miscellany

/mɪˈseləni/ (bre, ipa) · [mˈɪsəlˌeni] /ˈmɪsəleɪni/ (ame, ipa) · [mˈɪsəlˌeni] /ˈmi-sə-ˌlā-nē How to pronounce miscellany (audio) chiefly British mi-ˈse-lə-nē/ (ame, mw)

miscellany — 名詞

  • miscellanysingular
  • miscellaniesplural

1. a group of unrelated items, ideas, or pieces that have been gathered together in

1.名詞C1
釋義

雜項

放在一起的各種不同物件或零碎內容

a group of unrelated items, ideas, or pieces that have been gathered together in one place

例句

The attic box held a miscellany of medals, train tickets, and dried flowers.

那個閣樓箱裡裝著獎章、火車票和乾花等雜項。

a miscellany of + mixed objects

After the move, Indra found a miscellany of cables, screws, and receipts in one bag.

搬家後，Indra 在同一個袋子裡找到電線、螺絲和收據等一堆雜項。

同義詞
  • collection

    more neutral and does not suggest such a random mix

  • assortment

    commoner in shops or commercial contexts

  • mixture

    stresses things being combined, sometimes physically

文法句型

a miscellany of [plural noun]

miscellany of objects / notes / items

用法筆記

Usually appears in writing rather than casual speech and is commonly followed by 'of' plus a plural noun. Distinguish this sense from sense 2 by the lack of book context: this one is any mixed set, not a published volume.

常見錯誤

❌The drawer held miscellany of tools and papers.
✅The drawer held a miscellany of tools and papers.
💡This countable noun normally needs an article before one mixed set.

2. a book that gathers short writings on several topics, or pieces by several autho

2.名詞C2
釋義

文集

收錄多篇文章或短作的書

a book that gathers short writings on several topics, or pieces by several authors, into a single volume

例句

Our teacher assigned a miscellany of war poems and diary entries this term.

這學期老師指定我們讀一本收錄戰爭詩與日記摘錄的文集。

a miscellany of + literary pieces

Asha published a miscellany of travel sketches, letters, and short essays.

Asha 出版了一本文集，收了旅行速寫、書信和短文。

同義詞
  • anthology

    more common for a deliberately selected literary collection

  • compilation

    broader and can include non-literary material

  • collection

    plain everyday term without the literary tone

文法句型

a miscellany of essays / poems / letters

publish / read / discover a miscellany

用法筆記

Used for an actual book or volume. References to authors, readers, essays, or poems usually signal this sense rather than sense 1, which is broader and not limited to published writing.

常見錯誤

❌She bought a miscellany book of essays.
✅She bought a miscellany of essays.
💡Miscellany already names the book itself, so adding book is unnecessary.