tec
tec — abbreviation
1. a short spoken or written form of 'technical', 'technician', or 'technology' — u
a short spoken or written form of 'technical', 'technician', or 'technology' — used mainly in job titles, classified ads, and informal work situations to save space or time.
The IT department needs a new lab tec to run the equipment tests.
collocation: lab tec
After finishing his course, Diego found work as a sound tec at a concert venue.
used in job titles: sound tec
The job ad said 'tec support experience required for this position.'
A team of five tecs from the engineering firm arrived to fix the broken robot arm.
文法句型
tec + [noun phrase]
used in job titles
用法筆記
In British English, 'tec' is most often seen in job titles like 'lab tec' or 'IT tec'. It is less common in formal writing, where the full words 'technician', 'technical', or 'technology' are preferred.
常見錯誤
tec — noun
1. an informal British word for a detective — a police officer whose main job is to
an informal British word for a detective — a police officer whose main job is to investigate crimes, gather evidence, and find out who committed them.
The tec spent the whole morning interviewing neighbours about the burglary.
common verb pattern: tec + spent time + -ing
Amara worked as a tec for twelve years before becoming a chief inspector.
used with 'worked as a' for job description
Two tecs from the local station arrived at the warehouse just after midnight.
In many old crime films, the tec smokes a pipe and wears a long coat.
- detective
the standard formal term; 'tec' is a shortening of this word
- sleuth
very informal or literary; often used for amateur investigators in fiction
- investigator
broader meaning; can be private or work for an insurance company
文法句型
the tec + [past tense verb]
用法筆記
This sense is strongly associated with British English and is rarely heard in American conversation. It carries a slightly old-fashioned or literary flavour, often appearing in crime novels and period dramas.