| 释义 |
calf-skin
Also calf's-, calves-, calve-.
The skin or hide of a calf; a superior kind of leather made from this, and used in bookbinding, shoemaking, etc. More rarely = vellum.
1590Shakes. Com. Err. iv. iii. 18 Hee that goes in the calues-skin, that was kil'd for the Prodigall. 1595― John iii. i. 129 Hang a Calues skin on those recreant limbes! 1604in Shaks. C. Praise 60 Master Bursebell the calves-skin scrivener. 1704Swift T. Tub v. 75 Copies, well-bound in calf-skin. 1796Morse Amer. Geog. II. 74, 990 calve-skins [exported in 1 yr. from Petersburg]. 1870Emerson Soc. & Solit., Courage 207 Cowardice shuts the eyes till the sky is not larger than a calf-skin.
†b. A purse, etc., made of calf-skin. Obs.
1618Dekker Owles Alman., This puts..coyne into the Painters calueskinne.
†c. attrib.
1606Wily Beguiled Prol. (N.) His calfs-skin jests from hence are clear exil'd. 1785Grose Class. Dict. Vulg. Tongue Calf-skin fiddle, a drum. |