英语词汇torpedo的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

torpedo. Torpedo can mean several things. The electric ray, or torpedo fish, was the first “torpedo,” taking its name from the Latin torpere, “to be stiff or numb,” in reference to the ray’s numbing sting. In World War I, naval men named the self- propelled mines called torpedoes after the fish because the mines resembled the actions of the electric ray, stunning all that came into contact with them. Yet torpedo meant a percus- sion shell before this, in 1786, and described a stationary ex- plosive mine, the kind Admiral Farragut spoke of when he said, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” The torpedoes Far- ragut disdained, were in fact, beer kegs filled with powder.

词汇	torpedo
词源	torpedo. Torpedo can mean several things. The electric ray, or torpedo fish, was the first “torpedo,” taking its name from the Latin torpere, “to be stiff or numb,” in reference to the ray’s numbing sting. In World War I, naval men named the self- propelled mines called torpedoes after the fish because the mines resembled the actions of the electric ray, stunning all that came into contact with them. Yet torpedo meant a percus- sion shell before this, in 1786, and described a stationary ex- plosive mine, the kind Admiral Farragut spoke of when he said, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” The torpedoes Far- ragut disdained, were in fact, beer kegs filled with powder.
随便看	talkie talking water river talk the talk walk the walk talk through one-s hat talk turkey tall dark and handsome tall oil tally tallyho tam tamale tammany tam-o-shanter tandem tangerine tank tannhauser tantalize tantony pig taper off taps tar tara tarantula ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay