century

century — noun

1. A length of time that lasts exactly one hundred years, without reference to a sp

1.名詞A2
釋義

A length of time that lasts exactly one hundred years, without reference to a specific calendar system.

例句

The old oak tree in Yara's garden has stood for more than a century.

more than a century — duration phrase

Historians believe this ancient temple was built nearly a century ago.

同義詞
  • hundred years

    a less formal equivalent; works in most of the same contexts

2. One of the numbered 100-year blocks used to divide history in the Gregorian cale

2.名詞B1
釋義

One of the numbered 100-year blocks used to divide history in the Gregorian calendar, such as the 18th century (1701 to 1800) or the 21st century (2001 to 2100).

例句

The 19th century saw the rise of trains and steamships across Europe and America.

ordinal number + century — common historical reference

Life in the 18th century was very different from what we know today.

同義詞
  • age

    broader term; can refer to any long period defined by a characteristic, e.g. the age of steam

  • era

    a long period marked by distinctive events, e.g. the Victorian era

用法筆記

Usually preceded by an ordinal number (first, second, 20th, 21st). The 21st century began on January 1, 2001, not 2000, because there was no year zero in the Gregorian calendar.

常見錯誤

❌The 21st century started in the year 2000.
✅The 21st century started on January 1, 2001.
💡Since there was no year zero, the first century ran from year 1 to year 100, so the 21st century began in 2001.

3. A score of 100 or more runs made by one player in a single innings of cricket, c

3.名詞B2
釋義

A score of 100 or more runs made by one player in a single innings of cricket, considered a major personal achievement.

例句

Ravi scored his first century in the final cricket match of the season.

score a century — verb-noun collocation

The crowd cheered loudly when the captain reached her century.

同義詞
  • hundred

    informal cricket term; e.g. 'He scored a hundred in the second innings.'

  • ton

    informal British cricket slang; e.g. 'She brought up her ton with a boundary.'

用法筆記

This sense is specific to cricket, which is most popular in the UK, Australia, India, Pakistan, and other Commonwealth countries. 'Century' here refers to an individual player's score, not the team total.

4. The period around the point when one calendar century ends and the next begins,

4.名詞B1
釋義

The period around the point when one calendar century ends and the next begins, often accompanied by social or cultural change.

例句

Many people around the world celebrated the turn of the century in 1999.

the turn of the century — fixed phrase

The museum opened an Asian art wing just before the turn of the century.

同義詞
  • century's end

    less common; focuses on the ending rather than the transition

  • fin de siècle

    borrowed French term, used mainly for the late 19th century cultural atmosphere

用法筆記

Most common in the fixed phrase 'the turn of the century.' When no century is specified, historical writing usually refers to the transition from the 19th to the 20th century (around 1900).