body
body — verb
1. to make an idea, feeling, or quality take clear shape in a person, object, perfo
to make an idea, feeling, or quality take clear shape in a person, object, performance, or piece of work.
The bronze statue bodies the town's grief after the mine disaster.
body + abstract noun in monument context
In her final speech, Priya bodied years of anger and patience.
body + abstract feeling through speech
The architect bodied hope into the school with bright open rooms.
At the memorial, the dance bodied the family's hope of return.
The mural bodies the workers' pride in bright blocks of color.
- embody
the closest and more usual formal verb for showing an idea in a person or thing
- express
broader and more everyday; it does not always suggest visible form
- represent
can be more symbolic and less vivid than 'body'
- give shape to
stresses making something abstract more concrete
文法句型
body + abstract noun
body + abstract noun + in + material/object/work
body + abstract noun + into + place/design/work
用法筆記
Mostly literary or used in criticism. The object is usually an abstract noun such as grief, hope, or anger, and the verb often adds 'in' or 'into' before the thing that gives that idea visible form.
常見錯誤
body — noun
1. all the physical parts of someone or of an animal, taken together.
all the physical parts of someone or of an animal, taken together.
After the race, Ravi washed his whole body in cold water.
whole body for the full physical form
Mud covered the dog's body after it rolled beside the river.
The nurse checked Hana's body for burns after the kitchen fire.
A red rash spread across the baby's body during the night.
2. the central section of a living thing, apart from the head and often apart from
the central section of a living thing, apart from the head and often apart from the limbs.
The doll's body was soft, but its head and hands were plastic.
contrasts body with head and hands
Anya sewed the teddy bear's body before adding the head and legs.
The armour covered the knight's body, but his arms stayed bare.
Only the body of the statue survived the fire in the museum.
用法筆記
Common when the head or limbs are mentioned separately, especially with toys, statues, or anatomy descriptions.
3. the remains of a person or animal after death.
the remains of a person or animal after death.
Police found the body near the old bridge at sunrise.
body meaning a dead person
The hospital released the body to Mei's family that evening.
Snow covered the climber's body before the rescue team arrived.
A white sheet lay over the body in the small room.
用法筆記
Often used in police, hospital, and news contexts. In more respectful writing, people may prefer 'remains' or 'the deceased' instead.
4. the outer metal part of a vehicle, not the engine or wheels.
the outer metal part of a vehicle, not the engine or wheels.
Salt from winter roads had damaged the truck's body.
vehicle body = outer shell
Workers painted the plane's body bright yellow for the air show.
A long dent ran along the left side of the car's body.
The van's body was solid, but the engine was gone.
用法筆記
Usually appears in repair, painting, or design talk about vehicles.
5. a person, especially when people are being counted for work or some other purpos
a person, especially when people are being counted for work or some other purpose.
We need two more bodies to move the piano safely downstairs.
bodies = people available to help
The store needed an extra body during the holiday rush.
Only a few bodies stayed to stack chairs after the concert.
The coach sent fresh bodies onto the court after halftime.
用法筆記
Often used when counting people needed for a task. It can sound impersonal, so ordinary 'person' is safer in neutral speech.
6. a close-fitting woman's top that also fastens underneath between the legs.
a close-fitting woman's top that also fastens underneath between the legs.
Priya wore a black body under her skirt for dance class.
body as a women's bodysuit
The shop displayed lace bodies beside bras, silk shirts, and belts.
A cream body looked smoother than a blouse under the jacket.
The costume designer chose a silver body for the circus act.
用法筆記
In modern everyday English, 'bodysuit' is often clearer than the shorter fashion-shop word 'body'.
7. an organized set of people treated as one unit because they act, decide, or work
an organized set of people treated as one unit because they act, decide, or work together.
The student body voted for longer library hours on Friday.
student body for all students as one group
An international body sent doctors to the island after the storm.
The board entered the hall in a body after lunch.
A medical body warned parents about fake online treatments.
- organization
broader and not always treated as a single decision-making group
- association
often a formal membership group
- committee
usually a smaller group with a specific task
- individual
stresses one person acting alone rather than as part of a group
文法句型
body of + people
in a body
用法筆記
Often modified by words such as student, governing, or international. The phrase in a body means together in an official group, not separately.
8. a substantial amount of things, ideas, or information seen together as one whole
a substantial amount of things, ideas, or information seen together as one whole.
A body of evidence linked the fire to faulty kitchen wiring.
collocation: body of evidence
The museum holds a large body of letters from the war.
Years of travel gave Priya a body of stories for her book.
The team collected a body of data from village health clinics.
- collection
more general and common in everyday speech
- mass
stresses size more than organization
- bulk
often emphasizes most of something rather than a gathered set
- trickle
suggests only a very small amount arriving slowly
文法句型
body of + evidence/data/work
用法筆記
Usually follows of and names material gathered or viewed together, especially evidence, research, data, or work. Distinguish from noun/9 WATER AREA, which refers only to water.
9. a wide stretch of water considered as one natural area.
a wide stretch of water considered as one natural area.
Fishing boats crossed the body of water before sunrise.
collocation: body of water
A narrow road divides the two bodies of water.
Fog covered the body of water behind the hotel at dawn.
From the hill, Noa saw one body of water after another.
- stretch of water
a close everyday equivalent
- expanse
more literary and stresses width
- waters
often used in plural for an area of sea or lake
文法句型
body of water
用法筆記
Most often appears in geography, travel, or news writing. Unlike noun/8 LARGE QUANTITY, this sense is limited to lakes, seas, and other stretches of water.
10. the central section of a text, building, vehicle, or similar thing, not the begi
the central section of a text, building, vehicle, or similar thing, not the beginning, ending, or extra material.
The body of the email explained why the meeting moved.
body of a text = main written part
Guests waited in the body of the church during the storm.
Most facts appear in the body of the report, not the notes.
The editor cut two pages from the body of the article.
文法句型
body of + report/building/vehicle
用法筆記
Usually followed by of and the thing named: the body of a report, church, or bus. Distinguish from noun/8 LARGE QUANTITY, which means a collected set rather than a central part.
11. a single piece of matter with its own shape, separate from what is around it.
a single piece of matter with its own shape, separate from what is around it.
Astronomers found a rocky body near the edge of the solar system.
celestial body in science writing
Under the microscope, the salt crystal formed a body with six sharp sides.
Before the physics test, the scanner measured each solid body on the tray.
A round iron body cooled on the workshop floor after the pour.
文法句型
solid body
celestial body
用法筆記
Mostly appears in science or technical writing, often with words such as celestial, solid, metal, or crystal. In everyday speech, people usually choose object or mass instead.
12. a full, thick, healthy quality in a drink, food, or someone's hair.
a full, thick, healthy quality in a drink, food, or someone's hair.
This red wine has more body after an hour in the glass.
body in tasting for a fuller drink
The soup gained body when Yara added cream and beans.
After the haircut, Lea's hair still had plenty of body.
Dry winter air took the body out of Omar's curls.
- thinness
suggests weak flavor or flat hair
用法筆記
Common with wine, soup, and hair. The word points to pleasing fullness, not simply physical weight or size.