| 释义 |
chicanery|ʃɪˈkeɪnərɪ|
Forms: 7 chiquanerey, -ery, chicanrey, chicannery, 7–8 chicanry, 7– chicanery.
[a. F. chicanerie, in Littré the earliest exemplified member of the group, implying however the existence of the vb. chicaner and n. chicaneur as its source: see -ery. Formerly more completely anglicized as ˈchicanry.]
1. Legal trickery, pettifogging, abuse of legal forms; the use of subterfuge and trickery in debate or action; quibbling, sophistry, trickery.
a1613Overbury Observ. State France (1856) 241 All this chiquanerey, as they call it, is brought into France from Rome. 1665Evelyn Lett. Sir P. Wyche 20 June, We have hardly any words that do so fully expresse the French clinquant, naiveté..chicaneries. a1670Hacket Abp. Williams ii. (1692) 151, I shall not advise this honourable House to use any chiquanery or pettiffoggery with this great representation of the kingdom. 1682Burnet Rights Princes Pref. 57 To do it with all the Tricks and Chicanery possible. 1704J. Harris Lex. Techn., Chicanry, is a trickish and guileful Practice of the Law. 1708Ozell Boileau's Lutrin v. (1730) 53 That foul Monster, void of Ears and Eyes, Call'd Chicanry. 1754Richardson Grandison (1781) IV. ii. 14 It was..by the chicanery of the lawyers..carried against him. 1827Hallam Const. Hist. II. xii. The period of lord Danby's administration..was full of chicanery and dissimulation on the King's side. 1876Green Short Hist. viii. §8. Forty days wasted in useless chicanery.
b. as a personal quality.
1771Smollett Humph. Cl. let. 26 June, He carried home with him all the knavish chicanery of the lowest pettifogger. 1832Lander Adv. Niger III. xvi. 256 The artifice, chicanery and low cunning of a crafty and corrupt mind.
2. (with pl.) A dishonest artifice of law; a sophistry, quibble, subterfuge, trick.
1688Answ. Talon's Plea 23 Pitifull Chicanneries and tricks of the Law. 1758Jortin Erasm. I. 103 These letters..full of chicaneries about trifles. 1878R. B. Smith Carthage 227 Impatient of such chicaneries. |