app

IPA/æp/
KK[ˈæp]IPA/æp/

app — noun

  • appsingular
  • appsplural

1. a small piece of software that you install on a phone, tablet, or watch so you c

1.名詞A1
釋義

a small piece of software that you install on a phone, tablet, or watch so you can do one specific thing with it, such as messaging friends, listening to music, or finding directions.

例句

Ravindra opened the banking app on his phone to pay the electricity bill.

open the app on [device] for routine task

The kids spent the whole rainy afternoon playing a puzzle app on the tablet.

playing an app — typical leisure use

同義詞
  • application

    the full word; 'app' is the everyday short form

  • program

    more common for desktop or laptop software

  • software

    uncountable; refers to the whole category, not one product

文法句型

download an app

open an app

use an app

用法筆記

Almost always used of phone, tablet, or smartwatch software. Distinguish from sense 2: when the program is for a regular computer, English speakers usually say 'program' or 'software' instead of 'app', though the line is blurring.

常見錯誤

❌I bought a new app for my fridge to keep cold.
✅I bought a new app for my phone to control the fridge.
💡an app runs on a phone/tablet/watch, not the appliance itself.
❌Please install this app on the printer.
✅Please install the printer app on your phone.
💡apps live on personal devices; they connect to other hardware.

2. any computer program written to do one particular job, such as editing photos or

2.名詞A2
釋義

any computer program written to do one particular job, such as editing photos or writing text. In this wider meaning, an app can run on a desktop or laptop too, not only on a phone.

例句

Vinícius uses a free drawing app on his laptop to make comic strips.

app on a laptop — desktop usage signals sense 2

Our office switched from email to a chat app that runs in the browser.

runs in the browser — non-mobile context

同義詞
  • program

    interchangeable in this wider sense; slightly more formal

  • tool

    stresses what the program helps the user do, not its form

文法句型

a [topic] app

run an app

用法筆記

Subject is often a developer, a workplace, or a school context rather than a personal phone user. Distinguish from sense 1: if the device is a phone, tablet, or watch, use sense 1; if it's a laptop, desktop, or web browser, use sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌I wrote an app for solving math at home.
✅I wrote an app for solving math problems.
💡name what the app does, not the place it is used.

3. a short, friendly American word for a small dish that comes before the main cour

3.名詞B1
釋義

a short, friendly American word for a small dish that comes before the main course, often shared by everyone at the table to start a meal.

例句

Ada and her friends shared two apps before the steaks arrived at the restaurant.

shared apps — typical restaurant scene

The waiter suggested the spicy wings as a popular app at this diner in Chicago.

[dish] as a popular app — recommendation pattern

同義詞
  • appetizer

    the full American word; 'app' is shorter and more casual

  • starter

    the usual British and Australian word for the same thing

反義詞

文法句型

order an app

share an app

用法筆記

Heard mainly in American restaurants and casual conversation about dining; rare in British or Australian English. Distinguish from sense 1 and 2: this sense is short for 'appetizer', not 'application', and only fits a food context.

常見錯誤

❌I ordered the soup as my main app.
✅I ordered the soup as my main course.
💡an app is a starter, never the main meal.