app

app — noun

1. a small program added to a phone, tablet, or smartwatch — usually downloaded fro

1.名詞A1
釋義

a small program added to a phone, tablet, or smartwatch — usually downloaded from an online store — for tasks like chatting with friends, ordering food, listening to music, or playing games.

例句

Imani downloaded a new music app onto her phone before the long bus ride.

download + app + onto + device

There is an app that lets parents track their child's school bus in real time.

an app that + clause

同義詞
  • mobile app

    more specific; used when the device type matters

  • application

    the full form; rare in everyday speech for phones

文法句型

download + an app

open + an app

app store

用法筆記

This is the most common everyday meaning. The phrase 'app store' (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) is fixed and almost always implies this mobile sense, not the desktop one.

常見錯誤

❌I downloaded the app in my phone.
✅I downloaded the app onto my phone.
💡use 'onto' or 'to' for adding software to a device, not 'in'.
❌Please open app and check.
✅Please open the app and check.
💡countable singular always needs an article or a possessive.

2. a computer program — short for 'application' — built around one clear job, such

2.名詞A2
釋義

a computer program — short for 'application' — built around one clear job, such as writing documents, editing photos, or sending email.

例句

Amara installed a free drawing app on her old laptop last weekend.

install + app on + device

The university gives students a video-editing app for their final projects.

app for + purpose

同義詞
  • program

    more formal and traditional; common for desktop software

  • software

    uncountable; refers to programs in general, not one item

  • application

    the full form; sounds more formal in writing

文法句型

app for + noun

app to + verb

用法筆記

Outside of a phone or tablet context, 'app' often appears next to a clue word that names the task (drawing, email, writing) so listeners know what software is meant.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a new app for my fridge.
✅I bought a new app for my computer.
💡'app' refers to software, not a physical add-on or device.

3. a short, casual word for an appetizer — a small plate of food, like nachos or so

3.名詞B2
釋義

a short, casual word for an appetizer — a small plate of food, like nachos or soup, that you eat at the start of a meal in a restaurant.

例句

Amara and her sister ordered cheesy fries as an app before their burgers arrived.

order + X as an app

Their favorite diner sells half-price apps every Tuesday after six o'clock.

plural: half-price apps

同義詞
  • appetizer

    the full word; used in writing and on menus

  • starter

    British equivalent; same meaning, different region

  • hors d'oeuvre

    more formal; usually small bites at a party, not a restaurant table

反義詞
  • main course

    the central, larger dish that follows the app

  • dessert

    the sweet dish that ends the meal

文法句型

order + an app

share + apps

用法筆記

Mainly heard in casual American speech, especially in restaurants. The fuller word 'appetizer' is preferred in writing, on menus, and in formal settings.

常見錯誤

❌For starter, I will have an app.
✅For a starter, I will have an app.
💡'starter' is a countable noun and needs an article.
❌I ate an app as my main dish.
✅I ate an app before my main dish.
💡apps come before the main course, not in place of it.