| 释义 |
scourge
I. \ˈskərj, ˈskə̄j, ˈskəij sometimes ˈskō(ə)rj or ˈskȯ(ə)rj or -ōəj or -ȯ(ə)j\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French escorge, from (assumed) Old French escorgier to whip, drive out with a whip (whence Old French escorgiée whip), from Old French es- ex- (from Latin ex-) + Latin corrigia shoelace, strap, whip — more at corrigiola
1. : whip; especially : a whip that is used to inflict pain or punishment
2.
a. : one that is an instrument of punishment or severe criticism
< can safely ignore it and talk as if he had always been the scourge of reaction — R.H.Rovere >
b. : a cause of widespread or great affliction: as
(1) : a person who brings misery
< made himself the special scourge of the region — C.L.Jones >
(2) : a wasting disease that affects a large area
< smallpox finally ceased to be a scourge — American Guide Series: Massachusetts >
(3) : a large destructive swarm
< a scourge of grasshoppers descended and devoured every sprig of vegetation — American Guide Series: Texas >
(4) : a social evil
< the scourge of recurrent unemployment — Archibald MacLeish >
II. transitive verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English scourgen, from scourge (I)
1. : to whip severely : lash, flog
2.
a. : to punish severely
< God had not yet sufficiently scourged the city — Daniel Defoe >
b. : to subject to a great affliction : devastate
< barbarians scourged the land and destroyed all civilization >
< dust storms scourged the prairie states — Newsweek >
c. : to force into a position as if by the blows of a whip
< television … is going to scourge the phonies out of politics — Stuart Chase >
d. : to subject to severe criticism or satire
< scourges the schools for their low standards >
3. Scotland : to cause (as soil) to become exhausted |