jazz
jazz — 名詞
1. A style of music that began with African American musicians in the early 1900s,
爵士樂
起源於非裔美國人的即興音樂風格
A style of music that began with African American musicians in the early 1900s, known for its strong but flexible rhythms, off-beat accents, and the freedom for players to invent new melodies on the spot.
Bilal put on some jazz while cooking dinner for his family.
Bilal 做晚餐時放了一些爵士樂來聽。
collocation: put on + jazz
The little club near the river has live jazz every Tuesday night.
河邊那間小俱樂部每週二晚上都有現場爵士樂演出。
collocation: live jazz + at [venue]
My grandmother loves jazz because the musicians make up the melodies as they play.
我奶奶很喜歡爵士樂，因為樂手會邊演奏邊即興創作旋律。
Lucas learned to play jazz on the trumpet at music school.
Lucas 在音樂學校學會了用小號演奏爵士樂。
Modern jazz often mixes classical music with African rhythms and electric sounds.
現代爵士樂經常融合古典樂、非洲節奏和電子音效。
- swing
a sub-style of jazz popular in the 1930s–1940s, with a strong, danceable beat; not a general synonym for all jazz
- bebop
a faster, more complex style of jazz that emerged in the 1940s; not interchangeable with earlier jazz styles
- the blues
a related but distinct genre that heavily influenced jazz, focusing on emotional expression through a standard 12-bar structure
文法句型
jazz + noun (jazz music, jazz band)
play/listen to + jazz
jazz + verb (a style that…)
用法筆記
Uncountable — you do not say 'a jazz' or 'two jazzs'. To refer to a specific piece, say 'a jazz song', 'a jazz tune', or 'a piece of jazz'.
常見錯誤
2. A sweet apple with red and green skin and firm flesh, created by crossing Royal
爵士蘋果
皇家嘎拉與布雷本雜交的甜脆蘋果品種
A sweet apple with red and green skin and firm flesh, created by crossing Royal Gala and Braeburn varieties and sold under a brand name.
Lakan bought a bag of Jazz apples from the weekly farmer's market.
Lakan 在每週的農夫市集買了一袋爵士蘋果。
collocation: bag of Jazz apples
The Jazz apple has a firm texture and a sweet, tangy taste.
爵士蘋果肉質紮實，吃起來又甜又帶點酸味。
structure: [name] apple + has + [qualities]
Wei sliced a Jazz apple for his daughter's afternoon snack.
Wei 切了一顆爵士蘋果給女兒當下午點心。
These Jazz apples stay fresh longer than other varieties in the fridge.
放在冰箱裡，爵士蘋果比其它品種能保持新鮮更久。
文法句型
Jazz apple + noun (Jazz apple tree)
eat/have/buy + (a) Jazz apple
Jazz apples + verb
用法筆記
Always capitalised as 'Jazz apple' because it is a registered brand name. Common in British supermarkets; less widely known in the US.
常見錯誤
3. A casual phrase used after naming a few things to mean 'and other similar items
等等之類
列舉數項後概括其他同類事物的口語用語
A casual phrase used after naming a few things to mean 'and other similar items of that kind' without listing them all.
The wedding needed flowers, music, a big cake, and all that jazz.
婚禮需要鮮花、音樂、大蛋糕等等之類的東西。
pattern: [item], [item], [item], and all that jazz
Christopher talked about his job, his new car, and all that jazz at dinner.
Christopher 在晚餐時聊他的工作、他的新車等等之類的事。
pattern: personal topics + and all that jazz
The team checked equipment, transport, food, and all that jazz before departing.
出發前這組人檢查了裝備、交通、食物等等之類的事。
Nila bought a dress, shoes, a handbag, and all that jazz for the party.
Nila 為了派對買了洋裝、鞋子、手提包等等之類的東西。
- and the like
more formal and slightly dated; used in both writing and speech
- and so on
neutral in register; works in most contexts without sounding informal
- and stuff
very informal, more common in everyday conversation than 'and all that jazz'
文法句型
[list of items], and all that jazz
用法筆記
Only appears in the fixed phrase 'and all that jazz' at the end of a list. Do not separate the parts — you cannot say 'all that jazz and more' in this sense.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I need pens, paper, and all that jazz for the meeting.' (correct structure but overly informal for a work context) — use 'and other supplies' instead in formal writing.
4. Statements that sound important or confident but have no real content, truth, or
空話
聽起來動聽但無實際內容或誠意的言論
Statements that sound important or confident but have no real content, truth, or practical value behind them.
Don't give me all that jazz about your best effort — you slept through class.
少跟我說什麼你盡力了那種空話——我看到你在課堂上睡著了。
informal: 'don't give me that jazz' as refusal to believe
The salesman's promises were just jazz with no real proof behind them.
業務員的承諾只是空話，沒有任何實際證據。
structure: [noun] + be just jazz
Her campaign speech was full of jazz about change but offered no clear plan.
她的競選演說滿是改變之類的空話，卻沒提出具體計畫。
Piotr knew his boss's compliments were just jazz meant to keep him quiet.
Piotr 知道他老闆的讚美只是為了讓他安靜下來的空話。
- truth
direct opposite — statements based on facts rather than empty talk
文法句型
that's (all) jazz
don't give me that jazz
be full of jazz
be just jazz
用法筆記
Always negative in tone — used to dismiss what someone says as worthless or dishonest. Common in fixed expressions like 'don't give me that jazz' (don't try to fool me).
常見錯誤
❌ 'I enjoyed the jazz at the conference.' (confusing this sense with sense 1) — 'jazz' meaning empty talk is a different word; if you mean the music, use sense 1.
5. A high-energy dance style with sharp, powerful body movements, first widely danc
爵士舞
1920年代大樂團音樂的活潑舞蹈
A high-energy dance style with sharp, powerful body movements, first widely danced in the nineteen-twenties and often performed to big-band music.
Maeve takes a jazz dance class at the community centre every Thursday.
Maeve 每週四都在社區中心上爵士舞課。
collocation: take + jazz dance class
The dancers wore bright costumes and moved to a fast jazz beat.
舞者們穿著鮮豔的服裝，跟著快速的爵士節拍舞動。
collocation: jazz beat
Eshe learned the basic steps of 1920s jazz for the school performance.
Eshe 為了學校演出學會了1920年代爵士舞的基本舞步。
The teacher showed the children how to kick and turn in jazz style.
老師向孩子們示範如何以爵士舞風格踢腿和轉身。
- swing dance
a partner dance style that emerged from swing music in the 1930s–40s; related to but distinct from earlier jazz dance
文法句型
jazz dance
jazz class
do / take / learn + jazz
用法筆記
Often paired with 'dance' ('jazz dance') to avoid confusion with the music genre. The dance style borrows the syncopated rhythms of jazz music and emphasises sharp, dramatic movements.
常見錯誤
jazz — 動詞
1. To perform or change a piece of music so that it has the loose rhythms, off-beat
爵士改編
爵士風格演奏改編，加入即興與切分
To perform or change a piece of music so that it has the loose rhythms, off-beat accents, and improvised feel of jazz, rather than sticking to the original written version.
The pianist decided to jazz the old folk song with a faster rhythm.
那位鋼琴家決定用更快的節奏把這首老民謠改編成爵士風格。
transitive: jazz + [song] + [manner]
Imran enjoys jazzing classical pieces for his school jazz band.
Imran 喜歡把古典樂曲改編成爵士風格，讓學校爵士樂團演奏。
gerund: jazzing + [pieces]
The trio jazzed all night long at the festival's main stage.
這個三重奏在音樂節的主舞台演奏了一整晚的爵士樂。
Elena learned to jazz a simple melody by adding off-beat accents.
Elena 學會了在簡單的旋律中加入切分音，把它改編成爵士風格。
文法句型
jazz + [song/melody] (transitive)
jazz up + [noun phrase] (phrasal verb)
jazz + [adverb/time] (intransitive)
用法筆記
Often used in the phrasal verb 'jazz up', which can also extend beyond music to mean 'make more lively or exciting' (e.g. 'jazz up the party with some decorations'). The plain transitive form is less common and mostly used by musicians.
常見錯誤
❌ 'He jazzed the meeting with a joke.' (stretching the metaphor too far) — 'jazz up' works for making something livelier, but just 'jazz' as a verb is primarily musical.