spinach
spinach — noun
1. a leafy green plant whose broad, dark-coloured leaves people eat raw in salads o
a leafy green plant whose broad, dark-coloured leaves people eat raw in salads or cooked in dishes such as soups, stir-fries, and pasta
Tariq refused to eat his spinach even after his mother explained how healthy it was.
collocation: refuse to eat + spinach
Christopher added fresh spinach to his morning smoothie for extra vitamins.
collocation: add + spinach to [dish]
The spinach leaves in the garden grew quickly after the spring rain.
Alessia washed the spinach carefully before putting it into the salad bowl.
During practice, Coach Valentina explained that Popeye ate spinach for iron, so the young runners should eat it too.
用法筆記
Frequently uncountable — use 'some spinach' or 'a bag of spinach', not 'a spinach' or 'spinaches'.
常見錯誤
spinach — adjective
1. describing a task or activity that is dull or unpleasant to do but which brings
describing a task or activity that is dull or unpleasant to do but which brings some long-term benefit — for example, doing repetitive homework, attending extra training sessions, or following a strict diet
Pim described the extra training sessions as a bit spinach but necessary for the competition.
predicate adjective: describe as + a bit spinach
Theo found the long grammar exercises quite spinach, yet he knew they would improve his writing.
predicate adjective: find + quite spinach
Hoa's new job came with a lot of spinach tasks — boring paperwork that taught her the business.
Sade treated every difficult task like spinach in a meal, unpleasant but full of good things.
文法句型
be + a bit / quite / very + spinach
用法筆記
Predicative use is far more common than attributive. You are more likely to hear 'this work is a bit spinach' than 'this is spinach work'. This sense is chiefly British English and informal.