| 释义 |
▪ I. † coy, n.1 Obs. exc. dial.|kɔɪ|
Also 6–7 quoy(e.
[a. Du. kooi, formerly côye, in same sense, a parallel form to MDu. couwe = MHG. kouwe, köuwe:—WGer. cawia, cauwia, a. L. cavea hollow, enclosure, cage.]
1. A place constructed for entrapping ducks or other wild-fowl; a decoy.
1621[see coy-duck]. 1634–5Brereton Trav. (1844) 3 A convenient place in the remotest part of the marsh for a coy. Ibid. 172 He advised me..to bring a spring into my coy. a1670Hacket Abp. Williams ii. 133 (D.) Until the great mallard be catch't in the coy. a1825in Forby Voc. E. Anglia. 1877in Gloss. Holderness 46. 1877 E. Peacock N.W. Linc. Gloss., Coy, a decoy for taking wildfowl.
2. A lobster-trap. dial.
1733in W. Rye Cromer (1889) 72 In 1733 Richard Ellis..granted licences to erect ‘lobster coys’ off Cromer. a1825Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Coy..2. A coop for lobsters.
3. = coy-duck. Also fig.
1629Gaule Holy Madn. 381 His mony flies out (like Stales or Quoyes) to fetch in more. 1659Lady Alimony iii. vii, I have most fortunately made their pages our coyes.
4. attrib. and Comb., as coy-bird, coy-dog, coy-house, coy-man, coy-pool. Also coy-duck.
1634–5Brereton Trav. (1844) 44 John my coyman reported it. Ibid. 171 (Bridgewater) About half a mile hence is Orion's coy, which is placed near a highway. This is a large spacious coy-pool..There are five pipes in this coy as in mine. Ibid. 172 None so little, nor seeming so nimble as my coy-dogs. Ibid., The coy-house is larger than mine. 1639J. Saltmarsh Pract. Policy 54 They will invite a returne of their like, and as quoy favours bring home more of their kinde to you. 1657M. Lawrence Use & Pract. Faith 534 The Devil hath his coy-birds..to draw others into his net.
▪ II. † coy, n.2 Obs.—1
[Seems to go with coy v.2: but may be from coy v.1]
Encouragement of an animal by clapping the hands or the like.
a1400Octouian 1344 No man may on that stede ryde But a bloman be hym bysyde..For he hym maketh..A nyse coye [rime Troye]..The coye ys with hys handys two, Clappynde togedre to and fro.
▪ III. † coy, n.3 Obs.
[a. F. coy ‘a sinke’, or as fosse coye ‘a priuie, jakes, house of office’, Cotgr. (lit. ‘quiet or retired ditch’.)]
? A sink.
1620Markham Farew. Husb. (1625) 68 You shal in the lowest part of the ground (either ioyning vpon some other spoyled ground, or vpon the Sea wall or banke) place a Coy which may either cast the water into the other ground, or else ouer the wall and banke into the Sea.
▪ IV. coy, a.|kɔɪ|
Forms: 4–6 coie, koie, 5–6 koy, 5 koye, 6 Sc. quoy(e, 4– coy.
[a. F. coi (fem. coite) earlier quei = Pr. quetz:—L. *quētus, from quiētus at rest, still, quiet.]
†1. Quiet, still. Chiefly in to bear, hold, keep (oneself) coy. Obs.
c1330R. Brunne (1810) 281 Cambinhoy beres him coy. c1380Sir Ferumb. 2286 Roland cryede an heȝ..Many sarsynz þan huld hem coye. c1450Merlin 318 His felowes..were stille and koy that seiden not o worde. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 540 Rycht closlie than tha held thame all full quoy. a1560Rolland Crt. Venus iv. 163 The court was Coy, commandit was silence. 1632Lithgow Trav. iv. (1682) 158 Their Superiours, before whom they..keep great silence, and are wonderful coy during the time of their presence.
†b. of things. Obs.
1513Douglas æneis ii. ix. 80 Secrete throwgangis ar schawin, wont to be quoy. 1593Drayton Eclogues vii. 43 These things beene all to coy for mee, Whose youth is spent in jollity.
†c. Cf. a quiet hint.
1579Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 52 Euphues, though he perceiued hir coy nippe, seemed not to care for it.
2. Not demonstrative; shyly reserved or retiring.
a. Of a person. Displaying modest backwardness or shyness (sometimes with emphasis on the displaying); not responding readily to familiar advances; now esp. of a girl or young woman.
c1386Chaucer Clerk's Prol. 2 Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde Were newe spoused, sittynge at the bord. c1440Promp. Parv. 86 Coy, or sobyr, sobrius, modestus. 1562J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 43 She was to them, as koy as a crokers mare. 1592Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 96 'Tis but a kiss I beg: why art thou coy? 1622Wither Philarete, Juven. (1633) 669 That coy one in the winning, Proves a true one being won. 1704Pope Windsor For. 19 As some coy nymph her lover's warm address Nor quite indulges nor can quite repress. 1865Trollope Belton Est. x. 114 Why should she hesitate, and play the coy girl?
b. of actions, behaviour, looks, etc.
1590Spenser F.Q. i. ii. 27 He feining seemely merth, And shee coy lookes. 1593Shakes. Lucr. 669 Love's coy touch. 1667Milton P.L. iv. 310 Subjection..Yeilded with coy submission, modest pride. 1720Gay Poems (1745) II. 165 The cruel nymph well knows to feign..coy looks, and cold disdain. 1825Scott Betrothed ii, What value were there in the love of the maiden, were it yielded without coy delay?
c. of animals; and fig.
1684R. H. Sch. Recreat. 80 If he [the hawk] be froward and coy; when he kills, reward him not as usually. 1821Clare Vill. Minstr. i. 14 The coy rabbit ventured from his den. 1880Mrs. Forrester Roy & V. I. 104 Sleep was almost as coy a visitant with her as with her lover.
d. transf. Of a place or thing: Withdrawn from view or access, inaccessible, secluded.
1670–98R. Lassels Voy. Italy I. 83 The Bibliotheca Ambrosiana..is not so coy as the others, which scarce let themselves be seen. a1767Grainger (J.), The Nile's coy source. 1830Scott Demonol. vi. 185 Pursuers of exact science to its coy retreats.
e. Const. of or inf.: Reserved, backward.
1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 37 If good men be coy of their counsell. 1616R. C. Times' Whistle v. 1803 A true joviall boy, And one that of his purse is nothing coy. 1633P. Fletcher Pisc. Ecl. v. xiv, Unworthy they of art, who of their art are coy. 1633G. Herbert Temple, Unkindnesse i, Lord, make me coy and tender to offend. 1859Geo. Eliot A. Bede 112 And her very vanity made her more coy of speech.
f. Unwilling to commit oneself (about a matter); archly reticent or evasive.
1961Mod. Romances Nov. 77 (Brown corpus) Ken got coy and wouldn't make any promises. 1978J. Morris Oxford iii. xi. 139 Oxford is a little coy about her possessions, and often keeps them cannily hidden away. 1984Financial Times 21 Mar. 6/3 Mr Pietrzak remains coy about prospective partners, although Japanese companies have been involved in talks as well as Fiat. 1986Financial Times 25 Jan. (Weekend Suppl.) p. iii/5 If the Socialist Government is still pretending to be against denationalisation, the heads of the nationalised companies are not so coy.
†3. Of distant or disdainful demeanour. Also quasi-adv. Obs.
1581J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 67 b, Looke not so coye upon us poore Civilians I pray you, because we geve our endevour to learne y⊇ Statutes of Christian Religion. 1591Spenser Virg. Gnat 494 A yoweman..Their match in glorie, mightie, fierce, and coy. 1596Shakes. Tam. Shr. ii. i. 245, I finde you passing gentle: 'Twas told me you were rough, and coy, and sullen. 1611Cotgr., Mespriseresse, a coy, squeamish, or scornefull dame. 1665Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1677) 89 He first goes to Prince Perwees..whom..he found so strangely altered, so coy and stately.
†4. to make it coy: to affect reserve, shyness, or disdain. Obs.
a1529Skelton El. Rummyng 587 She made it as koy As a lege de moy. ― Magnyf. 1262 The knave wolde make it koy, and he cowde. 1530Palsgr. 624/2, I make it coye, or nyce..je fais lestrange.
†5. Lascivious. (? an error; but cf. coy v.1 3.)
1570Levins Manip. 214/14 To be coy, lasciuire, coire. Ibid., Coy, lasciuus, salax.
▪ V. coy, v.1|kɔɪ|
Also 4 koy, 7 quoy.
[f. coy a.: or perh. originally an aphetic form of acoy, accoy, OF. acoier vb.]
†1. trans. To render quiet; to calm, appease.
c1374Chaucer Troylus ii. 752 To..koy hem, that thei sey non harme of me. 1430Lydg. Chron. Troy Prol., He coyed also bothe beast, foule, and tree. 1530Palsgr. 488/2, I coye, I styll or apayse.
†2. To stroke or touch soothingly, pat, caress.
1340–70Alisaunder 1175 Hee coies hym as he kan with his clene handes. 1575Turberv. Faulconrie 133 Coy her as muche as you can devise. 1590Shakes. Mids. N. iv. i. 2 While I thy amiable cheekes doe coy. 1645Bp. Hall Remed. Discontents §23 Like a dog, which being coyed, and stroked, follows us at the heels. 1674N. Cox Gentl. Recreation ii. (1706) 74 Be very mindful of coying them [Sparrow hawks] as much as you can.
†3.
a. To blandish, coax, court, gain over by caresses or coaxing. Obs.
c1490Promp. Parv. 86 (MS. K.), Coyyn, blandior. 1567Turberv. Ovid's Epist. 83 Sir Paris gone to Greece, faire Helena to coy. 1570–6― To late acquainted Friend, As when he [Iove] coyde the closed nunne in towre. 16..Beaumont & Fl. Bonduca iv. iii, Who shall march out before ye, coy'd and courted By all the mistresses of war.
†b. To coax, entice, allure into, from, etc. Obs. (Here, app. associated with coy n.1, decoy v.)
1634Rainbow Labour (1635) 29 A wiser generation..who have the Art to coy the fonder sort into their nets.
†c. intr. to coy with: to coax, blandish.
1660–1Pepys Diary 7 Mar., With good words I thought to coy with him.
4. a. intr. To act or behave coyly; to affect shyness or reserve. Chiefly in to coy it. arch.
1583Stanyhurst æneis (Arb.) 139 If she coye, that kendleth thee fondling loouer his onset. c1594Kyd Sp. Trag. ii. in Hazl. Dodsley V. 47 Although she coy it, as becomes her kind. 1625Massinger New Way iii. ii, When He comes to woo you, see you do not coy it: This mincing modesty has spoil'd many a match. 1691Dryden K. Arthur iii. ii, What, coying it again! 1713Rowe J. Shore 11, Thus to coy it! With one who knows you too! 1828Scott F.M. Perth xi, What! you coy it, my nymph of the high-way?
†b. To disdain. Obs. rare.
1607Shakes. Cor. v. i. 6 If he..coy'd To heare Cominius speake, Ile keepe at home.
5. fig. To withdraw itself, recede into the background.
1864Blackmore C. Vaughan lxiv, Of all the fronds and plumes and coyings, nothing so withdrew and coyed. 1866― Crad. Nowell i, A massive wood..coying and darkening here and there.
6. trans. To disguise or slight in a demure manner. rare.
1873Trollope Eustace Diamonds I. xv. 198 She throws from her..all idea of coying her love. She would leap at his neck if he were there. 1874― Way we live Now I. xix. 124 Do not coy your love for me if you can feel it. 1880― Duke's Children III. viii. 88 She had coyed his love, so that he had been justified in thinking himself free from any claim in that direction.
Hence † ˈcoying vbl. n.1, fondling, coaxing, blandishing.
1580Lyly Euphues & Eng. (Arb.) 277 We esteeme it [their old wooing and singing] barbarous: and were they liuing to heare our newe quoyings..they would tearme it foolish. 1603Drayton Odes vi. 46 The Mothers o'r-joying, Makes by much coying The Child so untoward. 1887F. W. Bourdillon Aucassin & Nicolette 3 Sweet thy kiss, and sweet thy coying! None could hate thee, Nicolette!
▪ VI. † coy, v.2 Obs.
[See coy n.2]
To instigate or stir up to action. Hence † ˈcoying vbl. n.2
c1440Promp. Parv. 86 Coynge, or styrynge to werkyn [v. rr. sterynge to done a werke, styringe], instigacio. |
