| 释义 |
aslope, a. and adv.|əˈsləʊp|
[Evidence is wanting to show the exact history of this, and its relation to slope; prob. it is later form of OE. aslopen, pa. pple. of aslúpan, lit. ‘slipped away’ (cf. awake, acale = OE. awacen, acalen); but it may be f. the simple slope adj. (itself apparently = OE. slopen ‘slipped’) with a- prefix 2. See slope a.
Difficulty attaches to either derivation, as well as to that of slope itself, from the want of instances of slopen, aslopen, or the verbs to which they belonged, between the OE. period and the 15th c.; the second has the additional difficulty that, so far as evidence goes, slope appeared still later than aslope, and may have been an aphetic form. Slope vb. and n. are comparatively recent derivatives of slope adj. In the absence of evidence, it is impossible to say whether aslope is primarily an adverb, like alive, afloat, or a participial adjective which only follows its n., like awake, athirst, since these two classes of words run together in use.]
In a position or direction between vertical and horizontal, i.e. that of a body slipping or falling away; as adj. Inclined, slanting, sloping; as adv. On the incline, aslant, obliquely, crosswise, athwart. (The advb. use is the commoner.) Also fig.
[Cf.c1230Ancr. R. 148 Al min hope were etslopen.] c1400Rom. Rose 4464 Beguiled..For trust that they have set in hope, Which fell hem afterward a slope. [Cf.1553–87Foxe A. & M. III. 762 You hope and you hope: but your hope shall be slope.] 1482Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxliv. 298 That the stake myght be pyght in the erth a slope. 1543Grafton Cont. Harding's Chron. 502 That poynt should be..handled, not euen fully playne and dyrectlye, but touched a slope craftely. 1575Turberv. Falconrie 277 You must cut it off with a sharpe penknife aslope. 1597Douland Lyrics in Arber Eng. Garner IV. 44 Since Fortune still directs my hap aslope. 1599Warn. Faire Wom. ii. 600 My hope is aslope, and my joy is laide to sleepe. 1626Bacon Sylva §713 The Haire that lyeth asloape must needs rise. 1667Milton P.L. x. 1053 On mee the Curse aslope Glanc'd on the ground. 1727Swift City Shower Wks. 1755 III. ii. 38 While the first drizzling show'r is borne aslope. a1732Gay Poems (1745) I. 151 Where porters hogsheads roll from carts aslope. a1845Hood Captain's Cow iii, Against the mast he leans a-slope. 1860Ruskin Mod. Paint. V. viii. ii. §4 The steps..are now all aslope and broken. |