A toothpick is a very small thin stick, pointed at one or both ends, used for getting bits of food out from between your teeth after a meal. Most are wooden; you throw them away after one use. Restaurants often keep a small pot of them by the door.

A toothpick牙籤 is是 a very small thin stick一根很小很細的棍子， pointed at one or both ends一端或兩端是尖的， used for用來 after a meal在飯後 getting bits of food out from between your teeth把卡在牙縫裡的食物碎屑挑出來。Most are wooden大部分是木頭做的， you throw them away after one use用一次就丟掉。Restaurants餐廳 by the door在門口 often keep a small pot of them常常放一小罐。

There is a manners point attached, and it differs by place: in Britain and America, picking your teeth at the table is thought rude, so people cover their mouth with one hand or go to the bathroom, while in Taiwan and much of East Asia it is ordinary to do it at the table, usually with a hand raised to cover.

There is a manners point attached這件事還牽涉到禮貌問題， and it differs by place而且因地方而異： in Britain and America在英國和美國， picking your teeth at the table在餐桌上剔牙 is thought rude被認為是不禮貌的， so people cover their mouth with one hand所以大家會用一隻手遮住嘴巴 or go to the bathroom或是去廁所處理， while in Taiwan and much of East Asia而在台灣和東亞大部分地方， it is ordinary to do it at the table在餐桌上這樣做很平常， usually with a hand raised to cover通常會舉起一隻手遮一下。

The word does a second job in the kitchen, and this one is just as common: toothpicks hold food together and hold small pieces of food for eating. You spear a cube of cheese on a toothpick at a party, you push toothpicks through a rolled piece of chicken to keep it shut while it cooks, and you test a cake by pushing a toothpick into the middle — if it comes out clean and dry, the cake is done.

The word這個字 does a second job in the kitchen在廚房裡還有第二個用法， and this one is just as common而且一樣常見： toothpicks hold food together牙籤可以把食物固定在一起 and hold small pieces of food for eating也可以插著小塊食物方便食用。at a party在派對上 You spear a cube of cheese on a toothpick你用牙籤叉一塊起司， you push toothpicks through a rolled piece of chicken把牙籤插進捲好的雞肉捲 to keep it shut while it cooks讓它在烹煮時不會散開， and you test a cake也會測試蛋糕 by pushing a toothpick into the middle把牙籤插進中間 — if it comes out clean and dry如果拔出來又乾淨又乾， the cake is done蛋糕就烤好了。

There is also a fixed way of describing a very thin person: 'she's like a toothpick', or 'toothpick legs'. It is informal, and it can sound unkind, so use it about yourself rather than about other people.

There is also a fixed way of describing a very thin person也有固定的說法用來形容很瘦的人： 'she's like a toothpick'「她像牙籤一樣」， or 'toothpick legs'或是「牙籤腿」。It is informal這是口語說法， and it can sound unkind聽起來可能不太友善， so use it about yourself所以拿來說自己 rather than about other people比說別人好。