compartment
compartment — noun
1. any of the partitioned spaces built inside a train carriage or other vehicle, fi
any of the partitioned spaces built inside a train carriage or other vehicle, fitted with seats or storage for passengers and their belongings
Old Tomás found a quiet compartment on the overnight train to Kaohsiung.
collocation: quiet compartment / empty compartment
The luggage compartment at the end of the carriage was already completely full.
compound noun: luggage compartment
Pia booked a six-person compartment for her family trip to Taitung.
The first-class compartments on this bullet train have adjustable seats and reading lights.
用法筆記
Often combined with a purpose or class word: 'first-class compartment', 'luggage compartment', 'sleeping compartment'. The whole railway car is called a 'carriage' or 'coach' in British English; 'compartment' refers to one subdivided section inside it.
常見錯誤
2. an enclosed section within an object such as a desk drawer, a bag, a toolbox, or
an enclosed section within an object such as a desk drawer, a bag, a toolbox, or a refrigerator, designed for keeping particular items separate and organized
Yara keeps a first-aid kit in the glove compartment of her car.
fixed compound: glove compartment
The refrigerator has a separate compartment that keeps vegetables fresh.
compound noun: freezer compartment / vegetable compartment
Diego found an old key hidden in the secret compartment of the wooden chest.
Hana sorted her sewing threads into the small plastic compartments of the organizer box.
用法筆記
Commonly paired with a purpose word forming a compound noun: 'glove compartment' (car), 'freezer compartment' (fridge), 'storage compartment' (bag or vehicle). A 'secret compartment' is a hidden space for valuables.
常見錯誤
3. a section within the body that is wrapped in connective tissue and contains musc
a section within the body that is wrapped in connective tissue and contains muscles, nerves, and blood vessels
The doctor explained that the muscle compartment in Rohan's lower leg was swollen.
common in medical context: muscle compartment
Nadia felt a sharp pain building in the tissue compartment of her injured forearm.
Surgeons had to release the pressure inside the deep compartment of his thigh.
Aiko learned about compartment syndrome during her first-aid training course.
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in medical or anatomical writing. The most common contexts are 'muscle compartment', 'fascial compartment', and the condition 'compartment syndrome' — where swelling inside a compartment cuts off blood flow.
常見錯誤
compartment — verb
1. to divide something into separate groups, sections, or categories — for example,
to divide something into separate groups, sections, or categories — for example, separating work stress from family life, or sorting data into different groups
Theo learned to compartment his work worries from his time at home.
pattern: compartment A from B
The report compartments the survey results into four age groups.
pattern: compartment into [categories]
Leila chooses to compartment her emotions when the board meetings get tense.
The new filing system compartments client records into separate folders by year.
- compartmentalize
far more common; standard modern verb form
- separate
broader and simpler; no implication of neat divisions
- divide
more general; can be physical or abstract
- categorize
specifically for sorting into types or groups
文法句型
compartment + object + into + divisions
用法筆記
This verb form is far less common in modern English than the synonym 'compartmentalize'. Use 'compartmentalize' for natural-sounding speech. Always transitive — it must take a direct object. The structure 'compartment + noun + into + [plural noun]' is typical for physical division; 'compartment + noun + from + [noun]' works for mental or emotional separation.