dropping

dropping — noun

1. The solid waste produced by the body of an animal, bird, or other creature, typi

1.名詞B1
釋義

The solid waste produced by the body of an animal, bird, or other creature, typically found on the ground outdoors.

例句

Fresh rabbit droppings dotted the garden path near the cabbage patch, dark and shiny in the morning light.

collocation: [animal type] + droppings

Christopher cleaned the bird droppings off his car windscreen every morning.

同義詞
  • dung

    more formal or technical term for solid animal waste

  • manure

    animal waste used as fertiliser, typically from farm animals such as cows or horses

  • feces

    formal or medical term for waste from the body

文法句型

[type of animal] + droppings

animal / bird droppings

用法筆記

Almost always used in the plural form 'droppings'. The singular 'dropping' for animal dung is extremely rare and sounds unnatural. Always add the name of the animal where possible (bird droppings, not just droppings).

常見錯誤

❌I saw a dropping of a rabbit on the grass.
✅I saw some rabbit droppings on the grass.
💡always use the plural 'droppings' for animal dung.
❌The garden is full of droppings.
✅The garden is full of rabbit droppings.
💡specify the type of animal, or the meaning may be unclear.

2. A small piece of material, such as litter, paint, or food, that has fallen away

2.名詞B1
釋義

A small piece of material, such as litter, paint, or food, that has fallen away from where it originally was.

例句

Christopher spotted a small dropping of litter near the bus stop and bent down to pick it up.

collocation: dropping of [litter/paint/food]

As Wei tapped his cigarette, a dropping of hot ash fell onto the newspaper beside his cup.

collocation: dropping of [ash/soot/something that drops]

同義詞
  • debris

    broader term for scattered pieces of broken or destroyed material

  • litter

    small pieces of rubbish carelessly left on the ground

文法句型

dropping of [noun]

用法筆記

This sense is much less common than 'droppings' (animal dung). In modern English, speakers usually prefer more specific words such as 'piece of litter', 'debris', or 'crumb'.

常見錯誤

❌I saw a dropping on the floor.
✅I saw a piece of litter on the floor.
💡'dropping' in the sense of a fallen object is unusual in everyday speech; use a more specific term instead.
❌There are droppings of rubbish everywhere.
✅There is rubbish scattered everywhere.
💡native speakers do not use 'droppings' for scattered trash.