tablet

/ˈtæblət/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtæblət/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈta-blət/ (ame, mw)

tablet — noun

  • tabletsingular
  • tabletsplural

1. a small, solid dose of medicinal substance that patients swallow to cure an illn

1.名詞A2
釋義

a small, solid dose of medicinal substance that patients swallow to cure an illness or relieve a symptom.

例句

The doctor told Shirin to take one tablet after each meal.

collocation: take a tablet

These tablets contain vitamin C and zinc to help fight colds.

同義詞
  • pill

    more general term for any small solid medicine

  • capsule

    a gel-like shell containing medicine, different in form from a hard tablet

  • lozenge

    meant to dissolve in the mouth, not swallowed whole

文法句型

tablet + of + substance

take + a/the tablet

article + tablet + for + condition

用法筆記

Commonly distinguished from 'capsule' (a gel-like shell) and 'lozenge' (meant to dissolve slowly in the mouth). A tablet is swallowed whole.

常見錯誤

❌I need to buy a tablet for my headache at the computer store.
✅I need to buy a tablet for my headache at the pharmacy.
💡'tablet' meaning medicine is sold at a pharmacy, not a computer shop.
❌She dissolved the tablet under her tongue.
✅She let the lozenge dissolve under her tongue.
💡A tablet is swallowed; a lozenge is dissolved in the mouth.

2. a thin, flat section cut from stone, metal, clay, or wood, frequently carrying c

2.名詞B2
釋義

a thin, flat section cut from stone, metal, clay, or wood, frequently carrying carved writing or decorative images.

例句

The museum displayed a stone tablet with ancient writing on it.

material: stone tablet + purpose: inscription

A bronze tablet outside the hall honours the village soldiers who died at war.

同義詞
  • slab

    a thicker, heavier flat piece, usually of stone or concrete

  • plaque

    a flat piece of metal or stone attached to a wall as a memorial

  • block

    a solid piece with more thickness; less flat than a tablet

  • bar

    used for soap, chocolate, or metal, suggesting a long rectangular shape

文法句型

tablet + of + material

stone/clay/bronze + tablet

tablet + of + soap/chocolate

用法筆記

When referring to soap or chocolate, 'tablet' describes a solid, bar-shaped block. For ancient writing materials, 'clay tablet' or 'wax tablet' refers to a portable writing surface used before paper.

常見錯誤

❌She bought a tablet of bread from the bakery.
✅She bought a loaf of bread from the bakery.
💡'tablet' is not used for bread; use 'loaf' or 'block.'

3. a flat, portable computer with a touch screen that you control by touching it wi

3.名詞B1
釋義

a flat, portable computer with a touch screen that you control by touching it with your fingers or a special pen, without needing a separate keyboard or mouse.

例句

Mira uses her tablet to read e-books during the train ride to work.

use tablet + for + gerund (purpose)

The teacher handed a tablet to each student for their research project.

同義詞
  • iPad

    brand-name for Apple's tablet; often used generically in casual speech

  • pad

    informal shortening of 'tablet computer' or 'iPad'

  • slate

    a less common term for a tablet-shaped device

文法句型

article + tablet + verb

on + a/the + tablet

use + a/the + tablet + for + gerund

用法筆記

Distinguished from a laptop by the lack of a physical keyboard and from a smartphone by the larger screen size (typically 7 to 13 inches). Often called simply 'tablet' for short.

常見錯誤

❌My tablet ran out of battery, so I need to find a plug.
✅My tablet ran out of battery, so I need to find a power outlet.
💡'plug' refers to the physical connector; 'power outlet' or 'socket' is the wall fixture.
❌I bought a new tablet with a folding keyboard from the pharmacy.
✅I bought a new tablet with a folding keyboard from the electronics store.
💡A tablet computer is bought at an electronics store, not a pharmacy.

4. several sheets of paper bound together at one side or edge, forming a pad for ma

4.名詞B1
釋義

several sheets of paper bound together at one side or edge, forming a pad for making notes or sketches.

例句

Padma pulled a tablet of paper from her bag and began to draw a sketch.

tablet + of + paper: material construction pattern

The waitress wrote our order on a small tablet and tore off the page.

同義詞
  • pad

    the more common modern word for a set of glued paper sheets

  • notepad

    the most common term outside formal stationery catalogues

  • sketchpad

    specifically for drawing; often spiral-bound

  • legal pad

    a large, yellow, lined pad used for writing notes

文法句型

tablet + of + paper

writing/drawing + tablet

tear + from + a + tablet

用法筆記

This sense is less common in modern everyday language, where 'notepad' or 'pad' is more frequent. 'Writing tablet' or 'drawing tablet' still appears in descriptions of stationery products.

常見錯誤

❌I spilled coffee on my computer tablet.' (when meaning a paper pad)
✅I spilled coffee on my writing tablet.
💡'writing tablet' or 'pad' avoids confusion with the electronic device.