout.
1649G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. IV lvi, Soe..may wee see A Flea pickeere vpon a Lady's hand. 1737L. Clarke Hist. Bible (1740) II. i. 82 The Pharisees who were always pickering for occasions of finding fault. 1878Stevenson Edinburgh (1889) 65 Slinking..and pickeering among the closes. 1892Sat. Rev. 26 Mar. 345/1 The Front Opposition Bench had sent out the Irresponsibles to ‘piqueer’, as an agreeable word in classical English has it.
†b. To skirmish playfully or amorously; to dally, flirt. Obs.
1651Cleveland Senses Festival vi, Two souls pickearing in a kiss. 1676Shadwell Virtuoso v. Wks. 1720 I. 403 There's a Lady hovering about you, and longs to pickeer with you. 1685Crowne Sir C. Nice i. Dram. Wks. 1874 III. 272 There was never such an open and general war made on virtue; young ones at thirteen will pickeere at it. 1709Mrs. Manley Secret Mem. (1720) IV. 120 She at first designed Pickueering for Adoration, only to please her Lord.
†c. To wrangle; to bicker in verbal strife. Obs.
1678Butler Hud. iii. ii. 448 No sooner could a hint appear, But up he started to pickere [18th c. edd. piqueer, picqueer]. a1715Burnet Own Time (1823) II. 25 He said to me, he had often picqueered out (that was his word) on Sheldon and some other bishops. 1717Entertainer No. 6. 32 Pamphlets pickering and pecking at one another from the Press.
Hence † piˈckeer n., a military skirmish.
1668Wilkins Real Char. ii. xi. §3. 276 Skirmishing, Fray, Velitation, pickeer. 1688R. Holme Armoury iii. xix. (Roxb.) 187/1 Pickeering or firing in Picceer: is a kind of fighting betweene small parties..which is by fireing one at another in their galloping in and out. |