duplex
duplex — noun
1. a living area that occupies two connected floors within a single building, usual
a living area that occupies two connected floors within a single building, usually with the living room and kitchen on the lower level and the bedrooms on the upper level.
Shirin and her brother rented a duplex with a staircase connecting the two floors.
countable noun; staircase connecting two floors
The top-floor duplex on Elm Street has a private staircase that leads up to a large balcony.
Rin's duplex has a modern kitchen downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs.
Nila charges two thousand dollars a month for her duplex because the extra floor includes a guest bedroom.
- maisonette
used mainly in British English for a similar two-storey apartment, often with its own street entrance
文法句型
a + duplex
2. one of two separate homes built next to each other that share a common wall betw
one of two separate homes built next to each other that share a common wall between them, each having its own entrance.
Caleb and his parents moved into one side of a duplex near the park; his grandmother lives in the other.
countable; side of a duplex
The owners of the duplex on Cedar Lane agreed to repaint the shared wall after the leak.
Sirin bought a duplex so her elderly mother could live in the other unit.
Eshe bought one side of a duplex on Oak Street, and her cousin lives next door through the shared wall.
- semi-detached
the British English term for a house joined to another by a shared wall; 'duplex' is more common in North America
- two-family house
a general term for any building designed for two households, not necessarily side-by-side
- detached house
a house that stands alone with no shared walls
文法句型
a + duplex
常見錯誤
duplex — adjective
1. describing a room, apartment, or other space that spreads across two connected l
describing a room, apartment, or other space that spreads across two connected levels of a building.
The Grand Hotel has a duplex suite with a sitting area downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs.
duplex + noun (suite)
Kwame booked a duplex room that had a small balcony on the upper level.
Wren chose a duplex apartment with a kitchen on the lower floor and a sofa bed upstairs for guests.
Lan chose a duplex layout so guests could sleep upstairs while her family stays on the main floor.
- two-storey
a more general term; 'duplex' emphasises the two levels belong to a single unit
文法句型
duplex + noun
2. describing a house or building that is connected to another home by a wall that
describing a house or building that is connected to another home by a wall that both sides use.
Tamar lives in a duplex house with neighbours on the other side of the wall.
duplex + noun (house)
Yuna lives in a duplex house on Maple Drive, sharing a wall with the family next door.
duplex + noun (house); shares a wall
Christopher saved on heating bills after moving into a duplex house that shares a wall with next door.
Gabriela likes her duplex house on Pine Avenue because the neighbours watch her dog when she works late.
- semi-detached
the preferred term in British English; 'duplex' is mainly American
- detached
describes a house that stands on its own
- single-family
describes a home designed for one household only
文法句型
duplex + noun
3. describing a printer or printing feature that automatically places text or pictu
describing a printer or printing feature that automatically places text or pictures onto the front and back of each sheet.
The office printer is duplex, so we save a lot of paper each month.
printer is duplex (predicative use)
Allison set the printer to duplex mode before printing the fifty-page report.
duplex mode
The school librarian ordered a duplex printer that cuts the library's paper use by nearly half.
The school bought duplex copiers that print on both sides of each sheet automatically.
- double-sided
a more general term; 'duplex' is the technical term used in printer settings and specifications
- single-sided
printing on only one side of the paper
- simplex
the formal technical term for one-sided printing
文法句型
duplex + noun
用法筆記
This sense is used almost exclusively in the context of office equipment and printing software. The opposite feature is called 'single-sided' or 'simplex' printing.
常見錯誤
4. describing a communication system where data, sound, or signals travel in two di
describing a communication system where data, sound, or signals travel in two directions simultaneously — for example, a telephone call where both people can talk and be heard at once.
The call centre installed full-duplex headsets so operators and customers can speak at the same time without delays.
full-duplex technology
The new radio system uses duplex communication so both pilots can talk and be heard at the same time.
duplex communication: both speak simultaneously
When Mert calls his grandmother in Istanbul, duplex transmission lets them both talk and be heard without waiting.
Unlike older walkie-talkies, this model offers duplex audio for natural conversation.
- bidirectional
a broader term that does not necessarily mean 'at the same time'; 'duplex' specifically implies simultaneous two-way flow
- simplex
allows communication in only one direction at a time, like a traditional broadcast radio
文法句型
duplex + noun
用法筆記
Commonly used as part of the compounds 'full-duplex' and 'half-duplex'. Half-duplex allows two-way communication but only in one direction at a time.
duplex — verb
1. to change a single building so that it contains two separate homes or units inst
to change a single building so that it contains two separate homes or units instead of one.
The owner got a permit to duplex the old school and turn it into two apartments.
duplex + noun (object)
Esteban plans to duplex his detached garage and rent out the extra unit for extra income.
The city council approved the plan to duplex the empty warehouse into affordable apartments.
After inheriting the large Victorian house, Femi plans to duplex it into two separate flats.
- convert
a more general term; 'duplex' specifies the result of the conversion
文法句型
duplex + noun (object)
用法筆記
This is an uncommon verb, used mostly in informal real-estate discussions. The more common way to express this idea is with 'convert into a duplex' or 'turn into a duplex'.