
spitting
词源
源自中古英语 'spitten',与古英语 'spǣtan'(吐口水)同源,可能模仿吐口水的声音。形容词用法(如 spitting image)可能源自‘spit and image’的变体,表示精确复制。
verb
❶ 从嘴里用力吐出唾液或其他液体,通常表示厌恶、愤怒或习惯性动作。
“He was spitting on the ground angrily after the argument.”
(争吵后,他愤怒地往地上吐口水。)
“The boy got in trouble for spitting in class.”
(那个男孩因为在上课时吐口水而惹上麻烦。)
❶ 指液体或细小颗粒从某处喷射或飞溅出来,类似吐口水的动作。
“The frying pan was spitting hot oil everywhere.”
(煎锅里的热油四处飞溅。)
“The fire spat sparks into the night sky.”
(火焰向夜空喷射出火花。)
adjective
❶ 形容非常相似,几乎一模一样,常用于短语 'spitting image'。
“The child is the spitting image of his father at that age.”
(这孩子和他父亲那个年龄时长得一模一样。)
“She's the spitting image of her grandmother in those old photos.”
(她和老照片里的祖母简直是一个模子刻出来的。)
常见短语
spitting image — 用来形容两个人或事物极其相似,几乎完全相同,通常指外貌上的相似。
“Everyone says my daughter is the spitting image of me when I was her age.”
(大家都说我女儿和我她这个年龄时长得一模一样。)
spitting distance — 指非常近的距离,近到可以吐口水到达,强调两者之间的物理距离很短。
“The grocery store is within spitting distance of my apartment.”
(杂货店离我的公寓近在咫尺。)