distributor

/dɪˈstrɪbjətə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈstrɪbjətər/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈstri-byü-tər -byə-/ (ame, mw)

distributor — noun

  • distributorsingular
  • distributorsplural

1. An individual or business that purchases goods from producers and resells them t

1.名詞B1
釋義

An individual or business that purchases goods from producers and resells them to retailers, other companies, or directly to the public.

例句

The company became the official distributor of Japanese electronics in Southeast Asia.

collocation: official distributor of [product] + [region]

Daichi works for a local food distributor that supplies restaurants across the city.

contributive clause structure: supplies to X across Y

同義詞
  • supplier

    broader term than distributor — any person or company that provides goods or services, not necessarily as an intermediary

  • wholesaler

    specifically sells large quantities to retailers; a wholesaler is one type of distributor

  • dealer

    often used for specific product categories such as cars, art, or antiques; implies a license or authorization

反義詞
  • manufacturer

    makes the product rather than passing it on

  • retailer

    sells to the final customer, not to other businesses

文法句型

distributor + of + [product type]

distributor + for + [company name]

用法筆記

Distributor is most often used for companies that bridge manufacturers and retailers, rather than selling directly to the public. The person or company that sells goods directly to the end user is usually called a retailer.

常見錯誤

❌The distributor sold the bike to me at the store.
✅The distributor sold the bike to the shop, and I bought it from the shop.
💡A distributor supplies goods to shops or businesses, not directly to individual customers (unless they run a retail store too).

2. An electrical component found in older petrol engines that delivers power to eac

2.名詞B2
釋義

An electrical component found in older petrol engines that delivers power to each spark plug one after another, timed so that the fuel in each cylinder burns at the right moment.

例句

The mechanic replaced the distributor cap after finding a crack in the plastic.

collocation: distributor cap + crack in [part]

A dirty distributor rotor can make the engine misfire when you accelerate.

cause-effect: dirty distributor rotor → engine misfire

同義詞

文法句型

the distributor + verb (passes, sends, delivers)

用法筆記

Most modern cars use electronic ignition systems instead of a mechanical distributor, so this sense is mainly encountered when discussing older vehicles or classic car maintenance. In American English, the same part is also called a distributor.