| 释义 |
prevaricator|prɪˈværɪkeɪtə(r)|
Also 6–7 -tour, 7–9 præ-.
[a. L. prævāricātor, agent-n. f. prævāricārī to prevaricate: see -or.]
One who prevaricates.
†1. One who goes astray, diverges, or deviates from the right course; a transgressor. Obs.
1542Becon Christmas Banquet i. C iv b, The fyrst sinner, y⊇ fyrst preuaricatour begat synners bonde to death. 1582N.T. (Rhem.) Gal. ii. 18 For if I build the same things againe which I have destroied, I make myself a prevaricatour [Wyclif, Tindale trespassour, 1611 transgressour]. 1697C. Leslie Snake in Grass (ed. 2) 74 Which neither Fox, nor any of his Followers have done; and therefore are accus'd by them as Prevaricators from their own Principles. 1755Smollett Quix. ii. ii. xi, Thou prevaricator of all the squirely ordinances of chivalry!
†b. One who betrays a cause or violates a trust; a renegade; a traitor. Obs.
c1555Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (Camden) 177 The King..licensed Queen Katherine to choose counsellors where she would..whereof some played very honest parts and stood stiffly and fast to her cause, some played the prevaricators, and fled from her to the King's side. a1637B. Jonson Underwoods, Epist. to Master Colby, Where..loud Boasters, and perjur'd, with the infinite more Prevaricators swarm.
†2. One who diverts something from its proper use; a perverter. Obs.
1694D'Urfey Quix. i. iv. i. 40 A plague on thee, thou confounded Prevaricator of Language. 1907G. G. Coulton in Contemp. Rev. June 797 Knowing that such prevaricators of tithes were destined to find their part in hell with Cain.
3. One who acts or speaks so as to evade the strict truth; a quibbler, shuffler, equivocator.
1650Bulwer Anthropomet. 21 Who have forced Art (the usual imitator of Nature) to turn prævaricator in humanity. 1656Hobbes Six Lessons Wks. 1845 VII. 334 There was never seen worse reasoning than in that philosophical essay; which..proceeded from a prevaricator. 1741Warburton Div. Legat. II. ii. App. 46 What is to be done with this Prevaricator? 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1792) II. 29 The judge cried out, Clerk, hand me up the examination of this prevaricator. 1893Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch 6 Sept., The prevaricators, who ever they were, said dogs could not be obtained.
4. At Cambridge University: An orator who made a jocose or satirical speech at Commencement; called also varier. (In quot. 1885 applied to the corresponding terræ filius at Oxford.) Obs. exc. Hist.
(Cf. Cicero De Partit. Orat. c. 36, §126 Prævaricator significat eum qui in contrariis causis quasi varie esse positus videatur.)
1614J. Chamberlain in Crt. & Times Jas. I (1848) I. 304 The Bishop of Ely sent the moderator, the answerer, the varier or prevaricator, and one of the repliers, that were all of his house, twenty angels a-piece. 1636Laud in Peacock Stat. Cambridge (1841) App. A. p. xxv, St. Mary's Church [Cambridge] at every Great Commencement is made a theatre and the prævaricator's stage, wherein he acts and sets forth his profane and scurrilous jests. 1706Phillips, Prevaricator.., also a Master of Arts in the University of Cambridge, chosen..to make an ingenious Satyrical Speech reflecting on the Misdemeanours of the principal Members. 1851Coll. Life t. Jas. I 84 The Praevaricator's gibes were launched forth at all present. 1885Hazlitt in Antiquary Oct. 154/1 Randolph the poet appears to have been the prevaricator for 1632.
†5. Law. (See prevaricate v. 3.) Obs.
1638Chillingw. Relig. Prot. i. Pref. §21 Do we know the Jesuits no better than so? What, are they turned Prevaricators against their own Faction? Are they likely Men to betray and expose their own Agents and Instruments? 1696B. Kennett Romæ Antiq. ii. iii. xviii. 136 The Civilians define a Prevaricator to be one that betrays his Cause to the Adversary, and turns on the Criminal's side whom he ought to prosecute. 1793Murphy Tacitus (1805) III. 355 All persons concerned either in procuring or conducting for hire a collusive action, were to be treated as public prevaricators. |