array
/əˈreɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈreɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈrā/ (ame, mw)
array — noun
1. a wide selection of items or guests presented side by side, so a viewer can see
a wide selection of items or guests presented side by side, so a viewer can see the variety at a glance.
The night market offered a colourful array of street food from every region of Taiwan.
an array of + plural noun (variety)
Mrs. Lin spread a dazzling array of cakes across the long wooden table for her granddaughter's birthday.
[adjective] array of + plural noun
Visitors to the museum admired an array of ancient bronze swords, jade rings, and painted pots.
The new principal faces a bewildering array of problems on her first day.
Ben lined up a tidy array of toy soldiers along the top shelf of his bedroom.
- selection
more neutral; doesn't suggest visual impact
- range
emphasises variety more than visual display
- collection
stresses what has been gathered, not how it looks
文法句型
an array of + plural noun
a [adjective] array of + noun
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'of' plus a plural noun. Typical scenes include fruit at a market stall, cakes on a tea table, or celebrities on a red carpet. The adjective in front is usually positive or vivid — 'wide', 'dazzling', 'colourful', 'impressive' — or 'bewildering' when the variety feels overwhelming.
常見錯誤
2. in computing or mathematics, a structured set of related values — such as number
in computing or mathematics, a structured set of related values — such as numbers or words — placed in a fixed order, typically as a grid of rows together with columns, so a program or person can look each one up by its position.
The teacher asked Kenji to store the test scores in an array and then print them in order.
computing: store values in an array
Mei built an array where each row held the daily rainfall for one week in Taipei.
rows and columns structure
Anna's program reads position five of the array to find the fifth student's name.
On the whiteboard, the numbers were drawn as a small array of dots in four rows.
文法句型
an array of + numbers/values
a [size] array
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense always sits inside a technical context (a program, a spreadsheet, a maths problem). Computer programmers usually mean sense 2; a food writer usually means sense 1.
常見錯誤
array — verb
1. to set out a group of items in a careful order or pattern, usually so that every
to set out a group of items in a careful order or pattern, usually so that everything can be seen at once — for example, lining up cakes on a tray or placing photos in neat rows on a wall.
Grandma arrayed the dumplings in three neat circles on the bamboo steamer.
array + object + on + place
The shop staff arrayed handmade soaps along the wooden counter for the morning customers.
array + object + along + place
Old family photos were arrayed across the living-room wall in careful date order.
The waiter arrayed the small cups of tea in a perfect line in front of each guest.
Dr. Park arrayed the dinosaur bones on a black cloth for the children to study.
- scatter
to throw or drop in no particular order
文法句型
array something on/along/across something
be arrayed in/around something
用法筆記
Sounds formal or literary; in everyday speech most Taiwanese learners would choose 'arrange', 'lay out', or 'set out'. Often appears in the passive ('was arrayed', 'were arrayed') in news writing and museum descriptions.
常見錯誤
2. to place soldiers or fighters in their positions before a battle, ready to attac
to place soldiers or fighters in their positions before a battle, ready to attack or defend; also used in a wider sense for any group lining up against an opponent.
King Henry arrayed his archers along the top of the small green hill before dawn.
array + troops + along + place
The general arrayed three thousand soldiers across the river bank to stop the enemy crossing.
array + soldiers + across + place
By midday, two great armies were arrayed against each other on the open plain.
Powerful banks and oil companies are arrayed against the small village in the new court case.
- withdraw
to pull troops back from their position
文法句型
array troops/forces against someone
be arrayed against someone
用法筆記
Mostly found in history books, novels, and news stories about court cases or political fights. Distinguish from verb sense 1: sense 2 always has people ready for conflict, while sense 1 covers any objects placed in order.