| 释义 |
scoundrel, n. and a.|ˈskaʊndrəl|
Also 6 skown-, skoundrell, scondrell, 7 skundrell, scoundril, 8 scoundrell.
[Of unknown origin.
Derivation from Sc. scunner n. and v. is inadmissible on phonological grounds; and although scoundrel is now vernacular in Scotland (pronounced |ˈskunrəl| or |ˈskundrəl|), all the early examples of the word are English. The phonetic character of the word suggests a Fr. origin; it might conceivably represent an AF. derivative of escondre to abscond, but the late date of its first occurrence is against this supposition.]
A. n. ‘A mean rascal, a low petty villain’ (J.). Now usually with stronger sense: An audacious rascal, one destitute of all moral scruple.
1589Warner Alb. Eng. vi. xxxi. 137 Must I, thought I, giue aime to such a Skrub and such a Saint, That Skowndrell, and this Counterfeit. 1589R. Harvey Pl. Perc. 22 You see my quarter staffe, is it not a blesse begger, thinke you? A washing blow of this is as good as a Laundresse,..and must needs dry beate a skoundrell, if it be artificially managed. 1594Lodge Wounds Civ. War iv. G 3, Clown. Haue I master thou scondrell? I haue an Orator to my master. 1601Shakes. Twel. N. i. iii. 36 By this hand they are scoundrels and substractors that say so of him. 1605Chapman All Fooles v. i. I 3, Your Mother..a lustie stoute Woman, bore great Children, you were the verie skundrell of am all. 1623Bingham Xenophon 119 If you take away my life, you shall put an honest man to death for a cowards and a scoundrels sake. 1711Swift Jrnl. to Stella 17 Nov., I often advised the dissolution of that Parliament, although I did not think the scoundrels had so much courage. 1734Pope Ess. Man iv. 212 If your ancient, but ignoble blood Has crept thro' scoundrels ever since the flood. 1775Johnson in Boswell 7 Apr. (1791) I. 478 Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. 1834Southey Doctor liii. (1862) 121 When a woman is married for the sake of her fortune, the chances are five hundred to one that she marries a villain, or at best a scoundrel. 1837Dickens Pickw. xxxi, ‘They are great scoundrels,’ said Mr. Pickwick. 1877Tennyson Harold iv. i, My father, Who shook the Norman scoundrels off the throne. 1879Froude Cæsar xv. 224 He saw these high⁓born scoundrels coming home loaded with treasure. 1886Stevenson Treasure Isl. i, If you keep on drinking rum, the world will soon be quit of a very dirty scoundrel!
b. attrib. and appositive.
1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. II. i. ii, Of a Jourdan Coupe-tête, who has skulked thitherward..and will raise whole scoundrel-regiments. 1850― Latter-d. Pamph. ii. 9 [Model Prisons.] The ‘sympathy’ of visitors..for his interesting scoundrel-subjects..was evidently no joy to this practical mind. Pity, yes:—but pity for the scoundrel-species? 1894H. Nisbet Bush Girl's Rom. 120 This scoundrel-fool Shafton had been the cause of his misfortunes.
B. adj. Now rare.
1. Of a person: That is a scoundrel; having the characteristics of a scoundrel; scoundrelly. Of a company: Composed of scoundrels.
1643Milton Divorce ii. i. (1645) 33 We read, not that the scoundrel people, but the choicest, the wisest, the holiest of that nation have frequently us'd these lawes. a1700B. E. Dict. Canting Crew, Scab, a..Scoundril-Fellow. 1710Swift Jrnl. to Stella 21 Dec., I met that beast Ferris,..and that scoundrel dog is as happy as an emperor. 1715Hearne Collect. (O.H.S.) V. 53 The Printer is that scoundrel Rascal Curle. 1727–46Thomson Summer 1638 The cruel wretch..has squander'd vile, Upon his scoundrel train what might have cheered A drooping family of modest worth. 1807Crabbe Par. Reg. iii. 789 We'll vex those scoundrel-boys. 1833L. Ritchie Wand. by Loire 187 The scoundrel governor..was the Duke of Montpensier.
2. Pertaining to or characteristic of a scoundrel. Of conduct: Mean, unprincipled.
1681Hickeringill Dial. Philautus & Timoth. iii. 5 Shouldest thou not in all justice and Conscience, instance something..that deserves..such scoundrel, Billings-gate Ribaldry..? a1704T. Brown Declam. in Def. Gaming Wks. 1709 III. i. 134 What..is there more scoundrel? What more beastly, than a man depriv'd of his Manhood..by an Inundation of Claret? 1729Mandeville Bees II. 101 An Italian No-man of Scoundrel Extraction. 1731Medley Kolben's Cape G. Hope (1738) I. 227 He [sc. the Hottentot dog] makes such a Scoundrel-Figure, that all his good Qualities together, are hardly a Ballance for it. 1738J. Hildrop Let. Commandm. (ed. 4) 17 Stealing we all know is the most pitiful, scoundrel Act of Injustice. 1748Thomson Cast. Indol. i. l, ‘A penny savèd is a penny got’—Firm to this scoundrel maxim keepeth he. 1757Warburton Lett. to Hurd xciii. (1809) 218 He..died..here in England; but of so scoundrel a temper, that he avoided ever coming into my sight. 1757E. Griffith Lett. Henry & Frances (1767) III. 84, I am shocked at the mean, scoundrel Behaviour of Mr. P―. 1850Thackeray Pendennis lviii, Her parents..encouraged me, with all sorts of coarse artifices and scoundrel flatteries.
†3. Of a thing: Base, degraded in character or type. Obs. rare.
1700J. A. Astry tr. Saavedra's Royal Politician II. 160 Trade was ruin'd by this troublesome, scoundrel Metal. 1727A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. II. xxxviii. 75 Their Religion is also a Sort of scoundrel Mahometism.
Hence ˈscoundrel v. trans., ? to treat as a scoundrel, to vilify. ˈscoundreldom, the world of scoundrels, scoundrels collectively; also = scoundrelism. † ˈscoundrelish a., befitting a scoundrel. ˈscoundrelry, scoundrels collectively. ˈscoundrelship, the behaviour of a scoundrel, scoundrelism.
1701W. Nicolson Let. 9 May in Evelyn Diary & Corr. (1906) 721 This being one of the matters wherein I am scoundreled by the late reply of Dr. Wake. 1705Rowe Biter i. i, I being in somewhat scoundrelish, or, as your Honour calls it, scurvy Terms with him my self. 1837Carlyle Diamond Necklace xvi, Let the eye of the mind..astound itself with the magnificent extent of Scoundreldom; the deep, I may say unfathomable, significance of Scoundrelism. 1856Chamb. Jrnl. VI. 361, I was dirty and grim-looking enough to represent any amount of scoundrelship. 1859Sala Tw. round Clock (1861) 415 It is astonishing to find how much foreign riff-raff and alien scoundrelry will turn up at a masquerade. 1864Reader 23 Jan. 101/1 With such consummate scoundrelship in the foreground, one may be pretty sure..that there is no lack of incident. 1864Kingsley Rom. & Teut. iii. 68 All greedy villains and adventurers, the scoundreldom of the whole world. 1876Froude Hist. Eng. lxix. XII. 111 Either as an effect of looseness of life, or from inherent scoundreldom of temperament. |