domesticate
domesticate — 動詞
1. to take wild plants and animals and gradually change them over many generations
馴化
使人類馴養動植物以提供食物或勞力
to take wild plants and animals and gradually change them over many generations so that they can live alongside humans and serve as a source of food, labour, or companionship.
The early farmers learned to domesticate wild goats for their milk and meat.
早期的農民學會了馴化野山羊，以獲取羊奶和羊肉。
Over thousands of years, humans domesticated wolves into the dogs we know today.
經過數千年，人類將野狼馴化為今日我們所熟悉的狗。
passive construction: domesticated [species] into [modern form]
Archaeologists found evidence that this grain was first domesticated in the Middle East.
考古學家發現證據顯示，這種穀物最早是在中東被馴化的。
Sirin's family has kept chickens for many years, using breeds first domesticated in ancient Asia.
Sirin 的家裡養雞多年，使用的品種最早在古亞洲就被馴化了。
The early farmers of the Yangtze region domesticated wild rice into a staple crop over many generations.
長江流域的早期農民歷經許多世代，將野生稻馴化為主要糧食作物。
- wild
the opposite of domesticated; living in a natural state
文法句型
domesticate + noun phrase
be domesticated (by humans)
用法筆記
Subject is typically a human society or group acting over a long period, not a single individual. The object names a whole species or plant type, not an individual creature. Frequently appears in archaeology, biology, and agriculture writing.
常見錯誤
2. to teach a person the practical skills needed for running a home — such as cooki
學習持家
指學習烹飪、打掃等家務或變得喜歡居家生活
to teach a person the practical skills needed for running a home — such as cooking, cleaning, or managing a household — or to help someone develop a liking for home life.
Defne joked that living with a roommate had domesticated her — she now cleans every weekend.
Defne 開玩笑說，和室友同住讓她學會了持家——她現在每週末都會打掃。
phrasal pattern: [experience] domesticated [person]
After years of living alone, Jason became surprisingly domesticated and even started baking bread.
獨居多年後，Jason 變得意外地會持家，甚至開始自己烤麵包。
phrasal pattern: become domesticated
After a life-skills course, the new students became domesticated and could cook and budget on their own.
修完生活技能課程後，新生們學會了持家，能自己做飯和規畫開銷。
Lien never thought she would become domesticated, yet her new dog kept her on a fixed daily routine.
Lien 從沒想過自己會變得這麼會持家，但養了狗之後作息就跟著規律了起來。
- civilise
broader in meaning — making someone more refined overall, not just in home skills
- settle down
phrasal verb meaning to adopt a stable home life, but not focused on learning home skills
文法句型
domesticate + person
become domesticated
用法筆記
Often appears in the passive or as 'become domesticated' to describe personal change. Can carry a light or ironic tone, especially when referring to someone who unexpectedly enjoys home routines. This sense is far less common than the agricultural meaning.
常見錯誤
domesticate — 名詞
1. a species of animal or plant that humans have selectively bred and adapted over
馴化種
被人類馴養的動植物物種
a species of animal or plant that humans have selectively bred and adapted over generations to live in a human-controlled environment.
Dogs were one of the earliest domesticates, living alongside humans for over ten thousand years.
狗是最早的馴化種之一，與人類共存了超過一萬年。
collocation: earliest domesticates
Wheat is a domesticate with larger grains that stay on the stalk, unlike its wild ancestor with tiny, loose seeds.
小麥是馴化種，穀粒比野生祖先大且成熟時不掉落。
comparison: domesticate vs wild ancestor
Archaeologists determined that millet was a key early domesticate that spread from Africa to South Asia.
考古學家判定，小米是一種重要的早期馴化種，從非洲傳播到南亞。
Chickens, cattle, and rice are all domesticates that transformed human civilisation.
雞、牛和稻米都是改變人類文明的馴化種。
- domesticated species
more transparent and common in non-technical writing; same meaning
- tamed species
less precise — 'tame' implies individual animals, not a genetically changed population
- wild species
a species that has not been altered by human selection
文法句型
the + [adjective] + domesticates
early/earliest domesticates
用法筆記
This is a technical noun used mainly in archaeology, anthropology, and biology. In everyday speech, people say 'domesticated animal' or 'domesticated plant' instead. The noun form is usually count and often appears with 'early', 'major', or 'ancient'.