mosaic
mosaic — 形容詞
1. created by pressing tiny coloured fragments of stone, glass, or ceramic into a b
馬賽克的
用小片有色材料拼製的
created by pressing tiny coloured fragments of stone, glass, or ceramic into a base to produce a decorated surface or picture.
The old church has a beautiful mosaic floor that was laid in the 12th century.
這座古老教堂裡有美麗的馬賽克地板，是十二世紀鋪設的。
attributive: mosaic + noun (floor, tile, artwork)
Camille bought a mosaic tabletop with patterns of blue and green glass pieces.
Camille 買了一張馬賽克桌面，上面有藍綠色的玻璃片圖案。
The bathroom walls are covered in mosaic tiles that shimmer when the sun hits them.
浴室牆面貼滿了馬賽克磚，陽光照射時閃閃發亮。
Kofi admired the mosaic artwork installed on the wall of the town square.
Kofi 欣賞著鎮上廣場牆上那幅馬賽克藝術作品。
Hoa's necklace featured a small mosaic pendant made of colourful polished stones.
Hoa 的項鍊上有一個小馬賽克墜子，由彩色磨石子拼成。
- tiled
broader — refers to any covering of tiles, not necessarily decorative patterns
- inlaid
different technique — pieces are set into a cut-out surface rather than placed side by side
- tessellated
formal term for patterns of small shapes that fit together without gaps
文法句型
mosaic + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun — you would say 'mosaic floor', not 'the floor is mosaic'. The word describes the construction method, not just the appearance.
常見錯誤
2. connected with Moses — the Hebrew leader who, according to the Bible, received t
摩西的
與希伯來先知摩西相關的
connected with Moses — the Hebrew leader who, according to the Bible, received the Ten Commandments from God and gave the laws recorded in the first five books.
The museum displays fragments of ancient scrolls containing parts of the Mosaic Law.
這間博物館展示了記錄摩西律法部分的古代卷軸碎片。
capitalised: Mosaic + Law / covenant / tradition
Scholars still debate the exact origins of the Mosaic traditions found in the Old Testament.
學者們仍在辯論《舊約》中摩西傳統的確切起源。
Mosaic teachings about justice and community have shaped many later legal systems.
摩西關於正義與群體生活的教導影響了後世許多法律制度。
The lecture examined the Mosaic covenant and its role in Jewish religious history.
這場講座探討了摩西之約及其在猶太宗教歷史中的角色。
文法句型
Mosaic + noun
用法筆記
Almost always capitalised. The word appears most commonly before 'law', 'covenant', or 'tradition'. Distinguish from sense 1 (COLOURED TILES), which uses a lowercase 'm'.
常見錯誤
mosaic — 名詞
1. an artwork or decoration produced by setting tiny coloured chips of stone, glass
馬賽克
用彩色小片拼成的圖案或裝飾
an artwork or decoration produced by setting tiny coloured chips of stone, glass, or ceramic into a surface to create a pattern or scene.
The ancient Roman mosaic shows a hunting scene with dogs chasing deer through trees.
這幅古羅馬馬賽克描繪了獵犬在樹林裡追逐鹿群的狩獵場景。
countable: a/an + mosaic + shows/depicts
Gita spent three months creating a mosaic of a sunflower for the community centre.
Gita 花了三個月為社區中心創作了一幅向日葵馬賽克。
Workers discovered a well-preserved mosaic under the floor of the old building during repairs.
工人在修繕老建築時，在地板下發現了一幅保存完好的馬賽克。
The children made a simple mosaic using small squares of coloured paper instead of glass.
孩子們用彩色紙片拼了一個簡單的馬賽克，取代了玻璃材料。
Mira took a class to learn the traditional art of mosaic and glass cutting.
Mira 上了一門課，學習傳統的馬賽克技藝與玻璃切割。
- collage
different material — made by gluing paper or fabric onto a surface, not using hard materials like stone or glass
- montage
different medium — assembled from photographs or film clips, not pieces of solid material
- patchwork
different material — made of sewn fabric pieces, not hard decorative pieces
- tessellation
formal term for any arrangement of shapes that fit together, not necessarily decorative
文法句型
a mosaic (a single artwork)
mosaic (the art form, uncountable)
用法筆記
As an uncountable noun, mosaic refers to the technique ('she works in mosaic'). As a countable noun, it refers to a specific artwork ('she made a mosaic of a bird').
常見錯誤
2. a natural or accidental pattern that resembles a tile mosaic, made up of many sm
斑斕拼圖
由許多色塊形成的彩色圖樣
a natural or accidental pattern that resembles a tile mosaic, made up of many small areas of different colours or shades.
From the hilltop the city lights formed a beautiful mosaic of yellow and white dots.
從山頂望去，城市的燈光形成了一幅黃白點交織的斑斕圖案。
a mosaic of + colours / lights / shades
The autumn leaves created a mosaic of red, orange, and gold across the forest floor.
秋天的落葉在森林地面上鋪出了一幅紅橙金交錯的彩色拼圖。
Yara looked down at the mosaic of colours in the coral reef below the boat.
Yara 低頭看著船下珊瑚礁中繽紛的色彩拼圖。
Satellite images showed a mosaic of farm fields in different shades of green and brown.
衛星影像顯示農田呈現深淺不同的綠色與棕色，像一幅鑲嵌畫。
- patchwork
suggests irregular, sewn-together shapes, often in fabric
- variegation
technical term for multiple colours in plants or patterns; more formal
文法句型
a mosaic of + colours/patterns
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (TILE PICTURE), this sense describes naturally occurring patterns rather than art made by a person. The thing described is not actually made of separate pieces — it only looks that way.
3. something made up of many different people, cultures, ideas, or parts that toget
綜合體
由多元成分組合而成的整體
something made up of many different people, cultures, ideas, or parts that together form a single rich whole — like a group whose members come from very different backgrounds.
The neighbourhood is a mosaic of different cultures and languages from around the world.
這個社區由來自世界各地的不同文化與語言融合而成，是一個多元綜合體。
a mosaic of + cultures / communities / ideas / identities
The novel presents a mosaic of characters whose separate lives slowly connect over time.
這部小說呈現了多個角色的故事，他們各自的人生隨著時間慢慢交織在一起。
Liang described the city as a social mosaic made up of many immigrant communities.
Liang 將這座城市描述為由許多移民社區組成的社會綜合體。
The festival was a vibrant mosaic of music, dance, and food from twenty countries.
這個節慶包含了來自二十個國家的音樂、舞蹈與美食，是一場豐富多彩的綜合盛宴。
Christopher described the story collection as a mosaic of voices from a small town.
Christopher 將這部故事集描述為一個小鎮中眾多聲音的綜合體。
- mixture
broader and less visually evocative; implies blending rather than visible distinct parts
- assortment
focuses on variety but does not suggest the parts form a unified whole
- patchwork
similar metaphor but suggests irregular, improvised assembly
- medley
often used for songs or performances; implies sequence rather than simultaneous arrangement
- monolith
something made of one uniform substance or character
文法句型
a mosaic of + diverse/plural noun
用法筆記
Unlike sense 2 (COLOURFUL PATTERN), this sense is always metaphorical — it describes abstract diversity rather than visual colour patterns. Commonly followed by 'of' plus a plural noun.
常見錯誤
4. a living organism that carries cells of different genetic makeups within one bod
嵌合體
含兩種以上基因型細胞的生物體
a living organism that carries cells of different genetic makeups within one body, resulting from natural mutation or from medical procedures such as cell transplantation.
A genetic mosaic can occur naturally when a cell mutates during early development.
基因嵌合體可能在發育早期某個細胞發生突變時自然產生。
genetic mosaic — technical compound noun in biology
The patient is a mosaic, with some cells carrying the genetic change and others not.
這名患者是一個嵌合體，部分細胞帶有基因變化，其他細胞則沒有。
Scientists studied a natural mosaic in the cat's fur caused by different pigment gene activity.
科學家研究了貓身上由不同色素基因活動所形成的天然嵌合體毛色。
The doctor explained that people with this condition are genetic mosaics with mixed cell types.
醫生解釋說，有這種狀況的人是基因嵌合體，體內混合了不同類型的細胞。
文法句型
genetic mosaic
a mosaic of cells/tissues
用法筆記
A technical term in biology and medicine. Also referred to as a 'chimera' in some contexts, though the two terms have slightly different meanings — a chimera involves cells from different individuals, while a mosaic usually involves variation within one individual's original cell line.
mosaic — 動詞
1. to decorate a surface by setting small pieces of coloured stone, glass, or ceram
鑲嵌
用彩色小片裝飾表面
to decorate a surface by setting small pieces of coloured stone, glass, or ceramic into it to form a pattern or picture.
The artist mosaicked the entire wall with broken pieces of coloured glass bottles.
藝術家用彩色碎玻璃瓶片在整面牆上鑲嵌出圖案。
active form: mosaic + object + with + material
Nellie hired a local craftsman to mosaic the garden pathway with river stones.
Nellie 請了一位當地工匠用溪石在花園小徑上做鑲嵌裝飾。
The ceiling of the small chapel was mosaicked with scenes from the old village.
這座小教堂的天花板上鑲嵌著描繪舊村莊景色的圖案。
Christopher's grandfather used to mosaic old mirror frames as a hobby in retirement.
Christopher 的祖父退休後喜歡在舊鏡框上做鑲嵌手工。
- inlay
different technique — pieces are set into recessed areas rather than placed on a flat surface
- tessellate
formal term meaning to fit shapes together without gaps, not necessarily decorative
文法句型
mosaic + object (surface to be decorated)
用法筆記
A rare verb. The past tense and past participle are usually spelled 'mosaicked' (not 'mosaiced'). The passive form ('was mosaicked') is more common than the active form.
常見錯誤
2. to arrange or combine separate elements — such as pieces of material, images, or
拼合
將不同元素組合成鑲嵌圖案
to arrange or combine separate elements — such as pieces of material, images, or ideas — into a unified pattern or whole that resembles a mosaic.
The designer mosaicked different fabrics together to create a patchwork coat.
設計師將不同布料拼合起來，做了一件拼接大衣。
mosaic + together — combining separate elements
Meera mosaicked the holiday photos into a large collage for the school exhibition.
Meera 將度假照片拼合成一幅大型拼貼畫，在學校展覽中展出。
Tiny pieces of wood were mosaicked by Henry into a picture of a sailing boat.
這些細小木片被 Henry 拼成了一幅精緻的帆船圖。
The garden wall displays a flower pattern, carefully mosaicked by Lucía from broken tiles.
花園牆上展示著一朵花朵圖案，是由 Lucía 用碎瓷磚仔細拼成的。
- assemble
more general term for putting parts together; lacks the visual pattern aspect
- piece together
emphasises the process of fitting fragments into a whole, often gradually
- compose
more formal; can refer to creating art, music, or writing from separate elements
- scatter
to spread separate elements apart rather than bringing them together into a pattern
文法句型
mosaic + object pieces + into + pattern/whole
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (DECORATE WITH TILES): sense 1 emphasises decorating a surface, while sense 2 emphasises assembling pieces into a pattern. Sense 2 can be used for materials other than stone or glass, such as fabric, photos, or wood.