| 释义 |
polysyllable, n. and a.|pɒlɪˈsɪləb(ə)l|
Also 6 polli-, poli-, -sillable.
[f. med.L. polysyllaba, fem. (sc. vox word) of polysyllabus (see polysyllabe), after syllable.]
A. n. A word of many (i.e., usually, more than three) syllables.
1570Levins Manip. Pref., In the Pollisillables, by diuersitie of pronunciation,..one worde maye haue diuers significations. 1589Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. xii. (Arb.) 126 Our vulgar Saxon English standing most vpon wordes monosillable, and little vpon polysillables. 1755Johnson Dict., Eng. Gram., Polysyllables..are seldom compared otherwise than by more and most, as deplorable, more deplorable, most deplorable. 1871G. Meredith H. Richmond li, My father was losing his remarkably moderated tone, and threatening polysyllables.
B. adj. = polysyllabic. Now rare.
1589Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. xii. (Arb.) 131 The ill shapen sound of many of his wordes polisillable. 1591Harington Orl. Fur. Pref. (1634) ⁋viij b, For them that find fault with polysyllable meeter. 1669Holder Elem. Speech 101 In a Poly-syllable word. 1817Coleridge Satyrane's Lett. iii. in Biog. Lit. (1882) 268 note, The German, not less than the Greek, is a polysyllable language. |