all-purpose
/ˌɔːl ˈpɜːpəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɔːl ˈpɜːrpəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈȯl-ˈpər-pəs/ (ame, mw)
all-purpose — adjective
1. designed to work well across a wide range of jobs, tasks, or situations rather t
designed to work well across a wide range of jobs, tasks, or situations rather than being made for just one specific use.
Viraj keeps an all-purpose cleaner under the kitchen sink for spills, counters, and the bathroom mirror.
attributive: all-purpose + noun (cleaner)
These all-purpose hiking boots work well on muddy trails, snowy slopes, and rocky beaches.
plural noun + all-purpose modifier across varied contexts
Grandma Lin baked her birthday cake using a bag of all-purpose flour from the corner shop.
The community centre offers an all-purpose hall for weddings, yoga classes, and town meetings.
Eitan packed one all-purpose backpack instead of bringing three different bags on the trip.
- multipurpose
near-identical; slightly more technical, common in product descriptions and engineering contexts
- versatile
broader; describes people, tools, or skills that adapt to many situations, not only objects designed for many uses
- general-purpose
common in computing and machinery; emphasises 'not specialised' rather than 'covers many tasks'
- all-round
British; often used of skills or performers ('an all-round athlete') rather than physical products
- specialised
made for one specific task or field
- single-purpose
literal opposite; designed for exactly one job
- dedicated
in tech contexts: reserved for one function, e.g. a dedicated server
文法句型
all-purpose + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively (before a noun). Avoid 'the cloth is all-purpose' in formal writing; prefer 'an all-purpose cloth' or 'a cloth for all purposes'.