potted

IPA/ˈpɒtɪd/
KK[pˈɑtɪd]IPA/ˈpɑːtɪd/

potted — adjective

  • pottedpositive
  • more pottedcomparative
  • most pottedsuperlative

1. refers to any plant raised inside a container with soil, kept indoors or on a ba

1.形容詞A2
釋義

refers to any plant raised inside a container with soil, kept indoors or on a balcony instead of planted directly in the ground outside

例句

Niran bought a beautiful potted orchid for his mother's birthday.

attributive use: potted + noun (orchid)

The potted ferns on the balcony survived the cold winter.

同義詞
  • container-grown

    more technical term for nursery or gardening contexts

  • indoor

    broader — includes plants that are not in pots but grow inside

  • potted-out

    informal British term for a plant moved to a larger pot

反義詞

文法句型

potted + noun (plant, flower, herb, tree)

用法筆記

This sense is always used before a noun; you cannot say 'The plant is potted' to describe a plant in a container in everyday speech — use 'potted plant' as a fixed noun phrase.

常見錯誤

❌She keeps a potted on her desk.
✅She keeps a potted plant on her desk.
💡'Potted' alone cannot stand as a noun; it must modify a plant noun.
❌The tomato plant is potted in the garden.
✅The tomato plant is potted in a container on the balcony.
💡'Potted' implies a container, not the ground.

2. describes cooked meat, fish, or shellfish that has been prepared, sealed inside

2.形容詞B1
釋義

describes cooked meat, fish, or shellfish that has been prepared, sealed inside a small pot or jar with butter or fat, and can be kept for a long time without spoiling

例句

Gabriel spread potted shrimp on toast for a quick snack.

collocation: potted shrimp / potted meat / potted fish

The delicatessen sells potted salmon in small glass jars.

同義詞
  • canned

    broader and more common in American English; can refer to any food in a sealed metal can

  • jarred

    preserved in a glass jar rather than a pot or can

  • preserved

    general term; any food treated to last longer

反義詞
  • fresh

    not preserved; recently caught or cooked

文法句型

potted + meat/fish noun

用法筆記

Chiefly British. The food is typically slow-cooked and then covered with clarified butter or fat to create a seal. Common potted foods include shrimp, salmon, mackerel, beef, and duck. This sense is less common in American English, where 'canned' or 'jarred' is used instead.

常見錯誤

❌She bought potted tomatoes from the market.
✅She bought canned tomatoes from the market.
💡'Potted' is almost never used for vegetables or fruit; it refers mainly to meat, fish, or shellfish.
❌I put the leftovers in a potted container.
✅I put the leftovers in a sealed container.
💡'Potted' describes the food inside, not the container itself.

3. describes a book, story, or written account that has been shortened and made sim

3.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a book, story, or written account that has been shortened and made simpler so that a reader can understand the main points quickly without reading the full original text

例句

Students read a potted version of the novel before the exam.

collocation: potted version (of a book/story)

The magazine printed a potted history of the royal family.

collocation: potted history (most common fixed phrase)

同義詞
  • abridged

    neutral/formal; commonly used in publishing for shortened editions

  • condensed

    focuses on making the text more compact

  • summarised

    focuses on distilling the main ideas rather than shortening proportionally

反義詞

文法句型

potted + (version, history, summary, biography, account)

用法筆記

Chiefly British and informal. The commonest fixed expression is 'potted history' (a very brief overview of a topic). Avoid using this sense in formal academic writing — use 'abridged', 'condensed', or 'summarised' instead.

常見錯誤

❌I read a potted book on the plane.
✅I read an abridged book on the plane.
💡'Potted' is informal; for neutral contexts, use 'abridged' or 'condensed'.
❌She wrote a potted essay for her professor.
✅She wrote a short essay for her professor.
💡'Potted' for academic work sounds too casual and may be misunderstood.