umbrella
umbrella — noun
1. a round frame of waterproof fabric on a long stick with a curved handle, that yo
a round frame of waterproof fabric on a long stick with a curved handle, that you hold over your body to stay dry in the rain or to block strong sunlight
Vinícius grabbed his umbrella before stepping out into the heavy rain.
collocation: grab + umbrella
Imani always keeps a small foldable umbrella in her bag for sudden showers.
collocation: keep + umbrella + in [location]
Zuri left her umbrella at the office and got soaked walking home.
The market stall sold colorful umbrellas that tourists bought for sun protection.
Chiara opened her umbrella just as the first raindrops began to fall.
用法筆記
This is by far the most common meaning. In British English the informal word 'brolly' is sometimes used. An umbrella designed only for sun protection is called a 'parasol'.
常見錯誤
2. a broad name or category used to gather many different items of a similar kind,
a broad name or category used to gather many different items of a similar kind, treating them as a single group
"Cryptocurrency" is an umbrella term that covers Bitcoin, Ethereum, and many other digital coins.
umbrella term + that covers [list]
The two charities now operate under the umbrella of a single international foundation.
under the umbrella of [organization]
Omar's job title was a broad umbrella covering project management, client relations, and staff training.
"Assisted living" is an umbrella term for housing that supports older adults in daily life.
- category
more general; does not imply that the items are gathered under a single protective or organizing term
- catch-all
suggests a broad container for items that do not fit neatly elsewhere; slightly informal
- blanket term
similar to umbrella term but suggests the term covers everything broadly, sometimes imprecisely
文法句型
umbrella term + for + [list]
umbrella + that covers...
under the umbrella of + [organization]
用法筆記
Commonly used in the phrase 'umbrella term' followed by 'for' or a 'that'-clause. Also appears in prepositional phrases with 'under the umbrella of', which suggests protection or coordination by a larger entity.
常見錯誤
umbrella — verb
1. to hold an umbrella over someone or something in order to keep them dry or shade
to hold an umbrella over someone or something in order to keep them dry or shaded from the sun
The children were umbrellad across the wet playground by their teacher as the rain began.
passive: were umbrellad by [someone]
Ravindra umbrellad the cooler so the ice cream would not melt in the sun.
verb used with food container as object
João carefully umbrellad his grandmother from the taxi to the café in heavy rain.
Feng umbrellad the flowers at the market, keeping them out of the strong afternoon sun.
文法句型
umbrella + [someone/something]
用法筆記
This verb form is uncommon in modern English. In everyday speech, people almost always use phrasal expressions such as 'hold an umbrella over' or 'cover with an umbrella.' The verb is most likely to appear in literary or descriptive writing.