rhubarb
rhubarb — noun
- rhubarbsingular
- rhubarbsplural
1. a plant with thick, sour-tasting red or green stems that are cooked with sugar a
a plant with thick, sour-tasting red or green stems that are cooked with sugar and used as a filling in desserts such as pie and crumble; the leaves are poisonous and must not be eaten.
Layla picked fresh rhubarb from her garden to make a crumble for dessert.
rhubarb + crumble — cooking collocation
The farmer warned us that rhubarb leaves are poisonous and must never be eaten.
warning pattern: rhubarb leaves + are poisonous
Diego stewed the rhubarb with sugar and ginger until it was soft and sweet.
In early spring, rhubarb stalks appear at every farmers' market in the valley.
This rhubarb pie has a tangy filling and a crisp, buttery crust.
用法筆記
As a food ingredient, rhubarb is uncountable ('some rhubarb'). When referring to the individual plants in a garden, it can be countable ('two rhubarbs in the corner').
常見錯誤
2. a loud, confused argument or angry disagreement, especially one involving severa
a loud, confused argument or angry disagreement, especially one involving several people or a public dispute.
A polite discussion turned into a full-scale rhubarb at the town hall meeting.
full-scale rhubarb — intensifier + noun collocation
Lakshmi could hear the rhubarb from the bar as soon as she opened the door.
hear the rhubarb — perceptual verb pattern
The board meeting ended in a bitter rhubarb over the proposed budget cuts.
Pedro tried to calm the rhubarb between the two teams before someone walked out.
A loud rhubarb broke out among the fans after the referee made the call.
- quarrel
more personal and less public; can involve just two people
- altercation
more formal; suggests a brief but angry exchange
- dispute
broader; can be formal or informal, and may be about facts, money, or territory
- squabble
implies a petty, childish, or trivial argument
用法筆記
Informal and often used humorously or colourfully. The word carries a slightly theatrical quality — it suggests an argument that is more noisy than serious. Common in sports contexts, especially baseball ('rhubarb' is traditional slang for an on-field dispute).
常見錯誤
rhubarb — exclamation
1. a word repeated by actors ('rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb') to create the sound of a
a word repeated by actors ('rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb') to create the sound of a crowd talking indistinctly in a play, film, or television production.
The extras muttered 'rhubarb, rhubarb' softly to sound like a busy restaurant crowd.
'rhubarb, rhubarb' — reduplication pattern
The director told the crowd actors to say rhubarb repeatedly so the scene felt alive.
In the ballroom scene, the cast murmured rhubarb to create a lively atmosphere.
The acting coach explained that rhubarb is the traditional word for stage crowd noise.
During rehearsal the ensemble practiced their rhubarb to keep the murmur steady.
用法筆記
This is a stage convention, not a real word with meaning. The tradition dates from the early 20th century — actors repeat 'rhubarb' because its lack of plosive consonants blends into an indistinct murmur. 'Wallpaper' and 'peas and carrots' are also used similarly.