| 释义 |
▪ I. monotone, a. and n.|ˈmɒnəʊtəʊn|
[ad. mod.L. *monoton-us adj., a. late Gr. µονότονος, f. Gr. µόνο-ς mono- + τόνος tone. Cf. F. monoton adj. Sp. monó tono, It. monotono, G. monoton adjs. The use of the word as a n. is peculiar to Eng.]
A. adj.
1. = monotonous a. 1 (rarely 2).
1769Phil. Trans. LIX. 494 The Europeans conclude..the Chinese tongue..is barren, monotone, and hard to understand. 1862C. P. Smyth Three Cities in Russia II. 195 The dark figure of a watchman soldier pacing his weary round through the monotone snow, appeared the only living object. 1872O. Shipley Gloss. Eccl. Terms 6 The accent being either plain, i.e. monotone; or medius [etc.]. 1875Kinglake Crimea (1877) V. i. 51 As lulling as the monotone waves. 1901R. Bridges Milton's Prosody 78 The monotone recitation of the prayers in cathedrals.
2. Math. [ad. G. monoton (C. Neumann Ueber die nach Kreis-, Kugel- und Cylinderfunctionen fortschreitenden Entwickelungen (1881) ii. 26).] = monotonic a. 2, monotonous a. 3.
1905J. Pierpont Lect. Theory of Functions of Real Variables I. ii. 68 A sequence A = α1, α2,{ddd}, whose elements satisfy the relations αnn + 1, n = 1, 2,{ddd}is called an increasing sequence...If, on the other hand, αn{slle}αn + 1, n = 1, 2, {ddd} A is said to be a monotone increasing sequence. 1937Duke Math. Jrnl. III. 489 We assume that ϕ(ρ) is completely monotone in ο≤ρ> a.]. 1968 P. A. P. Moran Introd. Probability Theory iv. 186 We say that a sequence, Ai, is monotone if we always have A1⊂A2⊂A3⊂{ddd}, or Ai⊃A2⊃A3⊃{ddd} [Etc.] 1970R. B. Ash Basic Probability Theory viii. 255 ϕ has a monotone nondecreasing power function.
B. n.
1. a. A continuance or uninterrupted repetition of the same tone; the utterance, in speech or singing, of a number of successive syllables without change of pitch.
1644Bulwer Chiron. 136 Shun similitude of gesture; for as a monotone in the voyce, so a continued similitude of gesture. 1768Pennant Brit. Zool. I. 224 The pigeon kind excepted, whose slow plaintive continued monotone has something sweetly soothing in it. 1870–74J. Thomson City Dreadf. Nt. x. xv, He murmured thus and thus in monotone. 1899Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 367 The speech is often monosyllabic, a whispered monotone. 1906H. Black Edin. Serm. 184 There is no music in a monotone.
b. transf.
a1849Poe Bells Poems (1859) 77 Tolling, tolling, tolling In that muffled monotone. 1850Allingham Goblin Child of Ballyshannon vii, The monotone Of the river flowing down Through the arches of the bridge. 1863Woolner My Beautiful Lady 76 Drearily solemn runs a monotone, Heard through breathless hush. 1878H. S. Wilson Alp. Ascents i. 15 A monotone of murmur from the river.
2. Monotony or sameness of style in composition or writing; something composed in such a style.
1871T. W. Higginson Atlantic Ess., Let. to Yng. Contrib. 78 An essay may be thoroughly delightful without a single witticism, while a monotone of jokes soon grows tedious. 1875Stedman Vict. Poets v. (1887) 169 ‘In Memoriam’..although a monotone, [is] no more monotonous than the sounds of nature,—the murmur of ocean [etc.]. 18..Blackie (Ogilvie 1882), The sentimental monotone of Macpherson's Ossian. 1903Edin. Rev. Jan. 65 The whole story is a miracle in monotone.
3. fig. A monotonous continuance or recurrence of something.
1856Ruskin Mod. Paint. IV. 172 Its [sc. science's] history is a monotone of endurance and destruction. 1901Henley Hawthorn & Lavender 61 In a dull dense monotone of pain.
4. One tone or colour; cf. monotint.
1896Boston (Mass.) Youth's Companion 3 Dec. Advt., Single and double-page engravings in monotone.
Hence ˈmonotonely adv. = monotonically adv. 2.
1948Bochner & Martin Several Complex Variables vii. 135 If a sequence of (real) harmonic functions which are collectively bounded from above are monotonely decreasing, then either they converge uniformly to a harmonic function proper, or they diverge ‘uniformly’ to - ∞.
▪ II. monotone, v.|ˈmɒnəʊtəʊn|
[f. monotone n.]
trans. To recite, speak, or sing in one unvaried tone; to chant or intone on a single note.
1864J. W. Brooks & J. Place (title) On monotoning Prayer. 1880F. G. Lee Ch. under Q. Eliz. I. 313 The parish clerk..was duly authorized by the Primate of England..to monotone the Psalms at Mattins and Evensong. 1890Tablet 25 Oct. 655 He knelt while the Litany was monotoned. 1899Eclectic Mag. Feb. 184 He generally seized the opportunity..to monotone long extracts. 1899Daily News 7 Feb. 6/3 The choir monotone the service.
Hence ˈmonotoning vbl. n. and ppl. a.
1883Sir H. Oakeley Bible Psalter Pref. 6 The recited portion ought to approach as nearly as possible to good monotoning. 1897F. Thompson New Poems 159 The wind and I keep both one monotoning tongue. |
