graph
/ɡrɑːf/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡræf/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgraf/ (ame, mw)
graph — noun
- graphsingular
- graphsplural
1. a diagram made with lines, bars, or curves that lets you see the relationship be
a diagram made with lines, bars, or curves that lets you see the relationship between two quantities — for example, rising sales across several months or climbing temperature over time.
The teacher drew a graph on the board to show monthly temperature changes.
collocation: draw a graph / on a graph
Each bar on the graph represents the number of books sold that year.
Mateo traced the rising line on the graph as he explained the trend.
The graph in today's newspaper compares house prices from 2010 to 2025.
Indra looked at the graph and saw that profits had doubled in just two years.
文法句型
a graph of [something]
on a graph
用法筆記
Countable noun. Often used with prepositions 'of' (a graph of monthly rainfall) and 'on' (the data shown on a graph). The subject or context is usually data-driven fields such as business, science, or statistics.
常見錯誤
2. in mathematics, every point that fits a given equation or function, taken togeth
in mathematics, every point that fits a given equation or function, taken together as a visible shape — for example, the U-shaped curve you get from the equation y equals x squared.
The graph of y equals x squared is a U-shaped curve called a parabola.
pattern: graph of [equation]
Ayesha drew the graph of y equals two x plus three for her math homework.
Rania changed k in y equals x squared and watched her graph shift left.
Hiro showed his friend the point where the two graphs intersect on the diagram.
Chidi plotted the graph of the function over a range of negative to positive values.
- curve
the drawn line itself rather than the complete set of points; less formal in math context
- function plot
specifically the visual output of a function; more technical
文法句型
the graph of [equation]
graph of [function]
用法筆記
Frequently passive in mathematical writing: 'The graph of f(x) is drawn by connecting the plotted points.' Contrast with sense 1 (DATA DIAGRAM), where the focus is on presenting real-world data; this sense focuses on the abstract mathematical relationship itself.
常見錯誤
graph — verb
- graphpresent simple I / you / we / they
- graphs3rd person singular
- graphing-ing form
- graphedpast simple
1. to turn data into a complete picture on a grid, using lines, bars, or curves — t
to turn data into a complete picture on a grid, using lines, bars, or curves — the focus is on producing the final graph as a whole, not on placing points one at a time.
The report graphs the rise in sea levels across the past decade.
pattern: graph + data (sea levels)
Heather used a computer program to graph her sales data for the whole team.
collocation: use [software] to graph
The scientist graphed the results of the experiment on a large sheet of paper.
Our teacher asked us to graph the population growth of five different cities.
文法句型
graph [data]
graph [something] on [something]
用法筆記
The object is typically a set of measurements, statistics, or observations (e.g., sales data, temperature readings, survey responses). Often followed by 'on' + the medium (on graph paper, on a screen). This sense focuses on the finished graph as a whole; contrast with sense 2 (MARK POINTS), which concerns the individual points before a line is drawn.
常見錯誤
2. to place individual values as dots or marks on a coordinate grid — the step-by-s
to place individual values as dots or marks on a coordinate grid — the step-by-step process of marking each point separately, whether or not the points are later joined.
Yuki carefully graphed each temperature reading on the paper with a sharp pencil.
pattern: graph [values] on [surface]
For her science experiment, Tanvi graphed the data points before drawing the best-fit line.
pattern: graph [data points] before [action]
The software automatically graphs all the values as soon as you enter them.
Élise graphed the points and saw that three lay far from the line.
文法句型
graph [points/values] on [something]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (CREATE DIAGRAM). Sense 1 is about producing the complete visual representation; sense 2 is specifically about placing individual points on a coordinate system before any line or curve is drawn. The object is typically concrete coordinates or readings.
graph — noun combining form
1. used at the end of a word to mean 'something that is written or drawn' — for exa
used at the end of a word to mean 'something that is written or drawn' — for example, an autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature, and a monograph is a detailed written study on a single topic.
The author signed an autograph for every fan who waited in line after the talk.
example word: autograph (self-writing = signature)
A photograph captures a moment by recording light onto a sensitive surface.
The historian published a monograph on the daily lives of ancient Roman families.
Ravi showed his classmates a lithograph, a picture printed from an image drawn on stone.
文法句型
[prefix] + graph
用法筆記
This is a suffix found in formal or technical compounds. The first part of the word usually tells you what kind of writing or drawing it is (auto- = self, photo- = light, mono- = single, litho- = stone).
2. used at the end of a word to mean 'a machine or instrument that records or sends
used at the end of a word to mean 'a machine or instrument that records or sends information, images, or sound' — for example, a telegraph sends messages over a distance, and a phonograph records and plays back sound.
Before telephones, people used the telegraph to send messages across long distances.
example word: telegraph (distance-writing = messaging device)
An electrocardiograph records the electrical activity of a patient's heartbeat.
The old phonograph in the museum still plays records from over a hundred years ago.
A seismograph measures and records the strength of earthquakes around the world.
文法句型
[prefix] + graph
用法筆記
Many words ending in -graph that refer to devices are being replaced by modern equivalents (people now say 'heart monitor' rather than 'cardiograph'). However, these terms remain common in scientific, medical, and historical contexts.