| 释义 |
ardent, a.|ˈɑːdənt|
Forms: 4–6 ardaunt, 5 hardaunt, ardant, 5– ardent.
[a. OF. ardant:—L. ardēntem, pr. pple. of ardēre to burn, subseq. assimilated to L.: see -ant.]
1. Burning, on fire, red-hot; fiery, hot, parching.
c1440Morte Arth. 193 Sewes..Ownd of azure alle over and ardant þem semyde. 1481Caxton Myrr. ii. xviii. 107 Fyre so ouer moche ardaunt hote. 1514Barclay Cyt. & Uplandyshm. (1847) Introd. 36 Though thou shouldest perishe for very ardent thirst. 1601Holland Pliny II. 160 Ardent feuers. 1794Sullivan View Nat. II. 118 Receptacles of molten ore, and ardent liquids within the cavities of mountains. 1882Nature XXVI. 504 The sun was not very ardent.
2. Inflammable, combustible. Obs. exc. in the phr. ardent spirits, in which the meaning of ardent is now usually referred to their fiery taste: cf. L. ardentis Falerni pocula.
1471Ripley Comp. Alch. in Ashm. 1652, 190 Waters corrosyve and waters ardent [i.e. acids and spirits]. 1674Petty Disc. bef. R. Soc. 93 The Spirituosity of Liquors, or in what proportions several Liquors contein more or less of inflameable or ardent parts. 1684T. Burnet Th. Earth II. 63 Inflammable salts, coal and other fossiles that are ardent. 1833Brewster Nat. Magic iv. 79 Spirits of wine, or any ardent spirit.
†3. That burns like vitriol; corrosive. Obs.
1799G. Smith Laboratory II. 437 An Ardent Water to engrave Steel deeply..Take a sponge, dipt into ardent water.
4. Glowing or gleaming like fire; flaming, fierce.
1603Holland Plutarch (1657) 117 Fixing his eyes fast upon a fiery and ardent mirror. 1718Pope Iliad iii. 525 From rank to rank she darts her ardent eyes. 1827Hood Mids. Fairies 3 Fish, Quenching their ardent scales in watry gloom.
5. fig. Glowing with passion, animated by keen desire; intensely eager, zealous, fervent, fervid:
a. of persons and their faculties; transf. of ships.
c1374Chaucer Boeth. iv. iii. 121 Ȝif he [be] ardaunt in auarice. 1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 288/2 He was the more ardaunt to martirdome. 1538Starkey England 144 Yf we desyre wyth pure affecte and ardent mynd. 1539Tonstall Serm. Palm Sund. (1823) 51 He was of all the apostels moste ardent in fayth. 1777Watson Philip II (1793) II. xiv. 221 Ardent to behold him, after an absence of several years. 1848‘L. Mariotti’ Italy II. i. 20 Many an ardent patriot. 1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Ardent, said of a vessel when she gripes or comes to the wind quickly.
b. of emotions and their expression.
c1374Chaucer Boeth. iii. xii. 106 Þe most ardaunt loue of hys wiif. 1485Caxton Chas. Gt. 1 Their grete strength and ryght ardaunt courage. 1651Hobbes Leviath. iii. xxxii. 196 He finds an ardent desire to speak. 1742Young Nt. Th. viii. 721 Pray'r ardent opens Heav'n. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 174 His zeal for Episcopacy..was now more ardent than ever. |