tout: [14] The etymological notion underlying tout is of ‘sticking out, projecting’. It goes back ultimately to the prehistoric Germanic base *tūt- ‘project’, whose other descendants include Dutch tuit ‘spout’. It is assumed to have produced an Old English *tūtian, but it does not turn up in the written record until the Middle English period, by which time the notion of ‘poking out’ had moved on to ‘peeking’ or ‘peeping’. It progressed further to ‘spy on’, but the modern ‘look for business’ did not emerge until the 18th century.
tout (v.)
1700, thieves' cant, "to act as a lookout, spy on," from Middle English tuten "to peep, peer," probably from a variant of Old English totian "to stick out, peep, peer," from Proto-Germanic *tut- "project" (cognates: Dutch tuit "sprout, snout," Middle Dutch tute "nipple, pap," Middle Low German tute "horn, funnel," Old Norse tota "teat, toe of a shoe"). The sense developed to "look out for jobs, votes, customers, etc., to try to get them" (1731), then "praise highly in an attempt to sell" (1920). Related: Touted; touting.
雙語例句
1. He visited Thailand and Singapore to tout for investment.
他訪問了泰國與新加坡，以期招攬投資。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Minicabs are not allowed to tout for hire on the streets.
小型出租車禁止在街上兜攬生意。
來自柯林斯例句
3. It was a lie, tout court.
那隻不過是謊言。
來自《權威詞典》
4. He called me Jones tout court.
他簡單地叫我瓊斯.
來自《現代英漢綜合大詞典》
5. Ils ne touchaient plus ce sujet de tout 1'apr è s - midi.