cornucopia

IPA/ˌkɔːnjuˈkəʊpiə/
KK[kˌɔrnəkˈopiə]IPA/ˌkɔːrnəˈkəʊpiə/

cornucopia — noun

  • cornucopiasingular
  • cornucopiasplural

1. in art and decoration, a horn-shaped basket filled with fruits, flowers, and gra

1.名詞C1
釋義

in art and decoration, a horn-shaped basket filled with fruits, flowers, and grains that represents wealth, a good harvest, or plenty — originally from ancient Greek and Roman stories about a magical horn that could provide endless food.

例句

The autumn festival centrepiece was a cornucopia overflowing with apples, pears, and pumpkins.

literal horn-shaped basket filled with fruit

In the museum painting, a golden cornucopia sits beside the harvest goddess Demeter.

同義詞
  • horn of plenty

    the exact English name for the same object, more common in historical writing

  • receptacle

    a broader term for any container, without the abundance symbolism

文法句型

cornucopia + of + [plural noun]

常見錯誤

❌The cornucopia in the art museum has a goat horn shape
✅The cornucopia in the art museum is shaped like a goat's horn.
💡'has a goat horn shape' uses the wrong count-noun structure.

2. a very large collection or supply of good, pleasant, or useful things — for exam

2.名詞C1
釋義

a very large collection or supply of good, pleasant, or useful things — for example, a market that offers a cornucopia of fresh food, or a book that contains a cornucopia of useful advice.

例句

The public library offers a cornucopia of books, films, and online resources to residents.

cornucopia of + plural nouns (books, films, resources)

Haruto bought a cornucopia of fresh herbs and vegetables at a weekend market in Taipei.

同義詞
  • abundance

    uncountable noun meaning the same idea of plenty, but does not create the same vivid image

  • wealth

    stresses valuable or desirable things, often in a formal context

  • profusion

    emphasises a very large quantity, especially of things growing or spread out

  • plethora

    often suggests an excessive or overwhelming amount, which cornucopia does not

反義詞
  • scarcity

    the condition of not having enough of something

  • dearth

    formal word for a lack or insufficient supply

文法句型

cornucopia + of + [noun phrase]

用法筆記

This sense is always used with a following 'of' phrase that names the things in the collection. The subject is often a place, event, or source (library, market, festival, book).

常見錯誤

❌There is cornucopia of food
✅There is a cornucopia of food.
💡The noun is countable and always takes an article.
❌The museum had cornucopia of ancient art.
✅The museum had a cornucopia of ancient art.
💡Same rule: 'cornucopia' needs 'a' or 'the' before it.