radiator

radiator — noun

1. a heating unit, typically made of metal and attached to a wall, that warms a roo

1.名詞B1
釋義

a heating unit, typically made of metal and attached to a wall, that warms a room by circulating hot water, steam, or oil through linked sections.

例句

Owen turned up the radiator because the living room was freezing.

collocation: turn up / turn down the radiator

The old classroom had cast-iron radiators that clanked loudly whenever the heating came on.

common adjective: cast-iron radiator

同義詞
  • heater

    a broader term that includes electric space heaters, fan heaters, and radiators; less specific than 'radiator'

  • convector

    a type of heater that works by circulating air over heated fins rather than radiating heat; less common in everyday speech

文法句型

the radiator (in a room)

turn + radiator + up/down/on/off

用法筆記

In buildings with central heating, people often refer to 'the radiator' as a shorthand for the entire room-heating system. The verb collocations 'turn the radiator up/down/on/off' are extremely common in everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌I turned on the radiator heater.
✅I turned on the radiator.
💡'radiator' already means the heating device; adding 'heater' is redundant.

2. a device at the front of a vehicle that cools the engine by circulating liquid t

2.名詞B2
釋義

a device at the front of a vehicle that cools the engine by circulating liquid through a network of thin metal tubes, releasing heat into the air passing through.

例句

Greta saw steam rising from under the hood and knew the radiator was leaking.

radiator + leak / leaking (vehicle context)

The mechanic told Felipe that the radiator needed flushing with fresh coolant.

collocation: flush the radiator

同義詞
  • cooler

    a general term; not specific to vehicles

  • heat exchanger

    the technical engineering term; too formal for everyday use

文法句型

the radiator (of a car)

radiator + verb (leak, overheat, burst)

用法筆記

In vehicle contexts, 'radiator' always refers to the cooling device, not a heating device — exactly the opposite function from the room-heater sense. 'Coolant' or 'antifreeze' is the liquid inside, not water alone.

常見錯誤

❌My car radiator is frozen, so I need to defrost it.
✅My car radiator has frozen, so I need to replace the antifreeze mixture.
💡The problem is usually the coolant freezing, not the radiator itself needing defrosting.