noodle
noodle — 名詞
1. a food made of flour, water, and eggs that is formed into long, thin strips, coo
麵條
以麵粉和水製成的長條狀食物
a food made of flour, water, and eggs that is formed into long, thin strips, cooked briefly in hot liquid, and then served in soups, stir-fries, or with sauce
Samir stirred the noodles into the boiling water and set a timer for four minutes.
Samir 將麵條放入沸水中攪拌，並設定計時器煮四分鐘。
cooking action: stir noodles into boiling water
Layla served the chicken noodles in a large white bowl with spring onions on top.
Layla 將雞肉麵盛入一個大白碗中，上面撒上蔥花。
countable plural form with descriptive object
Hao learned to make fresh egg noodles from his grandmother during the summer holiday.
Hao 在暑假時跟祖母學會了如何製作新鮮的雞蛋麵。
The shop at the corner sells the best noodle soup in the whole neighbourhood.
街角那家店賣的湯麵是附近一帶最好吃的。
Constanza ordered a plate of rice noodles with vegetables and tofu for lunch.
Constanza 點了一盤搭配蔬菜和豆腐的河粉當午餐。
- pasta
broader category; in Italian contexts 'pasta' replaces 'noodle' entirely
- vermicelli
refers specifically to very thin noodles, not the general category
文法句型
noodle(s) as the main ingredient
noodle + noun (noodle soup, noodle dish)
用法筆記
When referring to the food itself, 'noodle' is almost always used in the plural form ('noodles'). The singular form appears mainly in compound nouns ('noodle soup', 'noodle dish').
常見錯誤
2. any shape of pasta, not only the long, thin kind — used especially in American E
義大利麵
任何形狀的義大利麵食
any shape of pasta, not only the long, thin kind — used especially in American English to refer to pasta in general
Ilan prefers shell-shaped noodles for baked pasta dishes because they hold more cheese.
Ilan 比較喜歡貝殼形狀的義大利麵來做焗烤料理，因為可以夾住更多起司。
broader sense: shell-shaped noodles (pasta shells)
Rachel bought three different noodle shapes for the salad — spirals, bows, and tubes.
Rachel 買了三種不同形狀的義大利麵來做沙拉——螺旋狀、蝴蝶結狀和管狀的。
Asher asked whether macaroni counted as a noodle or belonged in a separate food category.
Asher 問通心粉到底算不算一種義大利麵，還是屬於另一種不同的食物類別。
Kenji found that bow-tie noodles worked best for the cold pasta salad he wanted.
Kenji 發現蝴蝶結形狀的義大利麵最適合做他想做的冷麵沙拉。
- pasta
more standard term for the general category; 'noodle' in this sense is informal/regional
文法句型
noodle shapes
noodle as a synonym for pasta
用法筆記
This broader meaning is most common in American English. In British English and in Asian cooking contexts, 'noodle' almost always refers to long, thin strips (Sense 1).
3. a person's head or brain, especially when referring to thinking ability or intel
腦袋
非正式用語，指人的頭腦或智力
a person's head or brain, especially when referring to thinking ability or intelligence — used humorously or informally
Chidi tapped his noodle and finally remembered where he left the car keys.
Chidi 拍了拍腦袋，終於想起他把車鑰匙放在哪裡了。
possessive + noodle (his noodle)
Anong could not get the maths problem into her noodle however hard she tried.
Anong 無論怎麼努力，就是無法把那道數學題弄進她的腦袋裡。
Aisha gave her noodle a workout and cracked the puzzle in five minutes.
Aisha 動了動她的腦袋，五分鐘後就把那道謎題解開了。
Sajid laughed and said the answer was right in his noodle the whole time.
Sajid 笑著說，答案其實一直都藏在他的腦袋裡。
文法句型
possessive + noodle (my/his/your noodle)
用法筆記
Always informal and often humorous or self-deprecating. Avoid in formal writing. The most common fixed expression is 'use your noodle' (see idiom below).
常見錯誤
4. a long, light, floating cylinder made of foam that swimmers hold onto or rest th
浮條
學習游泳時使用的輕質漂浮棒
a long, light, floating cylinder made of foam that swimmers hold onto or rest their arms on for support in the water, commonly called a pool noodle
Eliska grabbed her pool noodle and jumped into the deep end without hesitation.
Eliska 抓起她的泳池浮條，毫不猶豫地跳進深水區。
compound noun: pool noodle
The children spent the afternoon racing each other while sitting on their pool noodles.
孩子們整個下午都坐在泳池浮條上比賽誰划得快。
Yael cut the foam noodle into shorter pieces to make floating targets for swim class.
Yael 把泡棉浮條切成較短的幾段，為她的游泳課製作漂浮目標。
Valentina used a pool noodle to practise her arm strokes while staying afloat.
Valentina 用泳池浮條練習划臂動作，同時讓自己浮在水面上。
- swim float
generic term for any floating aid; less specific than 'pool noodle'
- water log
much less common synonym
文法句型
pool noodle + [verb]
use a pool noodle
用法筆記
Almost always called a 'pool noodle' rather than just 'noodle' on its own. The item is made from buoyant polyethylene foam and comes in bright colours.
5. an informal, relaxed session of playing a musical instrument without following w
即興彈奏
非正式、無計畫的樂器演奏
an informal, relaxed session of playing a musical instrument without following written music or a fixed plan
Élise enjoyed a quiet noodle on her acoustic guitar while sitting on the porch.
Élise 坐在門廊上，拿起木吉他安靜地即興彈奏了一番。
structure: have a noodle on [instrument]
The pianist's ten-minute noodle at the end of the rehearsal surprised everyone with its beauty.
那位鋼琴家在排練尾聲長達十分鐘的即興彈奏，讓在場所有人都驚豔不已。
Mauricio recorded his noodle on the bass and later turned it into a full song.
Mauricio 錄下了他在貝斯上的即興彈奏，後來把它發展成一首完整的歌曲。
Femi likes an early-morning noodle on the piano before anyone else wakes up.
Femi 喜歡在清晨其他人還沒起床時，先在鋼琴上即興彈一會兒。
- jam session
refers to group improvisation, not solo noodling
- improv
shorter and more general; can refer to any art form, not just music
文法句型
a noodle on [instrument]
have a noodle
用法筆記
This sense is very informal and most common among musicians. The related verb form (Verb Sense 2) is used more frequently than the noun.
noodle — 動詞
1. to engage with a task, idea, or subject in a casual, unhurried way, without conc
隨意弄
未經認真思考或專注地做某事
to engage with a task, idea, or subject in a casual, unhurried way, without concentrating fully or pursuing a fixed result
Andrei spent the afternoon noodling around on the internet instead of doing his homework.
Andrei 整個下午都在網路上隨便逛逛，沒有認真做功課。
phrasal pattern: noodle around + on [something]
Nikhil noodled on the proposal for weeks without ever sending it to the client.
Nikhil 把提案拿來隨意改了好幾個星期，卻從來沒有寄給客戶。
pattern: noodle on [something]
Harper likes to noodle over ideas while walking her dog in the park.
Harper 喜歡一邊遛狗一邊在公園裡天馬行空地胡思亂想。
Lakshmi noodled over the colour scheme for weeks before choosing a simple palette.
Lakshmi 在配色方案上隨意琢磨了好幾個星期，最後才選定了一套簡單的色調。
- mess around
more casual and can imply wasting time; 'noodle' is gentler
- tinker with
more concrete; usually about physical objects or machines
- fiddle with
implies small, restless movements; 'noodle' is more mental
- focus on
implies serious, directed attention — the opposite of unfocused noodling
文法句型
noodle around (no object)
noodle + on/over + [something]
用法筆記
Frequently paired with 'around' (noodle around) or 'on/over' (noodle on/over something). The object is usually an idea, a problem, a design, or a casual activity — never a serious, time-sensitive task.
2. to make up music as you play an instrument, exploring sounds and melodies in a r
即興演奏
非正式地、即興地演奏樂器
to make up music as you play an instrument, exploring sounds and melodies in a relaxed, unstructured way without written notes
Tyler sat at the piano and noodled for half an hour before his practice routine.
Tyler 坐在鋼琴前即興彈了半小時，才開始進行正式的練習。
noodle without an object: generic informal playing
Alessia and Brandon noodled on their saxophones together until well past midnight.
Alessia 和 Brandon 一起用薩克斯風即興演奏，一直玩到午夜過後。
pattern: noodle on [instrument], plural subject
The bass player noodled quietly in the corner while the singer tuned her guitar.
貝斯手在角落隨興地彈著，而主唱正在幫她的吉他調音。
Nora likes to noodle on her ukulele while waiting for the bus after school.
Nora 喜歡在放學等公車的時候，隨興地彈彈她的烏克麗麗。
文法句型
noodle (no object)
noodle + on + [instrument]
用法筆記
Often used without an object ('She spent the evening noodling'). When the instrument is mentioned, use 'on' ('noodle on the guitar'). This sense is distinct from a formal 'jam session' because it is solitary or casual rather than structured group improvisation.