units
/ˈjuː.nɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [jˈunəts] /ˈjuː.nɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [jˈunəts] /ˈyü-nət How to pronounce unit (audio)/ (ame, mw)
units — noun
1. One separate item belonging to a bigger whole — for instance, a section of a cou
One separate item belonging to a bigger whole — for instance, a section of a course, an apartment in a block, or a quantity used as a standard.
Indra split the essay into five separate units, each with its own topic.
unit of + noun: separate units of a whole
Each unit of the textbook ends with a short vocabulary quiz.
The hospital building is made up of three main units joined by glass walkways.
Rachid studied the first unit before the exam and left the rest for later.
The metre is a unit of length used in most countries around the world.
- whole
Entire thing made up of all its parts together
文法句型
unit + of + noun
常見錯誤
2. A cabinet, shelf, or similar item made to be grouped with matching ones, forming
A cabinet, shelf, or similar item made to be grouped with matching ones, forming part of a coordinated set inside a home or office.
The builder fitted a wall unit with shelves, cupboards, and a desk.
wall unit — a large fitted piece of furniture
Iker chose a kitchen with white units and a dark granite countertop.
The bedroom has matching wardrobe and bedside units.
Asher ordered a set of tall storage units for his garage workshop.
The showroom displays three different bathroom unit styles.
用法筆記
Commonly paired with a room name to specify the type of furniture set: kitchen unit, bathroom unit, wall unit, storage unit.
3. A self-contained device — or a section inside a larger machine — that handles on
A self-contained device — or a section inside a larger machine — that handles one specific task.
Tamás installed a new cooling unit in the laboratory server room.
cooling unit — a device for keeping temperature low
The recycling plant uses a sorting unit that separates glass from plastic.
The power supply unit inside the computer stopped working after the storm.
Esteban replaced the faulty memory unit inside the printer.
The air conditioning unit runs all day during the summer months.
用法筆記
Often combined with a functional description (control unit, processing unit, display unit) to name the task the machine performs.
常見錯誤
4. One individual item from a batch of goods a business produces or offers for sale
One individual item from a batch of goods a business produces or offers for sale.
The company sold over ten thousand units of its new tablet in the first week.
units — individual products sold
Aoi checked the unit price before deciding which pack of rice to buy.
The factory can produce eight hundred units per shift.
Kevin worked out the unit cost to see if the smaller box was better value.
Last year the bakery sold half a million units of its whole-wheat bread.
文法句型
per unit
unit price
用法筆記
Common in business, manufacturing, and retail contexts. Often appears in phrases such as 'unit cost,' 'unit price,' and 'units sold'.
5. A single flat or residence inside a larger building, often sold or rented separa
A single flat or residence inside a larger building, often sold or rented separately.
Padma and her family moved into a two-bedroom unit on the fourth floor.
two-bedroom unit — describes apartment size and rooms
The building has thirty-five residential units and a shared garden.
Each unit in the complex has its own parking space and storage room.
Ishaan looked at three rental units before choosing the one near the station.
The corner unit on the top floor has windows on two sides.
用法筆記
This sense is standard in real-estate listings and building descriptions. Less common in everyday conversation, where 'apartment' or 'flat' is preferred.
6. Someone or something so big and striking that they stand out from the ordinary —
Someone or something so big and striking that they stand out from the ordinary — used playfully in everyday speech.
Cyrus is an absolute unit — he has to duck through every doorway.
absolute unit — informal phrase for a very large person
The old diesel generator in the shed is a unit weighing four hundred kilos.
The bulldozer was a massive unit with tyres taller than a man.
Ezra lifted the entire sofa by himself — he is a proper unit.
That delivery truck is a real unit — it can carry five tonnes of sand.
用法筆記
This is informal and often playful. It is very common in internet slang ('absolute unit') but rare in formal writing. Not used in business or academic contexts.
7. a set of people organised to live, work, or fight together toward one common goa
a set of people organised to live, work, or fight together toward one common goal — for instance, a military squad, a team of researchers, or a group of rescue volunteers.
The army unit marched for twelve kilometres before setting up camp for the night.
collocation: army unit / military unit / combat unit
A research unit at the university studies how rising sea levels affect coastal villages.
The charity sent a medical unit of ten doctors and nurses to the flood zone.
Otis joined the school's drama unit and helped build the stage for the winter show.
文法句型
a unit of [people/organisation]
用法筆記
Frequently used for military groups and specialised work teams. Often takes a defining phrase (e.g. 'a unit of engineers', 'a unit of the Red Cross').
常見錯誤
8. a fixed amount or quantity that people use as a standard when they measure, coun
a fixed amount or quantity that people use as a standard when they measure, count, or compare things — for example, a kilogram for weight, a litre for volume, or a metre for distance.
The metre is the basic unit of length in the metric system, which most countries use.
pattern: unit of [length/weight/volume/time]
Lotte measured the fabric in metres because the sewing pattern used that unit.
In cooking, a cup is a common unit of volume in the United States but not in Europe.
The gram is a metric unit of weight used in most countries around the world.
- measure
more general; can be informal or non-standard; 'a cup is a common measure in cooking'
文法句型
unit of [measurement type]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a system or a standard ('the metric system uses the metre as its unit of length'). Often paired with a prepositional phrase beginning with 'of' that names what is being measured.
常見錯誤
9. a fixed standard amount of pure alcohol used in the UK to count how much someone
a fixed standard amount of pure alcohol used in the UK to count how much someone has drunk — one unit equals 8 grams of pure alcohol.
A standard glass of wine contains about two units of alcohol.
pattern: [number] + units of alcohol
The doctor asked Takeshi how many units of alcohol he drinks in a typical week.
Many health organisations recommend drinking no more than fourteen units each week.
Caio checked the bottle label to find out how many units each serving contained.
文法句型
[number] units of alcohol
用法筆記
Mainly used in the UK for health advice and drinking guidelines. The US uses the term 'standard drink' instead, which is a different amount. Examples tend to use the plural 'units' because people talk about multiple drinks.
常見錯誤
10. a part of a hospital where the staff, beds, and equipment are organised to care
a part of a hospital where the staff, beds, and equipment are organised to care for patients who share one specific medical condition — for instance, an intensive care unit or a stroke unit.
Nia spent two weeks in the intensive care unit after her surgery.
collocation: intensive care unit / ICU
The hospital opens a new stroke unit next month to treat stroke patients.
The burns unit at City Hospital treats people with severe injuries from fires and chemicals.
Yael works as a nurse in the neonatal unit, caring for newborn babies who need extra medical help.
- ward
a more traditional term for a large hospital room with several beds
- department
broader; can include clinics and administration, not just inpatient care
文法句型
[condition/type] + unit
用法筆記
Often combined with a medical speciality or condition to form a compound name (e.g. 'coronary care unit', 'burns unit', 'neonatal unit'). The abbreviation ICU is very common for 'intensive care unit'.
常見錯誤
11. any of the whole numbers from 0 to 9, used in the place-value system to write la
any of the whole numbers from 0 to 9, used in the place-value system to write larger numbers — for example, the digit in the rightmost position of a whole number.
The number 573 has three digits: five hundreds, seven tens, and three units.
pattern: hundreds / tens / units columns
Aarav asked the class to write a two-digit number and then add the units together.
Lakan taught the younger students how to say the units in numbers up to one hundred.
When you multiply any whole number by ten, the units digit becomes zero.
文法句型
[number] hundreds/tens/units
用法筆記
Almost always occurs in the plural when discussing place value ('units' as a column heading alongside 'tens' and 'hundreds'). The singular 'unit' in this sense means a single digit less than ten.
常見錯誤
12. the number 1, thought of as the basic building block from which all counting num
the number 1, thought of as the basic building block from which all counting numbers are formed — for instance, the idea that seven is made of seven single units.
Mia's teacher placed a single counting block on the desk and showed how every larger number is built from units just like this one.
collocation: built from units — the number 1 as a building block for counting
The teacher explained that the number ten contains ten individual units, each worth exactly one.
Rosa wrote a single unit on the board and asked the class what number one more unit would make.
Mrs. Park held up ten beads in a row and showed her students how counting each bead as one unit builds toward the number ten.
- one
the ordinary word for the number 1; 'unit' is more technical and used in arithmetic instruction
文法句型
unit(s) of one
units — adjective
- unitspositive
- more unitscomparative
- most unitssuperlative
1. relating to or calculated for each individual item or standard measure of someth
relating to or calculated for each individual item or standard measure of something — for example, the unit price of a product tells you how much one piece costs, while the total price is for the whole bag or box
Owen compared the unit prices of different rice brands to find the best deal.
collocation: unit price / unit cost / unit size
The factory manager found a way to lower the unit cost of each bicycle by buying cheaper materials.
Mizuki checked the unit size on the juice carton before deciding how many to buy.
In the supermarket, Hassan always looks at the unit price on the shelf label before choosing a product.
- per-unit
more informal, common in retail and manufacturing
- single-item
used to emphasise that the amount refers to one individual thing
文法句型
unit + noun
用法筆記
This adjective is almost always used before a noun (attributive position). It appears most often in the business and retail phrases unit price, unit cost, and unit size.