noggin

/ˈnɒɡ.ɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnɑː.ɡɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnä-gən/ (ame, mw)

noggin — noun

  • nogginsingular
  • nogginsplural

1. a playful, casual word for a person's head, often used about thinking or about a

1.名詞C1
釋義

a playful, casual word for a person's head, often used about thinking or about a small bump on the head.

例句

Theo bumped his noggin on the low kitchen cupboard and dropped the cereal box.

bump + one's noggin (collocation about a knock to the head)

Use your noggin, Mira — the answer is on the back of the menu.

use one's noggin (idiomatic: think harder)

同義詞
  • head

    the neutral, all-purpose word; suitable for any register

  • bonce

    British slang for the head; similarly playful but more clearly UK

  • nut

    British slang for the head, often in 'use your nut'; rougher than noggin

文法句型

[possessive] + noggin

use/bump/hit + one's noggin

用法筆記

Informal and a bit jokey; common in family-style speech, parenting, and old-fashioned phrasing. Frequently appears with possessive pronouns (my noggin, your noggin) and in the fixed phrase 'use your noggin' meaning 'think harder'.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor examined his noggin in the medical report.
✅The doctor examined his head in the medical report.
💡'noggin' is playful and informal; medical or formal writing wants 'head'.

2. an old-fashioned word for a tiny serving of strong alcohol, roughly a quarter of

2.名詞C2
釋義

an old-fashioned word for a tiny serving of strong alcohol, roughly a quarter of a pint, mostly heard in older British and Irish writing.

例句

The old fisherman poured himself a noggin of whiskey before the storm rolled in.

a noggin of + [spirit] (typical pattern)

After the long walk, Hamza ordered a noggin of rum at the harbour pub.

noun of measure for a small spirit pour

同義詞
  • dram

    more current word for a small measure of whiskey, especially Scotch

  • tot

    British, a small serving of spirits, often rum

  • shot

    modern, neutral word for a small measure of any spirit

文法句型

a noggin of + [spirit / strong drink]

pour/drink + a noggin

用法筆記

Object is almost always a strong spirit (whiskey, rum, gin, brandy), not beer or wine. Modern speakers will rarely use this; treat it as a literary or historical reading word rather than something to produce yourself. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 is a unit of drink, sense 1 is a body part.

常見錯誤

❌She drank a noggin of beer at the festival.
✅She drank a glass of beer at the festival.
💡'noggin' is reserved for small servings of strong spirits, not beer or wine.