| 释义 |
▪ I. spoor, n.1|spʊə(r)|
Also 9 spore.
[a. Du. spoor (in South African use), repr. MDu. spoor, spor, = OE., MLG., OHG. and MHG., ON. spor (ME. -spore, -spurre, WFlem. speur, WFris. spoar, G. dial. spor, Da., Norw., Icel. spor, Sw. spår), related to MHG. spür(e, spur, G. spur. The stem is also represented in OE. spyrian speer v.1]
1. The trace, track, or trail of a person or animal, esp. of wild animals pursued as game.
α1823in Pringle Eng. Settlers Albany, S. Afr. (1824) 84 Soon afterwards the spoor (foot-prints) of three Caffers was discovered, and of course we then knew where they went. 1849E. E. Napier Excurs. S. Afr. I. 197 Following the ‘spoor’, or tracking the footmarks of man, or beast, is considered quite a science amongst the border Colonists. 1850R. G. Cumming Hunter's Life S. Afr. xii, At one stream the fresh spoor of a troop of lions was deeply imprinted in the wet sand. 1863Baring-Gould Iceland 103, I rode on ahead, following the spoor of other horses. 1880R. S. Watson Visit to Wazan vii. 120 We several times passed the recent spoor of wild boars.
β1852Thoreau Lett. (1865) 66 The vast valley-like ‘spore’..of some celestial beast.
b. transf. and fig.
1865[W. F. Campbell] Short Amer. Tramp 5 Icebergs were seen, and a spoor was followed to St. Louis, on the Mississippi. Ibid. 84 Surely the spoor of the Arctic Current was under foot. 1870Huxley Lay Serm. ix. (1874) 179 It is the spoor of the game we are tracking. 1873J. Geikie Gt. Ice Age vi. 78 When we..follow the spoor of those [glaciers] that crept down from the Southern Uplands.
c. collect. (without article).
1850R. G. Cumming Hunter's Life S. Afr. xxi, I walked to the fountain to seek for elephants' spoor. 1873Routledge's Yng. Gentl. Mag. May 351, I left my skärm and looked for spoor. 1879R. J. Atcherley Trip Boërland 153 They had discovered a water-hole, surrounded with numerous spoor.
2. The track of a vehicle.
Cf. ME. cart-spore, -spurre, and whele-spore.
1850R. G. Cumming Hunter's Life S. Afr. xiii, Eventually..we discovered the spoor of the waggons. 1861C. J. Andersson Okavango iv. 46 During the first day's march..we followed the spoor of our waggon.
▪ II. spoor, n.2 ? dial.
(See quot.)
1837in Archaeol. (1838) XXVII. 299 In this drift the shield was found, being forced to the surface by the spoor (the implement used in ballasting).
▪ III. spoor, v.|spʊə(r)|
[f. spoor n.1 or ad. Du. sporen.]
1. trans. To trace (an animal) by the spoor.
1850R. G. Cumming Hunter's Life S. Afr. xxi, He could not see those [elephants] we were spooring. 1863W. C. Baldwin Afr. Hunting 122 We spoored them beautifully into a dense thicket. 1899F. V. Kirby Sport E.C. Afr. xvi. 173 An hour later we spoored our rhino into a thick bamboo jungle.
2. intr. To follow a spoor or trail.
1865[W. F. Campbell] Short Amer. Tramp i. 5 While thus spooring for some thousands of miles, other things were noticed. 1896Baden-Powell Matabele Campaign iv, One nigger-boy, who can ride and spoor and can take charge of the horses.
Hence ˈspooring vbl. n.
1850R. G. Cumming Hunter's Life S. Afr. xv, I had great faith in the spooring powers of the Bamangwato men. 1863W. C. Baldwin Afr. Hunting 392 Though we..had the benefit of January's spooring, we could never find him. 1895Longm. Mag. July 265 Preparing a fresh supply of snuff against his coming spooring operations.
▪ IV. spoor(e
obs. forms of spur n. |