grotto

/ˈɡrɒtəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡrɑːtəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgrä-(ˌ)tō/ (ame, mw)

grotto — noun

  • grottosingular
  • grottosplural

1. a small cave, either natural or built by people, often shaped or decorated so it

1.名詞C1
釋義

a small cave, either natural or built by people, often shaped or decorated so it looks pretty and is part of a garden, park, or tourist site.

例句

Isabela found a cool, shadowy grotto behind the waterfall near the village.

noun phrase: a [adjective] grotto behind/near [place]

Walid built a small grotto in his back garden using stones from the river.

collocation: build a grotto + in [location]

同義詞
  • cave

    general term; can be any size, while a grotto is small

  • cavern

    usually a large underground space; opposite size feel from grotto

  • alcove

    a small recess, but usually in a wall or room, not in rock

文法句型

a grotto + in/at/near + [place]

用法筆記

Often used for caves that are small, picturesque, or built for display rather than wild, large caves. 'Santa's grotto' is a fixed British seasonal phrase for a Christmas display where children meet Santa.

常見錯誤

❌We explored a huge grotto with deep underground rivers.
✅We explored a huge cave with deep underground rivers.
💡a grotto is small; use 'cave' for large or deep ones.