| 释义 |
swipper, a. Now dial.|ˈswɪpə(r)|
Forms: 4–5 swiper(e, swyper, 4–6 Sc. swepyr, 5 swypir, -yr, swepir, -er, 6 swip(p)ir, swypper, shwyper, 6– swipper.
[repr. (with change of meaning) OE. swipor, ᵹeswipor crafty, cunning, corresp. to OHG. swephar, sweffar, swepfar, also swef(f)ari, sweffri, in the same sense; f. swip- to move quickly, root of swip v. Cf. LG. swipp(e clever, ON. svipull fickle.
In ME. texts the p has been sometimes misread as þ, and this again changed to th. The Sc. variant swippert is found from the 18th c.; for the form cf. sweert = sweer.]
Quick, nimble, active.
c1375Sc. Leg. Saints vii. (Jacobus Minor) 514 Þane Iosaphus, as a wicht man & swepyr alswa, a swerd gat. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 361 Aristotle..was sweper [some MSS. sweþer, swyþer; ed. 1527 shwyper] and swift, and cleer of witte. 1398― Barth. De P.R. xii. xxi. (Tollem. MS.), Þe swalowe is..swiper and most swyfte of flyȝte. c1412Hoccleve De. Reg. Princ. 5221 Swypir [v.r. swepir] feendly hand with strook vengeable. c1440Promp. Parv. 484/1 Swypyr, or delyvyr, agilis. 1513Douglas æneis vi. v. 20 Als fery and als swipper as a page. 1674Ray N.C. Words 47 Swipper, nimble, quick. 1867Waugh Old Cronies viii, They were a lot o' th swipper'st stark'est, lads in Christendom, wur th' Lancashire Volunteers.
Hence † ˈswipperly adv., quickly, nimbly.
a1400Morte Arth. 1128 Bot ȝit the kynge sweperly fulle swythe he by-swenkez. Ibid. 1465 They..Swappez doune ffulle sweperlye swelltande knyghtez. c1420Anturs of Arth. 55 (Irel. Ms.) The squyppand watur, that squyperly [printed squytherly; cf. squeturly l. 540 infra] squoes. 1513Douglas æneis ix. ii. 34 Furth fleand swepyrly. |
