vector

/ˈvektə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈvektər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈvek-tər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈvek.tər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈvek.tɚ/ (ame, ipa)

vector — noun

  • vectorsingular
  • vectorsplural

1. a value that combines a numerical amount (how big or strong something is) with a

1.名詞B2
釋義

a value that combines a numerical amount (how big or strong something is) with a direction — for example, the force pulling a satellite towards Earth, or the speed and heading of a moving car.

例句

Sumin drew a vector on the whiteboard to show the wind's speed and direction.

vector drawn to show both magnitude and direction

Mateo added two force vectors to find out whether the bridge would hold.

verb collocation: add vectors

同義詞
  • arrow

    informal way of representing a vector in diagrams; not used in formal writing

  • quantity

    broader category; not all quantities are vectors

反義詞
  • scalar

    a quantity with magnitude only, such as temperature or mass

文法句型

vector + of + [value]

[adjective] + vector

用法筆記

Often contrasted with scalar — a quantity that has magnitude only. Temperature is a scalar; wind velocity is a vector. Common in physics, engineering, and navigation problems.

常見錯誤

❌Speed is a vector because it tells you how fast.
✅Speed is a scalar; velocity is a vector because it includes direction as well.
💡Speed only tells you how fast; a vector always includes a direction.

2. a living thing — usually an insect, tick, or other small animal — that picks up

2.名詞B2
釋義

a living thing — usually an insect, tick, or other small animal — that picks up a germ or parasite from an infected host and passes it to a new host, spreading the disease further.

例句

Mosquitoes are the main vector for malaria in many tropical countries.

pattern: vector for [disease]

Yara's research group studies how ticks act as a vector for Lyme disease.

verb collocation: act as a vector

同義詞
  • carrier

    broader term; a carrier may harbour a pathogen without transmitting it

  • transmitter

    emphasises the act of passing the pathogen on

反義詞
  • host

    the organism that becomes infected, rather than the one that spreads the germ

文法句型

vector + for/of + [disease]

[insect/animal] + is a vector

用法筆記

The vector itself does not get sick; it only carries and transmits the pathogen. Common terms include insect vector, mosquito vector, and tick vector.

常見錯誤

❌The dog is a vector for rabies.
✅The dog is a host for rabies; a bat or fox is a common vector.
💡A vector transmits the disease between hosts; the infected animal is a host, not usually the vector.

3. a specially prepared molecule or virus that scientists use to carry a piece of m

3.名詞C1
釋義

a specially prepared molecule or virus that scientists use to carry a piece of modified DNA into a living cell — for example, a harmless virus loaded with a corrected gene for gene therapy.

例句

The team used a modified virus as a vector to deliver the healthy gene.

pattern: use [X] as a vector to deliver [Y]

Hassan inserted the foreign DNA into a plasmid vector before adding it to the bacteria.

noun collocation: plasmid vector

同義詞

文法句型

[type] + vector

use + [something] + as a vector

用法筆記

In genetics, the vector is a tool that is deliberately engineered, not a natural organism. The most common types are viral vectors (made from viruses) and plasmid vectors (small rings of DNA). Distinguish from sense 2 — a disease vector is a living creature; a gene vector is a laboratory tool.

常見錯誤

❌The virus itself is the disease.
✅In gene therapy, the virus is used as a vector.
💡The virus is modified so it cannot cause illness; it only carries the therapeutic DNA.

vector — adjective

vector — verb