compact
compact — 形容詞
1. having parts that are placed very close to each other so that the whole thing is
緊湊的
小巧且節省空間的；密集的
having parts that are placed very close to each other so that the whole thing is small, neat, and uses space well — like a camera that fits in a pocket or soil that is pressed into a hard layer.
Theo bought a compact digital camera that fits easily into his jacket pocket.
Theo 買了一臺緊湊型數位相機，可以輕鬆放進夾克口袋。
collocation: compact [device] — small and portable
Heavy rain made the garden soil so compact that water could not drain through.
大雨使花園的土壤變得十分緊實，水無法滲透下去。
predicative use: soil becomes / is compact
A compact apartment in the city costs less to heat than a large suburban house.
市區的緊湊型公寓暖氣費比郊區大房子便宜很多。
The furniture arrived in a compact flat pack that I could carry up the stairs.
那件傢俱以扁平紙箱送來，我一個人就能搬上樓梯。
Narrow streets in the old town are lined with compact brick houses built close together.
舊城區的狹窄街道兩旁，緊密相連的磚造房屋排列整齊。
- dense
focuses on how tightly packed the parts are, without the 'neat/tidy' nuance
- tight
suggests little or no empty space between parts; often used for fits or seals
- compressed
implies external pressure was applied to make something compact
用法筆記
Used both before a noun (a compact camera) and after a linking verb (the soil is compact). The meaning shifts slightly: before a noun it emphasises small size and efficient design; after a verb it emphasises density and firmness.
常見錯誤
compact — 名詞
1. a small flat container, usually round, that holds face powder and has a mirror i
粉盒
附帶鏡子的隨身化妝盒
a small flat container, usually round, that holds face powder and has a mirror inside — used by women to refresh their makeup when away from home.
Hana opened her compact and checked her reflection in the tiny mirror.
Hana 打開粉盒，在那面小鏡子裡端詳自己的容貌。
collocation: open / close a compact
The silver compact on the dressing table was a gift from her grandmother.
梳妝檯上的銀色粉盒是她祖母送的禮物。
Beatriz pulled a small compact from her handbag and powdered her nose before the interview.
面試前，Beatriz 從手提包裡拿出一只小粉盒，往鼻子上撲了點粉。
Antique compacts with floral designs are popular among collectors.
有著花草圖案的古董粉盒深受收藏家喜愛。
- powder case
more general; describes the object without being a specific brand or type
- makeup compact
slightly more specific; clarifies the type of compact
用法筆記
Usually refers to a powder compact used for cosmetic touch-ups. The word can also refer to similar small cases for pills or other items, but that use is uncommon.
2. a vehicle built in a reduced size that makes it suitable for city driving and gi
小型車
體積小、省油的城市用車
a vehicle built in a reduced size that makes it suitable for city driving and gives it good fuel economy.
A compact is easier to park on crowded city streets than a large SUV.
在擁擠的城市街道上，小型車比大型 SUV 更容易停車。
comparative: easier to [verb] ... than [alternative]
The rental agency gave us a compact because we asked for better fuel economy.
租車公司給了我們一輛小型車，因為我們要求較好的油耗表現。
Priya drives a blue compact that she bought second-hand from a neighbour last year.
Priya 開著一輛藍色小型車，那是她去年從鄰居那裡買來的二手車。
Compact cars usually cost less to insure than full-sized models.
小型車的保險費用通常比全尺寸車型便宜。
- SUV
sport utility vehicle; much larger than a compact
- full-sized car
the largest standard car size category
用法筆記
Often used in car-rental and car-insurance contexts where vehicles are classified by size. In everyday speech people may say 'small car' more often than 'compact'.
3. a binding promise recorded on paper that commits nations, companies, or groups t
協約；契約
雙方或多方簽訂的正式協議
a binding promise recorded on paper that commits nations, companies, or groups to specific actions or rules.
The two nations signed a compact to cooperate on climate research and clean energy.
兩國簽署了一項協約，承諾在氣候研究與潔淨能源方面進行合作。
grammar pattern: compact + to-infinitive
Under the compact, each member state contributes the same amount to the fund.
根據協約，每個成員國向基金繳納相同金額。
preposition: under the compact
The company and its workers entered a compact that guaranteed fair wages and safe conditions.
公司與員工簽訂了一項契約，保障合理的薪資與安全的工作條件。
Historians study the Mayflower Compact as an early model of democratic self-government.
歷史學家將《五月花號公約》視為民主自治的早期典範。
- pact
very close in meaning; 'pact' is slightly more common for international agreements
- covenant
often carries religious or moral weight; stronger and more solemn than 'compact'
- treaty
specifically between nations; more formal and legally binding
- contract
used in business and legal contexts; more common than 'compact'
- breach
a violation of an agreement, treated as a noun
- disagreement
lack of consensus; the opposite of a reaching a compact
用法筆記
This is a formal or historical word. In everyday situations, 'agreement', 'deal', or 'contract' are more common. 'Compact' is used mainly for solemn promises between nations or in historical contexts.
常見錯誤
compact — 動詞
1. to press something such as waste, soil, or material into a smaller, denser, and
壓實；壓縮
施壓使物體體積變小、密度變大
to press something such as waste, soil, or material into a smaller, denser, and more solid form by applying force.
The recycling machine compacts cardboard boxes into dense bales for transport.
回收機將紙箱壓實成緊密的捆包，以便運輸。
transitive: compacts [object] into [result]
Workers use a heavy steamroller to compact the gravel on the new path.
工人用重型壓路機將新鋪的碎石壓實。
Yusuf compacts used aluminium cans with a manual crusher before recycling them.
Yusuf 用一台手動壓罐機將用過的鋁罐壓扁，再送去回收。
The snow on the trail was compacted by hikers into a hard icy surface.
步道上的積雪被登山者踩成了一層堅硬的冰面。
用法筆記
Usually transitive — someone compacts something. The passive form (be compacted) is common, especially in descriptions of natural processes or construction work. The intransitive use ('the soil compacts over time') is rare in learner-level English.