| 释义 |
cruelty|ˈkruːɪltɪ|
Forms: 3–6 cruelte, (4 cruelete, creweltie), 4–6 crualte, (5 crueltee, 6 cruaulte), 5–7 crueltie, 6– cruelty.
[a. OF. crualté (later cruauté), according to Hatzfeld:—pop. L. type *crūdālitāt-em, for crūdēlitāt-em (see crudelity), whence the other Romanic forms Pr. cruzeltat, Sp. crueldad, It. crudeltà, -ità.]
1. a. The quality of being cruel; disposition to inflict suffering; delight in or indifference to the pain or misery of others; mercilessness, hard-heartedness: esp. as exhibited in action. Also, with pl., an instance of this, a cruel deed.
a1225Ancr. R. 268 Þus he liteð cruelte mid heowe of rihtwisnesse. c1330R. Burnne Chron. (1810) 78 Of his crueltes he gynnes for to assuage. c1449Pecock Repr. iii. viii. 324 Deedis of cruelte and of vnpitee. 1531Elyot Gov. ii. vii, The vice called crueltie, whiche is contrary to mercye. 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, v. iii. 76 'Tis a cruelty, To load a falling man. 1655–60Stanley Hist. Philos. (1701) 40/1 All, whom the Cruelty of War suffer'd to escape. 1773Observ. State Poor 43 The cruelty of a Nero, or a Domitian. 1865Kingsley Herew. iii. (1866) 77 Boasting of his fights and cruelties. 1871R. W. Dale Commandm. iii. 83 It would be brutal cruelty to make a jest of the weakness and sufferings of the patients in an hospital.
b. attrib., as cruelty-lust; cruelty man (also with capital initials) colloq., an N.S.P.C.C. or R.S.P.C.A. officer.
1925D. H. Lawrence Refl. Death Porcup. 59 His cruelty-lust is directed almost as much against himself as against his victim. 1954D. V. Donnison Neglected Child iv. 82 Workers..had been shut out of houses by people who suspected they had ‘put the cruelty man on to them’. 1958Sunday Express 27 Apr. 6/6 The Cruelty Man has been asking questions about Janie. 1970P. Dickinson Seals iii. 68 Mr. Fasting..had larruped Jamie... Mother had wanted to send for the Cruelty Man.
†2. Severity of pain; excessive suffering. Obs.
14..Circunsision in Tundale's Vis. (1843) 87 With full grete cruelte For us he suffurd circunsysyon Upon the cros. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 168 A tedious sicknesse..continued with such cruelty, that never any man was brought lower.
†3. Severity, strictness, rigour. Obs.
1556Aurelio & Isab. (1608) K v, It sholde be beter to faille a litell in the justice, than to be superflue in crualte. 1636Blount Voy. Levant (1637) 13 The want of crueltie upon delinquents causes much more oppression of the Innocent.
†4. Strength or harshness (of smell); ill savour.
c1420Pallad. on Husb. xii. 81 Of crueltee noo thing wol in hem [Garlic, etc] smelle.
Add:5. cruelty-free a., involving minimal cruelty to animals; spec. (of consumer goods) produced without involving any cruelty to animals in the development or manufacturing process.
1986Campaigner Jan. 7/1 An animal rights march with a difference took place in November. Each participant was asked to bring along a *cruelty-free product. 1988Vegetarian Mar./Apr. 42/3 Mary Bonner showed over 50 people how enjoyable a cruelty-free Christmas can be with her celebration roast, mushroom stuffing and red wine sauce, vegan Christmas Cake and mince pies. 1990Green Mag. Apr. 72/3 A relatively harmless alternative to the plastic biro might be a quill pen—though it could hardly be described as cruelty-free. 1992Looks July 33/2 The natural girl is a barefaced beauty and she's determined to stick to her principles—it's only the cruelty-free beauty products for her. |