disposal
/dɪˈspəʊzl/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈspəʊzl/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈspō-zəl/ (ame, mw)
disposal — 名詞
1. the process of throwing away or destroying something that is no longer wanted or
處理；丟棄
丟掉不要物品的過程或行為
the process of throwing away or destroying something that is no longer wanted or needed, such as household trash, old furniture, or industrial waste.
The city charges a fee for the disposal of old furniture and large household items.
市政府對舊家具和大型家用品丟棄收取費用。
disposal + of + noun phrase for unwanted objects
Yuna took the used batteries to the recycling center for proper disposal.
Yuna 把用過的電池帶到回收中心做妥善處理。
proper disposal — common adjective collocation
Improper waste disposal can pollute rivers and harm local wildlife.
不當的廢棄物處理可能污染河流並危害當地野生動物。
The factory was fined for the illegal disposal of toxic chemicals into the river.
這家工廠因非法將有毒化學物質排入河流而被罰款。
Otis signed a contract with a company that handles construction waste disposal.
Otis 與一家公司簽約，由該公司負責建築廢棄物的處理。
- removal
broader; can refer to moving something away rather than destroying it
- elimination
more formal; often used in technical or medical contexts
- discarding
less formal; focuses on the act of throwing something away
- retention
keeping something instead of throwing it away
- preservation
keeping something safe or in good condition
文法句型
disposal + of + noun phrase
常見錯誤
2. the state of being available for someone to use freely, in the fixed phrase 'at
任人使用
表示可供他人自由使用的狀態
the state of being available for someone to use freely, in the fixed phrase 'at someone's disposal' — meaning that a person can use a resource, service, or helper whenever they need to.
The hotel keeps a car and driver at the guests' disposal during their stay.
這家飯店提供汽車與司機，供客人在住宿期間隨時使用。
at [someone's] disposal — fixed phrase showing availability
Dr. Niran kept a well-stocked medical kit at his disposal in the clinic.
Niran 醫生在診所備有一套齊全的醫療用品，方便他隨時取用。
at his disposal — possessive determiner + disposal
Students have a quiet study room at their disposal every evening until ten.
學生每天晚上十點前都可以使用一間安靜的讀書室。
With the latest design software at her disposal, Madison finished the project in two days.
有了最新設計軟體可隨時使用，Madison 兩天內就完成了這個專案。
The research team has a large budget at its disposal for the new experiment.
這個研究團隊有一大筆預算可自由運用於新的實驗。
- availability
direct synonym but used in different grammatical structures ('the availability of something')
- unavailability
the state of not being accessible or ready for use
文法句型
at + possessive determiner + disposal
用法筆記
This sense of 'disposal' appears almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'at someone's disposal'. Outside this phrase, 'disposal' does not carry the meaning of availability.
常見錯誤
3. an electric machine attached under a kitchen sink that cuts food waste into very
廚餘處理機
安裝在水槽下的電動碎屑機
an electric machine attached under a kitchen sink that cuts food waste into very small pieces so it can flow away through the water pipes.
The new apartment comes with a garbage disposal installed under the kitchen sink.
這間新公寓的廚房水槽下方裝有一臺廚餘處理機。
garbage disposal — compound noun for the appliance
Tendai accidentally dropped a metal spoon into the disposal and heard a loud grinding noise.
Tendai 不小心把一支金屬湯匙掉進廚餘處理機，結果聽到很大的碾磨聲。
drop [something] into the disposal - verb + object pattern
You should run cold water while using the disposal to wash down the food scraps.
使用廚餘處理機時應該開冷水，以便將食物殘渣沖走。
After the disposal stopped working, the plumber fixed it and removed the bad smell.
廚餘處理機故障之後，水電師傅把它修好，並清除了難聞的氣味。
Aylin asked the landlord to replace the old disposal because it made a terrible noise.
Aylin 請房東更換那臺老舊的廚餘處理機，因為它運轉時噪音很大。
- waste disposal unit
British English term for the same appliance
- garbage grinder
informal term, less common
文法句型
the disposal
a disposal
garbage disposal
用法筆記
This sense is most common in American English. In British English, the same device is usually called a 'waste disposal unit'.