| 释义 |
speciality|spɛʃɪˈælɪtɪ|
Also 5 -itee, 5–6 -ite, 7 -allitye.
[ad. OF. especialité especiality (later specialité, mod.F. spécialité) or late and med.L. speciālitās, f. speciālis special a. Cf. It. spec-, spezialità, Sp. especialidad, Pg. -idade.]
1. A special, particular, or individual point, matter, or item; freq. pl., particulars, details.
1432–50tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 27 Till hit be commen to Breteyne the last prouince, as vn to a specialite moste specialle for whom [t]his present storye was made. 1513in Halliwell Lett. Kings Eng. (1846) I. 216 After rehearsal..of many..injuries, griefs, and damages.., the specialities whereof were superfluous to rehearse. 1560Inchaffray Charters (S.H.S.) 167 Providing that the specialite heirin expremit mak nocht dirogatioun to the generalite. 1581Sidney Apol. Poet. (Arb.) 31 The generalities that contayneth it, and the specialities that are deriued from it. a1600Edmonds Observ. Cæsar's Comm. 47 This last Commentarie containeth the specialities of the warre which Cæsar made against all the States of Gallia. 1624in Cosin's Corr. (Surtees) I. 37 These speciallityes I desire, if the thing be printed, may be left out. 1719Waterland Vind. Christ's Div. xxi. 323 The περιχωρησις and interior Generation, are two specialities taught by the Catholicks. 1865Mill Comte 159 A practical position..chains the mind to specialities and details. 1867Ruskin Time & Tide (1872) 5 Yonder sad letter warped me away from the broad inquiry, to this speciality, respecting the present distress of the middle classes.
2. a. The quality of being special, limited, or restricted in some respect (occasionally implying particularity of application or treatment. † in speciality, in detail. † but speciality, without partiality or favour.
1456Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 1 The ferde [part shall be] of bataillis in specialitee. Ibid. 99 Here he spekis of armes and baneris in specialitee. 1493Sc. Acts, Jas. IV (1814) II. 233/1 A..Juge quhilk sall minister justice to all parteis but specialitie. 1576Fleming tr. Caius' Dogs (1880) 5 Of a singuler specialitie they deserued to bee called..bloudhounds. 1617Ussher Lett. (1686) 48 Neither doth the speciality of the one any ways abridge the generality of the other. 1619W. Sclater Exp. 2 Thess. (1629) 304 Distinguish ye twixt speciality of loue, and partiality. 1657S. Sergeant Schism Dispatch't 137 This Particularity then, and speciality of schismatical guilt,..makes a man in a..more special manner faulty. 1829I. Taylor Enthus. iv. (1867) 99 With a completeness and speciality of coincidence. 1847Grote Greece ii. xi. III. 181 Some of them are mere general and vague directions, while others again run into the extreme of speciality. 1872J. G. Murphy Comm. Lev. vi. 12–16 In the general ordinances..it would have been out of place because of its speciality.
†b. Technical usage. Obs.—1
1657Heylin Ecclesia Vind. 105 The word so used..became in fine a word of Art or speciality, amongst the writers of the new [Testament].
c. in speciality, especially, particularly.
1867Ruskin Time & Tide v. §23 There were, in speciality, two thoroughly good pantomime actors.
d. Biol. Special development or adaptation to surroundings.
1880A. R. Wallace Island Life 100 The comparative poverty and speciality of their animals. Ibid. 323 Cause of Great Speciality in Fishes.
3. a. A special or distinctive quality, property, characteristic, or feature; a peculiarity.
1625Purchas Pilgrims ii. 1380 margin, The specialities of Horeb. 1794J. Hutton Philos. Light 182 But, there must be specialities in the case,..and, these specialities may form a proper subject for investigation. 1844Dickens Mart. Chuz. lii, Think of this, Sir,..apart from the specialities..of prejudice. 1868Visct. Strangford Selections (1869) II. 259 The Doctor's Khivan Mollah..will be but an uncertain guide to the specialities of Yarkandi Turkish. 1881Nature No. 627. 4 There is a wonderful similarity between all the chief tribes.., though there are many specialities in habits.
b. With the: The distinctive quality, etc., of a particular thing or class.
1829Jas. Mill Hum. Mind (1869) II. 40 The special nature of that group or series..constitutes the speciality of the relation predicated. 1855Bain Senses & Int. ii. ii. §8 The speciality of the pleasures of light is their endurableness. 1882F. P. Cobbe Peak in Darien 32 It is the speciality of all vice to be selfishly indifferent to the injurious consequences of our actions.
4. Law.
a. = specialty 7.
1681Brasenose Coll. Doc. M2 56, Leases, Chattells and Specialities wherein I have any estate. 1704J. Harris Lex. Techn. I, Speciality, in Law, is most commonly taken for a Bond, or Bill, or such like Instrument. 1756Garrick Cath. & Petrucio i. i, Let specialities be therefore drawn between us, That cov'nants may be kept on either hand.
b. A special warrant; also, the officer charged with executing this.
1815Ann. Reg., Chron. 9 James O'Sullivan,..with a speciality from the sheriff, proceeded to his estate... Mr. H., having fired in through a window at the speciality and those on the inside, they quickly returned the fire.
5. a. A special aptitude, skill, occupation, or line of business.
1867Ruskin Time & Tide i. §3 Every nation is fitted..for some particular employments or manufactures; and..it is the true interest of every other nation to encourage it in such speciality. 1879M. E. Braddon Clov. Foot III. xiv. 263 It was made by a man who had a speciality for these things. 1886C. E. Pascoe Lond. of To-day xxxix. (ed. 3) 331 This gentleman's speciality [as a bookseller] lies in the department of theology. 1892Photogr. Ann. II. 705 Who make a speciality of publishing maps prepared for cyclists.
b. A special subject of study or research; that branch of scholarly, scientific, or professional work in which one is a specialist.
1858Kingsley Misc. (1859) I. 140 Even men of boundless knowledge..must have had once their speciality, their pet subject. 1867Mgr. Patterson in Manning Ess. Relig. & Lit. Ser. ii. 491 Let us..suppose the writer in question to have a speciality; let us suppose him to be a Catholic theological writer. 1880J. W. Sherer Conjuror's Dau. 111 Mr. Cowley..was acquainted with most of the sciences, but his speciality was Entomology.
c. A thing or article specially characteristic of, produced or manufactured by, a particular place, business firm, etc. (Cf. specialty 8 and spécialité.)
1863Dickens Lett. (1880) II. 191 The romantic drama..is the speciality of your theatre. 1863Sir W. Holmes Rep. in Veness El Dorado (1866) App. 158 Indeed, rum seems a sort of ‘speciality’ of that island [Jamaica]. 1892Photogr. Ann. II. 529 The Optical Lantern trade is somewhat different to photography as regards specialities. In the main, most dealers content themselves with selling goods that are not specially their own. 1977T. Heald Just Desserts i. 16 Bognor chose..a speciality of the house called Pollo Sophia Loren. 1980F. King Indirect Method 161 You must try these profiteroles. Speciality of the maison. 1982J. Midgley Stone Killer iii. 23 They dined on the restaurant speciality, Sicilian-style macaroni.
6. a. A thing or article of a special kind, as distinguished from what is usual or common.
1867Latham Black & White 84 One is for the routine cooking, which is always the same; the other is for the preparation of the specialities of each day's diet. 1880Plain Hints Needlework 13 Where special materials are insisted on, specimens of these specialities should be at hand for reference.
b. attrib.
1930E. Ferber Cimarron xxiii. 373 Fascinating little speciality shops..just like those..on Madison Avenue. 1938[see back n.1 25 a]. 1959Times 9 Mar. (Britain's Food Suppl.) p. xiv/4 Dishes produced in the speciality restaurant often surpass..those of establishments that attempt to run the full range. 1967Times Rev. Industry Feb. 31/1 The newly-created group was thus firmly based in three different markets—household and pharmaceutical products and speciality foods. 1979N. Freeling Widow iii. 10 A gigantic supermarket, with a covered gallery of speciality shops all around.
7. Theatr. Used attrib. to designate a performer or performance, esp. in variety entertainments, of an unusual or specialized character.
1933P. Godfrey Back-Stage xv. 187 The next important subdivision of the chorus consists of the speciality dancing troupe. Ibid., A few speciality solo steps. 1952W. Granville Dict. Theatrical Terms 166 Speciality artiste, a vaudeville artiste who specializes in impersonations, juggling, etc. 1962A. Nisbett Technique Sound Studio iii. 69 It is also possible to balance most dance bands and speciality groups on a single microphone provided that sufficient trouble is taken. 1967Stage 2 Mar. 21/4 (Advt.), Wanted for long summer season speciality act, strong male vocal..and two girl dancers. 1970W. J. Burley To kill Cat iii. 58 We had a cabaret artiste of that name... She was a speciality dancer and her art possessed great artistic merit. |