shoe

/ʃuː/ (bre, ipa) · /ʃuː/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈshü/ (ame, mw)

shoe — noun

  • shoesingular
  • shoesplural

1. a protective item worn on each foot, typically made from leather, cloth, or rubb

1.名詞A1
釋義

a protective item worn on each foot, typically made from leather, cloth, or rubber, with a firm base and a small heel, used for walking outside and for everyday wear.

例句

Asher tied his shoelaces and rushed out the door to catch the bus.

collocation: tie one's shoelaces

The leather shoes had holes in the soles, so Paloma bought a new pair.

collocation: a pair of shoes / sole of a shoe

同義詞
  • footwear

    a general category that includes shoes, boots, sandals, etc.; more formal and collective

  • trainer

    a shoe for sports; British English equivalent of 'sneaker'

文法句型

a pair of shoes

shoes + verb

用法筆記

In many Asian cultures, it is customary to take off one's shoes before entering a home. The verb pair most commonly used with shoes is 'wear' (for having them on) and 'take off' (for removing them).

常見錯誤

❌I need to buy a new shoe.' (when meaning one pair)
✅I need to buy a new pair of shoes.
💡shoe is countable but almost always used in the plural when referring to the pair that goes on both feet.
❌I put on my shoes and go out.
✅I put on my shoes and went out.
💡tense inconsistency is common; keep the time frame clear.

2. a second unfortunate event that follows an earlier bad one, used especially in t

2.名詞C1
釋義

a second unfortunate event that follows an earlier bad one, used especially in the expression about waiting for something bad to happen next.

例句

After the company lost its biggest client, everyone waited for the other shoe to drop.

fixed phrase: wait for the other shoe to drop

First the roof leaked, and then the other shoe dropped when the boiler stopped working.

同義詞
  • second blow

    more direct but less idiomatic; describes the same idea without the fixed expression

文法句型

the other shoe drops

wait for the other shoe to drop

用法筆記

This sense only appears in the fixed expression 'the other shoe drops' (or 'wait for the other shoe to drop'). It cannot be used in other grammatical contexts — you cannot say 'I had another shoe today' to mean another bad thing happened. Distinguish from sense 1 (ordinary footwear) where 'other shoe' simply refers to a second piece of footwear.

常見錯誤

❌The other shoe dropped on my head.' (literal meaning)
✅The other shoe dropped when the bank called about the unpaid loan.
💡the phrase is always metaphorical, never literal.

3. a curved piece of iron nailed under a horse's hoof, which stops the hoof from we

3.名詞B1
釋義

a curved piece of iron nailed under a horse's hoof, which stops the hoof from wearing away on hard roads.

例句

The farrier checked each shoe on the horse before the long ride through the mountains.

Mayumi hung a horseshoe over the stable door for good luck.

cultural note: horseshoe as a lucky charm

同義詞
  • horseshoe

    the full, more standard term for this object

文法句型

a shoe on a horse

nail a shoe to a hoof

用法筆記

In everyday English, the full word 'horseshoe' is far more common than 'shoe' alone for this meaning. The short form 'shoe' is used mainly by people who work with horses (farriers, riders, stable staff). When writing for a general audience, use 'horseshoe' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The horse needs four new shoes for running.' (acceptable but informal)
✅The horse needs four new horseshoes.
💡for general readers and formal writing, 'horseshoe' is clearer.

shoe — verb