area
area — noun
1. a section of a town, country, or piece of land that you can think of as one plac
a section of a town, country, or piece of land that you can think of as one place because of where it is or what it is like.
Sami grew up in a quiet rural area outside of Kyoto.
rural / urban / residential area collocations
Heavy rain has flooded several areas in the south of England.
areas + in/of [place]
The mountain area near the border is famous for its hot springs.
Police have closed off the area where the accident happened.
Hiro and his family moved to a safer area after the earthquake.
- region
larger and more formal than 'area'; often used for parts of a country
- district
an officially named part of a city or country
- neighborhood
a smaller residential part of a town where people live
文法句型
the [adjective] area
an area of [country/city]
用法筆記
Often modified by an adjective describing the type of place: 'rural / urban / industrial / residential / coastal area'. Distinguish from sense 3 (a spot on a surface) — sense 1 always refers to a chunk of geography.
常見錯誤
2. the part of a place that is close to where you are or where someone lives, used
the part of a place that is close to where you are or where someone lives, used when talking about nearby shops, people, or events.
Are there any good Thai restaurants in the area?
in the area = nearby
We were in your area last weekend, so we dropped by for tea.
in your area
The new bakery has become very popular with families in the area.
If you are ever in the area, please come and visit us.
- neighborhood
more often used for the streets right around your home
- vicinity
more formal; common in news and notices
文法句型
in the area
in your/our/their area
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'in the area' or 'in [possessive] area'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is relative to the speaker's location, while sense 1 names a specific region.
常見錯誤
3. a specific part of a room, building, body, or thing that is set aside or noticed
a specific part of a room, building, body, or thing that is set aside or noticed for a particular reason, such as a play area, a sore area on your back, or the work area of a desk.
Children must stay inside the play area while their parents shop.
play / dining / smoking area
The doctor pressed gently on the painful area below my ribs.
painful / sore area on the body
Nia cleaned the area around the sink before starting to cook.
Smoking is only allowed in the marked areas behind the building.
There is a small dark area on the screen of my laptop.
文法句型
a [adjective] area of [the room/body/object]
用法筆記
Usually modified by an adjective or noun that names the function or feature: 'reception area, dining area, sore area, dark area'. Distinguish from sense 1 (geographic) — sense 3 sits inside a building, on a body, or on an object.
常見錯誤
4. a particular subject, type of work, or part of someone's life that a person stud
a particular subject, type of work, or part of someone's life that a person studies, works in, or is responsible for.
Dr. Rashida's main area of research is climate change in coastal cities.
area of research / study / expertise
Marketing is not really my area, so please ask Yael.
[noun] is not my area
The new manager has a lot of experience in the area of finance.
Communication is one area where many new teachers need help.
Education and health are two key areas of government spending.
文法句型
area of [noun]
an area of expertise / interest / research
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'of + noun' (area of expertise, area of concern) or 'where + clause' (areas where we can improve). Use sense 4 — not sense 1 — for non-physical things like subjects, jobs, or skills.
常見錯誤
5. how much flat space a shape, room, or section of ground takes up, worked out fro
how much flat space a shape, room, or section of ground takes up, worked out from how long and how wide it is, and stated in units like square metres or square kilometres.
The students learned how to find the area of a triangle in math class today.
find / calculate the area of [shape]
Our garden has an area of about forty square metres.
an area of X square metres
Greenland is huge in area but has very few people living there.
The new playground covers an area twice the size of the old one.
文法句型
the area of [shape]
[number] square metres in area
用法筆記
Common patterns: 'the area of [shape]', 'an area of [number] square metres', or '[country] is X square kilometres in area'. Distinguish from sense 1 (a place) — sense 5 is a measurement, almost always paired with numbers and units.
常見錯誤
6. in football (soccer), the rectangular zone marked on the pitch right in front of
in football (soccer), the rectangular zone marked on the pitch right in front of each goal, where a foul by the defending team gives the other side a penalty kick.
The defender pulled the striker's shirt inside the area, and the referee gave a penalty.
inside / in the area = penalty box
Sven shot from just outside the area and hit the crossbar.
outside the area
The goalkeeper is only allowed to handle the ball within his own area.
Brazil's forwards spent the whole second half attacking inside Spain's area.
- penalty area
the full, formal name
- box
another short, informal name used by fans and commentators
文法句型
in / inside / outside the area
用法筆記
A short form of 'penalty area', used in football commentary and conversation. Almost always with 'the' and a preposition: 'in / inside / outside / around the area'. Not used for other sports.