| 释义 |
▪ I. ‖ cuscus1|ˈkʊskʊs|
Also 7 cuskus.
[The same word as couscous, the dish so called being originally made of this grain. In F. couscou, in 18th c. cuzcuz, cousse-couche, couche-couche.]
The grain of the African Millet, Holcus spicatus Linn., Penicillaria spicata Willd., a cereal indigenous to Africa, where it has constituted from the earliest times an important article of food.
1625Purchas Pilgrims ii. viii. xi. 1368 Their bread is made of this Coaua, which is a kind of blacke Wheate, and Cuscus a small white Seed like Millet in Biskany. 1629Capt. Smith Trav. & Adv. xiii. 25 Cuskus. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1638) 23 (Madagascar), You shall have in exchange..Barley, Rice and Cuscus, with what fruit you like. Ibid. 28 The Ile [Mohelia] inricht us with..Buffols..Rice, Pease, Cuscus, Honey. 1852W. F. Daniell in Pharmac. Jrnl. XI. 395 It constitutes the kouskous of the Joloffs and Moorish nations, the dra and bishna of Tripoli.
▪ II. ‖ cuscus2|ˈkʌskʌs|
Also kuss-kuss, cuss cuss, kuskos, cuscuss.
[ad. Pers. and Urdū khas khas the sweet-scented root of the grass in question.]
The long fibrous aromatic root of an Indian grass, Andropogon muricatus, used for making fans, screens, ornamental baskets, etc. Hence cuscus-grass, cuscus-root.
1810T. Williamson E. India Vade M. I. 235 (Y.) The Kuss-Kuss..when fresh, is rather fragrant, though the scent is somewhat terraceous. 1862Mrs. Speid Last Years Ind. 72 The root of a sweet smelling grass, the cuscus. attrib. 1889Blackw. Mag. Aug. 247 A large cuscus mat.
▪ III. ‖ cuscus3|ˈkʌskʌs|
[mod.L. from the native name; see couscous2.]
A genus of marsupial quadrupeds found in New Guinea.
1662J. Davies Mandelslo's Trav. E. Ind. 165 There is in this Island a kind of beasts they call Cusos, that keeps constantly in trees, living on nothing but fruit. They resemble our Rabbets. 1880D'Albertis N. Guinea I. 407 On the branch of a tall tree we may perhaps see a cuscus slowly creeping along. 1889H. H. Romilly Verandah N. Guinea 69 The opossums and cuscus tribe taste strongly of gum leaves on which they feed.
▪ IV. cuscus, -cus(s)u, -cosoo
vars. of couscous1. |
