automobile
/ˈɔːtəməbiːl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɔːtəməbiːl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌȯ-tə-mō-ˈbēl ˈȯ-tə-mō-ˌbēl, ˌȯ-tə-ˈmō-ˌbēl/ (ame, mw)
automobile — noun
1. a road vehicle, usually with four wheels and an engine, built to carry a small n
a road vehicle, usually with four wheels and an engine, built to carry a small number of people from one place to another.
Henry Ford built his first automobile in a small workshop behind his house.
common collocation: build / make an automobile
The museum in Detroit displays automobiles from the early 1900s, including a shiny black Model T.
Many American families bought their first automobile during the boom years after the war.
When the snowstorm hit Chicago, dozens of automobiles were stuck on the highway for hours.
The factory in Ohio produces about two hundred automobiles every day.
用法筆記
Mainly American English and noticeably more formal than 'car'. Common in news writing, industry reports, and historical contexts; in everyday speech most Americans simply say 'car'. British speakers rarely use this word at all.
常見錯誤
automobile — adjective
1. connected with cars or with the business of designing, building, and selling the
connected with cars or with the business of designing, building, and selling them.
Detroit was once the heart of the American automobile industry.
set phrase: the automobile industry
Toyota and Ford are two of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world.
common collocation: automobile manufacturer
My uncle works as an automobile engineer at a small factory in Nagoya.
After the chip shortage in 2021, Ford reported a sharp drop in automobile sales.
- automotive
more technical, common in industry writing
- auto
shorter, used in 'auto parts', 'auto insurance', 'auto repair'
- car
as a modifier in everyday phrases like 'car park'
文法句型
automobile + noun
用法筆記
Only used before a noun (attributive), never after a linking verb. Limited to a small set of fixed-sounding combinations: industry, manufacturer, sales, engineer, parts, dealer. For other contexts 'car' as a modifier (car park, car insurance) is more natural.