estate
/ɪˈsteɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈsteɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /i-ˈstāt/ (ame, mw)
estate — 名詞
- estatesingular
- estatesplural
1. a large piece of countryside land with a big house that belongs to a single fami
莊園
鄉間連同大宅的大片土地
a large piece of countryside land with a big house that belongs to a single family or organization and is typically used for farming or keeping animals
The Kwame family has owned this country estate for more than two hundred years.
Kwame 家族擁有這座鄉間莊園已經超過兩百年了。
collocation: country estate / own an estate
Tourists can visit the estate every Sunday and walk through the gardens for free.
遊客每個星期天都可以免費參觀這座莊園並在花園裡散步。
After the elderly owner died, the entire estate was sold to a hotel company.
年邁的屋主過世後，整座莊園被賣給了一家飯店集團。
The estate produces its own wine from grapes grown in the surrounding fields.
這座莊園用周邊田地種植的葡萄釀造自己的葡萄酒。
- property
a more general term for land and buildings of any size
- manor
a large house with land, especially one with a historical connection to a local area
- plantation
a large farm in a tropical or subtropical region, growing cash crops
用法筆記
In British English, this sense usually means a large house with surrounding farmland (a country estate). In American English, ranch or plantation are more common for working farms.
常見錯誤
2. all the money, property, belongings, and debts that a person leaves behind when
遺產
去世時留下的全部財產與債務
all the money, property, belongings, and debts that a person leaves behind when they die
After her father passed away, Gita discovered his estate was worth nearly three million dollars.
Gita 的父親過世後，她發現他的遺產價值將近三百萬美元。
The family lawyer read the will to everyone who had a claim on the estate.
家庭律師向所有對遺產有主張權利的親屬宣讀了遺囑。
collocation: estate + will / claim on the estate
Dividing the estate among the four children led to a long and painful legal battle.
將遺產平分給四個子女導致了一場曠日持久的法律糾紛。
The musician left his entire estate to a charity that supports young artists.
那位音樂家將全部遺產留給了一個支持年輕藝術家的慈善機構。
- inheritance
focuses on what someone receives (the heir's perspective), not what someone leaves (the deceased's perspective)
- assets
broader term for anything of value owned, not limited to death context
用法筆記
An estate includes not just physical property but also money, investments, and unpaid debts. The legal process of distributing an estate is called probate.
常見錯誤
3. a collection of homes, factories, or other structures constructed together as pa
住宅；工業區
規劃興建的一群住宅或廠房
a collection of homes, factories, or other structures constructed together as part of a single planned development
The city council built a new housing estate on the north side of town for low-income families.
市政府在鎮北建造了一個新的住宅區，供低收入家庭居住。
collocation: housing estate
Liang and his family moved into a modern estate with its own shops, a park, and a primary school.
Liang 和家人搬到了一個現代化的社區，裡面有自己的商店、公園和小學。
The old industrial estate now houses technology companies instead of factories.
這片老舊的工業區如今進駐的是科技公司，而不是工廠了。
All the houses on this estate were built in the same style, with red brick roofs.
這個住宅區裡的所有房子都採用相同的風格，配有紅磚屋頂。
- development
the American English equivalent for a planned residential area
- complex
a group of buildings used for a specific purpose, such as apartments or offices
用法筆記
This sense is common in British English. In American English, the equivalent terms are housing project (for public housing) or development.
常見錯誤
4. a type of car whose back section provides extra room for luggage or large items,
旅行車
後車廂空間大的轎車
a type of car whose back section provides extra room for luggage or large items, accessed through a separate door at the rear
Rania chose an estate because she needed room for her two dogs and all the camping gear.
Rania 選擇了一輛旅行車，因為她需要空間來載她的兩隻狗和露營裝備。
British: estate car
The carpenter loaded sheets of wood into the back of his estate without folding the seats.
那位木匠把幾塊木板放進旅行車後車廂，連座椅都不用折疊。
Estate cars are less popular nowadays because many people prefer SUVs.
旅行車現在比較不流行了，因為很多人更喜歡休旅車。
Andrew loaded his surfboard into the back of his estate and drove to the coast.
Andrew 把衝浪板放進旅行車後車廂，然後開車前往海邊。
- station wagon
the American English name for the same type of car
- shooting brake
a historical term now used mainly for luxury estate-style cars
用法筆記
This term is used mainly in British English. In American English, the same type of vehicle is called a station wagon.
常見錯誤
5. a particular condition or stage in someone's life or in the development of somet
狀態
（正式）所處的境況或階段
a particular condition or stage in someone's life or in the development of something
Gabriela worried about the estate of her grandmother's mind after the old lady began forgetting familiar faces.
Gabriela 很擔心祖母的精神狀態，因為老人家開始記不得熟面孔了。
formal: estate of [someone's] + abstract noun (mind, health, mood)
Femi called the hospital daily, anxious about the estate of his brother's recovery after surgery.
Femi 每天打電話到醫院，很擔心弟弟手術後的恢復狀況。
formal: estate of [someone's] recovery
Eliska noticed a change in the estate of her friend's mood after the job interview went badly.
Eliska 注意到朋友在面試失利後，情緒狀態有了變化。
The duke worried about the estate of his son's health after the long illness.
公爵很擔心兒子的健康狀況，因為他生病了很久。
用法筆記
This sense is largely literary or formal. It survives mainly in fixed phrases such as the human estate and the estate of holy matrimony. It should not be used in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
6. one of the traditional divisions of society based on rank, power, or occupation,
階級
社會或政治上的階層劃分
one of the traditional divisions of society based on rank, power, or occupation, especially in historical Europe
In medieval times, the three estates were the clergy, the nobility, and the common people.
中世紀的三个等級分別是神職人員、貴族和平民。
historical: the three estates
The press is sometimes called the fourth estate because of its power to influence politics.
新聞界有時被稱為第四階級，因為它擁有影響政治的力量。
fixed phrase: the fourth estate
Each estate had different legal rights and responsibilities under the old system of government.
在舊制度下，每個階級擁有不同的法律權利和義務。
Cyrus wrote a history essay about the political power of the third estate before the French Revolution.
Cyrus 寫了一篇歷史報告，探討法國大革命前第三階級的政治力量。
用法筆記
This sense appears almost exclusively in historical discussions or in the fixed phrase the fourth estate. In modern sociology, class or social class are the standard terms.
常見錯誤
estate — 形容詞
- estatepositive
- more estatecomparative
- most estatesuperlative
1. describing an item that comes from a single estate or winery, such as wine produ
酒莊；二手
出產自單一莊園，或二手但品質良好的
describing an item that comes from a single estate or winery, such as wine produced and bottled on one vineyard, or an item such as jewellery or furniture that was previously owned and is considered to be of good quality
The restaurant serves only estate wines from small family vineyards.
這家餐廳只供應來自小型家族葡萄園的莊園葡萄酒。
collocation: estate wine
Apinya bought an estate diamond necklace at the auction for half its retail price.
Apinya 在拍賣會上以半價買到了一條二手高檔鑽石項鍊。
collocation: estate jewellery
Estate furniture from the 1920s often has better craftsmanship than modern pieces.
1920 年代的二手高檔家具通常比現代家具的做工更好。
Marco found an estate tea set in perfect condition at the antique market.
Marco 在古董市場找到了一套保存完好的二手高檔茶具。
文法句型
estate + noun
用法筆記
This adjective has two distinct interpretations depending on the noun. For wine (estate wine), it means the grapes were grown, produced, and bottled by a single named estate or winery — it does not mean 'second-hand.' For jewellery, furniture, silver, or other personal goods (estate jewellery, estate furniture), it means the item was previously owned, often acquired from a deceased person's collection. This adjective only appears before a noun (attributive position).