nephrite

nephrite — 名詞

1. a tough, fine-grained stone, ranging in colour from creamy white through deep gr

1.名詞C2
釋義

軟玉；閃玉

兩種玉石中較常見、價格較低的一種

a tough, fine-grained stone, ranging in colour from creamy white through deep green to almost black, that is one of the two minerals sold as jade — the cheaper and more widely found of the pair.

例句

The museum's Maori collection includes a polished nephrite pendant carved in the shape of a fish-hook.

博物館的毛利文物展裡有一塊磨光的軟玉墜飾，雕成魚鉤的形狀。

noun in noun-noun compound: nephrite + object

Reema explained that most ancient Chinese jade carvings were cut from nephrite, not the rarer jadeite.

Reema 解釋說，大部分中國古代的玉雕都是用軟玉做的，而不是比較稀有的硬玉。

contrast pattern: nephrite vs jadeite

同義詞
  • jade

    umbrella term that covers both nephrite and jadeite; use 'jade' in general talk and 'nephrite' only when the specific mineral matters

  • greenstone

    New Zealand English term for nephrite found locally, especially in Maori cultural contexts

反義詞
  • jadeite

    the other, rarer and more expensive mineral also marketed as jade

文法句型

uncountable noun

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable. Typically appears in geology, archaeology, and jewellery contexts; modified by colour adjectives (dark green, white) or paired with a contrasting mineral (jadeite, serpentine).

常見錯誤

❌She bought two nephrites at the market.
✅She bought two nephrite carvings at the market.
💡nephrite names the material, not a single object; count the carved item instead.