| 释义 |
cormorant|ˈkɔːmərənt|
Forms: 4–6 cormaraunt(e, cormera(u)nt(e, cormoraunt, 5 cormerawnt(e, (kormorount, cormirande), 6 carmorant(e, -aunt(e, -an, cormrant, 6–7 cormorand(e, 6– cormorant.
[ad. F. cormoran, in 15th c. cormaran, cosmaran (Littré), 16th c. cormarain, -merant; still with fishermen cormaran, -marin; app. altered from an OF. *corp-marin:—L. corvus marīnus sea-raven (occurring in the Reichenau Glosses of 8th c.); whence also Pr. corpmari, Cat. corbmari, Pg. corvomarinho. The ending is identified by Hatzfeld and Thomas with that in faucon moran, which they think to be a deriv. of Breton mor sea, and so = marin. In the earliest known Eng. examples, the Fr. -an is already corrupted to -ant, as in peasant, pheasant, tyrant, etc.: see -ant3.]
1. A large and voracious sea-bird (Phalacrocorax carbo), about 3 feet in length, and of a lustrous black colour, widely diffused over the northern hemisphere and both sides of the Atlantic. Also the name of the genus, including about 25 species, some of which are found in all maritime parts of the world.
c1320Orpheo 296 in Ritson Met. Rom. II. 260 Of game they fonde grete haunt, Fesaunt, heron, and cormerant. c1381Chaucer Parl. Foules 362 The hote cormeraunt of glotonye. 1382Wyclif Lev. xi. 18 A swan, a cormaraunt [1388 cormoraunt]. c1440Promp. Parv. 93 Cormerawnte, corvus marinus. 1530Palsgr. 155 Cormerant, a cormeraunt. c1532G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. ibid. 911 The cormorande, le cormorain. 1610Histrio-m. iii. 100 The Callis Cormorants from Dover roade Are not so chargeable as you to feed. 1658Marvell Unfort. Lover Poems (1870) 243 A numerous fleet of corm'rants black. 1744Thomson Winter 144 The cormorant on high Wheels from the deep. 1845Darwin Voy. Nat. ix. (1852) 199 One day I observed a cormorant playing with a fish which it had caught.
2. fig. An insatiably greedy or rapacious person. Also with qualification, as money-cormorant.
1531Elyot Gov. iii. xxii, To whiche carmorantes, neither lande, water, ne ayre mought be sufficient. 1592Greene Upst. Courtier in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) II. 218 They were cormorantes or usurers, that gathered it to fill their cofers with. 1660Willsford Scales Comm. i. ii. 99 There would be many money-cormorants, and their profit great. 1687Congreve Old Bach. i. ii, Why, what a cormorant in love am I. 1725Pope Odyss. i. 207 His treasur'd stores these Cormorants consume. 1809Wellington in Gurw. Desp. V. 155 We must look a little after these cormorants of Romana.
b. Said of qualities, things, etc.
1593Shakes. Rich. II, ii. i. 38 Light vanity, insatiate cormorant, Consuming meanes soone preyes vpon it selfe. 1712Arbuthnot John Bull (1755) 7 Law is a bottomless pit; it is a cormorant, a harpy, that devours everything. 1784Unfort. Sensibility I. 51, I..suppose the cormorant time may have devoured them.
3. attrib.
1568T. Howell Newe Sonets (1879) 124 Cressus he that cormrant King. 1583Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 77 No stigian vengaunce lyke too theese carmoran haggards. 1607Shakes. Cor. i. i. 125 The Cormorant belly. 1726Amherst Terræ Fil. iv. 17 A cormorant head of a college. 1785A. M. Bennett Juv. Indiscr. (1786) V. 216 A peevish discontented sister and her cormorant companion.
¶ Under the influence of etymological fancies, the word was sometimes altered to corvorant [L. vorānt-em devouring]; see also cornvorant.
1577Holinshed Chron. II. 701 That corvorant generation of Romanists. 1766Pennant Zool. (1768) II. 476 Genus xxv. Corvorant. Note, The learned Dr. Kay, or Caius, derives the word Corvorant from Corvus vorans, from whence corruptly our word Cormorant. 1802G. Montagu Ornith. Dict. (1833) 103 Corvorant, a name for the Cormorant. |