eager: [13] As its close etymological connection with vinegar and acid might suggest, the underlying sense of eager is ‘sharp’. It comes ultimately from the Indo-European base *ak- ‘sharp, pointed’, amongst whose other English descendants are acne, edge, and oxygen. It was the source of Latin ācer ‘keen, sharp’, which was used in relation both to sight, hearing, etc, and to temperamental qualities – hence ‘ardent, zealous’.
The Latin adjective (from which English also gets acid and acrid) became *acrum in post-classical times, and from this came Old French aigre (source of the -egar of vinegar), which passed into English via Anglo- Norman egre. English retained the literal senses ‘pungent, sour’ and ‘sharp-edged’ until the early 19th century. => acid, acne, acrid, acute, edge, oxygen
eager (adj.)
late 13c., "strenuous, ardent, fierce, angry," from Old French aigre "sour, acid; harsh, bitter, rough; eager greedy; lively, active, forceful," from Latin acrem (nominative acer) "keen, sharp, pointed, piercing; acute, ardent, zealous" (see acrid).
Meaning "full of keen desire" (early 14c.) seems to be peculiar to English. The English word kept a secondary meaning of "pungent, sharp-edged" till 19c. (as in Shakespeare's "The bitter clamour of two eager tongues," in "Richard II"). Related: Eagerly; eagerness. Eager beaver "glutton for work" [OED] is from 1943, U.S. armed forces slang.
雙語例句
1. He is always eager for new experiences and ever-willing to experiment.
他總是渴望擁有新的經曆，而且永遠願意嚐試。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Robert was eager to talk about life in the Army.
羅伯特很想談談陸軍生活。
來自柯林斯例句
3. At first the eager young poet was a partisan of the Revolution.
起初，那位滿腔熱忱的年輕詩人是革命的堅定支持者。
來自柯林斯例句
4. But Jules was not eager for classroom learning, he hungered for adventure.
但朱爾斯對坐在課堂裏學習並不熱心，他渴望冒險。
來自柯林斯例句
5. Under stress these people will appear to be superficial, over-eager and manipulative.