cul
cul — noun
- culsingular
- culsplural
1. a short street or narrow passage that has only one entrance and exit, typically
a short street or narrow passage that has only one entrance and exit, typically ending with a circular area where vehicles can turn around
The Youngs bought a house on a quiet cul with gardens at the turning circle.
collocation: quiet cul for a residential dead-end street
The delivery driver got lost when his road was a small cul behind the courthouse.
Estate agents describe a cul as a safe place for children to ride bikes.
A garbage truck got stuck reversing out of the narrow cul behind the flats.
- cul-de-sac
the full, more formal expression
- dead end
more common in everyday speech; less specific about the turning circle
- close
used in British street names (e.g. 'Willow Close') for the same concept
- through road
a road that connects to other roads at both ends
- thoroughfare
a main road open at both ends for through traffic
文法句型
live on a cul
at the end of a cul
quiet / peaceful cul
用法筆記
'Cul' is an informal shortening of 'cul-de-sac'. The full form is more common in formal and written English. In British English, 'cul' appears mainly in casual conversation and informal real-estate descriptions.
常見錯誤
2. a situation, plan, or line of thinking that cannot progress any further because
a situation, plan, or line of thinking that cannot progress any further because every possible next step meets an obstacle or leads back to the same problem
After six months of failed talks, the peace negotiations had reached a complete cul.
pattern: reach a cul (figurative dead end)
Sofia knew her research had hit a cul when every test gave the same result.
The company's expansion plans ended in a cul after the local council refused planning permission.
His plan to open a bakery hit a cul when the bank refused his loan.
- breakthrough
a sudden advance or discovery that allows progress
- way forward
a practical next step out of the difficulty
文法句型
reach a cul
hit a cul
end in a cul
用法筆記
The figurative use of 'cul' alone is very rare in modern English. For this meaning, the full phrase 'cul-de-sac' or the more common synonym 'dead end' is strongly preferred across all registers.