| 释义 |
▪ I. butler, n.|ˈbʌtlə(r)|
Forms: 3 butuler, botyler, 3–4 buteler, 3–5 boteler, 4–5 -ere, 4 botoler, bottelar, 4–5 botelar, botil(l)er(e, botyller, botler(e, 5 buteler(e, butiller, buttiler, -are, bouteler, 5–6 butteler, buttler, 6 botteler, buttelar, butlar, 5– butler.
[a. AF. butuiller = OF. bouteillier:—med.L. buticulārius, f. buticula bottle n.1]
1. a. A servant who has charge of the wine-cellar and dispenses the liquor. Formerly also, one who hands round wine, a cup-bearer. He is now usually the head-servant of a household, who keeps the plate, etc.
c1250Gen. & Ex. 2092 Ðis buteler Ioseph sone for-gat [cf. Gen. xl.]. a1300Cursor M. 4497 Þe bottelar was lesed þat ilk dai. c1300K. Alis. 834 Som to marchal, and to botileris, To knyght, to page, and to jogoleris. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls Ser.) V. 269 [Rowena] schulde serve hym instede of his boteler. c1440Promp. Parv. 45 Botlere [1499 boteler]. c1460Bk. Curtasye 423 in Babees Bk. 312 Botler shalle sett for yche a messe, A pot, a lofe. 1589True Coppie of Disc. (1881) 50 Though any man..doo locke up their drinke and set buttlers upon it. 1598Stow Surv. xi. (1603) 96 These Citizens did minister wine, as Bottelers. 1616Pasquil & Kath. v. 228 Bid the Butler broch fresh wine. 1727Swift Gulliver i. ii. 33 He ordered his cooks and butlers..to give me victuals and drink. 1842Tennyson Day-Dream 45. 1859 Geo. Eliot A. Bede 9 A man who had been butler ‘to the family’ for fifteen years.
b. fig.
1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls Ser.) I. 273 Þere is the faire floure þe citee of Parys norice of þewes, botiller of lettres [pincerna litterarum]. c1420Pallad. on Husb. iii. 696 And gladde be thai to stande aboute a welle That humour euer may thaire boteler be. 1594Mirr. Policie (1599) 265 Saint Hierom calleth it [the S. wind] the butler or pourer forth of water, because it commonly bringeth raine.
†c. phr. with butler's grace: ? with a drink.
1609Melton Sixefolde Polit. 33 (N.) Fidlers, who are regarded but for a baudy song..and when they haue done, are commonly sent away with Butlers grace.
2. An officer who originally had charge of the wine for the royal table; hence the title of an official of high rank nominally connected with the supply, importation, etc., of wine, but having different duties in different countries and at various times. (Cf. marshall, lord chamberlain, etc.)
1297R. Glouc. 438 Boþe Wyllam & Rychard hys sones adrentte were, And hys panyter & hys chamberleyn, & hys boteler also. c1330Amis & Amil. 188 Sir Amis, as ye may here, He made his chef botelere, In his court for to be. 1495Act 11 Hen. VII, lxii. §1 Item of the Chief Buttler of England Cli. 1587J. Higins Mirr. Mag. (1610) 482 (title) How..Sir Nicholas Burdel, Chiefe Butler of Normandie, was slaine at Pontoise. 1611Cotgr., Grand bouteillier, the great Butler of France; an honourable officer, but out of date euer since Charles the seuenths time. 1667J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. i. iii. iii. (1743) 161 Edward Fitz-Theobald being long ago made Butler of Ireland, the Duke of Ormond..took the sirname of Butler. 1887Burke's Peerage 1068 James 7th Earl of Ormonde and 7th Butler had (1328) a renewed grant of the prisage of wines (which had been resumed by the crown).
3. Comb., as butler-like adj.; † butler's box, ? a box into which players put a portion of their winnings at Christmas-time as a ‘Christmas-box’ for the butler (cf. box n.2 5); butler's pantry, a pantry where the plate, glass, etc., are kept.
1880Mrs. Eiloart Dean's Wife III. ii. 16 Then his eye met that of the respectable *butler-like man opposite.
a1593H. Smith Serm. (1866) II. 240 The law is like a *butlers-box, play still on till all come to the candlestick. 1597Return Parnass. Pt. 2 Prol. 44 The Pilgrimage to Pernassus, and the returne from Pernassus haue..hindred the buttlers box, and emptied the Colledge barrells. 1621Tract agst. Usurie (N.) The old comparison, which compares usury to the butler's boxe, deserves to be remembred. Whilest men are at play, they feele not what they give to the boxe, but at the end of Christmas it makes all or neere all gamesters loosers. 1660Jer. Taylor Duct. Dubit. iii. iii. vii. §3 Whoever lost, signor papa, like the butler's-box, was sure to get.
1816Jane Austen Emma ii. vi. 113 A bad *butler's pantry. 1885Harper's Mag. Mar. 544/1 A..cousin..was discovered..in the butler's pantry.
▪ II. butler, v.|ˈbʌtlə(r)|
[f. prec. n.]
In various nonce-uses: a. trans. To take charge of and serve (liquor); also absol. to act as butler; b. pass. To be served by a butler. Hence ˈbutlering vbl. n.
1742Jarvis Quix. ii. iv. vii. (D.) The calling he is of allows of no catering nor butlering. 1826Blackw. Mag. XIX. 587 We have consigned the flasks..to the safe custody of Ambrose, till they can be butlered by Hogg. 1855Dickens Dorrit (Househ. ed.) 317/1 As nations are made to be taxed, so families are made to be butlered. |