drake
drake — noun
1. A drake is an adult male duck — a water bird with a flat beak and webbed feet. D
A drake is an adult male duck — a water bird with a flat beak and webbed feet. Drakes often have brighter or more colourful feathers than female ducks.
Caio pointed at a drake swimming across the lake and asked what bird it was.
pointed at + drake + V-ing
Every morning, the farmer feeds the drake and its ducklings near the pond.
feeds the drake — animal-care collocation
Mayumi took a photo of the drake with bright green feathers by the riverbank.
That afternoon, Kian watched a drake lead a group of ducks across the stream.
- duck
Generic term for the whole species; 'duck' can also specifically mean a female duck, whereas 'drake' always means a male.
- duck
When 'duck' is used to mean a female duck, it is the opposite of 'drake'.
文法句型
a drake
the drake
用法筆記
Countable noun. The word 'drake' refers only to male ducks; the female is called a 'duck' and the young are 'ducklings'.
常見錯誤
2. Sir Francis Drake was an English sea captain and explorer who lived from around
Sir Francis Drake was an English sea captain and explorer who lived from around 1540 to 1596. He is famous for being the second person to sail around the world and for leading the English navy against the Spanish Armada.
The class read about Sir Francis Drake's voyage around the world in their history textbook.
read about + Sir Francis Drake — historical-figure collocation
A statue of Sir Francis Drake in Plymouth remembers his achievements at sea.
statue of + Sir Francis Drake — monument collocation
Shanti read about Sir Francis Drake defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Sir Francis Drake helped defend England from the Spanish Armada in 1588.
- Francis Drake
Used without the title 'Sir', especially in informal or modern contexts.
用法筆記
Proper noun referring to the historical figure. Always capitalised. Often preceded by the title 'Sir' in formal contexts. Do not confuse with the common noun 'drake' (a male duck) — they are unrelated in meaning. The biographical figure is also listed as an idiom entry below (see Sir Francis Drake).