bureau

/ˈbjʊərəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbjʊrəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbyu̇r-(ˌ)ō ˈbyər-/ (ame, mw)

bureau — noun

1. an office or company that gathers facts for people or gives useful information a

1.名詞B2
釋義

an office or company that gathers facts for people or gives useful information about a place, job, or subject

例句

The tourist bureau gave us a free map of Tainan's old streets.

collocation: tourist bureau

A local employment bureau matched Hana with a bakery job near home.

collocation: employment bureau

同義詞
  • agency

    broader; often arranges services as well as giving information

  • office

    more general; not necessarily focused on public information

  • center

    often stresses the public place rather than the organization

文法句型

tourist bureau

employment bureau

news bureau

用法筆記

Usually appears with a word naming the field or audience, such as tourist, employment, news, or information. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense can be private or service-based, not a formal arm of government.

常見錯誤

❌We visited the bureau of jobs downtown.
✅We visited the employment bureau downtown.
💡English usually puts the field word before 'bureau' in fixed names.

2. a department in a government that manages one area of public work

2.名詞C1
釋義

a department in a government that manages one area of public work

例句

The Census Bureau counts every household in the country every ten years.

proper name: the [Name] Bureau

After the storm, the city bureau checked damaged bridges across the river.

bureau handling local public work

同義詞
  • department

    common general term for one part of a government

  • agency

    often used for an official body with a specific task

  • office

    can mean the place or department, but sounds less formal

文法句型

the [Name] Bureau

government bureau

labor bureau

用法筆記

Often capitalized in official names, especially in American English. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is part of the state and has legal duties, while sense 1 mainly gives a service or information.

常見錯誤

❌She works for a bureau government.
✅She works for a government bureau.
💡the field or type normally comes before 'bureau'.

3. a cabinet-like desk whose front panel drops open to make a place for writing

3.名詞C1
釋義

a cabinet-like desk whose front panel drops open to make a place for writing

例句

Noa lowered the bureau lid and wrote three postcards before dinner.

bureau lid dropping open

In the guest room, the bureau opened into a desk for writing letters.

bureau opening into a desk

同義詞
  • writing desk

    closest everyday equivalent

  • desk

    broader; does not suggest the folding front

  • secretary desk

    a specific type name, especially in American English

文法句型

bureau lid

write at a bureau

用法筆記

This sense refers to an older style piece with a drop front used for writing. Distinguish from sense 4, which is mainly for storing clothes and other household items.

4. a piece of bedroom furniture with several drawers for clothes and other personal

4.名詞C1
釋義

a piece of bedroom furniture with several drawers for clothes and other personal things

例句

Bao folded the clean shirts and placed them in the bedroom bureau.

collocation: bedroom bureau

A cracked mirror hung above the bureau beside the baby's crib.

bureau in a bedroom scene

同義詞
  • dresser

    common North American word for similar bedroom furniture

  • chest

    short for a chest of drawers; broader and very common

  • chest of drawers

    the clearest full name for this furniture sense

文法句型

bureau drawer

bedroom bureau

用法筆記

Chiefly North American for a chest of drawers, especially in a bedroom. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense is for storage, not for writing.

常見錯誤

❌My socks are in the bureau box.
✅My socks are in the bureau drawer.
💡the parts that pull out are called drawers.