beard
beard — noun
- beardsingular
- beardsplural
1. the short or long hairs covering a man's chin, cheeks, and lower face, often kep
the short or long hairs covering a man's chin, cheeks, and lower face, often kept instead of being shaved
Sivan decided to grow a beard during the winter months to keep his face warm.
The old carpenter's white beard was so long that it reached his chest.
collocation: long / white / bushy beard
Dewi shaved off his beard for the job interview because he wanted to look younger.
Every morning Antonia's grandfather trims his beard carefully with a small pair of scissors.
A thick grey beard covered the old sailor's face, making him look older than he was.
- whiskers
less common in modern English; more often used for animals or in old-fashioned expressions
- facial hair
a broader term that includes mustaches, sideburns, and beards
- clean-shaven
describes a face with no beard or mustache at all
用法筆記
Unlike 'mustache' (hair above the upper lip) or 'goatee' (hair only on the chin), a beard covers a larger area of the lower face.
常見錯誤
2. the tuft of longer hair that hangs from the lower jaw of a goat or similar anima
the tuft of longer hair that hangs from the lower jaw of a goat or similar animal
The old billy goat had a long white beard that almost touched the ground.
Children at the petting zoo loved to gently pull on the goat's soft beard.
collocation: goat's beard
Reema's drawing showed a mountain goat with a short beard standing on a high rock.
The farmer pointed at the kid goat and said its beard would grow longer as it got older.
Camille noticed that both male and female goats can grow a small beard under their chin.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (facial hair on a person): this sense applies only to animals. The word is most common in reference to goats.
3. the tough, hair-like fibres that shellfish such as mussels use to attach themsel
the tough, hair-like fibres that shellfish such as mussels use to attach themselves to rocks or other hard surfaces
Before cooking the mussels, pull off the dark beards that stick out from between the shells.
collocation: remove / pull off the beards (of mussels)
The chef showed the new cook how to clean each mussel by scraping the shell and removing its beard.
Ravindra soaked the clams in cold water before twisting off the beards with a sharp tug.
A mussel uses its beard to hold tightly onto a rock so that waves do not wash it away.
- byssus
the technical biological term for the fibre bundle; rarely used in everyday cooking
用法筆記
In cooking instructions, the plural form 'beards' is standard. The biological term for these fibres is 'byssus threads'.
4. a person who pretends to be someone's romantic partner in order to hide that per
a person who pretends to be someone's romantic partner in order to hide that person's actual relationship status or sexual orientation from others
Cyrus asked his friend to act as a beard at dinner so his parents stopped asking about his love life.
usage: 'act as / be a beard' (informal)
In the film, the singer hires an actress to be his beard while he secretly dates someone else.
Owen suspected that his sister's new boyfriend was just a beard to keep their traditional parents from worrying.
The celebrity admitted in an interview that his marriage had been a beard arranged by his managers.
- front
broader meaning; can refer to any deceptive appearance, not limited to romantic relationships
用法筆記
This sense is informal and most commonly used in discussions about closeted celebrities or public figures. It often carries a negative connotation of deceit.
5. an activity, object, or public image that is deliberately presented to hide the
an activity, object, or public image that is deliberately presented to hide the real nature of a person, situation, or organization
The charity's fundraising parties were just a beard for the director's personal business deals.
pattern: 'a beard for [hidden purpose]'
Allison worried that her cheerful online posts were becoming a beard for her real loneliness.
The company used its environmental awards as a beard to distract from its pollution problems.
What looked like a simple bookshop turned out to be a beard for a secret meeting place.
- front
more common; can be used in the same way for any deceptive appearance
- smokescreen
implies a deliberate attempt to confuse or mislead, often in a corporate or political context
- facade
suggests a false outward appearance that covers up something unpleasant
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (a person as a romantic decoy): this sense applies to things, activities, or public images. The construction is typically 'a beard for [something]'.
beard — verb
- beardpresent simple I / you / we / they
- beards3rd person singular
- bearding-ing form
- beardedpast simple
1. to approach and speak directly to someone who is intimidating, powerful, or unfr
to approach and speak directly to someone who is intimidating, powerful, or unfriendly, showing courage by not backing away
Sade took a deep breath and bearded the strict head teacher in his office to ask for another chance.
pattern: 'beard + person + in [place/location]'
The young reporter bearded the angry general with a series of direct questions about the war.
A nervous intern bearded the CEO during the coffee break to demand a fair explanation for the pay cut.
Tomás bearded the rude neighbour at the front gate and told him to stop throwing rubbish into their garden.
- avoid
the opposite action — to stay away from someone instead of approaching them
文法句型
beard + person
用法筆記
This verb is quite formal and infrequent in everyday speech. It often appears in narrative or literary contexts. The construction is always transitive: you beard a person, not a situation.
常見錯誤
2. to clean a mussel or similar shellfish by pulling away the hairy fibres that sti
to clean a mussel or similar shellfish by pulling away the hairy fibres that stick out from between its shells, typically before cooking
The cook bearded the mussels while her partner chopped garlic and onions for the sauce.
pattern: 'beard + type of shellfish' in cooking context
The recipe said to scrub and beard the clams before steaming them in white wine.
At the seafood stall, the fishmonger quickly bearded a pile of fresh mussels for a customer.
The mussels need to be washed and bearded first, then checked for any that are cracked or open.
文法句型
beard + mussels/clams
用法筆記
In recipes, 'bearded' is often used in the passive ('scrubbed and bearded') as a step-by-step instruction. This sense is directly connected to noun sense 3 (the mussel's beard).