multifocal

/ˌmʌl.tiˈfəʊ.kəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌmʌl.tiˈfoʊ.kəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌməl-ti-ˈfō-kəl/ (ame, mw)

multifocal — 形容詞

  • multifocalpositive
  • more multifocalcomparative
  • most multifocalsuperlative

1. Of a lens or pair of glasses: made so that the wearer can shift between seeing n

1.形容詞C1
釋義

多焦點的

鏡片同時可看近、看遠的

Of a lens or pair of glasses: made so that the wearer can shift between seeing nearby objects and far-away objects through different zones of the same lens.

例句

After turning fifty, Lara switched to multifocal glasses so she could read menus and drive without changing pairs.

Lara 五十歲後改戴多焦點眼鏡，這樣看菜單跟開車都不必換眼鏡。

attributive: multifocal + glasses for everyday near + far vision

The optician recommended multifocal contact lenses for Kenji, who hated swapping between reading and driving glasses.

驗光師建議 Kenji 配多焦點隱形眼鏡，因為他很討厭一直換閱讀眼鏡跟駕駛眼鏡。

collocation: multifocal contact lenses

同義詞
  • bifocal

    older two-zone design (near + far only); multifocal is the broader, modern term covering three or more zones

  • varifocal

    British English term for the smooth-gradient lens called 'progressive' in American English; a type of multifocal

  • progressive

    American English term for the smooth-gradient multifocal lens (no visible line between zones)

反義詞
  • single-vision

    lens with only one focal distance, corrects for either near or far but not both

文法句型

multifocal + noun (lens, glasses, contact)

用法筆記

Almost always used attributively before a noun in the optical sense (lens, glasses, contact, implant); rarely appears after 'be'.

常見錯誤

❌These glasses are multifocal and very useful for reading menus and signs.
✅These multifocal glasses are very useful for reading menus and signs.
💡predicative use ('are multifocal') sounds odd; native speakers place it before the noun.

2. Of an illness, especially cancer or an infection: showing up at the same time in

2.形容詞C1
釋義

多發性的

病灶同時出現多處的

Of an illness, especially cancer or an infection: showing up at the same time in two or more separate spots in the body, rather than spreading out from a single point.

例句

The scan showed that Chidi's tumour was multifocal, with three small growths in different parts of the same kidney.

掃描顯示 Chidi 的腫瘤是多發性的，在同一顆腎臟的不同部位有三個小腫塊。

predicative in formal medical reporting: tumour was multifocal

Doctors changed Élise's treatment plan once they realised the breast cancer was multifocal rather than confined to one lump.

醫師發現 Élise 的乳癌是多發性、而不是只有單一腫塊後，便調整了治療計畫。

contrast pattern: multifocal vs. single-site disease

同義詞
  • multicentric

    near-synonym in oncology; emphasises that tumours arose independently rather than from one spreading source

  • disseminated

    implies wider spread through the body via blood or lymph; multifocal stays within one organ or region

反義詞
  • unifocal

    arising from a single site

  • solitary

    describes a single isolated lesion or tumour

文法句型

multifocal + disease noun (cancer, infection, lesion)

用法筆記

Specialist medical register; used in pathology reports, scan results, and clinical conversation. Contrast with 'unifocal' (single spot) and 'diffuse' (spread evenly).

常見錯誤

❌My cold is multifocal because I have a sore throat and a runny nose.
✅Multifocal pneumonia affected several parts of his lungs.
💡used for serious diseases (cancer, infections, lesions) showing in distinct sites, not everyday minor symptoms.