extinction
/ɪkˈstɪŋkʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪkˈstɪŋkʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ik-ˈstiŋ(k)-shən/ (ame, mw)
extinction — 名詞
1. the complete disappearance of a particular type of living thing, language, or wa
滅絕
物種、語言等完全消失
the complete disappearance of a particular type of living thing, language, or way of life from the world, so that it stops existing anywhere.
Many frog species now face extinction because their habitats are disappearing.
許多青蛙物種正面臨滅絕，因為牠們的棲息地正在消失。
collocation: face extinction
Haruto worries that traditional crafts will face extinction as fewer young people learn them.
Haruto 擔心傳統工藝將面臨滅絕，因為學習這些手藝的年輕人越來越少。
The extinction of the passenger pigeon showed how fast a huge population can vanish.
旅鴿的滅絕說明了龐大的族群可以消失得多麼迅速。
Park rangers in Sumatra track rhinos day and night to prevent their extinction from poaching.
蘇門答臘的護林員日夜追蹤犀牛，以防止牠們因盜獵而滅絕。
Jabari's research focuses on the extinction of minority languages in West Africa.
Jabari 的研究聚焦於西非少數語言的滅絕現象。
- disappearance
less final — extinction is permanent, while something could reappear after disappearing
- dying out
more informal and process-focused; describes a gradual decline
- loss
broader; can refer to individuals or parts of a group, not just the whole group vanishing
- survival
the state of continuing to exist
- preservation
active efforts to keep something from disappearing
文法句型
face extinction
be in danger of extinction
be on the brink of extinction
用法筆記
Often used with verbs such as face, be in danger of, and be on the brink of. The subject can be a species, a language, a culture, or a tradition.
常見錯誤
2. the deliberate and total destruction of a group of people, animals, or things, o
根除；消滅
故意徹底消滅某群體
the deliberate and total destruction of a group of people, animals, or things, often through violent or forceful means.
Colonial settlers drove several native communities in Tasmania to extinction through violence.
殖民者透過暴力將塔斯馬尼亞數個原住民社群推向滅絕。
Government forces burned sacred sites to push the local religion to extinction in the conquered territory.
政府軍焚燒聖地，企圖在被征服地區將當地宗教徹底消滅。
Hunters pushed the local deer population to the edge of extinction before the ban.
在禁令實施之前，獵人將當地鹿群推到了滅絕的邊緣。
Salma's documentary shows how colonial forces drove indigenous groups to near extinction.
Salma 的紀錄片展示了殖民勢力如何迫使原住民族群瀕臨滅絕。
Illegal hunting caused the near-extinction of several rare bird species on the island.
非法狩獵導致島上幾種稀有鳥類近乎滅絕。
- annihilation
emphasises complete and violent destruction even more strongly
- extermination
specifically refers to killing living beings, often people or pests
- eradication
used for diseases, pests, or ideas; often implies systematic removal
- preservation
active effort to keep something safe from harm
- protection
measures taken to prevent harm or destruction
文法句型
extinction of + group
drive/push to extinction
用法筆記
Stronger and more deliberate than sense 1. This sense implies that someone or something actively causes the disappearance — it is not a natural or accidental process.
常見錯誤
3. in behavioral psychology, the process where a learned behavior slowly stops beca
消退
移除增強物使行為逐漸消失
in behavioral psychology, the process where a learned behavior slowly stops because the expected reward no longer follows it.
In the experiment, extinction occurred when the rat pressed the lever but received no food.
在實驗中，當老鼠按壓槓桿卻得不到食物時，消退現象便產生了。
extinction in operant conditioning experiments
The child's tantrum stopped after several days of extinction during which his parents ignored it.
經過幾天父母不予理會的消退處理後，孩子的哭鬧行為停止了。
extinction as a behavioral therapy technique
Élise used extinction to reduce her patient's nail-biting habit by removing the reward.
Élise 利用消退法減少病人的咬指甲習慣，方法是移除行為後的獎勵。
In psychology class, a rat's bar-pressing reappeared days later — spontaneous recovery after extinction.
在心理學課堂上，老鼠按壓槓桿的行為在數天後重新出現——這就是消退後的「自發恢復」現象。
Niran observed extinction in the lab when the pigeon's pecking no longer brought grain.
Niran 在實驗室觀察到消退現象：鴿子啄按鍵不再得到穀物後，行為逐漸停止了。
- elimination
general term; does not specify the mechanism of removing reinforcement
- suppression
may be temporary, while extinction implies a lasting reduction through conditioning principles
- reinforcement
the process of strengthening a behavior by providing a reward
文法句型
extinction of a behavior/response
undergo extinction
extinction burst
用法筆記
Technical term in behaviorism and applied behavioral analysis. A temporary increase in the behavior, called an 'extinction burst,' often happens just before the behavior fades completely.