| 释义 |
▪ I. cower, v.|kaʊə(r)|
Forms: 4 koure, 4–7 coure, 5–7 cowre, 7 (8–9 Sc.) cour, 8 cowr, 8– cower.
[perh. of Norse derivation: cf. Icel. kúra to sleep, doze, Sw. kura, Da. kure, to squat; also mod.G. kauern to cower, of which the antecedents are unknown.]
1. intr. To stand or squat in a bent position; to bend with the knees and back; to crouch, esp. for shelter, from danger, or in timidity.
c1300K. Alis. 2053 Treowe love in heorte durith, Ac nede coward byhynde kourith. 1340–70Alisaunder 557 To hur God Seraphin þe gomes gon all Koure doune on hur knees. c1350Will. Palerne 47 He koured lowe To bi-hold in at þe hole. Ibid. 3336 Ȝe..couwardli as caitifs couren here in meuwe. 1470–85Malory Arthur xx. i, Wynter..causeth a lusty man and woman to coure and sytte fast by the fyre. 1575J. Still Gamm. Gurton i. ii, They coure so over the coles, theyr eyes be blear'd with smooke. 1626Bacon Sylva §155 If the Pail be put over the Mans head above Water and then he cowre down, and the Pail be pressed down with him. 1681Dryden Abs. & Achit. 515 Cow'ring and Quaking at a Conqu'ror's Sword. 1735Somerville Chase ii. 291 With humble Adulation cow'ring low. 1810Scott Lady of L. i. iii, Close in her covert cowered the doe. 1848Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 550 She remained with her child, cowering for shelter from the storm under the tower of Lambeth Church. 1864Bowen Logic xii. 390 The dog cowers at the sight of the whip.
b. Hawking. (See quot.)
1727–51Chambers Cycl, Cowring, in falconry, the quivering of young hawks, who shake their wings, in sign of obedience to the old ones.
c. pa. pple. = Cowering. (Cf. huddled.) rare.
1855Mrs. Gaskell North & S. xxii, I left them cowered up in a small room.
2. trans. To lower, bend down. rare.
1790Burns Tam o' Shanter 179 But here my muse her wing maun cour; Sic flights are far beyond her pow'r. 1819Byron Juan iii. xxxii, The patriarch of the flock all gently cowers His sober head. 1839Bailey Festus xxvii. (1848) 316 I have..Cowered my powers, and becalmed my course.
Hence ˈcowering vbl. n.
1865Tylor Early Hist. Man. iii. 47 Cowering or crouching is so natural an expression of fear.
▪ II. cower, cowerd
obs. ff. cover, coward. |