| 释义 |
▪ I. bootless, a.1|ˈbuːtlɪs|
[OE. bótléas, f. bót, boot n.1: see -less.]
†1. Not to be expiated or recompensed by a ‘bote’; see boot n.1 9. (Only in OE. law.)
a1000in Thorpe Laws I. 385 (Bosw.) Donne siȝ ðæt botleas. Ibid. I. 410 Husbryce is botleas. [1714J. Fortescue-Aland Fortescue's Abs. & Lim. Mon. Pref. 62 Boteless, that is, unexpiable. 1839Keightley Hist. Eng. I. 79 Of the crimes..some were ‘botelos’ or inexpiable, and were to be punished with death: such were treason, murder.]
†2. Without help or remedy; incurable, remediless, helpless.
1228in Mem. Ripon (1882) I. 52 In pœna quæ vocatur boteles. c1350Will. Palerne 3984 It is a botles bale..to willne after a wif þat is a waywarde euere. 1567Drant Horace Sat. ii. (R.), That were a bootlesse case. 1659Sprat Plague Athens (R.), They saw the city open lay, An easy and a bootless prey.
3. Void of boot or profit; to no purpose, without success; unavailing, useless, unprofitable.
1559Myrr. Mag., Clifford ii, All care is bootles in a cureles case. 1596Shakes. Merch. V. iii. iii. 20 Ile follow him no more with bootlesse prayers. 1641J. Jackson True Evang. T. i. 77 Bootlesse problemes. 1736Thomson Liberty iv. 644. 1782 Cowper Gilpin 189 Ah luckless speech, and bootless boast! 1869Freeman Norm. C. (1876) III. xii. 255 A few bootless attempts at negociation.
4. quasi-adv. = bootlessly.
1423Jas. I. King's Q. lxx, As Tantalus I trauaile ay but-les. 1588Shakes. Tit. A. iii. i. 36, I tell my sorrowes bootles to the stones. 1813Scott Trierm. iii. i, Of wasted fields..The Borderers bootless may complain.
▪ II. bootless, a.2|ˈbuːtlɪs|
[f. boot n.3 + -less.]
Without boots.
1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xviii. 11 One..Barfote on an asse bakke botelees cam pryk[y]e, Wyth-oute spores other spere. [1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iii. i. 66 Thrice..haue I hent him Bootlesse home..Hotsp. Home without Bootes, And in foule Weather too, How scapes he Agues in the Deuils name?] 1880Harper's Mag. LX. 676 Hatless, bootless, and trouserless. |