oat

来自古英语ate,燕麦粒，野燕麦。

oat (n.)

Old English ate (plural atan) "grain of the oat plant, wild oats," of uncertain origin, possibly from Old Norse eitill "nodule," denoting a single grain, of unknown origin. The English word has cognates in Frisian and some Dutch dialects. Famously defined by Johnson as, "A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people."

The usual Germanic name is derived from Proto-Germanic *khabran (cognates: Old Norse hafri, Dutch haver, source of haversack). Wild oats, "crop that one will regret sowing," is first attested 1560s, in reference to the folly of sowing these instead of good grain.

That wilfull and vnruly age, which lacketh rypenes and discretion, and (as wee saye) hath not sowed all theyr wyeld Oates. [Thomas Newton, "Lemnie's Touchstone of complexions," 1576]

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Fred: I still want to sow some wild oats!
Lamont: At your age, you don't have no wild oats, you got shredded wheat.
["Sanford and Son"]

Hence, to feel (one's) oats "be lively," 1831, originally American English.

1. Oat bran became the darling of health freaks last year.

燕麦麸在去年成为保健狂人的最爱。

2. Mediterranean oat held to be progenitor of modern cultivated oat.

地中海地区燕麦,被认为是现代栽种燕麦的祖先.

3. Many people experienced a drop in their cholesterol levels when they consumed oat bran.

很多人食用燕麦麸后胆固醇水平下降了。

4. Went showed that this active agent diffused into gelatin from living oat coleoptile tips.

温特证明,这种活性物质从活的燕麦胚芽鞘扩散到凝胶中去.

5. Fluctuations in temperatures put their results oat by a mile.

由于温度起伏不定,他们的测验结果很不准确.