platform
/ˈplætfɔːm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈplætfɔːrm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈplat-ˌfȯrm/ (ame, mw) · /ˈplæt.fɔːm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈplæt.fɔːrm/ (ame, ipa)
platform — noun
- platformsingular
- platformsplural
1. a level area built higher than the ground or floor, often to support people or e
a level area built higher than the ground or floor, often to support people or equipment.
Workers lifted the water tank onto a steel platform behind the barn.
onto a platform
Above the basketball court, a camera platform gave TV reporters a clear view.
platform for equipment
The mechanic stood on a low platform to reach the truck engine.
In the museum, the old printing press sat on a wooden platform.
文法句型
on a platform
onto a platform
platform for equipment
用法筆記
Often followed by a phrase showing what the structure holds or helps someone reach. Distinguish from sense 3, which is specifically the raised area used so an audience can watch a speech or performance.
常見錯誤
2. the raised place beside train tracks where passengers wait, get on, or get off.
the raised place beside train tracks where passengers wait, get on, or get off.
We ran across the footbridge and reached platform 4 just in time.
platform + number
A guard checked tickets near the crowded platform before the train arrived.
Please stay behind the line while the train enters the platform.
Nina bought tea on the platform during the ten-minute stop.
- railway platform
the fuller term when the train context is not already clear
- boarding area
broader term that can also be used for buses or planes
文法句型
platform + number
on the platform
train enters the platform
用法筆記
Usually refers to the waiting area beside the rails, and station signs often give it a number. Distinguish from sense 1, which can be any raised structure, not only one at a railway station.
常見錯誤
3. a part of a hall raised above the floor so speakers or musicians can be seen.
a part of a hall raised above the floor so speakers or musicians can be seen.
The violinist bowed on the platform before the school orchestra began.
on the platform for performers
From the platform, the mayor thanked volunteers after the flood.
from the platform for a speech
Parents moved closer so they could see the children on the platform.
A piano stood at the back of the platform beside the red curtain.
文法句型
on the platform
from the platform
back of the platform
用法筆記
Common in schools, meeting halls, and formal rooms without a full theatre stage. Distinguish from sense 4, where 'platform' means the people seated there rather than the raised area itself.
常見錯誤
4. the speakers or officials seated together on a raised stage area at a meeting.
the speakers or officials seated together on a raised stage area at a meeting.
At the factory union meeting, the platform thanked night-shift workers for waiting in the rain.
the platform = speakers seated on the stage
The platform fell silent when one father asked why school lunch fees had doubled.
The chair introduced the platform before questions began from the audience.
Reporters photographed the platform before the education forum started.
- panel
common for a group answering questions at an event
- speakers
focuses on the people giving talks rather than their seating position
- dignitaries
used when the people on stage are important guests
- audience
the people listening from below the stage
文法句型
the platform + verb
introduce the platform
photograph the platform
用法筆記
Usually appears as 'the platform' in formal meetings, debates, or political events. Distinguish from sense 3, which names the physical raised area rather than the people sitting on it.
常見錯誤
5. the kind of computer, phone, and system setup that a program is made to run on.
the kind of computer, phone, and system setup that a program is made to run on.
This photo app runs better on the Android platform than on my old tablet.
run on + platform
Before launch, the team tested the game on every major platform.
test on every platform
Our design team switched platforms after the old office system kept breaking large image files.
At the bank's branch counters, clerks used the payment tool on the Windows platform.
- system
broader everyday word and less specific about software support
- operating environment
more technical and emphasizes the setup software runs in
- operating system
narrower; often one key part of the platform rather than the whole setup
文法句型
run on a platform
test on every platform
switch platforms
用法筆記
Often appears with verbs like 'run on', 'build for', and 'test on'. Distinguish from sense 6, where the platform is the online service people use, not the technical system underneath it.
常見錯誤
6. a website or app where users share posts, pictures, videos, or messages with oth
a website or app where users share posts, pictures, videos, or messages with others.
The singer posted the concert date on every platform before tickets went on sale.
post on a platform
Teenagers on the platform shared short cooking videos after school.
A small bookshop used the platform to answer readers' questions live.
The charity left the platform after false health stories spread there.
文法句型
post on a platform
use the platform
leave the platform
用法筆記
This sense focuses on the public online service where people post and interact. Distinguish from sense 5, which refers to the device or system that software is built for.
常見錯誤
7. footwear built on a deep bottom layer, making the wearer stand noticeably higher
footwear built on a deep bottom layer, making the wearer stand noticeably higher.
Lina wore silver platforms to the school dance on Friday night.
usually plural: wear platforms
The singer stepped onto the stage in black leather platforms.
These platforms made Maya taller in the wedding photos.
A shop near Ximending sells platforms with bright red straps.
Grandma laughed when Alex borrowed her old disco platforms.
- platform shoe
the full, neutral term for this kind of shoe
- wedge
a similar raised shoe, but the sole slopes rather than staying thick all along
- heel
broader word for raised women's shoes; not all heels have thick soles
- flat
a shoe with little or no raised sole or heel
文法句型
wear platforms
platform shoes
a platform sole
用法筆記
Usually plural when talking about the shoes people wear. The singular form is more common in phrases such as 'platform shoe' or 'platform sole'.
常見錯誤
8. a chance or setting that lets someone share ideas, opinions, or demands with man
a chance or setting that lets someone share ideas, opinions, or demands with many people.
The podcast gave young farmers a platform to discuss low rice prices.
give someone a platform to + verb
The rally offered a platform for disability-rights groups in the capital.
offer a platform for [group]
The student newspaper became a platform for debate after the principal banned dyed hair.
After winning the science prize, Chen found a larger platform for flood-safety campaigns.
Local radio is still a platform for village voices after big storms.
文法句型
give someone a platform to + verb
a platform for [cause/debate/voices]
用法筆記
Often follows verbs such as 'give', 'offer', 'provide', or 'become'. The subject is usually media, an event, or an organization, and the focus is on being heard in public.
常見錯誤
9. the set of aims and actions a political party says it will carry out if voters c
the set of aims and actions a political party says it will carry out if voters choose it.
At the Kaohsiung rally, volunteers read out the party's platform promises on train fares.
the party's platform + promises
Voters compared each candidate's platform before the mayoral debate.
During the televised debate, Mei pointed to healthcare as the center of her party's platform.
Journalists asked how the platform would help renters in Taipei.
At campus booths, first-time voters stopped to read the new party's clear platform.
文法句型
the party's platform
outline a platform
platform on [issue]
用法筆記
Usually appears with words such as 'party', 'candidate', or 'election'. Distinguish from sense 8: this sense means a policy plan itself, not the chance to speak publicly.
常見錯誤
platform — adjective
- platformpositive
- more platformcomparative
- most platformsuperlative
1. used for shoes or boots with a deep sole that makes the wearer look taller.
used for shoes or boots with a deep sole that makes the wearer look taller.
Nina wore silver platform sandals to the beach concert on Friday.
platform sandals
The shop window displayed pink platform shoes beside plain white sneakers.
platform shoes
For the school play, Leo borrowed platform boots from the costume room.
These platform heels looked dramatic under the stage lights.
At the night market, Sara chose platform sandals over thin flat shoes.
- thick-soled
a direct descriptive term that is broader and less fashion-focused
- chunky
informal and often stresses the bold heavy look, not only the sole height
- elevated
used in fashion writing for added height, but less specific about the sole shape
- flat
describes shoes with little or no height under the foot
- low-heeled
adds only a small amount of height, especially at the heel
文法句型
platform shoes
platform boots
platform sandals
platform heels
用法筆記
Usually comes before footwear nouns such as shoes, boots, sandals, and heels. Distinguish from noun sense 7, which names the shoe itself; this adjective only describes the sole style.