average
average — noun
1. a single middle figure that stands for a whole group of numbers; you find it by
a single middle figure that stands for a whole group of numbers; you find it by summing every number, then splitting that sum equally across however many numbers there were.
Mei-Ling worked out the average of her five test scores using a calculator.
the average of [numbers]
The class read an average of twelve books each during the summer holiday.
an average of [number]
House prices in the village rose by an average of three percent last year.
To find the average, Daniel added all six numbers and divided the total by six.
The national average for daily screen time is now over four hours.
文法句型
the average of [numbers]
an average of [number]
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'an average of' before a number, and 'the average of' before a list or set being measured.
常見錯誤
2. the level or standard that you would normally expect from a group of people or t
the level or standard that you would normally expect from a group of people or things — what most members of the group are like.
Sofia's reading score is well above average for children her age.
above/below average
On average, students in this school study for two hours every evening.
on average
Rainfall in May was below average across most of the eastern region.
Marco's salary is much higher than the average for teachers in his city.
- extreme
the opposite end of a scale
文法句型
above/below average
on average
用法筆記
Frequently appears without an article in fixed phrases: 'on average', 'above average', 'below average'. Distinguish from sense 1, which is a calculated number rather than a typical level.
常見錯誤
3. in cricket, a number used to show how well a player is performing, either the ty
in cricket, a number used to show how well a player is performing, either the typical runs a batter makes per innings or the typical runs given up by a bowler before they get a wicket.
The young batter from Mumbai finished the season with a batting average of fifty-two.
batting average of [number]
Coach Patel said his bowler had an excellent average of under twenty runs per wicket.
bowling average of [number]
Rahul has a career average above forty-five, which puts him among the top players.
Priya's average dropped sharply after she struggled with the spin bowlers in three away matches.
文法句型
a batting/bowling average of [number]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a named cricketer; the figure follows 'of' or appears before 'runs per wicket'. Distinguish from sense 4, which is the baseball-only batting figure.
4. in baseball, a small decimal figure measuring how often a hitter succeeds at the
in baseball, a small decimal figure measuring how often a hitter succeeds at the plate; you take their total hits and split that by how many times they came up to bat.
The Dodgers' shortstop ended the year with a batting average of point three one zero.
batting average of [decimal]
Jose hit a home run on Friday and his average climbed back above point three hundred.
average climbed above [decimal]
Few players in the league keep an average over point three thirty across a full season.
Danny Alvarez's average has fallen since he started swinging at low pitches.
- batting average
the more specific full term used by commentators
文法句型
a batting average of [number]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3 (cricket): baseball figures appear as small decimals like .310, while cricket averages are larger whole numbers.
average — verb
1. to come to a particular figure when the total of something is shared out evenly
to come to a particular figure when the total of something is shared out evenly across each day, week, person, or other unit.
Yael averages forty hours of work each week at the bakery.
average [number] per [unit]
Rainfall here averages around two hundred millimetres a year.
averages around [number]
Our delivery van averages thirty kilometres an hour through the city centre.
Leila's blog now averages five thousand readers every month.
Production at the factory averaged two hundred units a day last quarter.
- amount to
broader; can describe any total, not just a per-unit figure
文法句型
[subject] averages [number]
average [number] per [unit]
用法筆記
Almost always followed directly by a number plus a unit phrase ('per week', 'a day', 'an hour'). Rarely used in the passive — say 'the team averaged ten points', not 'ten points were averaged'.
常見錯誤
2. to work out a single mid-point figure for a group of numbers by adding them up a
to work out a single mid-point figure for a group of numbers by adding them up and then dividing the total by how many there are.
Ms Lin asked the children to average the heights of every plant in the garden.
average [a set of numbers]
The accountant averaged last year's monthly sales to set a sensible target.
If you average these four end-of-term science scores, the class result is just under seventy.
Researchers averaged the daily temperatures over a thirty-year period.
- average out
phrasal-verb form, more common in everyday speech
文法句型
average [a set of numbers]
用法筆記
Object must be a set or group of measurable numbers (scores, prices, temperatures). Distinguish from sense 1: here you do the calculation; in sense 1 the subject is the figure.
average — adjective
1. describing a figure that stands for a whole group of values, worked out by summi
describing a figure that stands for a whole group of values, worked out by summing those values and then splitting the result equally across each one.
The average rainfall in Taipei during June is over three hundred millimetres.
average [noun]
Yusuf's average score across the four maths papers was eighty-two.
average score
The average house price in our neighbourhood has doubled in ten years.
Our average daily sales jumped after the new café opened next door.
- mean
more technical, used in maths and statistics writing
文法句型
average [noun]
用法筆記
Used only before a noun in this sense. The noun it modifies is almost always a measurable quantity: rainfall, price, score, speed, age, salary.
2. of a normal kind or level — neither very good nor very bad, neither very large n
of a normal kind or level — neither very good nor very bad, neither very large nor very small.
Mei is a student of average height with short brown hair.
average [physical feature]
The pizza at the new place was just average — nothing worth a second visit.
just average (informal evaluation)
On a good day, Pia runs at an average pace for someone his age.
The hotel room was clean and tidy, but the breakfast was very average.
Yuki's grades are average, but her drawing skills are truly remarkable.
- exceptional
much better than the normal level
- outstanding
strongly positive, far above average
文法句型
[noun] is average
an average [noun]
用法筆記
When the noun is food, work, or performance, 'average' often carries a mildly negative tone meaning 'disappointing'. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes a calculated figure rather than a quality.