seldomadv.adj.

Brit.

/ˈsɛldəm/, U.S.

/ˈsɛldəm/

Forms: α. Old English seldan, seldon, seldun, Middle English–1500s selden, (Middle English Orm. seldenn), Middle English seldene, seldon(e, seldyn(e, seldine, Middle English–1500s seldin, Middle English selding, seldan, celdane; Middle English silden, sylden, syldun, syldyn, Middle English–1500s syldon; Middle English sielden, seelden, seeldyn, seilden, seildyn, Middle English–1500s seildin, Middle English seyldyn. Also sendle adv. β. Old English, Middle English seldum, Middle English–1600s seldome, Middle English celdom, seldoum, 1500s selldome, Middle English– seldom; Middle English–1600s sildom(e, 1500s syldome, sildam; Middle English–1600s seeldome, Middle English seeldam, seeldem, ceeldam, 1500s seeldom, sealdome, 1500s–1600s sieldome.

Etymology: Old English seldan (altered to seldum by the analogy of adverbial datives plural like hwílum : see whilom adv. and conj.) corresponds to Old Frisian sielden, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch selden (modern Dutch zelden), Old High German seltan (Middle High German, modern German selten), Old Norse sialdan (Danish sjelden, Swedish sällan), < Germanic *seldo- (probably an adjective) represented in Gothic sildaleik-s wonderful (whence sildaleikjan to be astonished). The ulterior affinities are unknown.

A. adv.

a. On few occasions, in few cases or instances, not often; rarely, infrequently.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb]

seldom-whenc888

seldomc897

seld-whenc897

seldoma1000

seldc1000

seldom-timec1386

seld-timec1386

seld-whilea1387

seld-where1390

thinc1405

rare?1440

sendle?a1500

daintilya1513

thinlyc1545

rarely1546

once in a moon1547

out-takingly1549

seldomly1549

for once and away1583

sparingly1590

scarce1596

unfrequently1646

unoften1654

infrequently1673

once in a while1765

sporadically1765

sparselya1871

seldom-while1876

(for) once in a way1891

α.

c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care ix. 57 Seldun mon geleornað on miclum rice eaðmodnesse.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 8468 Forr þi þatt arrchelaw þe king Þær munnde cumenn seldenn.

1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum (1495) xiii. ii. 441 Also in wynter selden or neuer pytte water fresyth.

c1460 J. Fortescue Governance of Eng. (1885) iii. 114 Thai eyten no flesshe but yf it be right seldon a litle larde.

a1510 G. Douglas King Hart i. 142 For seildin had thai sene sic folkis befoir.

a1538 T. Starkey Dial. Pole & Lupset (1989) 57 Pryncys & lordys syldon loke to the gud ordur & welth of theyr subjectys.

β. a1000 [see sense A. b]. c1220 Bestiary 241 Ðe mire..resteð hire seldum.1340 R. Rolle Pricke of Conscience 756 For seldom a man þat has þat held, Hele has, and him-self may weld.c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 65/1 Ceeldam (P. celdom), raro.c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 77 Seeldem fallith the contrarie.1589 T. Nashe Anat. Absurditie sig. Aiiii^v That face [is] most faire, which seldommest comes into the open ayre.1615 G. Sandys Relation of Journey 47 Or oftner, or seldomer, as occasion required.1678 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Prov. (ed. 2) 348 Listners seldome hear good of themselves.1748 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. 2 Feb. (1966) II. 349 Complainers are seldom pity'd, and boasters yet seldomer beleiv'd.1869 J. S. Mill Subject. Women iii. 142 Women, it is said, seldomer fall under the penal law..than men.Proverb.1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. iv. sig. B Seldom comth the better.1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III ii. iii. 4 Bad newes birlady, seldome comes the better. 1650 H. Parker True Portraiture Kings Eng. 32 Yet (as we say) Seldom comes a better; when one is cut off, another like the Hidra's head springs up in his place.

b. With ever added pleonastically. (Cf. ever adv. 5a, rarely adv. 2)

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb]

seldom-whenc888

seldomc897

seld-whenc897

seldoma1000

seldc1000

seldom-timec1386

seld-timec1386

seld-whilea1387

seld-where1390

thinc1405

rare?1440

sendle?a1500

daintilya1513

thinlyc1545

rarely1546

once in a moon1547

out-takingly1549

seldomly1549

for once and away1583

sparingly1590

scarce1596

unfrequently1646

unoften1654

infrequently1673

once in a while1765

sporadically1765

sparselya1871

seldom-while1876

(for) once in a way1891

a1000 Solomon & Saturn 269 Seldum æfre his leoma licggað.

1603 Englands Welcome to Iames sig. C Tyrants seldome euer brooke remorse.

1650 J. Trapp Clavis to Bible (Gen. iv. 17) 53 They seek to immortalize themselves upon their possessions; but the third heire seldome ever owns them.

1813 J. C. Hobhouse Journey 78 The peasants seldom ever can get a farthing for their beasts.

1828 T. Carlyle in Foreign Rev. 2 460 And seldom ever can he succeed.

2013 Wildlife Soc. Bull. 37 570/2 Fires seldom ever burn adjacent grazed buffelgrass pastures.

†c. seldom or ever: by confusion of ‘seldom if ever’ and ‘seldom or never’. (Cf. rarely or ever at rarely adv. Phrases 2b.)

ΚΠ

1752 A. Murphy Gray's Inn Jrnl. No. 14. ⁋2 The Players seldom or ever throw out the Voice with any Vehemence.

1771 H. Lawrence Contempl. Man I. ii. i. 83 All those People who were afflicted with any Illness, seldom or ever survived it.

1804–6 S. Smith Elem. Sketches Moral Philos. (1850) v. 75 Dreamers..who walk in their sleep have seldom or ever the most distant recollections that they have been dreaming at all.

1827 D. Johnson Sketches Indian Field Sports (ed. 2) 100 It is what they seldom or ever do.

1873 D. Clark Pen Photographs 62 The smooth flowing notes of a rhythmal chorus are there, but seldom or ever the battle scenes of a grand Oratorio.

d. it is seldom that… (Cf. it is (very) rarely that at rarely adv. Phrases 1.) Also †it is seldom when… (Cf. seldom-when adv. at Compounds 2.)

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > frequency > infrequency > infrequently or it rarely happens [phrase]

it is seldom that1390

it is seldom when1600

(for) once in a way1759

blue moon1821

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 30 Ful selden is that welthe Can soffre his oghne astat in helthe.

c1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode (1869) ii. lviii. 98 Seelden it was þat j sih hire.

1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 iv. iii. 79 Tis seldome when the bee doth leaue her comb, In the dead carion.

1812 S. T. Coleridge Lett. (1895) 599 It is seldom that want of leisure can be fairly stated as an excuse for not writing.

a1859 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. (1861) V. xxiv. 229 It was seldom indeed that a white freeman..was employed in severe bodily labour.

B. adj.

Rare, infrequent. Now chiefly U.S.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adjective]

seld1398

seldom1483

rare1565

secular1599

unfrequent1611

straggling1618

infrequent1622

unobvious1643

far-between1743

rarish1772

unwonted1785

sporadic1842

low frequency1946

1483 Cath. Angl. 328/2 Seldome [MS. seldone], jnfrequens, rarus, rariter.

1528 W. Tyndale Obed. Christen Man f. lxxj^v Chastite is an exceadinge selden gyfte.

1587 A. Fleming et al. Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) III. Contin. 1396/2 Yet amongst my manie volumes, I hope Gods booke hath not beene my sildomest studies.

1587 in 10th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1885) App. v. 445 Yf at seldom tymes he should chaunce to play at lawfull games.

1609 W. Shakespeare Sonnets lii. sig. D3^v Blunting the fine point of seldome pleasure.

1650 Bp. J. Taylor Rule of Holy Living (1727) ii. §2. 59 A suppressed and seldom anger.

1659 R. Allestree Pract. Christian Graces; or, Whole Duty of Man (rev. ed.) v. §14. 118 We should think it wisdom to be as frequent as we are ordinarily seldom in it [sc. prayer].

1797 A. Seward Lett. (1811) IV. 302 His ‘nor did not’, used as an affirmative at seldom times by Milton, is frequent here.

1822 C. Lamb Detached Thoughts on Bks. in Elia 2nd Ser. Seldom-readers are slow readers.

1865 A. D. Whitney Gayworthys xix They..watched, with grieved hearts and seldom speech.

1883 ‘M. Twain’ Life on Mississippi xxii. 257 The seldomest spectacle on the Mississippi to-day is a wood-pile.

1891 Pall Mall Gaz. 18 Nov. 1/2 On evenings reserved..to the seldom speakers.

1959 W. Golding Free Fall i. 26 My seldom night terrors.

1961 Webster's 3rd New Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. (at cited word) With her small seldom smile. E. Wilson.

Compounds

C1. General attributive.

seldom-comfortless adj.

ΚΠ

a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. xxix. sig. Gg5 His seldom-comfortlesse flatterers.

seldom-seen adj. (cf. seldseen adj.)

ΚΠ

c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 452/1 Selkow, or seeldam seyne, rarus.

?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 2289 Ful seldyn tyme speke he walde.

1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. i. 22 So woorthie and so seldome-seene guests.

seldom-trodden adj.

C2.

seldom-time adj. (also seldom-times)

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb]

seldom-whenc888

seldomc897

seld-whenc897

seldoma1000

seldc1000

seldom-timec1386

seld-timec1386

seld-whilea1387

seld-where1390

thinc1405

rare?1440

sendle?a1500

daintilya1513

thinlyc1545

rarely1546

once in a moon1547

out-takingly1549

seldomly1549

for once and away1583

sparingly1590

scarce1596

unfrequently1646

unoften1654

infrequently1673

once in a while1765

sporadically1765

sparselya1871

seldom-while1876

(for) once in a way1891

c1386 G. Chaucer Clerk's Tale 90 I me reioysed of my liberte, That seelde [v.r. selden] tyme is founde in mariage.

1557 T. North tr. A. de Guevara Diall Princes 106 It seldome times chaunceth but that one of the parties are deceived.

seldom-when adv.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb]

seldom-whenc888

seldomc897

seld-whenc897

seldoma1000

seldc1000

seldom-timec1386

seld-timec1386

seld-whilea1387

seld-where1390

thinc1405

rare?1440

sendle?a1500

daintilya1513

thinlyc1545

rarely1546

once in a moon1547

out-takingly1549

seldomly1549

for once and away1583

sparingly1590

scarce1596

unfrequently1646

unoften1654

infrequently1673

once in a while1765

sporadically1765

sparselya1871

seldom-while1876

(for) once in a way1891

c888 Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. xxxvii. §4 Þeah hi seldum hwonne beswemde weorðen.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 237 He duelte evere in chambre stille,..That selden whanne in other stede If that he wolde wenden oute.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iv. ii. 87 Sildome when The steeled Gaoler is the friend of men.

seldom-while adv. rarely.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb]

seldom-whenc888

seldomc897

seld-whenc897

seldoma1000

seldc1000

seldom-timec1386

seld-timec1386

seld-whilea1387

seld-where1390

thinc1405

rare?1440

sendle?a1500

daintilya1513

thinlyc1545

rarely1546

once in a moon1547

out-takingly1549

seldomly1549

for once and away1583

sparingly1590

scarce1596

unfrequently1646

unoften1654

infrequently1673

once in a while1765

sporadically1765

sparselya1871

seldom-while1876

(for) once in a way1891

1876 S. Lanier Psalm of West in Poems 107 Solemn wings that wave but seldomwhile.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	seldom
释义	seldomadv.adj. Brit. /ˈsɛldəm/, U.S. /ˈsɛldəm/ Forms: α. Old English seldan, seldon, seldun, Middle English–1500s selden, (Middle English Orm. seldenn), Middle English seldene, seldon(e, seldyn(e, seldine, Middle English–1500s seldin, Middle English selding, seldan, celdane; Middle English silden, sylden, syldun, syldyn, Middle English–1500s syldon; Middle English sielden, seelden, seeldyn, seilden, seildyn, Middle English–1500s seildin, Middle English seyldyn. Also sendle adv. β. Old English, Middle English seldum, Middle English–1600s seldome, Middle English celdom, seldoum, 1500s selldome, Middle English– seldom; Middle English–1600s sildom(e, 1500s syldome, sildam; Middle English–1600s seeldome, Middle English seeldam, seeldem, ceeldam, 1500s seeldom, sealdome, 1500s–1600s sieldome. Etymology: Old English seldan (altered to seldum by the analogy of adverbial datives plural like hwílum : see whilom adv. and conj.) corresponds to Old Frisian sielden, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch selden (modern Dutch zelden), Old High German seltan (Middle High German, modern German selten), Old Norse sialdan (Danish sjelden, Swedish sällan), < Germanic seldo- (probably an adjective) represented in Gothic sildaleik-s* wonderful (whence sildaleikjan to be astonished). The ulterior affinities are unknown. A. adv. a. On few occasions, in few cases or instances, not often; rarely, infrequently. ΘΚΠ the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] seldom-whenc888 seldomc897 seld-whenc897 seldoma1000 seldc1000 seldom-timec1386 seld-timec1386 seld-whilea1387 seld-where1390 thinc1405 rare?1440 sendle?a1500 daintilya1513 thinlyc1545 rarely1546 once in a moon1547 out-takingly1549 seldomly1549 for once and away1583 sparingly1590 scarce1596 unfrequently1646 unoften1654 infrequently1673 once in a while1765 sporadically1765 sparselya1871 seldom-while1876 (for) once in a way1891 α. c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care ix. 57 Seldun mon geleornað on miclum rice eaðmodnesse. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 8468 Forr þi þatt arrchelaw þe king Þær munnde cumenn seldenn. 1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum (1495) xiii. ii. 441 Also in wynter selden or neuer pytte water fresyth. c1460 J. Fortescue Governance of Eng. (1885) iii. 114 Thai eyten no flesshe but yf it be right seldon a litle larde. a1510 G. Douglas King Hart i. 142 For seildin had thai sene sic folkis befoir. a1538 T. Starkey Dial. Pole & Lupset (1989) 57 Pryncys & lordys syldon loke to the gud ordur & welth of theyr subjectys. β. a1000 [see sense A. b]. c1220 Bestiary 241 Ðe mire..resteð hire seldum.1340 R. Rolle Pricke of Conscience 756 For seldom a man þat has þat held, Hele has, and him-self may weld.c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 65/1 Ceeldam (P. celdom), raro.c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 77 Seeldem fallith the contrarie.1589 T. Nashe Anat. Absurditie sig. Aiiii^v That face [is] most faire, which seldommest comes into the open ayre.1615 G. Sandys Relation of Journey 47 Or oftner, or seldomer, as occasion required.1678 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Prov. (ed. 2) 348 Listners seldome hear good of themselves.1748 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. 2 Feb. (1966) II. 349 Complainers are seldom pity'd, and boasters yet seldomer beleiv'd.1869 J. S. Mill Subject. Women iii. 142 Women, it is said, seldomer fall under the penal law..than men.Proverb.1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. iv. sig. B Seldom comth the better.1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III ii. iii. 4 Bad newes birlady, seldome comes the better. View more context for this quotation1650 H. Parker True Portraiture Kings Eng. 32 Yet (as we say) Seldom comes a better; when one is cut off, another like the Hidra's head springs up in his place. b. With ever added pleonastically. (Cf. ever adv. 5a, rarely adv. 2) ΘΚΠ the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] seldom-whenc888 seldomc897 seld-whenc897 seldoma1000 seldc1000 seldom-timec1386 seld-timec1386 seld-whilea1387 seld-where1390 thinc1405 rare?1440 sendle?a1500 daintilya1513 thinlyc1545 rarely1546 once in a moon1547 out-takingly1549 seldomly1549 for once and away1583 sparingly1590 scarce1596 unfrequently1646 unoften1654 infrequently1673 once in a while1765 sporadically1765 sparselya1871 seldom-while1876 (for) once in a way1891 a1000 Solomon & Saturn 269 Seldum æfre his leoma licggað. 1603 Englands Welcome to Iames sig. C Tyrants seldome euer brooke remorse. 1650 J. Trapp Clavis to Bible (Gen. iv. 17) 53 They seek to immortalize themselves upon their possessions; but the third heire seldome ever owns them. 1813 J. C. Hobhouse Journey 78 The peasants seldom ever can get a farthing for their beasts. 1828 T. Carlyle in Foreign Rev. 2 460 And seldom ever can he succeed. 2013 Wildlife Soc. Bull. 37 570/2 Fires seldom ever burn adjacent grazed buffelgrass pastures. †c. seldom or ever: by confusion of ‘seldom if ever’ and ‘seldom or never’. (Cf. rarely or ever at rarely adv. Phrases 2b.) ΚΠ 1752 A. Murphy Gray's Inn Jrnl. No. 14. ⁋2 The Players seldom or ever throw out the Voice with any Vehemence. 1771 H. Lawrence Contempl. Man I. ii. i. 83 All those People who were afflicted with any Illness, seldom or ever survived it. 1804–6 S. Smith Elem. Sketches Moral Philos. (1850) v. 75 Dreamers..who walk in their sleep have seldom or ever the most distant recollections that they have been dreaming at all. 1827 D. Johnson Sketches Indian Field Sports (ed. 2) 100 It is what they seldom or ever do. 1873 D. Clark Pen Photographs 62 The smooth flowing notes of a rhythmal chorus are there, but seldom or ever the battle scenes of a grand Oratorio. d. it is seldom that… (Cf. it is (very) rarely that at rarely adv. Phrases 1.) Also †it is seldom when… (Cf. seldom-when adv. at Compounds 2.) ΘΚΠ the world > time > frequency > infrequency > infrequently or it rarely happens [phrase] it is seldom that1390 it is seldom when1600 (for) once in a way1759 blue moon1821 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 30 Ful selden is that welthe Can soffre his oghne astat in helthe. c1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode (1869) ii. lviii. 98 Seelden it was þat j sih hire. 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 iv. iii. 79 Tis seldome when the bee doth leaue her comb, In the dead carion. View more context for this quotation 1812 S. T. Coleridge Lett. (1895) 599 It is seldom that want of leisure can be fairly stated as an excuse for not writing. a1859 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. (1861) V. xxiv. 229 It was seldom indeed that a white freeman..was employed in severe bodily labour. B. adj. Rare, infrequent. Now chiefly U.S. ΘΚΠ the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adjective] seld1398 seldom1483 rare1565 secular1599 unfrequent1611 straggling1618 infrequent1622 unobvious1643 far-between1743 rarish1772 unwonted1785 sporadic1842 low frequency1946 1483 Cath. Angl. 328/2 Seldome [MS. seldone], jnfrequens, rarus, rariter. 1528 W. Tyndale Obed. Christen Man f. lxxj^v Chastite is an exceadinge selden gyfte. 1587 A. Fleming et al. Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) III. Contin. 1396/2 Yet amongst my manie volumes, I hope Gods booke hath not beene my sildomest studies. 1587 in 10th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1885) App. v. 445 Yf at seldom tymes he should chaunce to play at lawfull games. 1609 W. Shakespeare Sonnets lii. sig. D3^v Blunting the fine point of seldome pleasure. View more context for this quotation 1650 Bp. J. Taylor Rule of Holy Living (1727) ii. §2. 59 A suppressed and seldom anger. 1659 R. Allestree Pract. Christian Graces; or, Whole Duty of Man (rev. ed.) v. §14. 118 We should think it wisdom to be as frequent as we are ordinarily seldom in it [sc. prayer]. 1797 A. Seward Lett. (1811) IV. 302 His ‘nor did not’, used as an affirmative at seldom times by Milton, is frequent here. 1822 C. Lamb Detached Thoughts on Bks. in Elia 2nd Ser. Seldom-readers are slow readers. 1865 A. D. Whitney Gayworthys xix They..watched, with grieved hearts and seldom speech. 1883 ‘M. Twain’ Life on Mississippi xxii. 257 The seldomest spectacle on the Mississippi to-day is a wood-pile. 1891 Pall Mall Gaz. 18 Nov. 1/2 On evenings reserved..to the seldom speakers. 1959 W. Golding Free Fall i. 26 My seldom night terrors. 1961 Webster's 3rd New Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. (at cited word) With her small seldom smile. E. Wilson. Compounds C1. General attributive. seldom-comfortless adj. ΚΠ a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. xxix. sig. Gg5 His seldom-comfortlesse flatterers. seldom-seen adj. (cf. seldseen adj.) ΚΠ c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 452/1 Selkow, or seeldam seyne, rarus. ?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 2289 Ful seldyn tyme speke he walde. 1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. i. 22 So woorthie and so seldome-seene guests. seldom-trodden adj. C2. seldom-time adj. (also seldom-times) ΘΚΠ the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] seldom-whenc888 seldomc897 seld-whenc897 seldoma1000 seldc1000 seldom-timec1386 seld-timec1386 seld-whilea1387 seld-where1390 thinc1405 rare?1440 sendle?a1500 daintilya1513 thinlyc1545 rarely1546 once in a moon1547 out-takingly1549 seldomly1549 for once and away1583 sparingly1590 scarce1596 unfrequently1646 unoften1654 infrequently1673 once in a while1765 sporadically1765 sparselya1871 seldom-while1876 (for) once in a way1891 c1386 G. Chaucer Clerk's Tale 90 I me reioysed of my liberte, That seelde [v.r. selden] tyme is founde in mariage. 1557 T. North tr. A. de Guevara Diall Princes 106 It seldome times chaunceth but that one of the parties are deceived. seldom-when adv. ΘΚΠ the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] seldom-whenc888 seldomc897 seld-whenc897 seldoma1000 seldc1000 seldom-timec1386 seld-timec1386 seld-whilea1387 seld-where1390 thinc1405 rare?1440 sendle?a1500 daintilya1513 thinlyc1545 rarely1546 once in a moon1547 out-takingly1549 seldomly1549 for once and away1583 sparingly1590 scarce1596 unfrequently1646 unoften1654 infrequently1673 once in a while1765 sporadically1765 sparselya1871 seldom-while1876 (for) once in a way1891 c888 Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. xxxvii. §4 Þeah hi seldum hwonne beswemde weorðen. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 237 He duelte evere in chambre stille,..That selden whanne in other stede If that he wolde wenden oute. a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iv. ii. 87 Sildome when The steeled Gaoler is the friend of men. View more context for this quotation seldom-while adv. rarely. ΘΚΠ the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] seldom-whenc888 seldomc897 seld-whenc897 seldoma1000 seldc1000 seldom-timec1386 seld-timec1386 seld-whilea1387 seld-where1390 thinc1405 rare?1440 sendle?a1500 daintilya1513 thinlyc1545 rarely1546 once in a moon1547 out-takingly1549 seldomly1549 for once and away1583 sparingly1590 scarce1596 unfrequently1646 unoften1654 infrequently1673 once in a while1765 sporadically1765 sparselya1871 seldom-while1876 (for) once in a way1891 1876 S. Lanier Psalm of West in Poems 107 Solemn wings that wave but seldomwhile. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adv.adj.c888
随便看	to write man to write off to write on water to write one's own ticket to write oneself man to write oneself woman to write out to write over to write policy to write sense to write the book to write the book on to write up to write woman to writhe one's way to wrothe hele to wrother heal to wuss out to yank a person's chain to yardarm it to yawn after or for to yea it and nay it to year to years to yell bloody murder