supply
/səˈplaɪ/ (bre, ipa) · [səplˈaɪ] /səˈplaɪ/ (ame, ipa) · [səplˈaɪ] /sə-ˈplī/ (ame, mw)
supply — verb
- supplypresent simple I / you / we / they
- supplies3rd person singular
- supplying-ing form
- suppliedpast simple
1. to give people the things they need or want, especially in regular or large amou
to give people the things they need or want, especially in regular or large amounts — for example, a company that supplies computers to schools, or a farmer who supplies vegetables to local shops.
Fresh bread is supplied to local cafés by the bakery every morning.
passive: be supplied + to + place
Hugo supplied the kitchen with fresh vegetables from his garden.
supply + someone + with + something
This pipe supplies hot water to all the rooms in the building.
The charity supplied blankets and warm food to families after the storm.
Ryo's shop supplies paint and brushes to art students at the college.
文法句型
supply + something + to + someone/somewhere
supply + someone + with + something
用法筆記
The most common structure is supply + someone + with + something (supplied us with food) or supply + something + to + someone/somewhere (supplies water to the village). Frequently used in the passive voice.
常見錯誤
supply — noun
- supplysingular
- suppliesplural
1. a certain amount of a thing that people can get and use whenever they need it —
a certain amount of a thing that people can get and use whenever they need it — for example, a supply of drinking water, a supply of medicine, or a limited supply of tickets.
The village has a good supply of clean drinking water from the mountain spring.
a supply of + noun phrase
Putri bought a large supply of rice before the rainy season began.
The supply of fresh vegetables runs out quickly during the cold winter months.
Adina kept a small supply of medicine in case of emergencies at home.
The warehouse holds a year's supply of building materials for new houses.
文法句型
a supply of something
the supply of something
adjective + supply of
用法筆記
Can be both countable (a supply, supplies in the sense of quantities) and uncountable (enough supply). Sense 2 (PROVISIONS) is always plural when referring to multiple items.
常見錯誤
2. items that people must have to live or to do something — these include food, equ
items that people must have to live or to do something — these include food, equipment, and medicine; for example, medical supplies for a hospital, or food supplies for a camping trip.
The hospital needs more medical supplies to treat all the patients in the emergency room.
collocation: medical supplies
The hikers carried enough food supplies for three days in the mountains.
collocation: food supplies
Office supplies like paper and pens are kept in the cupboard near the door.
After the earthquake, the government sent emergency supplies to the affected villages.
The teacher asked parents to bring art supplies for the children's class project on Friday.
- provisions
specifically food and drink supplies, often for a journey
- stores
supplies kept in a central location for later use
- equipment
focuses on tools and gear rather than consumable goods
文法句型
supplies of something
adjective + supplies
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form (supplies). Use sense 1 (AMOUNT AVAILABLE) when referring to a quantity of one type of thing; use this sense for a set of different necessary items.
常見錯誤
3. the total amount of a product or service that is available for people to buy, co
the total amount of a product or service that is available for people to buy, considered in relation to how much people want it — the basic economic idea that prices go up when supply is low and demand is high, and fall when the opposite is true.
The price of fruit goes up when the supply is low after a bad harvest.
Housing supply cannot keep up with the number of families moving to the city.
collocation: housing supply
When supply is high and demand stays the same, prices tend to fall over time.
The government is trying to increase the supply of affordable homes in the capital.
A change in the oil supply can affect fuel prices around the world.
- stock
the amount of goods a business has available to sell at a given time
- availability
focuses on whether something can be obtained, not on quantity
- demand
the amount of a product or service that people want to buy
文法句型
supply and demand
the supply of + noun
adjective + supply
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense. Often paired with 'demand' in discussions of market economics. Common in news reports about prices, housing, energy, and commodities.
常見錯誤
4. the system or process that makes something such as water, electricity, gas, or p
the system or process that makes something such as water, electricity, gas, or power available to homes, businesses, or hospitals — for example, the water supply that comes through pipes, or the electricity supply that runs through wires.
The electricity supply to the area was cut for six hours after the storm.
the [noun] supply — electricity supply
The city's water supply comes from a large lake about fifty kilometres to the north.
During the storm, the power supply failed and the streets went completely dark.
The blood supply at the local hospital is running dangerously low after the accident.
The gas supply to the old building was turned off for safety checks and repairs.
文法句型
the + noun + supply
supply of + noun
用法筆記
Typically preceded by a noun identifying the resource (power supply, water supply, gas supply, blood supply). Can be used with or without an article depending on countability.
5. used with the expression 'in short supply' to mean that not enough of something
used with the expression 'in short supply' to mean that not enough of something can be found or obtained — for example, when clean water is hard to find after a drought, or when hotel rooms are unavailable during a festival.
Clean drinking water was in short supply after months of no rain in the region.
fixed phrase: in short supply
During the music festival, hotel rooms in the town were in very short supply.
Doctors with experience in tropical diseases are in short supply in rural areas.
After the earthquake, building materials were in short supply across the whole region.
Good-quality teachers are in short supply in many parts of the country right now.
文法句型
in short supply
be + in short supply
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used within the fixed phrase 'in short supply', which functions as a predicate adjective (subject + be + in short supply). The phrase cannot normally be broken apart or reordered.