| 释义 |
▪ I. dastard, n. and a.|ˈdɑːstəd, -æ-|
Also 6 daster.
[Known only from the 15th c. Notwithstanding its French aspect (cf. bastard) it appears to be of Eng. formation. The Promptorium identifies it in sense with dasiberde; cf. also dasart, of kindred derivation and meaning; these make it probable that the element dast is = dased dull, stupid, inert, f. dase, daze; cf. other native formations with the suffix -ard, as dasart, drunkard, dullard, laggard, sluggard.]
A. n.
†1. One inert or dull of wit, a dullard; a sot. Obs.
c1440Promp. Parv. 111 Daffe, or dastard, or he þat spekythe not yn tyme, oridurus. Ibid. 114 Dastard, or dullarde, duribuctius (P. vel duribuccus). c1440York Myst. xxxii. 88 What dastardis! wene ye be wiser þan we? 1509Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 192 These dronken dastardes..drinke till they be blinde. 1530Palsgr. 212/1 Dastarde, estovrdy, butarin. 1552Huloet, Dastard, excors..socors, vecors.
2. One who meanly or basely shrinks from danger; a mean, base, or despicable coward; in modern use, esp. one who does malicious acts in a cowardly, skulking way, so as not to expose himself to risk.
[1470–85Malory Arthur ix. iv, As a foole and a dastard to alle knyghthode.] 1526Skelton Magnyf. 2220 Thou false harted dastarde, thou dare not abyde. c1537Thersites in Hazl. Dodsley I. 395, I shall make the dasters to renne into a bag, To hide them fro me. 1593Shakes. Rich. II, i. i. 190 Before this out-dar'd dastard. a1661Fuller Worthies (1840) III. 41 He was, though a dwarf, no dastard. 1715Pope Iliad ii. 427 And die the dastard first, who dreads to die. 1770Langhorne Plutarch (1879) II. 602/2 The greatest dastard and the meanest wretch in the world. 1808Scott Marm., Lochinvar, A laggard in love and a dastard in war. 1870Bryant Iliad I. ii. 52 What chief or soldier bears a valiant heart, And who are dastards.
B. adj. Characterized by mean shrinking from danger; showing base cowardice; dastardly.
c1489Caxton Blanchardyn liv. 219 Casting away his dastard feare. 1592Nobody & Someb. (1878) 292 The dastardst coward in the world. 16022nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass. iii. v. (Arb.) 48 To waile thy haps, argues a dastard minde. 1725Pope Odyss. iv. 447 A soft, inglorious, dastard train. 1866Neale Sequences & Hymns 125 We fling the dastard question from us!
C. Comb., as dastard-like adj. or adv.
1835Lytton Rienzi i. iii, The clients of the Colonna, now pressing, dastard-like, round the disarmed and disabled smith.
▪ II. † ˈdastard, v. Obs.
[f. prec.: cf. coward v.]
trans. To make a dastard of; to cow, terrify.
1593Nashe Christ's T. (1613) 73 My womanish stomacke hath serued me to that, which your man-like stomackes are dastarded with. 1620Shelton Quix. III. xxvi. 186 The Scholar was frighted, the Page clean dastarded. 1665Dryden Ind. Empr. ii. i, I'm weary of this Flesh, which holds us here, And dastards manly Souls with Hope and Fear. |