核心畫面
You can picture minimum as the floor of a range — the lowest point you can go down to and no further. Imagine a line with marks on it: minimum is the very bottom mark, the smallest amount that is still possible, allowed, or enough. Whether the word names that floor as a thing ('the minimum is twenty') or describes something as sitting on it ('the minimum age'), it's the same bottom line.
可以把 minimum 想成一個範圍的「地板」——能往下到的最低點，再低就不行了。想像一條畫了刻度的線：minimu…更多收起
可以把 minimum 想成一個範圍的「地板」——能往下到的最低點，再低就不行了。想像一條畫了刻度的線：minimum 就是最底下那一格，是還算可以、還被允許、或還算夠用的最小量。不管這個字是把那塊地板當成一個東西來講（「最低限度是二十」），還是拿它來形容某樣東西就停在那條底線上（「最低年齡」），指的都是同一條最底下的線。From the word’s history
From Latin 'minimum', the neuter of 'minimus' (smallest, least), the superlative of 'parvus' (small). So at root it simply names 'the least thing' — the smallest amount there is.
源自拉丁文 minimum，是 minimus（最小的、最少的）的中性形，而 minimus 又是 parvus（小）的最高級。所以它的根本意思就是「最少的那個」——存在的最小量。
etymonline.com/word/minimum
原始詞典資料6 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。
minimumnoun/ˈmɪnɪməm/
- 1
The lowest limit.
- We prefer candidates with a minimum of 4 years experience in the field.
- We need a minimum of three staff members on duty at all times.
- 2
The smallest amount.
- He always tries to get away with doing the minimum.
- Please keep noise to a minimum after 11 o'clock
- 3
astronomynatural-sciencesA period of minimum brightness or energy intensity (of a star).
- The Maunder minimum of the Sun reportedly corresponded to a period of great cold on Earth.
- 4
mathematical-analysismathematicssciencesA lower bound of a set which is also an element of that set.
- 5
mathematicssciencesstatisticsThe smallest member of a batch or sample or the lower bound of a probability distribution.
minimumadj/ˈmɪnɪməm/
- 1
To the lowest degree.
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。