bottom
bottom — verb
1. to come down to the lowest place or level, especially after a period of falling.
to come down to the lowest place or level, especially after a period of falling.
By midnight, the fishing boat bottomed on a sandbar near the island.
bottom on + sandbar/shallow ground
At a gas station in Tainan, oil prices bottomed in January.
prices bottom + time expression
On the trading floor, brokers said the market bottomed after lunch.
In the shallow bay, the canoe bottomed before Omar could turn.
After weeks of losses, team spirit bottomed before the final game.
- hit bottom
common and slightly more informal for reaching the lowest level
- level off
focuses on a fall stopping, not always on the very lowest point
- stabilize
more formal; means become steady after earlier change
- run aground
used specifically for boats touching the ground below the water
文法句型
bottom + on/in + shallow ground
prices/market/confidence bottom + time expression
用法筆記
Usually used without an object. In literal use, the subject is often a boat moving through shallow water; in figurative use, the subject is commonly a price, market, or other level after a long fall.
常見錯誤
bottom — noun
1. the part of an object, place, or container that is below all the other parts.
the part of an object, place, or container that is below all the other parts.
A gold ring lay at the bottom of the swimming pool.
pattern: at the bottom of + place
Soup burned at the bottom of the pan while Rohan answered the phone.
Small fish hid near the bottom of the clear river.
At the bottom of the page, Greta found the hotel address.
- top
the highest part, not the lowest
文法句型
the bottom of + noun
at the bottom of + noun
用法筆記
Usually appears with 'of' to name the thing whose lowest part you mean. Distinguish from sense 3, where 'bottom' points to the far end of a place rather than its lowest level.
常見錯誤
2. the lower piece in a two-part outfit, such as the skirt, shorts, or trousers.
the lower piece in a two-part outfit, such as the skirt, shorts, or trousers.
Hana bought the red jacket, but the matching bottom was sold out.
collocation: matching bottom
The ski team wore black bottoms and bright orange tops.
pairing: bottoms and tops
For gym class, students may choose shorts or track bottoms.
The shop sells each bikini bottom separately from the top.
- lower half
descriptive phrase for the lower piece of a two-part outfit
- lower piece
less common; used when the outfit comes in matching parts
- top
the upper piece of the same outfit
文法句型
matching bottom
top and bottom(s)
用法筆記
Common in shops, fashion writing, and product labels. The plural 'bottoms' is especially frequent when talking about trousers, track wear, or swimwear.
常見錯誤
3. the end of a place that is farthest away from where you are, start, or live.
the end of a place that is farthest away from where you are, start, or live.
Grandpa keeps his tools in the shed at the bottom of the garden.
pattern: at the bottom of + outdoor place
A candle flickered at the bottom of the long tunnel.
The bakery at the bottom of our street opens before sunrise.
A blue tent stood at the bottom of the field near the trees.
- front
the end nearest the entrance or starting point
文法句型
at the bottom of + place
用法筆記
Common with gardens, streets, fields, and tunnels, where you imagine moving along a space. Distinguish from sense 1 when you mean distance from a starting point rather than height.
4. your backside; the fleshy area behind your legs that supports you when you sit.
your backside; the fleshy area behind your legs that supports you when you sit.
The child slid down the hill on his bottom.
phrase: on his bottom
After the long bike ride, Bao's bottom felt sore.
The nurse checked the baby's bottom and changed his diaper.
Sit on your bottom and tie both shoes again.
文法句型
on your bottom
用法筆記
A polite everyday word, especially common when speaking to children. It is less direct than 'butt' and less medical than 'buttocks'.
5. the side underneath something, or the lower part that supports it.
the side underneath something, or the lower part that supports it.
Aiko wrote her phone number on the bottom of the wooden box.
on the bottom of + object
Mud stuck to the bottom of my boots after the farm walk.
The label was fixed to the bottom of the glass jar.
Four small wheels were screwed onto the bottom of the toy cart.
The lamp's wide bottom kept it steady on the table.
- underside
focuses on the part facing down, especially when it is not easy to see.
- base
often emphasizes the part that keeps something standing.
- lower side
a plain description, less fixed than 'underside'.
- top
the highest or upper part of the same object.
- upper side
the side that faces up rather than down.
文法句型
the bottom of + object
on the bottom of + object
用法筆記
Often follows 'of' to name the part underneath an object. When it means the supporting base, it is common with furniture and things that stand on a surface.
常見錯誤
6. the lowest inside surface of a container, or the ground under water.
the lowest inside surface of a container, or the ground under water.
A coin lay at the bottom of the bucket after the wash.
at the bottom of + container
Hana found two blue beads at the bottom of her school bag.
Sea grass covered the bottom of the clear bay.
The child could see tiles on the bottom of the pool.
At low tide, dark rocks showed on the river bottom.
- top
the highest inside part or surface.
文法句型
at the bottom of + container
on the bottom of + pool/sea/river
用法筆記
Usually appears in phrases like 'at the bottom of the bottle' or 'on the bottom of the pool'. Distinguish from sense 5: this sense is for the lowest inside surface or the ground below water, not the outside underside.
常見錯誤
7. the position furthest down in a ranking, contest, or social order.
the position furthest down in a ranking, contest, or social order.
After six losses, the club fell to the bottom of the league.
bottom of the league
Noa started at the bottom of the class but improved later.
Workers at the bottom of the company had no private offices.
The runner dropped to the bottom of the race after twisting an ankle.
At the bottom of the list, Omar's name was easy to miss.
- last place
the clearest synonym for races, games, and lists.
- lowest rank
more formal and common in wider social or work settings.
- foot
used especially in British sports tables, as in 'the foot of the table'.
文法句型
at the bottom of + ranking
drop to the bottom
用法筆記
Often follows 'of' after words for ranking such as 'league', 'list', and 'class'. In social contexts, it can refer to people with the least power or status.
常見錯誤
8. the part of a baseball inning when the team batting second in that inning tries
the part of a baseball inning when the team batting second in that inning tries to score.
The Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
pattern: in the bottom of the ninth
By the bottom of the sixth, rain had started to fall.
The bottom of the eighth began with a double to left field.
A walk-off hit ended the game in the bottom of the tenth.
- bottom half
the fuller everyday baseball expression
- home half
less common; stresses that the home team is batting
- last half
rule-book style wording; less common in everyday sports talk
- top half
the visiting team's turn to bat
文法句型
the bottom of the + inning number
in the bottom of the + inning number
用法筆記
Restricted to baseball. It nearly always appears with an inning number, and it specifically names the home team's turn to hit.
常見錯誤
9. the point thirty minutes after an exact hour.
the point thirty minutes after an exact hour.
The radio station gives weather updates at the bottom of the hour.
fixed phrase: at the bottom of the hour
The producer saved the traffic report for the bottom of the hour.
This news channel repeats the headlines at the bottom of the hour.
The host promised to read callers' names at the bottom of the hour.
- half past
the standard everyday way to say the same time point
- on the half hour
common in schedules and announcements
- top of the hour
the exact hour, not thirty minutes past
文法句型
at the bottom of the hour
用法筆記
Mostly occurs in the fixed phrase 'at the bottom of the hour'. It means thirty minutes past an hour, not the exact hour; compare with 'at the top of the hour'.
常見錯誤
bottom — adjective
1. used for the part, line, or rank that is furthest down in something, or that com
used for the part, line, or rank that is furthest down in something, or that comes last in a group.
Ravi found the passport in the bottom drawer beside the old keys.
bottom + drawer for lowest part
Please sign your name on the bottom line of the green form.
bottom line for physical position
After six losses, the Tigers were the bottom team in the league.
Two clean bowls were stacked on the bottom shelf near the sink.
Our class photo appeared in the bottom row of the school magazine.
文法句型
bottom + noun
bottom row / line / shelf / team
用法筆記
Usually appears before a noun, especially with words for parts of a space or an ordered list. Distinguish it from the noun in patterns like 'at the bottom of the box', where the word names the part itself.