| 释义 |
▪ I. lightness1|ˈlaɪtnɪs|
For forms see light a.1
[f. light a.1 + -ness.]
The quality or fact of being light, in various senses.
1. The quality or fact of having little weight. Of a vessel: The fact of being lightly laden. Of a crop: Smallness of the quantity present.
c1175Lamb. Hom. 83 Oli haueð huppen him lihtnesse and softnesse and hele. c1374Chaucer Boeth. iii. pr. xi. 77 (Camb. MS.) Wher-for elles berith Lythnesse the flaumbes vp. c1586C'tess Pembroke Ps. lxii. iv, Ev'n he that seemeth most of might With lightnesse self if him you weigh, Then lightnesse self will weigh more light. 1590Sir H. Lee in Archæologia (1888) LI. 171 A new brest [plate]..of gret litenes and strengthe. 1667Lond. Gaz. No. 140/1 A Holland Vessel..unable because of her lightness to bear sail. 1765A. Dickson Treat. Agric. (ed. 2) 231 The lightness of it, and particularly the shortness of the share..make it go very unsteadily. 1831Sir J. Sinclair Corr. II. 86 The different kinds of air, and the superior lightness by which some of them were distinguished. 1848Mill Pol. Econ. i. xii. §2 (1876) 110 It is long..before an English eye becomes reconciled to the lightness of the crops [in the United States]. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 194 The lightness of bows and arrows is convenient for running.
b. Of bread, pastry, etc.: (see light a.1 9 b).
1836Penny Cycl. V. 372/2 To give the bread..porous texture and lightness. 1864Mrs. Stowe House & Home Papers x. (1865) 112 The matter of lightness is the distinctive line between savage and civilized bread.
†2. The condition of being lightened or relieved; alleviation. Obs.
a1300Cursor M. 24480 Her-wit come me son succur And sum lightnes o mi langur. 1357Lay Folks Catech. 332 In lightenes and alegeaunce of their sekenesse.
3. Absence of heaviness or pressure in action or movement; want of force or moment. Said both of material and immaterial things.
1795Nelson in Nicolas Disp. (1845) II. 15 From the lightness of the air of wind, the Enemy's Fleet and our Fleet were a very long time in passing. 1833Regul. Instr. Cavalry i. 48 Lightness of hand consists in an almost imperceptible feeling and alternate easing of the bridle. 1885Spectator 30 May 704/2 The lightness of touch that so charmingly characterises the literature of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 1893Westm. Gaz. 17 June 5/2 The lightness of the weather spoiled yesterday's race. 1893Law Times XCIV. 600/2 The tax falls with..undue severity upon one class, and with unreasonable lightness upon others.
4. Of form or outline: Freedom from heaviness or clumsiness, graceful slenderness.
1808Scott Prose Wks. IV. Biographies II. (1870) 35 She had lost much of the lightness of her figure. 1837Penny Cycl. VII. 218/1 In them we observe a progressive change from heaviness to lightness—from columns less than four diameters in height to those of nearly seven. 1885Truth 28 May 848/2 The spray is rendered with much lightness and delicacy.
5. The quality of moving lightly; agility, nimbleness, swiftness. Also in immaterial sense.
c1386Chaucer Miller's T. 198 To shewe his lightnesse and maistrye He pleyeth Herodes vp on a Scaffold hye. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. lvii. (1495) 172 The bones are holowe for the more lyghtnesse of mouynge. 1483Cath. Angl. 216/2 A Lightenes, agilitas. 1530Palsgr. 239/1 Lightnesse of understandinge, facilité d'entendre. 1604E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iv. xxxiv. 304 All these beasts for their lightnesse..have passed from one world to an other. 1859J. Brown Rab & Friends (1862) 26 Rab..trotted up the stair with much lightness. 1860Tyndall Glac. i. xxv. 187 The contemplation of the brightening east..seemed to lend lightness to our muscles.
†6. Ease, facility, readiness, esp. of belief. Obs.
a1300Cursor M. 27735 Lightness o rage. 1549Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. Gal. 8, I..blame your lightenes to beleue, & easynes to be persuaded. 1572R. H. tr. Lauaterus' Ghostes (1596) 152 Oftentimes these men, through their too muche lightnesse of beleefe, fall into great daungers. 1620Venner Via Recta iii. 63 Linnets are both for lightnesse of digestion, and goodnesse of meate better then Sparrowes. 1741Richardson Pamela I. Introd. 24 Note with what Lightness even Men of good-natur'd Intention fall into Mistakes.
7. Levity in behaviour; fickleness, unsteadiness, frivolity, thoughtlessness, unconcern.
1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 308 Lightnes of hert reves þam drede. c1449Pecock Repr. 344 Forto forsake God in a liȝtnes and in a rechelesnes. 1579Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 95 This chaunge will..double thy lyghtnesse in tourning so often. 1679Burnet Hist. Ref. I. 424 Imputing this insurrection..to their folly and lightness. 1760Ann. Reg. 52 The general lightness of his faith with regard to his former allies. 1828Scott F.M. Perth vii, My Catharine hath not by any lightness or folly of hers afforded grounds for this great scandal. 1887E. J. Goodman Too Curious iii, The lightness of tone with which I uttered such serious words.
†b. Wantonness, lewdness, incontinence. Obs.
1516Life Birgette in Myrr. our Ladye (1873) p. xlviii, She somwhat suspectynge the lyghtnesse of the virgyn commaundyd a rod to be brought vnto hir. 1541Act 33 Hen. VIII, c. 21 If they..perceive any wil acte or condicion of lightnes of bodie in hir, which for the time being shall be queene of this realme. 1601? Marston Pasquil & Kath. ii. 11 Women of leuitie and lightnesse. 1652C. B. Stapylton Herodian iii. 18 With him of lightnesse she was much suspected.
8. Freedom from depression or dullness, esp. in lightness of heart; high spirits, joy, mirth.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. iii. xix. (1495) 66 The instrument of smellyng is not in a beest onely for lightnes and fayrnesse. a1420Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1244 Myn hert is al nakid of lightnesse. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 64 b, And this lyghtnesse or myrth may come somtyme of the clerenes of mannes conscyence. 1653R. Sanders Physiogn. 55 They signifie Quarrels picked out of lightness of heart. 1828R. Nesbit in Mem. iii. (1858) 83, I am able to pursue my proper work with my usual lightness of spirit. 1861Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. xxi. (1889) 195 He really hardly knew what to do to give vent to his lightness of heart.
▪ II. lightness2|ˈlaɪtnɪs|
[OE. líhtnes (= OHG. liuchtnisse), f. líht, léoht light a.2 + -ness.]
†1. Brightness, light (lit. and fig.). Obs.
a1023Wulfstan Hom. (Napier) 230 Se sunnandæᵹ is restendæᵹ and wuldorlic dæᵹ and lihtnesse dæᵹ. a1325in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1878) 145 Alle þe liȝtnesse was aleyd. Sonne & mone lorn her liȝt. c1430Pilgr. Lyf Manhode ii. xl. (1869) 91 The sunne..maketh his lightnesse passe thoruh the cloude. c1531Latimer 1st Let. to Baynton in Foxe A. & M. (1563) 1322/2 They were vnapte to receyue the bryghte lyghtnes of the truthe. c1532G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 922 We knowe selfely the soveraygne lyghtnesse to be darked of a lyght cloude. 1824Scott Redgauntlet let. xiii, His countenance..is now..rendered wild by an insane lightness about the eyes.
2. The condition or state of being illuminated; illumination. Now only lit.
c1250Gen. & Ex. 1559 In ðat dred his ðoȝt was led In to liȝtnesse for to sen, Quow god wulde it sulde ben. a1300Cursor M. 13543 To-quils i in þis werld be, It has na lightnes bot o me. 1591Sparry tr. Cattan's Geomancie (1599) 29 By the lightnesse and darkenesse which shee receiueth of him. 1651–7T. Barker Art of Angling (1820) 2 Thus must you to work with your flyes, light for darkness, and dark for lightness. 1832Lytton Eugene A. ii. vii, The first thing that struck Walter in this apartment was its remarkable lightness. |
