vocabulary
vocabulary — noun
1. the full set of words understood and actively used by someone in their everyday
the full set of words understood and actively used by someone in their everyday communication
Reading storybooks helps young children grow their vocabulary quickly.
grow your vocabulary — increase the number of words you know
Allison has a large English vocabulary for a seven-year-old student.
have a large vocabulary — know many words
The teacher tested the class with a list of twenty vocabulary words.
Felix can read difficult novels, but his spoken vocabulary is more limited.
Learning just five new words each day can build up your vocabulary.
- lexicon
more formal; often used by linguists to describe a person's mental dictionary
- word stock
less common; refers to the total set of words available to someone
文法句型
vocabulary of [person type]
have a [adjective] vocabulary
用法筆記
Often used with possessive determiners (my, his, her, their) or with adjectives describing size or quality, such as 'large', 'limited', 'rich', or 'basic'.
常見錯誤
2. the complete set of words forming a language, or the special terms used within a
the complete set of words forming a language, or the special terms used within a given field of study or activity
The English vocabulary includes words from French, German, and many other languages.
vocabulary of + language — all words that make up a language
Medical vocabulary contains terms like 'diagnosis' and 'prescription'.
New words enter the vocabulary of a language as technology advances.
Niran needs to learn the basic vocabulary of accounting for his new job.
The vocabulary of computer science keeps growing every year.
- lexicon
more formal; the technical term for the entire word stock of a language
- terminology
narrower; refers specifically to the specialized words of a field, not a whole language
文法句型
vocabulary of [language/field]
[field] vocabulary
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'of' plus a language name ('vocabulary of English') or a field of study ('vocabulary of medicine'). This sense is the one used when talking about words entering or leaving a language over time.
常見錯誤
3. an organized collection of words paired with definitions or explanations, typica
an organized collection of words paired with definitions or explanations, typically found in a textbook or language course
Each chapter of the Spanish textbook ends with a vocabulary of new words.
a vocabulary — countable use, meaning a list of words
Mira copied the vocabulary into her notebook to study before the exam.
The back of the workbook has a useful vocabulary with simple explanations.
The teacher printed a vocabulary of science terms for the whole class.
文法句型
a vocabulary of [subject]
[subject] vocabulary
用法筆記
The only sense of 'vocabulary' that is regularly countable. A vocabulary (word list) can be found at the back of a textbook or be handed out by a teacher as a study aid.
常見錯誤
4. the range of expressive techniques, symbols, colours, or stylistic tools availab
the range of expressive techniques, symbols, colours, or stylistic tools available to an artist, musician, or designer — for example, a painter's vocabulary of brushstrokes and colour combinations
The painter developed a rich vocabulary of colours and brush techniques.
vocabulary of + art elements — expressive range in a creative field
Imran's musical vocabulary blends jazz, folk, and classical traditions.
musical vocabulary — the range of styles and techniques in music
A good filmmaker builds a clear visual vocabulary over several projects.
The architect's vocabulary of forms includes curves, angles, and large windows.
- repertoire
the full range of skills or pieces an artist can perform or draw upon
- palette
narrower; used mainly for the range of colours available to a painter
文法句型
vocabulary of [art elements]
[art form] vocabulary
用法筆記
Used figuratively by extension from language vocabulary. Common in arts criticism and design writing. Often followed by 'of' plus a set of creative elements (e.g. 'vocabulary of shapes', 'vocabulary of gestures').