既き倒とう

noun

falling suddenly; already fallen

Rare literary noun. Most often seen in the set phrase 既倒に懲りる (learning from a past failure) or in classical descriptions of something that has already collapsed.

• 「既き倒とう」は、すでに倒たおれてしまった状じょう態たいを指さす古ふるい表ひょう現げんだ。

  既倒 is an old expression referring to something that has already fallen.

• 彼かれは既き倒とうに懲こりて、同おなじ失しっ敗ぱいを繰くり返かえさなかった。

  Learning from his past failure, he did not repeat the same mistake.