| 释义 |
coverture|ˈkʌvətjʊə(r)|
Forms: 3 kuuertur, 4 couertor, 4–6 cou-, covertour(e, 4–7 couerture, 5 couertowre, (6 couverture, Sc. coveratour), 8 covarture, 3– coverture.
[a. OF. coverture (12th c.; now couverture) = Pr. and Sp. cobertura:—L. type *coopertūra, f. ppl. stem of cooperīre to cover: see -ure. Early instances in -or, -ur, -our were prob. a. OF. covertor, couvretoir:—L. coopertōrium covering; but on the mutescence of final -e these ceased to be distinguishable from the word in -ture.]
1. Anything used to cover. Formerly used of the cover or lid of a cup or dish; the cover of a book; the cover of a letter; now only in the general and usually collective sense of ‘covering’.
c1450Bk. Curtasye 754 in Babees Bk. (1868) 324 Wo so euere he takes þat mete to bere, Schalle not so hardy þo couertoure rere. Ibid. 791 The keruer..Vnkouers þe cup..Into þe couertoure wyn he powres owt. 1460–70Bk. Quintessence 5 Seele þe vessel with his couertour. 1509Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 1 Full goodly bounde in pleasant couerture. 1540Morysine Vives' Introd. Wysd. B v b, The bodye..is nothing els but a coverture and a thing bound to serve the soule. 1587Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1374/1 For such letters as came vnto me..they were inclosed vnder a couerture from Fulgeam. 1592R. D. Hypnerotomachia F ij b, Strong Okes..and browne Hasils..with the greene couerture of their innumerable leaues. 1697tr. C'tess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 83 Her hair was white, which she hid under a Coverture of black Lace. 1702W. J. Bruyn's Voy. Levant xxxvi. 140 This Tomb is quite naked without any Coverture or Balisters. 1860Rawlinson Herodotus ix. lxxxii. IV. 454 The couches..daintily decked out with their rich covertures. 1873Browning Red Cotton Night-Cap Country 1061 Herbage and floral coverture bedeck Yon splintered mass.
fig.1593Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iv. ii. 13 In Nights Couerture..Wee may surprize and take him at our pleasure. 1611W. Barksted Hiren (1876) 79 He stumbled home, In the darke couerture of shady night.
†b. in coverture: covered. Obs.
1545Primer Hen. VIII. Matins, Keep our eyes in coverture From all evil and vain pleasure.
†2. A bed-cover, coverlet, or quilt. Obs.
(App. the earliest sense in Eng.)
a1225Ancr. R. 214 Schulen beon of wurmes his kurtel and his kuuertur. a1300K. Horn 716 He liþ in bure, Under coverture. c1340Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 855 Couertorez ful curious, with comlych panez. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 6955 Þi covertoure on þe sene Salle be vermyn fulle felle and kene. a1450Knt. de la Tour (1868) 110 The childe deyde bi cause..the childe was ouer charged with couerture. c1477Caxton Jason 66 To lye on the bedde of tribulacion under the couertour of right mortal distresse. 1483― Gold. Leg. 126/1 A moche riche couertour for hys bedde. 1539Inventories 45 (Jam.) Four coveratouris of grene taffatiis stikkit. 1697tr. C'tess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 45 The Beds are without Curtains, the Covertures of Cotton.
†3. Covering for the body, clothing; a garment. Also of a horse: Housings, trappings, caparison.
c1300Thrush & Night. 119 in Hazl. E.P.P. (1864) I. 55 Hoe fedde a crupel in hire boure, And helede him with covertour. c1340Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 602 Þe cropore, & þe couertor, acorded wyth þe arsounez. c1400Mandeville (1839) xxii. 241, 4 grete Destreres..Covered with riche Covertoures. 1474Caxton Chesse 152 Vestementes and couertours necessarye vnto hys body. 1555Eden Decades 208 The men go vtterly naked without any..couerture at al. 1605Camden Rem. (1637) 192 Other thinke that beasts skinnes..was mans first coverture. 1627Lisander & Cal. x. 210 Without any caparison or other coverture but his saddle.
4. An overhead covering; † a roof, a canopy; the tilt of a waggon. Now rare.
1382Wyclif Ex. xxxvi. 19 He made the couertour of the tabernacle of skynnes of wethers. c1430Lydg. Bochas i. xviii. (1554) 34 a, The sterred heauen is thy couerture. 1532–3Act 24 Hen. VIII, c. 10 Decay of the couertures of thatched houses. 1632Lithgow Trav. ix. (1682) 384 The admirable Fishponds of Lucullus, (the Coverture of which, is supported by forty eight natural Pillers of stony Earth). 1856Mrs. Browning Aur. Leigh iii. 1094 Through the waggon's coverture.
5. Protective covering; shelter; refuge. Also fig.
c1450MS. Cantab. Ff. i. 6, f. 151 (Halliw.) To kepe hym under the coverture Of trowthe and of connyng. 1556Abp. Parker Ps. cxl, My closely couerture. 1579Spenser Sheph. Cal. July 26 Agaynst his cruell scortching heate, Where hast thou couerture? 1632Lithgow Trav. ii. (1682) 50 To seek the coverture of some Rock. 1665Manley Grotius' Low C. Warres 609 That he would assist those miserable Wretches, and take them into Coverture. 1837M. J. Chapman in Blackw. Mag. XLII. 550 By Him, whose banner is our coverture.
6. Concealing covering; disguise, veil. Also fig.
c1374Chaucer Boeth. v. iii. 159 Þilke notificaciouns þat ben yhidd vndir þe couertours of soþe. c1400Rom. Rose 1588 Ryght as a myrrour openly Shewith alle thing that stondith therby..Withouten ony coverture. 1594Carew Huarte's Exam. Wits xiii. (1596) 205 The wiles which come vailed with anie couerture. 1599Marston Sco. Villanie i. ii, To make Iehoua but a couerture, To shade ranck filth. 1625W. B. True School War 7 The specious Mantle, and couerture of Religion. a1677Barrow Serm. (1683) II. xix. 273 Shrowded under the coverture of other Persons and Names. 1856G. H. Boker Anne Boleyn v. vi, I'll hide thy name Under the coverture of even lines.
7. fig. Concealment; dissimulation, deceit, covert conduct.
1393Gower Conf. III. 328 They..faile of that they seche By coverture and sleight of speche. c1400Beryn 1147 Kepte well hir purpose vndir coverture. 1591Spenser M. Hubbard 683 Throughly arm'd against such coverture.
†8. fig.
a. A pretext, pretence;
b. a justification, a defence of conduct. Obs.
c1440Generydes 4596 To sle hym vterly, With fals tresone vnder a coverture. c1477Caxton Jason 95 b, He folowed Medea under the couerture of will to go..to the temple. 1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par., Matt. i. 22 Under this unhonest couerture. 1583Golding Calvin on Deut. cxvi. 710 Nay not then, when wee haue just cause and couerture.
9. Law. The condition or position of a woman during her married life, when she is by law under the authority and protection of her husband. Also in phr. under coverture (lit. and fig.).
1542–3Act 34–5 Hen. VIII, c. 22 The freholde of his wife, during the couerture between them. 1587Golding De Mornay xvi. (1617) 285 If the Soule had held her selfe in awe, and onder couerture. 1642Perkins Prof. Bk. i. §20 10 This grant shall not bind the husband dureing the coverture. 1708J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. i. iii. v. (1743) 179 If a freeman marry a bondwoman, she is also free during the coverture. 1817W. Selwyn Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4) II. 698 B. afterwards died under coverture, no entry having been made on her behalf to avoid the fine. 1868M. E. Braddon Dead Sea Fr. II. vii, His accomplished wife could scarcely be subjected to..imprisonment..while sheltered by the ægis of her coverture.
b. humorously said of a married man.
1836Dickens Sk. Boz, Mr. Watkins Tottle, I pleaded my coverture, being a married man.
10. Ornith. = covert 5. rare. [F. couvertures.]
1861Hulme tr. Moquin-Tandon ii. iii. 211 The great wing and tail feathers..and the covertures which protect the base of the latter. |
