单词 | birdman |
释义 | birdmann.α. 1600s– birdman. β. 1700s– birdsman. 1. a. A fantastical creature that is part human and part bird.rare before mid 20th cent. ΘΚΠ the world > the supernatural > supernatural being > hybrid creature or monster > [noun] > human hybrid > types of sirenc1366 manticorea1398 mariche1613 birdman1666 bull-man1816 garuda1882 were-jaguar1967 1666 Duchess of Newcastle Descr. New World 6 After the Bear- and Fox-men had declared their intention and design to their neighbours, the Geese- or Bird-men, some of them joined to the rest. 1942 Astounding Sci.-Fiction May 46/2 The next second they had the birdman... The winged man landed in their midst, and they pounced. 1984 S. Heaney Station Island (2012) 123 Sweeney, the seventh-century Ulster king who was transformed into a bird-man and exiled to the trees. 2019 @derzweitracht 21 Nov. in twitter.com (accessed 5 May 2021) The men surrounding her also called in reinforcements—..beasts with eagle-like head and wings, but with human bodies. The horde of birdmen dashed towards the two, charging for an attack. b. Any of various totemic or religious figures depicted as or imagined to be part human and part bird; spec. a chief determined annually through a contest held by the inhabitants of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Now historical.The Rapa Nui religious system ended with the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 1860s, but was recorded by western anthropologists in the early 20th cent. from interviews with elderly indigenous people. ΚΠ 1899 Amer. Anthropologist 1 529 The Bird-man..danced before the altar, at the same time imitating the movements of wings with his arms and bird-calls with a whistle in his mouth. 1917 Folk-lore 28 350 Originally there was only one bird-man each year [on Easter Island]. 1984 J. Cowley in L. Wevers N.Z. Short Stories 4th Ser. 20 He is now quite magnificent, like a figure from an Indian myth, tall, regal, a pre-Incan birdman. 2005 G. Reichel-Dolmatoff Goldwork & Shamanism (new ed.) 49 (caption) Pectoral with the form of emplumed Bird-Man. 2010 N. MacGregor Hist. World in 100 Objects lxx. 452 The Birdman cult, as it has been called, focused on an annual competition to collect the first egg of the migrating sooty tern from a neighbouring islet. 2. a. A man who hunts or catches wild birds. In later use also: a man who keeps and breeds birds as a hobby or business. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > zoology > study of specific types of animal > [noun] > birds > one who ornithologer1661 ornithologist1677 birdman1686 birdman1955 1686 R. Blome Gentlemans Recreation ii. iv. xx. 146/2 The Day-Net..being a Net commonly used by all Bird-Men. 1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) II. 17 The birdmen or climbers..bringing away the birds and their eggs. 1844 C. Waterton Ess. Nat. Hist. 2nd Ser. p. lxviii These birdmen outwardly had the appearance of Italian banditti, but it was all outside and nothing more. 1989 Sunday Mail (Nexis) 12 Feb. Here the birdmen come to admire other songbirds and proudly show off their own. 2016 EFE Newswire (Nexis) 25 Feb. Huo is one of the last ‘birdmen’ of Beijing, who day after day train their ‘wutong’ birds, a native species of northern China. b. colloquial. A man who studies birds; an ornithologist. Also: a man with an interest in wild birds; a birdwatcher. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > one who sees > [noun] > bird-watcher birdwatcher1803 birder1900 bird spotter1931 birdo1950 birdman1955 twitcher1974 the world > animals > zoology > study of specific types of animal > [noun] > birds > one who ornithologer1661 ornithologist1677 birdman1686 birdman1955 1955 T. E. Gaddis (title) Birdman of Alcatraz. 1969 Observer 16 Feb. 7/5 The Smithsonian staff itself is..envious of the birdmen for getting so much money. Those involved in the ornithological expedition have had to receive military clearance. 1991 Times 19 Oct. (Sat. Review) 23/5 His dedication has made him one of the big-name bird-men,..and every year for the past five years he has broken his own record for the highest number of sightings. 2018 Guardian (Nexis) 22 Mar. (headline) Counting crows: the British birdmen bent on tackling property developers. 3. a. colloquial. Originally: the pilot of an aircraft; an aviator. In later use also: an airman in a military air force. Now frequently historical. ΘΚΠ society > travel > air or space travel > people who fly in aircraft or spacecraft > [noun] > person in control of aircraft or spacecraft > person in control of aircraft aeronaut1784 airman1873 aviator1887 aviationist1895 birdman1908 flyer1934 microlighter1982 1908 Illustr. London News 15 Aug. 237 (heading) The bird-man: a victor in the ‘heavier than air’ contest. 1909 Daily Chron. 27 Oct. 4/4 I shall say: ‘I saw the first bird-men in England, my dears.’ 1917 ‘Contact’ Airman's Outings 244 Even intrepid birdmen (war correspondentese for flying officers) tire of trying to be offensive on a patrol. 1970 D. Dwiggins On Silent Wings iii. 51 The birdmen..kicked free of the wrecked gliders and plunged into the darkness, tugging on their parachute ripcords. 2007 Oklahoman (Nexis) 4 Mar. 1 d A young Wil Moore anxiously awaited the arrival of the birdmen—men who soared through the sky, defying gravitational limits while participating in this 1920's rarity called flight. b. A person (typically a man) who flies or glides by means of a personal device such as a hang glider or wingsuit. ΚΠ 1930 Illustr. London News 13 Dec. 1059/1 (caption) The ‘Bird-Man’ in flight: the inventor of the ski-flying device in mid-air. 1974 FAA Aviation News July 10/1 After a few cautious, testing steps the birdman begins to run hard, his paces growing longer and longer. 2018 Rodney Times (N.Z.) (Nexis) 22 Mar. 11 Last year's contest only attracted 11 birdmen and women, so organisers want to see more people sign up and jump on April 7. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2021). < n.1666 |
随便看 |
|
英语词典包含1132095条英英释义在线翻译词条,基本涵盖了全部常用单词的英英翻译及用法,是英语学习的有利工具。