moon
moon — noun
1. the large bright object visible in the night sky that circles our planet once ea
the large bright object visible in the night sky that circles our planet once each month, shining by reflected sunlight
Sumin looked up at the full moon shining over the dark lake.
full moon + prepositional phrase describing scene
The moon was so bright that the children could see their shadows on the ground.
so + adjective + that-clause for degree
Scientists study the surface of the moon to understand how it was formed.
A crescent moon hung in the evening sky above the village houses.
The first person to walk on the moon was Neil Armstrong in 1969.
- satellite
more technical; covers both natural and artificial objects
- lunar body
formal or scientific, rarely used in everyday speech
- sun
the star the Earth orbits, visible during the day
文法句型
the moon
a [adjective] moon
用法筆記
When referring to Earth's moon, it is almost always preceded by 'the' and capitalised as 'the Moon' in scientific writing.
常見錯誤
2. the particular shape that the moon appears to have at a specific point in its mo
the particular shape that the moon appears to have at a specific point in its monthly cycle, such as a thin curve, a half-circle, or a full circle
The waning moon appeared as a thin silver sliver before sunrise.
waning moon — phase vocabulary
Joaquín checked the moon phase chart before planning his fishing trip.
moon phase — compound noun collocation
A half-moon is sometimes called a quarter moon by astronomers.
The new moon was completely invisible against the bright daytime sky.
文法句型
a [adjective] moon — describing visible shape
常見錯誤
3. a natural body that orbits a planet different from Earth, kept in its path by th
a natural body that orbits a planet different from Earth, kept in its path by that planet's gravity
Mars has two small rocky moons named Phobos and Deimos.
planet's moons — possessive + named
Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has a thick atmosphere like Earth.
Astronomers discovered a new moon orbiting Jupiter using a telescope.
Europa, one of Jupiter's icy moons, may hide an ocean beneath its surface.
- natural satellite
more formal and technical; used in scientific writing
- satellite
shorter but can also refer to artificial (human-made) objects
文法句型
[planet] + has/have + [number] + moon(s)
用法筆記
Countable — 'Saturn has over 140 moons.' Use 'moon' even when the object is large (e.g., 'Titan is a moon, not a planet').
常見錯誤
4. a period of about 29 and a half days that the moon takes to go through all its p
a period of about 29 and a half days that the moon takes to go through all its phases from one new moon to the next
The farmers planted their crops according to the cycle of the moon.
cycle of the moon — collocation for period
In many cultures, a month is loosely based on one full cycle of the moon.
Indra counted the moons that had passed since she left her coastal town.
The lunar calendar follows the phases of the moon from new moon to new moon.
- lunar month
the precise astronomical term
- month
different length; a calendar month is not exactly one lunar cycle
文法句型
[number] + moon(s) — as a unit of time
用法筆記
This sense is mostly used in traditional contexts, calendars, and storytelling ('many moons ago'). In modern English, 'month' is far more common for the same length of time.
moon — verb
1. to pull down your trousers or lift your skirt and show your bare buttocks to oth
to pull down your trousers or lift your skirt and show your bare buttocks to other people, usually as a silly joke or a way of expressing anger
Some fans ran onto the field and mooned the opposing team's bench.
moon + [group] — transitive pattern
The drunk man turned around and mooned the entire restaurant crowd.
Reuben got arrested after he mooned the crowd at the football match.
The comedian mooned the audience as part of his outrageous stage act.
文法句型
moon + [person/group]; moon at someone
用法筆記
This is a vulgar or shocking act and is considered offensive in most settings. It is rarely used in formal writing or polite conversation.
常見錯誤
2. to spend time sitting or wandering without purpose, lost in your own thoughts in
to spend time sitting or wandering without purpose, lost in your own thoughts instead of doing what you should be doing
Instead of studying for the exam, Faisal spent the afternoon mooning about.
moon about — phrasal pattern with particle
Adaeze mooned out the window while the teacher explained the equations.
Stop mooning around the house and help us pack for the trip.
Gabriel mooned over old photographs instead of finishing his assignment.
文法句型
moon about/around; moon over someone/something
用法筆記
Primarily British English. 'Moon about' and 'moon around' are the most common patterns. 'Moon over someone' specifically means daydreaming romantically about a person.