steamer
steamer — 名詞
1. A water vessel whose engine uses heat to turn water into steam, and the force of
蒸氣船
以蒸汽引擎推動的船
A water vessel whose engine uses heat to turn water into steam, and the force of that steam pushes the ship forward across rivers or seas.
The old steamer docked at the harbour with a loud blast of its whistle.
那艘老舊的蒸氣船靠港時響起了巨大的汽笛聲。
steamer + docked (subject-verb collocation)
Walid's great-grandfather worked on a steamer that carried cotton along the Nile.
Walid 的曾祖父曾在尼羅河上運送棉花的蒸氣船上工作。
worked on a steamer (preposition 'on')
Tourists lined up to board the vintage steamer for a ride around the lake.
觀光客排隊登上那艘老式蒸氣船，準備繞湖一遊。
Before diesel engines took over, steamers carried passengers and goods across the ocean.
在柴油引擎普及之前，蒸氣船載著旅客與貨物橫越海洋。
- steamship
More formal; used for large ocean-going vessels, especially in historical writing.
- steamboat
Usually refers to smaller steam-powered boats that travel on rivers rather than oceans.
- steam vessel
Technical or formal term covering any water craft driven by steam.
用法筆記
This sense now mainly describes historical or tourist vessels; modern commercial ships do not use steam power.
常見錯誤
2. A kitchen tool whose base has many tiny openings, designed to sit above boiling
蒸鍋；蒸籠
用蒸氣烹調食物的器具
A kitchen tool whose base has many tiny openings, designed to sit above boiling water so that the hot steam rises through the food placed on top and cooks it gently.
Sana placed the sliced fish in the steamer and put the lid on tightly.
Sana 把切好的魚放進蒸鍋裡，緊緊蓋上蓋子。
steamer + lid (parts of the tool)
You can use a bamboo steamer to make soft, fluffy buns at home.
你可以用竹蒸籠在家裡做軟綿綿的饅頭。
bamboo steamer (common modifier)
Nikhil bought an electric steamer because it cooks vegetables much faster than boiling them.
Nikhil 買了一個電蒸鍋，因為用它蒸蔬菜比用水煮快多了。
Rinse the steamer basket after use so food will not get stuck in its holes.
使用後要把蒸鍋籃子沖洗乾淨，免得食物卡在洞裡。
- steamer basket
Specifically refers to the perforated metal or bamboo container, usually placed inside a pot.
- steamer insert
A type of steamer that fits inside an existing pot rather than being a standalone appliance.
用法筆記
Bamboo steamers are traditional in East Asian kitchens. Electric steamers plug into a wall outlet, while metal steam baskets sit directly in a pot of water.