plum

/plʌm/ (bre, ipa) · [plˈʌm] /plʌm/ (ame, ipa) · [plˈʌm] /ˈpləm/ (ame, mw)

plum — noun

  • plumsingular
  • plumsplural

1. A soft, juicy fruit that grows on trees. Plums have thin, smooth skin in shades

1.名詞A2
釋義

A soft, juicy fruit that grows on trees. Plums have thin, smooth skin in shades of purple, red, or yellow, sweet flesh, and a hard stone at the centre.

例句

David picked a ripe plum from the tree in his grandmother's garden.

pick + plum + from + tree

The market sells sweet yellow plums during the summer months.

同義詞
  • prune

    a dried plum; not interchangeable with fresh plum

  • damson

    a small, dark purple plum variety, often used for jam

  • greengage

    a sweet green-skinned plum variety

文法句型

plum + noun (plum tree, plum jam, plum cake)

用法筆記

The hard inner part of a plum is called a stone (UK) or a pit (US). The tree that produces plums is called a plum tree.

常見錯誤

I ate a plum and the seed was very small.
I ate a plum and the stone was very small.
💡The hard part inside a plum is usually called a stone or a pit, not a seed.

2. A dark reddish-purple colour, like the colour of the skin of a ripe plum.

2.名詞B1
釋義

A dark reddish-purple colour, like the colour of the skin of a ripe plum.

例句

Harper chose a dress in a deep plum colour for the wedding.

deep plum — intensifier before colour name

The walls of the living room were painted a dark shade of plum.

a shade of plum

同義詞
  • aubergine

    a similar dark purple colour, especially in British English; less common for fashion

  • burgundy

    a darker red-purple colour, closer to red wine than plum

  • mulberry

    a slightly purer purple than plum, named after the berry

文法句型

of + plum colour

a shade of plum

3. A very good job, position, or opportunity that many people would like to have.

3.名詞B2
釋義

A very good job, position, or opportunity that many people would like to have.

例句

Eli got a plum job at the city's top hospital after graduating.

plum job — the most common phrase

The role of team leader is considered a plum position in this company.

同義詞
  • prize

    similar meaning but broader; can refer to any valued thing, not just work

  • gem

    a less common alternative; suggests something rare and precious

反義詞
  • dud

    informal word for something disappointing or worthless

文法句型

plum + noun (plum job, plum role, plum assignment)

用法筆記

Typically used in fixed phrases like plum job, plum assignment, or plum role. Less often used alone as a countable noun without a following noun.

常見錯誤

That new office is a plum.
That new office is a plum assignment.
💡Plum as a noun meaning a desirable thing usually needs a modifier like job, role, or assignment.

plum — adjective