| 释义 |
footman|ˈfʊtmən|
[f. foot n. + man.]
1. One who goes on foot, a pedestrian. Also with adj., a (good, swift, etc.) walker or runner. Now somewhat rare exc. dial.
1382Wyclif Numb. xi. 21 Six hundryd thousandes of foot men ben of this puple. 1475Presentm. Juries in Surtees Misc. (1890) 27 The fotmans cawse be for William Chawe dore is defectyffe. 1563Abp. Sandys in Strype Ann. Ref. I. xxxv. 396 His park, wherein is a path for footmen. 1623Cockeram 11, A swift Foot-man, celeripedian. 1650Fuller Pisgah i. xiii. 41 Fear makes good Footmen. a1744W. Byrd in Tyler Amer. Lit. (1879) II. 277 Practice will soon make a man of tolerable vigor an able footman. 1769De Foe's Tour Gt. Brit. I. 153 The Ferry-keeper will demand Sixpence of every Horseman, and Twopence of every Foot⁓man. 1816Keatinge Trav. (1817) II. 28 A foot-man is nearly lost in this forest of annuals. 1882Worcestersh. Gloss., Footman, a good walker is termed ‘a good footman’. 1890O. Belknap in Shields Big Game N. Amer. 298 A Buffalo appeared..at a point which we afterwards found taxed the climbing powers of a footman. 1890Boldrewood Squatter's Dream xxiii. 277 A ‘footman’ (as a person not in possession of a horse is termed in Australian provincial circles).
†b. One who competes in a foot-race. Obs.
1654Webster Appius & Virg. i. i, I have heard of cunning footmen that have worn Shoes made of lead, some ten days 'fore a race To give them nimble and more active feet. 1685Lond. Gaz. No. 2062. 2/2 There will be a Plate Run for by Footmen at Wigan.
†c. A foot-pad. Obs.
1615J. Stephens Ess. & Charac., Warrener (1857) 201 If he doth not play the valiant Foot-man, and take tribute of passengers. 1666Pepys Diary (1879) VI. 84 Being wounded..last night, by footmen, in the highway.
2. A foot-soldier.
1297R. Glouc. (1724) 199 Wyþoute archers & vot men, wyþ tuo þousend hors y wrye. 13..Coer de L. 5105 Off a footman a bowe he took. c1450Merlin 113 [Thei]..were well viijml knyhtes..and fotemen grete plente. 1598Barret Theor. Warres iii. i. 40 Those battels..being verie aduantagious for footmen against footmen. 1630tr. Camden's Hist. Eliz. i. 105 He put his footmen aboord the small vessels he had. 1798Craig in Owen Wellesley's Desp. 601 A force of 10,000 horse, and as many footmen. 1864Kingsley Rom. & Teut. iii. (1875) 72 The knights..left the foot-men to finish the work. 1896Times 22 Apr. 7/3 They were suddenly attacked by a body of 200 horsemen, supported by a large body of footmen.
†3. An attendant or foot-servant. In early use, a runner in attendance upon a rider of rank; and, later, a servant who ran before his master's carriage, called more fully a running-footman. Obs.
c1450Bk. Curtasye 621 in Babees Bk. (1868) 320 Fote-men Þat rennen by þe brydels of ladys shene. 1552Huloet, Fotemen for princes, or noble persons, circumpedes. 1612W. Parkes Curtaine-Dr. (1876) 27 He needs must ride, That had my Foot-man lackying by his side. 1718Prior Alma i. 58 Like Footmen running before Coaches, To tell the Inn what Lord approaches. 1791Bee 13 July IV. 11 Coaches..were [c 1760] generally accompanied by running footmen..whose assistance was often wanted to support the coach on each side, to prevent it from being overturned. 1818Scott Br. Lamm. xxii, Two running footmen, dressed in white, with black jockey-caps, and long staffs in their hands, headed the train. 1856N. & Q. Ser. ii. I. 80/1 The sheriff and judges were preceded by two running footmen.
4. A man-servant in livery employed chiefly to attend the carriage and wait at table.
1706–7Farquhar Beaux' Strat. i. i, There's neither Red-Coat in the Coach, nor Footman behind it. 1756–7tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) IV. 469 Some gentlemen of the bed-chamber were not able even to keep a footman. 1784Cowper Tiroc. 407 Means that would disgrace A..footman out of place. 1848Dickens Dombey vii, The Princess's Arms..much resorted to by splendid footmen. 1878M. A. Brown Nadeschda 23 A gilded coach..bursts forth; Like gaudy birds are the footmen perched.
b. fig. (Cf. lackey.)
1834Macaulay Pitt (1851) 45 The Whigs, who ought, he said, to be ashamed to talk about liberty, while they submitted to the footmen of the Duke of Newcastle.
5. A stand to support a kettle, etc. before the fire.
1767Specif. Brodie & Williams Patent No. 880. 3 A rest or footman to put the tea-kettle on. 1844Dickens Mart. Chuz. xx, From pot and kettle, face of brass footman, and black-leaded stove.
6. A moth of the family Lithosiidæ.
1819G. Samouelle Entomol. Compend. 249 Lithosia quadra (four-spotted footman). 1870Eng. Mech. 21 Jan. 449/2 The scarce footman (Lithosia caniola) has not long been known as a British insect.
7. appositively and Comb., as † footman archer; footman-like adj.; † footman's inn, gaol.
1598R. Grenewey Tacitus' Ann. xiii. ix. (1622) 192 In the wings went the *footmen archers with the residue of the horsemen.
1604Penniles Parl. Threed-bare Poets in Harl. Misc. (1744) I. 179 Those that depend on Destiny, and not on God, may chance look through a narrow Lattice at *Foot⁓men's Inn. 1613S. Rowlands Knaue of Harts, A theeuing Knaue, That he at last in foot-mans Inne must host.
1864Realm 23 Mar. 4 The Globe, whose *footmanlike servility to the Ministry is notorious.
Hence ˈfootmanhood, footmen collectively. ˈfootmanry, the occupation of a footman.
1822Galt Sir A. Wylie I. xxiii. 208 We were plagued by the sons of the patriarchal fixtures of Chastington-hall, coming here to learn the craft and mystery of footmanry. 1862H. Aïdé Carr of Carrl. III. 136 The powdered footmanhood of London. |
