notepad
/ˈnəʊt.pæd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnoʊt.pæd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈnōt-ˌpad/ (ame, mw)
notepad — noun
- notepadsingular
- notepadsplural
1. a small book of paper sheets stuck or held together along one edge, which people
a small book of paper sheets stuck or held together along one edge, which people use to write short messages, lists, or quick reminders on.
Reema pulled a small notepad from her bag and wrote down the meeting time.
common verb: pull a notepad from [bag/pocket]
The receptionist kept a yellow notepad next to the phone for taking messages.
collocation: keep a notepad next to [object]
Gabriel tore off the top page of his notepad and handed it to the customer.
There was a hotel notepad and a free pen beside the bed.
Élise jotted the address in her notepad while waiting for the taxi.
- notebook
more permanent; usually bound at the side, not the top, and pages are not designed to be torn off
- memo pad
very similar; emphasises short notes or office messages
- scratch pad
informal American English; for rough, throwaway notes
文法句型
a notepad
in a notepad
用法筆記
Often refers to a cheap, glue-bound pad with paper that can be torn off one sheet at a time; distinguish from a hardcover notebook, which is more permanent.
常見錯誤
2. a simple computer or phone program that lets you type and save plain text, witho
a simple computer or phone program that lets you type and save plain text, without colours, fonts, or pictures.
Hui opened the notepad app and quickly typed a shopping list before leaving home.
collocation: open the notepad (app)
Walid pasted the website link into his notepad so he could read it later.
collocation: paste [text] into a notepad
I save my passwords as a draft in a notepad on my phone, not in my email.
The teacher asked the students to write their answers in a notepad on the laptop.
- text editor
broader and more technical term; includes programs used by coders
- notes app
common on phones; usually allows pictures and styled text, unlike a basic notepad
文法句型
open Notepad
in Notepad
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person using a device; the program holds only plain text, which is the key contrast with a word processor like Word or Pages.
常見錯誤
3. an old kind of pocket-sized portable computer, roughly as wide as a paperback bo
an old kind of pocket-sized portable computer, roughly as wide as a paperback book, popular in the 1990s and early 2000s but rarely sold today.
Beatrix carried an old notepad on the train so she could finish her report between stations.
common past usage: carry a notepad for work on the move
In 1998, Gabriel's father bought a black notepad that could fit inside a briefcase.
historical context: 1990s portable computing
The reporter typed her story on a notepad in the back of the press car.
These early notepads had small screens and short battery life compared with today's laptops.
- netbook
more common modern term for a very small laptop
- subnotebook
technical term used by retailers in the 2000s
文法句型
a notepad
on a notepad
用法筆記
Mostly historical; today people say 'netbook', 'mini-laptop', or just 'laptop'. Distinguish from sense 1 (paper pad) by context — talk of screens, batteries, or typing usually signals this sense.