| 释义 |
preternatural, a. (n.)|priːtəˈnætjʊərəl, -tʃərəl|
Also præter-.
[ad. med.L. præternātūrālis (1255 in Albertus Magnus Metaph. ii. xi) f. L. phr. præter nātūram: see preter-. So obs. F. préternaturel (15.. in Godef.), It. preternaturale.]
That is out of the ordinary course of nature; beyond, surpassing, or differing from what is natural; non-natural; formerly = abnormal, exceptional, unusual; sometimes = unnatural; see also b.
1580G. Harvey Three Lett. Wks. (Grosart) I. 59 A preternaturall, or supernaturall ominous worke of God. 1593R. Harvey Philadelphus 49 Some make themselues barren with preternatural dyet. 1651Wittie tr. Primrose's Pop. Err. 232 We use them [remedies] that we may reduce the body from a preternaturall to its naturall state againe. 1663J. Spencer Prodigies (1665) 5 Prodigies Præternatural, such I account all strange Events, which hold of no steady causes, but are to us soly casual and uncertain. 1685Boyle Enq. Notion Nat. iv. 82 That which thwarts this Order [of Nature] may be said to be Preternatural, or contrary to Nature. 1725Bradley Fam. Dict., Whitloe, a preternatural and very troublesome Swelling towards the Fingers ends. 1802Paley Nat. Theol. iii. (1819) 40 Either in the natural or preternatural state of the organ, the use of the chain of bones is to propagate the impulse. 1866Geo. Eliot F. Holt ii, Mrs. Transome..seemed to hear and see what they said and did with preternatural acuteness.
b. Used as = supernatural.
1774J. Bryant Mythol. I. 190 People were determined in the choice of their holy places by those præternatural phænomena. 1829Southey Sir T. More (1831) I. 11 Preternatural impressions are sometimes communicated to us for wise purposes. 1875E. White Life in Christ v. xxxi. (1878) 533 His coming was heralded by a series of preternatural dispensations.
†B. n. (pl.) Preternatural attributes or qualities. Obs. rare.
1708H. Dodwell Nat. Mort. Hum. Souls 138 If Humane Souls, since their loss of Præternaturals, are in course, subjected to these inferior Dæmons.
Hence ˌpreternatuˈrality, nonce-wd., preterˈnaturalness, preternatural quality; preterˈnature nonce-wd., that which is out of the course of nature.
1666J. Smith Old Age (1676) 133 There is such an intricate mixture of naturality and preternaturality in Age. 1727Bailey vol. II, Preter-naturalness, quality out of the natural Course. 1860Pusey Min. Proph. 588 The preternaturalness of the deliverance is pictured by the driving the locust..into two opposite seas. 1842Poe Marie Roget Wks. 1864 I. 260 In my own heart there dwells no faith in praeter-nature. |