corps

/kɔː(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /kɔːr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkȯr/ (ame, mw)

corps — noun

  • corpssingular
  • corpsesplural

1. a large unit within an army or military organization, made up of several smaller

1.名詞B1
釋義

a large unit within an army or military organization, made up of several smaller divisions and responsible for a particular type of work — for example, the Marine Corps in the US, or the Army Medical Corps.

例句

After basic training, Private Kim was assigned to the Army Medical Corps.

the [adjective] Corps — named military branch

The Marine Corps celebrated its founding anniversary with a ceremony at the base.

proper-name Corps with singular verb

同義詞
  • division

    a smaller tactical unit within an army; a corps usually contains multiple divisions

  • regiment

    a smaller military unit within a corps; more specific and lower in the chain of command

  • brigade

    a medium-sized unit, smaller than a division, often used in context of specific tasks

文法句型

the [adjective] Corps

the [name] Corps

用法筆記

The plural form is also spelled corps but is pronounced /kɔːrz/ (with a final /z/ sound). This is the only way to tell them apart, since they are spelled identically.

常見錯誤

❌The Marine Corp has a new policy.
✅The Marine Corps has a new policy.
💡'corps' ends with a silent 'ps', not 'p'.
❌The corps are moving west.' (when singular)
✅The corps is moving west.
💡singular collective noun takes a singular verb.
❌Two corp were deployed.
✅Two corps were deployed.
💡the plural is spelled exactly the same as the singular: 'corps'.

2. a group of people who work together on a particular task or share a common purpo

2.名詞B1
釋義

a group of people who work together on a particular task or share a common purpose — for example, the diplomatic corps working at an embassy, or the press corps that covers political events.

例句

The White House press corps gathered early for the president's announcement.

the press corps — journalists covering an institution

A small corps of volunteers helped rebuild homes after the hurricane struck the coast.

corps of [volunteers] — group with shared purpose

同義詞
  • body

    a more general term for a group of people joined by a common role; less formal than corps

  • team

    a smaller, more informal group; corps suggests a more permanent or official structure

  • group

    neutral and very broad; corps implies a shared mission or professional identity

文法句型

the [noun] corps

corps of [noun]

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense does not carry military meaning. It is commonly used in the names of civilian organizations (e.g. Peace Corps, press corps) and describes a cohesive team rather than a formal hierarchy.

常見錯誤

❌The press corp asked many questions.
✅The press corps asked many questions.
💡the word is 'corps' (with a silent 'ps'), not 'corp'.
❌There are many corps in the diplomatic community.' (pronouncing like the singular)
✅There are many corps in the diplomatic community.
💡for plural, pronounce it /kɔːrz/ with the 's' sound at the end.
❌The corps of volunteers were small but effective.
✅The corps of volunteers was small but effective.
💡a corps is a singular collective unit.