maw

/mɔː/ (bre, ipa) · /mɔː/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmȯ/ (ame, mw)

maw — 名詞

  • mawsingular
  • mawsplural

1. the mouth, throat, or stomach area of a fierce or very hungry animal, especially

1.名詞C2
釋義

獸口

猛獸張大的嘴或喉嚨

the mouth, throat, or stomach area of a fierce or very hungry animal, especially when it is imagined as wide, greedy, or dangerous.

例句

The fox vanished into the reeds with a fish in its maw.

那隻狐狸叼著一條魚鑽進蘆葦時，魚還卡在牠的獸口裡。

collocation: in + animal's maw

Mud dripped from the crocodile's maw as it slid under the pier.

鱷魚滑到碼頭下方時，泥水還從牠的獸口滴下。

collocation: from + animal's maw

同義詞
  • jaws

    emphasises the biting parts of the mouth rather than the whole opening

  • mouth

    neutral everyday word with no threatening tone

  • gullet

    more anatomical; focuses on the throat rather than the mouth opening

文法句型

in + animal's maw

from + animal's maw

用法筆記

Often literary or dramatic rather than neutral. Use it when you want the animal's mouth to sound frightening, greedy, or physically threatening, not when you simply mean an ordinary mouth.

常見錯誤

❌She covered her maw and laughed.
✅She covered her mouth and laughed.
💡maw is mainly used for animals or for a deliberately harsh image, not for an ordinary human mouth.

2. a place or opening that feels like an enormous mouth pulling nearby things into

2.名詞C2
釋義

吞噬巨口

像大嘴般把東西吞沒的開口

a place or opening that feels like an enormous mouth pulling nearby things into itself and swallowing them away.

例句

One suitcase disappeared into the maw of the baggage belt.

有一個行李箱就這樣消失在行李輸送帶的吞噬巨口中。

pattern: into the maw of + machine/place

Liang pulled one hand back before the furnace maw flared again.

火爐的吞噬巨口再次噴出火光前，Liang 趕緊把一隻手縮了回來。

同義詞
  • abyss

    emphasises depth rather than a mouth-like opening

  • jaws

    often used the same figurative way, especially for machines or traps

  • opening

    neutral and literal, with none of the threatening image

文法句型

the maw of + place/object

into + the maw of + place/object

用法筆記

Usually appears in figurative writing for something dark, huge, or dangerous. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is not an actual animal's mouth, but a place or opening described as if it could swallow things.

常見錯誤

❌We met at the maw of the library.
✅We met at the entrance of the library.
💡maw suggests a dramatic, swallowing image, not an ordinary doorway.