释义 |
nagn.1 Origin: Of uncertain origin. Perhaps formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: neigh v. Etymology: Origin uncertain. Perhaps (as suggested by Middle Eng. Dict. s.v.) < neigh v., although this presents phonological difficulties. Compare early modern Dutch negge a small horse (1567 in Junius Nomenclator, where nagge is given as the English equivalent). the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > family Equidae (general equines) > equus caballus or horse > [noun] > defined by size > small > pony α. 1336–7 in C. M. Woolgar (1992) I. 182 Item in i ferro anteriore pro le nagg et i remocione pro morel ii d. (Harl. 221) 350 Nagge, or lytylle beest, bestula, equillus. ?c1475 (BL Add. 15562) f. 84 A Nagg [1483 BL Add. 89074 Nag], ippus. 1490 W. Caxton tr. (1885) v. 133 He wente to kynge Yons courte vpon a lytyll nagge. 1509 S. Hawes (1845) xxxii. 157 Thus Correction, with her whyp did dryve The litle nagge. 1535 c. 6 §1 Horses and nagges of small stature and value. 1548 f. 13 The..quhilk nag wes prisit..to iii li. 1598 R. Barret v. 143 A pretie light horse, such as be our Northerne nagges. 1617 F. Moryson i. 56 They have very little horses in these parts to draw the Waggons, like to the galloway nags of Scotland. 1652 R. Brome iv. i. sig. I4 I prethee, good Friend, let our Nags be set up. 1709 M. Prior Let. 4 Aug. in H. Bunbury (1838) 121 If at Rixham fair any pretty nagg..presented himself. a1764 R. Lloyd Familiar Epist. in (1774) II. 58 As a plain nag, in homely phrase, I'll..make a trot in easy rhime. 1810 36 232 The unequalled goodness of the English nag. 1841 C. Dickens i. 235 His nag gone lame in riding out here. 1879 R. Browning 130 Lend to a King's friend here your nag! 1910 J. Hart 367 We come mighty near forgettin' Strang's nag. 1998 D. K. Cameron ii. 19 There were wily old copers who had the knack of making even the most miserable nag..look like a champion—until the deal was done. β. 1455 in J. Raine (1855) II. 216 (MED) I gyffe..To John of Holme a lytill grecelled nage.1464 in (1841) 195 Reynold Morgan on a bay nage of myn.1471 J. Paston in (2004) I. 568 Þat Jakys nage haue met j-now.1532 in J. W. Clay (1902) VI. 34 Unto my moder a bay nage.1572 R. Sempill (single sheet) With our Naiggis to gane [= go] to Edigburgh.a1598 D. Fergusson (1641) sig. Bv An inch of a nage is worth the span of an aver.1648 in S. R. Gardiner (1880) 150 That litell nage that I was bringinge for the Prince.1686 in H. Paton (1932) 3rd Ser. XIII. 67 The two horsses..he bought..for three dollers and ane little nage.a1774 R. Fergusson (1785) 176 Whin-stanes, howkit frae the craigs, May thole the prancing feet o' naigs.1786 R. Burns 202 Dealing thro' amang the naigs Their ten-hours bite.1814 W. Scott II. vii. 117 The casualties whilk may befall the puir naig while in your honour's service. View more context for this quotation1887 J. Service 260 Saddling his naig he sallied oot to seek her.1892 (at cited word) Naigs their line that traces Back to dams wi' furious paces.1900 J. L. Robertson 224 Lang-windit naigs like me Maun rin baith hand an' helter free.γ. 1564–75 I. f. 12 Ane broun meir..ane broun neg.1648 Inventory Quarterings in f. 5 Robert Peddie with three grooms, 4 great horses and two negs.1742 R. North & M. North 140 They were a comical Sort of People, riding upon Negs, as they call their small Horses.1877 J. M. Neilson 40 Was it sic a thing's a neg?†2. slang. the world > life > the body > sex organs > male sex organs > [noun] > penis 1598 J. Marston In Lectores sig. B2 Hence lewd nags, away, Goe read each post,..Then to Priapus gardens. 1655 xxxvi. 284 He by his Eloquence Converted her Gleab into pasture, and put his Nagg to grasse in her Coppice. 1707 in H. Playford (new ed.) III. 56 What is this so stiff and warm... 'Tis Ball my Nag he will do you no harm. 1709 4 Poor Peter's Nag is caught in Hannah's Pound. society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > prostitution > [noun] > a prostitute 1608 T. Middleton iv. sig. E2v Sfoot he has a Nag can run for nothing, has his choice, nay and gets by the running of him. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) iii. x. 10 Yon ribaudred Nagge of Egypt..Hoists Sailes, and flyes. 1630 T. Dekker sig. G2v All our sex are but foot-cloth Nags: the Master no sooner lights, but the man leapes into the saddle. Compounds C1. 1619 in R. S. Ferguson & W. Nanson (1887) 277 Mr. Maior..shall call for..the horse and nage bells with all expedytion. 1710 No. 4701/4 Stoln or stray'd.., a brown Bay Nag-Colt. 1567 Edinb. Test. I. f. 19, in (at cited word) Thre naig horsis price of the pece aucht pundis. 1816 48 239 A fall of 50l. per cent. has taken place in nag and hack horses. a1864 J. Clare (1989) I. 71 When he came to where they lay at night No nag-horse Dobbin ne'er appear'd in sight. 1849 G. A. Wean 23 The Stalls for Nag-stables should be about 7 feet high at the mangers. C2. 1771 S. Neville 13 Sept. (1950) vi. 114 She found Mr. Hague's Chariot (one of the handsomest..with a pair of fine nag-tail bays..) waiting. 1791 W. Gilpin II. 256 The short dock everywhere disappeared... The nag-tail however still continued in use. 1894 A. B. Gomme I. 53 Bung the Bucket... Mr. Emslie, to whom I am indebted for the tune to this game, gives me the words as—Jump a little nag-tail, One, two, three. 1769 I. i. 8 With relays of your nag-tailed bays. 1881 ‘J. Larwood’ vii. 145 Lord Rodney..was the first gentleman who ran nag-tailed horses in his carriage. 1901 F. Wilkinson Introd. 3 The Duke of Cumberland's Light Dragoons were mounted on active nag-tailed horses from 14½ to 15 hands high. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022). nagn.2 Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: nag v. 1850 6 July 154/2 As for ‘nags’, we really cannot tell which is the most successful mode of reasoning with them... A very easy, good-natured temper is the most vexatious opponent that a ‘nag’ can meet with. 1885 E. Custer 124 To accept the position of ‘nag’ and ‘torment’ was far from desirable. 1924 Dec. 500/1 She plays Paula as a shrew, a nag, a sulker, and a general gloom. 1976 M. Machlin xlix. 507 As a matter of fact, he's not such a great screw, but at least he isn't a nag, the way you are. 1995 26 May 65/1 Forget Paris turns Debra Winger into a whiny, neo-'50s nag. the mind > emotion > suffering > displeasure > discontent or dissatisfaction > state of complaining > [noun] > action of complaining > petty or irritating the mind > emotion > anger > irritation > [noun] > action of irritating > cause of irritation > one who or that which irritates > irritating language 1866 ‘S. Gilpin’ 275 Theer was glee'an' Jenn' an' Jenny Reed, Aw' knag, an' clash, an' saunter. 1894 26 Nov. 2/1 Its correspondent..quotes in support a counter piece of nag in some German Standard. 1895 14 Mar. 5/2 There is not a trace of ‘nag’ in their rejoinders. 1971 J. Gardner ix. 261 They had covered all their separate problems, yet the nag in Douglas's mind left him edgy about the box office situation. 1984 J. Davis 9 ‘I'll go to bed now.’.. ‘Look both ways before crossing the street.’ ‘What's that supposed to mean?’ ‘Sorry, it was just a knee-jerk nag.’ 1995 Nov. 54 Troubled by that tongue tip tingle? Niggled by that..nibbling nag? This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022). nagv. Origin: Probably a borrowing from early Scandinavian. Etymology: Probably the reflex of a borrowing < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic nagga to rub, to grumble (Icelandic nagga to complain, grumble; also gnagga (18th cent.)), Faroese nagga to rub, Norwegian (Nynorsk) nagga to gnaw, irritate, grumble, Swedish regional nagga to gnaw, irritate, grumble, Old Danish nagge to gnaw, irritate (Danish †nagge ), probably an intensive formation < the same Scandinavian base as Old Icelandic gnaga (see gnaw v.); forms without initial g- apparently represent later reduced variants: compare Scandinavian forms s.v. gnaw v.). In Orkney and Shetland use probably < the unattested Norn reflex of the Scandinavian word represented by the forms listed above. Compare also Middle Dutch naggen to irritate, provoke (probably a parallel formation < the Germanic base of gnaw v.).For possible earlier borrowing of the word into Middle English see G. V. Smithers ‘Nahhi’: A Middle English Ideophonic Word in Notes & Queries (1964) 371–3. a1728 W. Kennett MS Coll. Provinc. Words in (1900) II. 655/2 at Gnag [Yorkshire] Knage [to gnaw, bite at something hard]. 1825 J. T. Brockett Nag, to gnaw at anything hard. 1854 A. E. Baker I. 279 The child likes to gnag at a crust. 1869 J. C. Atkinson 58/1 Nag, to natter or nibble as a mouse. 1876 C. C. Robinson (at cited word) Give t' dog a bone to nag. 1908 in J. Jakobsen (1928) (at cited word) De dog njag(gel)s de ben [= bone]. 1938 M. K. Rawlings 101 He'll stretely up and he'll claw. He'll turn his head sideways and he'll nag and gnaw. 1988 P. Toynbee 356 We keep on gnawing and nagging away at theology—but perhaps the whole gigantic operation has been nothing but a great children's game. 1995 J. M. Sims-Kimbrey 121/2 Doernt gnag them wirtsprings no more, yer'll onnly mek 'em wuss. 2. the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > criticism > criticize [verb (intransitive)] > captiously 1828 W. Carr (ed. 2) Knag, to wrangle, to quarrel, to raise peevish objections. 1859 B. Jerrold 216 The servant writes..to know whether Mrs. Squaw nags. 1880 C. H. Spurgeon 112 If they are always nagging and grumbling they will lose their hold of their children. 1939 N. Streatfeild 244 Why stop with her if she was always nagging about her soul? That's what gets me. After all it's a free country. 1958 L. Durrell viii. 172 As I examined him a phone started to nag somewhere. 1962 202 Rattling along on a rail-motor somewhere south-west of Bundaberg, recollection nagged busily and painfully. 2000 Nov. 169/2 Children are likely to switch off and turn deaf when their parents nag. 1845 Mrs. Johnstone I. 52/2 This endless yammerin', and yatterin', and nag-nagging, for little or nothing. 1860 W. M. Thackeray iii. 88 Is it pleasing to..have your wife nagnagging you because she has not been invited..? 1889 ‘M. Twain’ xii. 143 I wanted it all the time; it was nag, nag, nag, right along, and no rest; I couldn't get it out of my mind. 1974 O. Clark 27 Jan. (1988) 5 Very violent visit. Celia nag nag nag. 1988 12 Apr. 8/2 All you do is nag, nag, nag. the mind > emotion > anger > irritation > irritate [verb (transitive)] the mind > emotion > suffering > displeasure > discontent or dissatisfaction > state of complaining > complain about [verb (transitive)] > irritate with 1849 A. R. Smith xxii Not having anybody to abuse directly, they began to knag their brother. a1855 W. T. Spurdens (1858) III. 34 They tew mawthers are ollost nagging one another. 1861 W. H. Dixon x. §9 When she again goes home to Westwood Park she nags and frets Sir John. 1874 L. Carr I. iii. 75 In spite of his heroic stolidity and equanimity even when being nagged to desperation. 1921 28 Oct. 375/1 He nags his brain into a state of consuming doubt, but dares not arrive at any conclusion. 1961 S. Plath 27 Feb. (2000) 600 In the black earphones hung on my silver bedstead a tiny voice nags me to listen. 1996 Dec. 86/2 She's always nagging me about the way I treat her. 1855 R. F. Burton II. xxi. 283 The..housekeeper..being confined to ‘knagging at’ her slave. 1857 F. Palgrave II. 706 He was constantly..knagging at Richard's power and prosperity. 1866 A. Trollope II. vi. 165 It's no good my mother nagging at one. 1894 A. Birrell xviii. 208 Authors and critics cannot help nagging at one another. 1908 in J. Jakobsen (1928) (at cited word) Da bairn was njagin at me a' day. 1955 R. Church (1956) xiv. 185 My conscience still nagged at me. 1989 25 Mar. 72/3 Things are steadier now, but two worries nag at outsiders. the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > weariness or exhaustion > weary or exhaust [verb (transitive)] > in other ways 1870 F. P. Verney xxvii. 292 To have a tongue to nagg folk's lives out. 1963 4 Mar. 5/1 Barrington was a little out of sorts with himself, and after Yuile..had tied him down by curling the ball into the wind, Reid nagged him out. the world > health and disease > ill health > pain > types of pain > suffer or cause type of pain [verb (intransitive)] > ache 1836 [implied in: M. M. Sherwood iii. iv A person enduring a nagging tooth-ache. (at nagging adj. 1)]. 1879 G. F. Jackson (at cited word) The tuth-ache..kep' nag, nag, naggin'..till about four o'clock. 1886 R. Holland (at cited word) ‘How's your face, now?’ ‘Well, it nags a bit.’ 1953 R. Lehmann ii. 89 When the pain nagged he thought about the relation between worry and his acid juices, and did his level best to stop worrying. 1960 20 June 4/2 Laver, a fighter still nagged by his shoulder. 1989 N. Cave Prol. vi. 21 Nagged by toothache, hill-pox and the mad itch of scabies..they would howl in duet like dying dogs. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < |