| 释义 |
squinch1 /skwɪn(t)ʃ /nounA straight or arched structure across an interior angle of a square tower to carry a superstructure such as a dome.Bam provided a veritable encyclopaedia of such historic structural elements: varieties of sun-dried mud brick squinches and vaults, many with the inclined arched technique recently used by Hassan Fathy....- First started in the tomb of Iltutmish, the weight of the dome is transferred to the square base by the same mechanism - the squinch.
- They experimented with devices for the reflection and refraction of light: mosaics were placed in carefully constructed squinches and pendentifs, in curved apses, in domes; even on flat surfaces, curved setting beds were employed.
Origin Late 15th century: alteration of obsolete scunch, abbreviation of scuncheon. Rhymes cinch, clinch, finch, flinch, inch, lynch, Minch, pinch, winch squinch2 /skwɪn(t)ʃ /verb [with object] chiefly North American1Tense up the muscles of (one’s eyes or face): Gina squinched her face up...- She looked at him inquisitively, squinching her eyes, deciding against the kick.
- I refuse to try on something like that,’ she squinched her eyes closed and made a cross with her fingers and giggled.
- She squinched her eyes tight so she wouldn't cry.
1.1 [no object] (Of a person’s eyes) narrow so as to be almost closed, typically in reaction to strong light: he flicked on the inside light, which made my eyes squinch up...- Bob's round features squinched up as he chided, ‘You said a potty word.’
2 [no object] Crouch down in order to make oneself seem smaller or to occupy less space: I squinched down under the sheet...- So there was, of course, no other alternative than to hide away on a cot, squinched to the wall as far as I could go.
Origin Early 19th century: perhaps a blend of the verbs squeeze and pinch. |