hp

/ˌeɪtʃˈpiː/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈetʃpˈi] /ˌeɪtʃˈpiː/ (ame, ipa)

hp — noun

1. a way of buying goods in the UK by paying a small amount of money at first and t

1.名詞B2
釋義

a way of buying goods in the UK by paying a small amount of money at first and then making regular payments over an agreed period of time, used especially for expensive items such as cars or furniture.

例句

Chidi bought the washing machine on hp and paid for it over eighteen months.

buy + on hp + payment period

The shop offered a special hp deal with zero interest for the first year.

hp deal / hp agreement

同義詞
  • installment plan

    US equivalent; same concept but different legal structure

  • credit sale

    broader term covering any sale where payment is deferred

文法句型

hp + on + item (e.g. buy on hp)

用法筆記

This sense is mainly used in the UK. In the US, the term 'installment plan' or 'installment loan' is more common for the same concept.

常見錯誤

❌I bought the car on HP with my credit card.
✅I bought the car on hp through a hire purchase agreement.
💡hp refers to the hire purchase system itself, not a payment method like a card.
❌Signing the hp means you own the item immediately.
✅Under an hp agreement, you only own the item after the final payment.
💡in hire purchase, ownership transfers only after all payments are made.

2. a unit for measuring the power of an engine, often used when describing cars, bo

2.名詞B1
釋義

a unit for measuring the power of an engine, often used when describing cars, boats, or machines.

例句

The new truck has a two-hundred-hp engine that can pull heavy loads up steep hills.

number + hp + engine

Daichi compared the horsepower of several cars before picking the best model for mountain roads.

compare / measure horsepower

同義詞

文法句型

number + hp

hp + engine / motor

用法筆記

Frequently used with a number and the abbreviation 'hp' (e.g., 'a 150 hp motor'). When written out in full, 'horsepower' does not change form in the plural ('50 horsepower').

常見錯誤

❌The car has 200 horsepowers.
✅The car has 200 hp.' or 'The car has 200 horsepower.
💡'horsepower' stays the same in plural.

3. a reduced salary equal to half of a person's normal wages, usually given when so

3.名詞C1
釋義

a reduced salary equal to half of a person's normal wages, usually given when someone is not working full-time, is suspended from work, or is on long-term leave.

例句

The soldier received half pay while waiting for his medical discharge from the army.

put on half pay

During the suspension, the manager received only hp for three months until the investigation ended.

同義詞
  • reduced pay

    broader term; half pay is a specific 50% reduction

反義詞

文法句型

on half pay

put on half pay

receive half pay

用法筆記

Common in British employment and military contexts. Often used in the phrase 'on half pay' as a fixed expression describing the employee's status.

常見錯誤

❌I work half pay now because I only do part-time.
✅I am on half pay because I was suspended from my job.
💡'half pay' is a specific reduced-wage status imposed by an employer, not a synonym for part-time pay.

4. a condition in which a gas or liquid is strongly compressed, often within a mach

4.名詞B2
釋義

a condition in which a gas or liquid is strongly compressed, often within a machine or container; also used in weather forecasts to describe a zone where the air pressure is higher than the surrounding area, usually bringing clear weather.

例句

The boiler operates at very high pressure and must be inspected every six months.

operate at high pressure

A high-pressure system over the region brought clear blue skies and warm temperatures all week.

high-pressure system / zone (weather)

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

under high pressure

high-pressure system / zone

用法筆記

In weather contexts, 'high pressure' is often shortened to 'hp' in written forecasts. In engineering contexts, 'high pressure' can be written as 'HP' in uppercase.