dating
dating — noun
1. the practice of meeting people socially with the aim of finding a romantic partn
the practice of meeting people socially with the aim of finding a romantic partner, which may include going out for meals, drinks, or other shared activities as a couple
Naoko found the dating scene in Taipei very different from what she knew in Osaka.
collocation: dating scene
Online dating has become a common way for young people to find partners.
compound noun: online dating
Christopher prefers old-fashioned dating — getting to know someone face to face rather than texting.
Elena decided to give dating another try after focusing on her career for several years.
For many college students, dating helps them learn about themselves and others.
- courtship
more formal and old-fashioned; suggests a traditional, longer process often leading to marriage
- seeing someone
informal phrasal expression; emphasises exclusivity rather than the activity itself
文法句型
dating + noun (e.g. dating app, dating scene)
often in compounds: online dating, speed dating
用法筆記
Uncountable — you cannot say 'a dating' or 'two datings'. Unlike the countable noun 'date' (e.g. 'I had a date'), dating describes the general activity. Subject is usually a person or group of people rather than an institution.
常見錯誤
2. the use of scientific tests to determine how old an object, material, or place i
the use of scientific tests to determine how old an object, material, or place is — for example, a fossil, a rock formation, or an ancient building
Carbon dating of the wooden bowl showed it was more than three thousand years old.
pattern: carbon dating of [object]
The research team applied radiometric dating techniques to rock samples from the volcano.
collocation: radiometric dating techniques
Dating of the cave paintings placed them in the late Stone Age, around 12,000 BC.
Accurate dating of ancient pottery allows archaeologists to map out early trade networks.
New dating methods based on luminescence have changed what we know about early human migration.
- age determination
broader term used across many scientific fields; less tied to a specific method
- radiocarbon dating
subset of scientific dating that specifically measures carbon-14 decay; only works on organic material
文法句型
[method] + dating (e.g. carbon dating)
dating + of + [object]
用法筆記
Uncountable. Almost always appears with a qualifying method name or modifier (carbon dating, radiometric dating, luminescence dating). When used alone ('dating of the sample'), a scientific context is required for clarity — otherwise readers may default to the romantic sense.