必学词汇:牛津在线词典5月新词新义
爱思英语编者按:任何一种语言都处在不断的变化之中,语言在其发展过程中会不断收录新词新义。ship, bikeable, time suck, snacky……这些都是牛津在线词典五月份收录的新词新义。英语达人必学技能get√!一起来看看吧! The latest quarterly update to Oxford Dictionaries sees a wide range of words, definitions, and senses added to the dictionary. Here is a selection of some of the new words and senses from this quarter’s update: ship Ship was originally an abbreviation of relationship, and refers to a romantic relationship between two characters in a fictional series – often one that is supported by fans rather than depicted in the series itself. You might find these relationships portrayed in fan fiction or online discussion; those who have a particular interest in a particular ship are known as shippers, which is another word entering Oxford Dictionaries Online in this update. Support for one of these relationships is described with the verb ship – for example, 'I will always ship Sherlock and Molly'. thing Thing is far from a new word, but a new sense has developed over recent years. Describing something as a thing is now used informally to indicate that something is an established or genuine phenomenon or practice – often registering surprise or incredulity. For example: 'he looks like he's wearing boxers underneath his trunks (is that a thing?). bikeable Several words from the world of cycling are included in the May update. The adjective bikeable is used to describe an environment which is suitable or safe for cyclists – whether that be a city centre which has cycle lanes or a terrain which won't endanger life and limb. sportive & gran fondo The other cycling-related words which have entered Oxford Dictionaries online refer to various types of long-distance cycling events. Sportive (an abbreviation of cyclosportive) is a long-distance road cycling event in which a large number of cyclists ride a marked route, and is also known as a gran fondo – a term, from Italian, which is also included in this update. audax Audax has also been added; like the sportive, this is a long-distance road cycling event, but participants must negotiate the route within a specified period without exceeding a specified speed. The word derives from the same root as audacious, perhaps as an indication that the participating cyclists are bold and daring. time suck If you ever get the feeling that your life is increasingly busy, we’ve added a few words which might come in handy. Time suck is an informal term, most common in the USA, used to describe an inefficient or unproductive activity or a waste of time. That is, something which seems (figuratively) to suck up time: ‘The Internet can be a colossal time suck.’ crazy While crazy was already in our dictionaries, unsurprisingly, we have now added another part of speech. You might well have heard somebody describe themselves as 'crazy busy', and it is this use: crazy as a submodifier. In this case, it simply intensifies the adjective – suggesting extreme busyness. snacky We'll finish with a word which might come in handy more often – the adjective snacky which, along with the comparative snackier and the superlative snackiest, has just been added to Oxford Dictionaries Online. It can be used for both the food suitable for eating between meals and to mean slightly hungry. So if reading this article has made you snacky, go ahead and get something snacky. |