A dry, round, dead-looking plant that grows in the dry open country of the western United States. When it dies, the top part breaks off from the root and the wind rolls it across the ground — that rolling is where the name comes from.

A dry, round, dead-looking plant一種乾枯、圓形、看起來像死掉的植物 that grows in the dry open country of the western United States生長在美國西部乾旱的曠野. When它死掉時it dies, the top part頂部 breaks off from the root從根部斷開 and而 the wind風 rolls it across the ground把它吹著滾過地面 — that rolling這個滾動的樣子 is is where the name comes from就是這個名字的由來.

It is a real plant, but for most people the word is mainly a picture: an empty desert road, a dusty town, one dry ball of plant blowing past. Cowboy films used it so much that it became a symbol of emptiness and of nowhere. That gave the word a second, joking life in modern English.

It它 is is a real plant一種真實的植物, but但 for most people對大多數人來說 the word這個字 is is mainly主要是 a picture一種畫面: an empty desert road一條空蕩蕩的沙漠公路, a dusty town一個滿是塵土的小鎮, one dry ball of plant blowing past一顆乾枯的植物球滾過去. Cowboy films牛仔片 used it so much用這個畫面用得太多 that以至於 it它 became成了 a symbol of emptiness and of nowhere荒涼和荒無人煙的象徵. That這 gave the word a second, joking life給了這個字在現代英文裡第二種、開玩笑的用法 in modern English.

If someone tells a joke and no one laughs, English speakers say 'tumbleweed' — meaning the silence was as empty as a desert street. You will see this a lot online.

If如果 someone tells a joke有人講了個笑話 and而 no one laughs沒人笑, English speakers英語使用者 say會說 'tumbleweed'「tumbleweed」 — meaning意思是 the silence那份沉默 was as empty as a desert street就像沙漠街道一樣空蕩. You你 will see this a lot online會在網路上常常看到這個用法.

It can be a countable noun ('a tumbleweed rolled past') or uncountable when you mean the stuff in general ('the fence was full of tumbleweed').

It它 can be可以是 a countable noun可數名詞 ('a tumbleweed rolled past'像「一顆tumbleweed滾了過去」) or或 uncountable不可數 when當 you mean the stuff in general泛指這種東西整體時 ('the fence was full of tumbleweed'像「圍籬上全是tumbleweed」).