释义 |
skilful, a. and adv.|ˈskɪlfʊl| Forms: 4 sceluol, skileful; 4–6 skylful, 5–6 -full(e, 6 skyllfull; 4–5 skilfulle, 4–7 -full, 4– skilful (6, 9– (chiefly U.S.) skillful, 9 Sc. skeelfu'). [f. skill n. + -ful.] †1. a. Endowed with reason; rational; also, following reason, doing right. Obs.
a1300Cursor M. 21334 Mai na skilful man þis wern. 13..St. Erkenwolde 278 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 272 For as he says in his sothe psalmyde writtes: Þe skilfulle & þe vnskathely skeltone ay to me. c1380Lay Folks Catech. 19 (Lamb. MS.), He made skylful creaturis as angelys and man. c1440York Myst. iii. 22 A skylfull beeste þan will y make, Aftir my shappe and my liknesse. †b. Intellectual, mental. Obs.—1
1387–8T. Usk Test. Love iii. vii. (Skeat) I. 43 Dul ben thy skilful understandinges; thy wil hath thy wit so amaistred. †2. a. Reasonable, just, proper. Obs.
1340Ayenb. 169 Mochel is riȝtuol þing and sceluol þet ich yeue mi lif..uor him þet his lif..yaf uor ous. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 215 He was nevere so wroþ wiþ man þat he ne wolde forȝeve ȝif he seigh skilful occasioun. c1400Hylton Scala Perf. i. lxx. (W. de W. 1494), Neuertheles it was worthy and skylfull that our lorde sholde shew as he is. c1460Ashby Dicta Philos. 831 It is nat leful..to be serued, but serue skylful Thinges. †b. Of stature or distance. Obs.
1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 315 Kyng William was of skilful stature, to greet and fat of body. c1410Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xxv, Þei ought tary till þei are were þat he be entered two skylfull boweshotes. a1513Fabyan Chron. vii. ccxxii. (1811) 247 A man of skylfull stature, but somedele fat in y⊇ bely. †3. Sufficient, ample. Obs.
a1350St. Nicholas 190 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 13 In þat ȝere þai had none nede, Bot skilfull both to mete and sede. 4. a. Having practical ability; possessing skill; expert, dexterous, clever. Also const. to.
1338R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 311 At conseil & at nede he was a skilfulle kyng. c1375Cursor M. 27156 (Fairf.), Prest agh be..skilful to knaw þe pliȝt, quilc is heui & quilk is liȝt. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 82 b, A Captaine of the Sea, moste skylfull. 1587Golding De Mornay v. (1592) 49 Of men themselues, the skilfullest make Lawes, & take vpon them to rule others. 1606Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. i. 7 The Greeks are strong, & skilful to their strength. 1660W. Secker Nonsuch Prof. Pref. 15 Where there are any faults men are more skilful to find them, then careful to mend them. 1750tr. Leonardus' Mirr. Stones 44 Many other deceptions may be effected..which are all known to the skilful. 1796Morse Amer. Geogr. I. 21 Having always his descriptions from the most skilful persons in every country. 1813Shelley Q. Mab vii. 25 Human pride Is skilful to invent most serious names To hide its ignorance. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 85 One who had been trained and exercised under a skilful master. 1891J. W. Stevens Leather Manuf. vii. 75 There are several machines for this work each of which will perform satisfactory work when managed by skillful hands. absol.1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. i. i. iii, In these delicate circumstances..the skilfullest may falter. b. Const. in a matter.
1555Eden Decades (Arb.) 72 If he had byn skilfull in Astronomye. 1594Hooker Eccl. Pol. Pref. ii. §8 The perfectest divines were judged they, which were skilfullest in Calvin's writings. 1662Stillingfl. Orig. Sacræ i. vi. §1 Among the ægyptians who are supposed most skilfull in the account of the year. 1879Cassell's Techn. Educ. I. 174/2 The Chinese are very skilful in this kind of work. †c. Having a good knowledge of a subject. Obs.
1596Spenser F.Q. vi. v. 16 [He] vpon him set, of perill nought adrad, Ne skilfull of the vncouth ieopardy. 1609Bible (Douay) Daniel comm., Daniel skilful of times, a studious historiographer. 1631Weever Anc. Funeral Mon. 251 Very skilfull of the Greeke and Latine tongues. 5. Displaying or requiring skill.
c1586C'tess Pembroke Ps. xlvii. iii, With skilfull tunes his praises sing. 1598Sylvester Du Bartas ii. i. 1. Eden 322 For..he made only sweet Essayes in that, Of skilfull industry. 1757W. Wilkie Epigoniad Pref. p. xvi, He should magnify them likewise by a skilful management of outward circumstances. 1794Burns ‘My Chloris! mark’ 9 Let minstrels sweep the skilfu' string In lordly lighted ha'. 1805Med. Jrnl. XIV. 416 The skilful manner in which they treated their patient. 1856Kane Arct. Expl. I. xxiii. 309 It was made of the bone of a whale, and worked out with skilful labor. 1895Gentl. Mag. July 581/2 Irony..is one of those edged tools which require skilful handling. 1952G. Sarton Hist. Sci. I. ix. 225 The power of Athens was based..also..upon the skillful use of all the resources that such places as Delos and Delphi offered. 1969R. B. Fuller Operating Man. Spaceship Earth i. 19 The myriad of physical, muscle, and craft-skill specializations which their intellect and their skillful swordplay commanded. 1972P. H. Kocher Master of Middle-Earth ii. 25 Their skillful blending as achieved by Tolkien requires some sophistication of understanding. †6. As adv. = skilfully. Obs.
a1400–50Alexander 645 Þus skilfull lange he scolaid & þe scole vsed. a1425Cursor M. 3742 (Trin.), Skilful is iacob his nome, Þat is to say in riȝt langage Putter out of heritage. |