virgin
virgin — 名詞
1. a man or woman who has not yet slept with anyone
處男；處女
未有過性行為的人
a man or woman who has not yet slept with anyone
Ari respected Mira's choice to remain a virgin and never pressured her during their relationship.
Ari 尊重 Mira 保持處子之身的選擇，在交往期間從未給她壓力。
remain a virgin — stay in that state by choice
Sana told her partner that she was a virgin and wanted to wait a little longer.
Sana 告訴伴侶她是處女，想要再多等一段時間。
told [someone] + that-clause — disclosing virginity status
Feng explained to his friends that he saw no shame in being a virgin at twenty-two.
Feng 向朋友解釋，他認為二十二歲還是處男沒有什麼好丟臉的。
Kemi told her cousin she was still a virgin and happy with that choice.
Kemi 告訴表姐她還是處女，而且對這個選擇感到自在。
- celibate
a person who chooses not to have sex, often for religious or personal reasons; more about ongoing choice than first-time status
- chaste person
a more formal or old-fashioned term, often with a moral or religious tone
用法筆記
Also used in adjective form (see adjective sense 4: SEXUALLY INEXPERIENCED). Many people prefer phrases like 'not sexually active' or 'has not had sex' in casual conversation, as 'virgin' can carry social judgments.
常見錯誤
2. an individual doing an activity for the first time, without any background knowl
新手；初學者
對某活動完全沒有經驗的人
an individual doing an activity for the first time, without any background knowledge or skill in it
When Eshe joined the design firm she was a marketing virgin and had to learn everything from scratch.
Eshe 加入設計公司時，她在行銷方面完全是個新手，什麼都得從頭學起。
a [field] virgin — newcomer to that field
Diego is a skiing virgin — he has never even seen snow before.
Diego 是滑雪新手——他連雪都沒見過。
The beginner workshop is meant for computer virgins who have never touched a keyboard.
這個初階工作坊是為從未碰過鍵盤的電腦新手設計的。
Noa felt nervous before her first shift because she was a complete cooking virgin.
Noa 在第一次值班前感到緊張，因為她完全是個烹飪新手。
文法句型
a [activity] virgin
virgin at [activity]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by a noun that names the activity (a movie virgin, a social-media virgin). The tone is light and conversational — avoid in formal writing.
常見錯誤
virgin — 形容詞
1. describes land, forest, or natural areas that have never been changed, cut down,
原始的
未經人類開發利用的土地或自然區域
describes land, forest, or natural areas that have never been changed, cut down, or built on by people
The expedition travelled deep into one of the last virgin forests in Southeast Asia.
探險隊深入東南亞最後幾片原始森林之一。
virgin forest — natural forest never cut by humans
Hikers walked across a virgin landscape where no roads had ever been built.
登山者走過一片從未鋪設道路的原始地貌。
Conservationists are fighting to protect virgin wilderness from mining and logging companies.
環保人士正努力保護原始荒野不受礦業和伐木業的破壞。
Farmers discovered a patch of virgin soil that had never been planted with crops.
農民發現了一片從未種植過作物的原始土壤。
- cultivated
land that has been prepared for growing crops
- developed
land that has been built on or changed by people
用法筆記
The Virgin River (a river flowing through Utah and Nevada into Lake Mead) takes its name from this idea of untouched land, though it is a fixed proper noun today.
常見錯誤
2. relates to cooking oils — most often olive oil — that come from pressing fresh f
初榨的
直接壓榨取得未經加熱或化學處理的油
relates to cooking oils — most often olive oil — that come from pressing fresh fruit without added heat or chemical steps
Chef Elena drizzled extra virgin olive oil over the fresh salad before serving it.
主廚 Elena 在上桌前將特級初榨橄欖油淋在新鮮沙拉上。
extra virgin olive oil — highest grade of virgin olive oil
At the market, Hannah chose virgin coconut oil over the refined version for her baking.
在市集裡，Hannah 為了烘焙選擇了初榨椰子油而非精煉版本。
choosing virgin coconut oil — consumer decision contrasting virgin vs refined
Sven drizzled extra virgin olive oil over the roasted vegetables just before serving them.
Sven 在上菜前將特級初榨橄欖油淋在烤蔬菜上。
Esteban checked the label to make sure the bottle said 'extra virgin' and not just 'pure olive oil.'
Esteban 仔細檢查標籤，確認瓶子上寫的是「特級初榨」而非只是「純橄欖油」。
- extra virgin
the highest grade of virgin olive oil, from the first cold pressing
- cold-pressed
describes oil made without heat; similar process but not limited to the first pressing
- refined
oil treated with heat or chemicals after pressing to remove flavours and impurities
用法筆記
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the highest grade, made from the first cold pressing. Simply 'virgin olive oil' is a lower grade but still produced without heat or chemicals.
常見錯誤
3. describes something, especially something white, that is completely pure, clean,
純白的
完全純淨未受污染或污損的白色物品
describes something, especially something white, that is completely pure, clean, and not yet marked or spoiled
The bride wore a dress made of virgin white silk that shimmered in the sunlight.
新娘穿著一襲純白絲綢禮服，在陽光下閃閃發光。
virgin white — pure, unmarked white
After the snowstorm the garden lay under a blanket of virgin white snow.
暴風雪過後，花園覆蓋著一片潔白的積雪。
The sculptor chose virgin white marble to create the statue of the goddess.
雕刻家選用純白大理石來雕刻這座女神雕像。
A fresh sheet of virgin paper lay on the desk waiting for the first stroke of ink.
一張全新的白紙放在桌上，等待第一筆墨跡落下。
- pure white
everyday term for white that has no other colour mixed in
- pristine
in perfect, original condition; can apply to colours but also to objects and environments
用法筆記
This sense is mostly found in literature, poetry, and descriptive writing. In everyday speech, 'pure white' or 'snowy white' are more common.
4. describes a person who has never had sex — for example, someone who is waiting f
未經人事的
未曾有過性行為的
describes a person who has never had sex — for example, someone who is waiting for a particular time or relationship before becoming sexually active
The documentary followed three virgin teenagers from different countries as they prepared for their weddings.
這部紀錄片跟拍了三位來自不同國家的未經人事的青少年，記錄他們準備婚禮的過程。
virgin teenagers — adjective describing sexually inexperienced young people
Saira's grandmother was a virgin bride at sixteen, but times have changed.
Saira 的祖母在十六歲時還是處女新娘，但時代已經不同了。
virgin bride — traditional set phrase
At the campus health fair, Ishaan told a counsellor he was still a virgin and asked for advice about dating.
在校園健康博覽會上，Ishaan 告訴輔導員他還是處男，並請教了約會方面的建議。
Maeve chose to stay a virgin throughout college and focused on her studies instead.
Maeve 選擇在大學期間保持處子之身，把重心放在學業上。
- sexually active
having had sex; the neutral opposite of 'virgin'
用法筆記
Conceptually overlaps with noun sense 1 (NOT HAD SEX). The adjective form is used before a noun (a virgin bride, virgin teenagers), while the noun form stands alone (he is a virgin). Unlike noun sense 1, the adjective can also describe groups of people (virgin college students).