oyster

IPA/ˈɔɪstə(r)/
KK[ˈɔɪstɚ]IPA/ˈɔɪstər/

oyster — 名詞

  • oystersingular
  • oystersplural

1. a type of shellfish with a rough, hard, irregular shell that lives in the sea or

1.名詞B1
釋義

牡蠣

海洋貝類，外殼粗糙，部分可食或產珠

a type of shellfish with a rough, hard, irregular shell that lives in the sea or in coastal waters. People eat some kinds of oysters, and other kinds produce small shiny jewels called pearls inside their shells.

例句

The restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf serves fresh oysters every evening during summer.

漁人碼頭的那家餐廳整個夏天每天晚上都有新鮮的牡蠣供應。

collocation: fresh oysters

Oyster farmers in the bay harvest these shellfish by hand when the tide goes out.

海灣的牡蠣養殖戶趁退潮時用手採收這些貝類。

用法筆記

Oysters are often eaten raw with lemon juice, or cooked in dishes such as soups and stews. Raw oysters are a common food in coastal areas around the world.

常見錯誤

❌I ordered a bowl of oyster soup with clams.
✅I ordered a bowl of clam chowder.
💡'clam' and 'oyster' are different shellfish; do not use them interchangeably.

2. a small, tender piece of dark meat that sits beside the backbone of a chicken or

2.名詞C1
釋義

雞背肉

雞或禽類背部兩側的小塊嫩肉

a small, tender piece of dark meat that sits beside the backbone of a chicken or turkey, one on the left and one on the right. Cooks often consider it the tastiest part of the bird.

例句

Nora always saves the oyster of the chicken for her grandmother because it is the most tender piece.

Nora 總是把她最愛的雞背肉留給奶奶，因為那塊肉最嫩。

the oyster of the chicken: possessive structure

The butcher showed Amir where to find the two small oysters on each side of the turkey.

肉販指給 Amir 看火雞背部兩側那兩小塊雞背肉的位置。

用法筆記

This sense is used mainly by cooks and people who know a lot about preparing poultry. It is not common in everyday conversation.

常見錯誤

❌I bought chicken oysters at the supermarket.
✅I bought chicken at the supermarket, and I saved the oysters from the back.
💡'oyster' here is not a sold cut; it is a part of the whole bird.

3. used only in the fixed phrase 'the world is your oyster' to mean that someone ha

3.名詞B2
釋義

機會

用於短語，指無限的可能性

used only in the fixed phrase 'the world is your oyster' to mean that someone has many opportunities in life and can freely choose what they want to do

例句

After graduating from university, Amir felt that the whole world was his oyster.

大學畢業後，Amir 覺得整個世界都是他的了。

fixed phrase: the world is your oyster

Now that you have finished your training and saved some money, the world is your oyster.

既然你已完成訓練也存了一些錢，前途盡在你的掌握之中。

用法筆記

This meaning only appears in the fixed expression 'the world is your oyster'. You cannot say 'the city is my oyster' — the phrase only works with 'world' and a possessive pronoun. Do not use 'oyster' alone with this meaning.

常見錯誤

❌With this new job, the city is my oyster.
✅With this new job, the world is my oyster.
💡the phrase is fixed; only 'world' is used.
❌She has many oysters ahead of her.
✅She feels the world is her oyster.
💡the phrase must be used as a complete expression.