mare

/meə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /mer/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmer/ (ame, mw)

mare — noun

  • maresingular
  • maresplural

1. a fully grown female horse, especially one kept for breeding or riding

1.名詞B1
釋義

a fully grown female horse, especially one kept for breeding or riding

例句

The farmer led the brown mare into the stable after a long day of work.

countable noun with definite article

Lin's mare gave birth to a healthy foal early this morning.

possessive determiner + mare as parent animal

同義詞
  • broodmare

    specifically a mare kept for breeding foals

  • filly

    a young female horse under four years old, not yet a full-grown mare

反義詞

常見錯誤

❌The mare stallion ran fast.
✅The mare ran fast.
💡'mare' already means a female horse; do not add 'stallion' (which is male).
❌The female mare is pregnant.
✅The mare is pregnant.
💡'mare' already means female; adding 'female' is redundant.

2. an offensive way to refer to a woman or to address her, expressing anger, annoya

2.名詞C1
釋義

an offensive way to refer to a woman or to address her, expressing anger, annoyance, or contempt

例句

During the argument, Theo called his sister a mare and immediately felt sorry.

used as an insult in direct address or reference

In that British drama, a character insulted her coworker by calling her a lazy mare.

同義詞
  • bitch

    a stronger, more offensive insult for a woman

  • cow

    British informal insult for a woman, similar in rudeness to 'mare'

用法筆記

This is a derogatory term. It is most common in British English informal speech and can cause strong offence. Learners should avoid using it.

常見錯誤

❌Don't be a mare' (said to a man).
✅Use this insult only toward women
💡calling a man 'mare' is very unusual and may sound odd even in informal British English.

3. a situation or experience that is extremely difficult, frustrating, or unpleasan

3.名詞C1
釋義

a situation or experience that is extremely difficult, frustrating, or unpleasant to deal with

例句

Getting the old computer to start again was an absolute mare.

collocation: absolute mare

The team had a mare trying to finish the project before the Friday deadline.

have a mare + verb-ing

同義詞
  • nightmare

    more common and less informal; can be used in both British and American English

  • struggle

    more neutral and formal than 'mare'

反義詞
  • breeze

    informal: something very easy

  • doddle

    British informal: something extremely easy

用法筆記

Used almost exclusively in British informal English. Typically occurs in the phrase 'have a mare' or 'be a mare.' More common in spoken than written English.

常見錯誤

❌I had mare yesterday.
✅I had a mare yesterday.
💡always used with the indefinite article 'a'.
❌This is a mare situation.
✅This situation is a mare.
💡'mare' is a noun, not an adjective.

4. one of the large, dark, flat areas on the surface of the moon or Mars, created b

4.名詞B2
釋義

one of the large, dark, flat areas on the surface of the moon or Mars, created by ancient volcanic lava flows

例句

Through a telescope, the dark mare on the moon's surface is easy to see.

singular mare referring to one lunar feature

Astronomers named the largest mare on the moon the Ocean of Storms.

同義詞
  • maria

    the plural form; also used as a collective term for all such features

反義詞
  • highland

    the lighter, elevated areas on the lunar surface

  • terra

    the lighter, higher-altitude regions of the moon

用法筆記

The plural form is 'maria' (pronounced /ˈmɑːriə/). This is a technical term used mainly in astronomy. Capitalised when part of a proper name, e.g. 'Mare Imbrium'.

常見錯誤

❌The maria is dark.
✅The maria are dark.
💡'maria' is plural; the singular is 'mare'.
❌There are many mares on the moon.
✅There are many maria on the moon.
💡the astronomical plural is 'maria', not 'mares'.