mouse
mouse — 名詞
1. a very small animal with a pointed nose and round ears, whose slender tail may b
老鼠
一種小型動物，有長尾巴和圓耳朵
a very small animal with a pointed nose and round ears, whose slender tail may be as long as its body. It often lives in fields, walls, or storerooms.
A grey mouse ran across the kitchen floor and hid behind the fridge.
一隻灰色老鼠跑過廚房地板，躲在冰箱後面。
countable noun for a small rodent
The farmer found mouse droppings near the bags of grain in the barn.
農夫在穀倉的穀袋附近發現了老鼠的糞便。
Ryo's cat brought a dead mouse to the back door this morning.
Ryo 的貓今天早上叼了一隻死老鼠到後門。
Mice can squeeze through very tiny holes in walls and floors.
老鼠可以穿過牆壁和地板上的非常小的洞。
- rodent
a broader category that includes mice, rats, hamsters, and squirrels — more technical and less common in everyday speech
常見錯誤
2. a small device with buttons that you slide across a flat surface to guide the on
滑鼠
電腦用手移動來控制游標的裝置
a small device with buttons that you slide across a flat surface to guide the on-screen pointer and select items on a computer.
Ryan clicked the mouse button twice to open the email attachment.
Ryan 按了兩下滑鼠按鈕，打開了電子郵件的附件。
countable noun for computer input device
The wireless mouse stopped working after Ingrid dropped it on the floor.
Ingrid 把無線滑鼠摔到地上之後，它就壞了。
You can use the mouse to drag photos from one folder to another.
你可以用滑鼠把照片從一個資料夾拖曳到另一個資料夾。
Nila moved the mouse slowly across the desk to select the text.
Nila 慢慢地在桌上移動滑鼠，選取那段文字。
- trackpad
a touch-sensitive pad built into laptops — you tap or swipe instead of moving a device
用法筆記
The standard plural for this sense is 'mice' (same as the animal), though some speakers use 'mouses'. In formal technical writing, 'mice' is preferred.
3. someone who is very quiet and shy, especially in social situations where they av
膽小鬼
害羞安靜、不愛說話的人
someone who is very quiet and shy, especially in social situations where they avoid speaking up or drawing attention. Often used to suggest the person should be more confident.
Asher was such a mouse at the party that nobody noticed he was there.
Asher 在派對上真是個膽小鬼，根本沒人注意到他在那裡。
informal: 'be a mouse' for a timid person
Stop being a mouse and tell your teammates what you really think.
別再當膽小鬼了，把你真正的想法告訴你的隊友。
In high school, Christopher was a quiet mouse who never raised his hand.
Christopher 在高中時是個安靜的膽小鬼，從來不舉手發言。
The new manager used to be a mouse in meetings, but now she speaks up confidently.
那位新主管以前在會議上是個膽小鬼，但現在她已經能自信地發言了。
- wallflower
someone who stays on the edge of social events because they are shy — similar meaning but refers specifically to parties and gatherings
- show-off
someone who behaves in a loud, confident way to get attention
用法筆記
Almost always used in the construction 'be a mouse'. Often carries a disapproving tone — the speaker implies the person should act with more confidence.
常見錯誤
mouse — 動詞
1. to chase and catch mice as a natural behaviour, especially of cats.
捕鼠
（貓）追捕老鼠的行為
to chase and catch mice as a natural behaviour, especially of cats.
The stray cat mouses in the warehouse every night to keep the grain safe.
那隻流浪貓每天晚上都在倉庫裡捕鼠，保護穀物不被咬壞。
intransitive verb — describes a cat's natural instinct
Our neighbour's tabby mouses so well that we never see any mice around.
我們鄰居的虎斑貓很會捕鼠，所以我們從來沒看到附近有老鼠。
Bilal watched the barn cat mouse for hours from the kitchen window.
Bilal 從廚房窗戶看著穀倉的貓捕鼠，看了好幾個小時。
Even well-fed domestic cats will still mouse if they get the chance.
即使是養得很好的家貓，只要有機會還是會去捕鼠。
- hunt
more general; 'mouse' is specific to catching mice and is used mainly for cats
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used to describe cats. Not used for humans who hunt mice.
2. to move in a slow, quiet way, trying not to attract attention or be noticed.
潛行
安靜緩慢地移動避免被發現
to move in a slow, quiet way, trying not to attract attention or be noticed.
Adisa moused around the corner to see who was talking in the hallway.
Adisa 悄悄地繞過角落，想看是誰在走廊上說話。
intransitive + adverb/preposition of direction
The journalist moused through the crowd, trying to get closer to the speaker.
那位記者悄悄地穿過人群，試圖靠近演講者。
Ignacio moused along the dark corridor, careful not to make any noise.
Ignacio 沿著黑暗的走廊悄悄移動，小心不發出任何聲音。
A cat moused silently through the tall grass toward the bird feeder.
一隻貓悄悄地穿過高高的草叢，朝著餵鳥器走去。
- sneak
more common in everyday English; 'mouse' is more literary and evokes the image of a tiny, cautious animal
文法句型
mouse + adverb or prepositional phrase of direction
用法筆記
Often used with directional adverbs or prepositional phrases such as 'around', 'along', 'through'. The implied agent moves with the cautious, quiet quality of a mouse.
常見錯誤
3. to look through something slowly and attentively in order to find a particular i
細查
仔細翻找以尋找特定物品
to look through something slowly and attentively in order to find a particular item or piece of information.
Indra moused through the stack of papers until she found the signed contract.
Indra 仔細翻查那疊文件，終於找到了簽好的合約。
transitive + through + noun phrase
The detective moused through old case files looking for a forgotten clue.
那位偵探仔細翻查舊案件的檔案，尋找一個被遺忘的線索。
Nicholas moused through the library shelves for a book about ancient Rome.
Nicholas 在圖書館的書架上仔細翻找，尋找一本關於古羅馬的書。
Hugo moused through the photos on his phone to find the one he took last summer.
Hugo 仔細翻看手機裡的照片，想找到去年夏天拍的那一張。
- search
more general and neutral; 'mouse through' specifically suggests slow, thorough examination
文法句型
mouse through + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'through' + a noun phrase describing a collection of items (papers, files, shelves, documents). Implies a slow, methodical search.