喜樂美語

核心畫面

One picture holds this word together: a blade closes, and a small piece comes away from something bigger. Everything else is a question of what was cut and which half you are looking at. Look at the piece that came away and you get grass clippings, and the article cut out of a newspaper. Look at the closing blade instead and you get the job of clipping. Point the same blade at a long word, cut its tail off, and what falls out is a clipping too: ad, gym, phone.

這個字可以想成一個畫面：刀刃一合，一小塊東西從大東西上分開。剩下的差別只有兩個。第一，被剪的是什麼。第二，你看的是哪…更多收起這個字可以想成一個畫面：刀刃一合，一小塊東西從大東西上分開。剩下的差別只有兩個。第一，被剪的是什麼。第二，你看的是哪一半。看掉下來的那一半，就是草屑，也是從報紙上剪下來的那篇。看合起來的刀刃那一半，就是修剪這個動作。把同一把刀對準一個長字，剪掉尾巴，掉出來的也叫 clipping，像 ad、gym、phone。

From the word’s history

By surface analysis, clip + -ing. The -ing ending can name the action or name what the action leaves behind, and this word uses both.

來源上就是 clip（剪）加 -ing。-ing 可以指動作，也可以指動作留下來的東西。clipping 剛好兩邊都用上了，所以它既是「修剪」也是「剪下來的那一塊」。

Wiktionary entry for clipping, etymology_text: 'By surface analysis, clip + -ing.' (packet source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1114536328)

Three branches

剪下來的那一塊

這一組看的是刀刃過後掉下來的東西，也是這個字最實在的畫面。

noun · B1

A small piece that has been cut off something bigger, such as grass, hair, a hedge or your nails. It is nearly always used in the plural, for all the little pieces left behind after cutting.

剪下的碎屑

剪這個動作

同一個畫面，但這次看的是刀刃在動，而不是掉下來的碎片。

noun · B2

The act of cutting something with scissors or clippers, especially cutting a little off so that it is shorter or tidier.

修剪（動作）

把字剪短

這條線把同一把剪刀對準了一個長字，是對學英文的人最有用的一條。

noun · C1

In the study of words, the making of a short word by cutting part off a longer one; also the short word this makes. 'Ad' is a clipping of 'advertisement'.

縮略（構詞）；縮略詞

原始詞典資料10 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

clippingnoun/ˈklɪpɪŋ/

  • 1

    The act by which something is clipped (in any sense).

  • 2

    A piece of something removed by clipping.

    • a clipping of hair
    • grass clippings
  • 3

    journalismmediaAn article clipped from a newspaper (especially) or from a magazine.

    • When a 90-year-old yellowed clipping appeared one day at my feet, an implausible new mystery entered my life.
  • 4

    human-scienceslinguisticssciencesA process of word formation involving shortening by removal of syllables, often terminal ones.

  • 5

    human-scienceslinguisticssciencesA short form (of a longer word) created by removing syllables, often terminal ones.

    • The word "ad" is a clipping of "advertisement".
    • > --Lia An unusual clipping! -or is it not short for Julia?
  • 6

    computingengineeringmathematicsThe process of cutting off a signal level that rises above a certain maximum level.

  • 7

    computer-graphicscomputingengineeringThe use of a mask to hide part of an object or image.

  • 8

    American-footballball-gamesfootballFalling, rolling, or throwing one's body on the back of an opponent's legs after approaching from behind.

clippingadj/ˈklɪpɪŋ/

  • 1

    obsoleteslangExcellent; very good.

    • A Yankee fellow told a clipping good story.
    • Rather! a clipping good run!

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：

資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。