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Someone or something nondescript looks very ordinary. Nothing about them catches the eye: not pretty, not ugly, not strange, not stylish — just plain.
Someone or something nondescript一個 nondescript 的人或東西 looks very ordinary看起來非常普通。Nothing about them catches the eye身上沒有任何東西會吸引目光: not pretty不美、 not ugly不醜、 not strange不奇怪、 not stylish也不時髦 — just plain就是平淡無奇。
Clothes, buildings, cars, and faces all get this word. It is a little cool and a little ; you are saying there is nothing to notice. You can also use it as a noun: a nondescript is a person like that.
Clothes, buildings, cars, and faces衣服、建築、車子、和臉孔 all都 get this word可以用這個字。It它 is是 a little cool and a little unkind一個有點冷淡、也有點不太友善的詞; you你 are saying其實是在說 there is nothing to notice沒什麼值得注意的地方。You你 can also也可以 use it as a noun把它當名詞用: a nondescript一個 nondescript is就是 a person like that像這樣的人。
It is not street slang, but it is common in stories and in talk when you cannot picture someone later.
It它 is not street slang不是街頭俚語, but但是 it它 is common in stories and in talk when you cannot picture someone later很常出現在故事裡、或是你事後想不起某人長相時的談話中。
Though actually, it does not mean 'never described'. An animal new to science may be undescribed; a nondescript coat is simply dull. People also use it when they want to disappear in a crowd on purpose.
Though actually不過其實, it它 does not mean 'never described'並不是「從未被描述過」的意思。An animal new to science一種科學上剛發現的新動物 may be undescribed可能是「尚未被描述」(undescribed); a nondescript coat而一件 nondescript 的外套 is simply dull只是單純地平淡無奇。People大家 also也 use it when they want to disappear in a crowd on purpose會在故意想在人群中不引人注意時用這個字。
組成non- (not) + descript, from Latin dēscrīptus, the past form of dēscrībō (to describe). The living idea: not easy to describe because nothing stands out.
同家族的字
- describesame Latin root: to say what something is like
- descriptionthe noun from that same root
- descriptivean adjective from the same root
原始詞典資料5 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。
nondescriptadj/ˈnɒndɪskɹɪpt/
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archaicbiologynatural-sciencesNot described (in the academic literature).
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Without distinguishing qualities or characteristics.
- He drove a nondescript silver sedan.
- There was, besides, a Scots mason, known from his favourite dish as "Irish Stew," three or four nondescript Scots, a fine young Irishman, O'Reilly, and a pair of young men who deserve a special word of condemnation.
nondescriptnoun/ˈnɒndɪskɹɪpt/
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biologynatural-sciencesA species or other type of creature that has not been previously described or identified.
- Imagination has given figure and character to centaurs, satyrs, and down to all the fairy tribe; but titles baffle even the powers of fancy, and are a chimerical non-descript.
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An undistinguished, unexceptional person or thing.
- In thoroughfares nigh the docks, any considerable seaport will frequently offer to view the queerest looking nondescripts from foreign parts.
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An unmarked police car.
- By a nice British compromise, the enforcement car — visible just then as a white spot on the television screen — has nothing externally to show its police affiliation, but unlike the CID's nondescripts, carries two large policemen in uniform.
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。