英:['tʌtʃˌwʊd]
美:['tʌtʃˌwʊd]
英:['tʌtʃˌwʊd]
美:['tʌtʃˌwʊd]
touch·wood
tuhch wUd
noun
dried, rotted wood that is easily ignited, usu. because it has been acted upon by certain fungi; tinder; punk.
1570年代,来自 touch(动词)+ wood,可能是因为被火花触碰就能点燃的概念。
The first known use of touchwood was in 1575
1 To-day I sat down on a tree- stump at the skirt of a little strip of planting, and thoughtlessly began to dig out the touchwood with an end of twig.
2 Then reluctantly he followed his silent companion to the mouth of the tunnel-like cavern, where a bigger piece of touchwood was lit, and they commenced the return journey.
3 Searching in his doublet he drew forth a tinder box and touchwood.
4 Bensington became aware of him, looking now very gaunt and horrible in the pale beginnings of the daylight, hurrying past with his lower jaw projected and a flaring torch of touchwood in his hand.
5 There was no moisture there, and his mouth was as dry as touchwood.
6 And all we can see before us only so much dust and touchwood.
7 Everyone of them 'as 'ad their brains cut out and chunks of rotten touchwood put in the place of it.
8 The local remedy was a drastic one: it was to place a piece of lighted touchwood on the most inflamed part, and to leave it there till the flesh was burnt to the nerve!
9 And somewhere, in side pockets or hanging down his back, is his skipertogan—a skin bag with amulet against evil, matches, touchwood, and a scrap of pemmican.
10 They kindled fire by striking together a piece of iron pyrites and touchwood, and never travelled without a small bag containing such materials.
11 Below, among the powdery “touchwood” which lines the floor of this living hut, great fungi push their coloured heads up to the light.
12 The “touchwood” smoulders and smokes immensely, and a great black column rises in the air.
13 A minute, two minutes, three minutes, five passed and then a spark appeared in the touchwood, and following it came a tiny flame.
14 Within the House his captors searched him, coming upon the tinder box, touchwood, and Winter's watch—things which were to bear heavy evidence against the prisoner.
15 “It’s as dry as touchwood and will burn like wildfire!”
16 The assailants could readily fire it, and it would burn like so much touchwood.
17 “Yes,” said Brazier, as he broke out a piece of the luminous touchwood, which gleamed in the darkness when it was screened from the fire: “that’s a kind of phosphoric fungus, boys.”
18 As he lifted his smouldering stick of touchwood and blew on it, he caught sight of me for the first time.
19 "So be it," said the others; and Amelia wore the touchwood hat, and went up with them to the Mary Meads.
20 Then he drew a little of the tinder-dry grass from the roof, and by means of his flint, steel, and touchwood, soon lit a fire on the cold and barren hearth.