pocketbook
/ˈpɒkɪtbʊk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpɑːkɪtbʊk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpä-kət-ˌbu̇k/ (ame, mw) · /ˈpɑː.kɪt.bʊk/ (ame, ipa)
pocketbook — 名詞
- pocketbooksingular
- pocketbooksplural
1. a thin book, often with a soft cover, small enough to slip into a coat or trouse
袖珍書
可放入口袋的小開本書
a thin book, often with a soft cover, small enough to slip into a coat or trouser pocket and read while travelling.
Karim slipped a pocketbook of Rumi's poems into his jacket before the long train ride.
在長途火車旅程前，Karim 把一本魯米詩集的袖珍書塞進外套裡。
collocation: pocketbook of [topic]
The bookshop near the station sells cheap pocketbooks for travellers.
車站附近的書店有賣便宜的袖珍書，方便旅客閱讀。
plural countable use
Adina keeps a small pocketbook of Spanish verbs in her bag for the bus.
Adina 在包包裡放一本小開本的西班牙文動詞書，方便在公車上看。
My grandfather always carried a pocketbook of birds with him on his walks.
我爺爺散步時總是隨身帶著一本小開本的鳥類圖鑑。
- paperback
more common modern term for the same physical format
- pocket edition
publishers' label for a small-format reprint
- hardback
larger book with a hard cover
文法句型
a pocketbook of [topic]
用法筆記
Mainly used in older or literary contexts; modern speakers more often say 'paperback' or 'pocket edition'.
2. the amount of money a person, family, or country has available to spend — used e
荷包；財力
家庭或個人可花用的金錢
the amount of money a person, family, or country has available to spend — used especially when talking about how rising prices or taxes affect ordinary people.
Higher petrol prices are hitting the pocketbooks of working families across the country.
汽油價格上漲，正衝擊全國工人家庭的荷包。
collocation: hit the pocketbook
Voters in Ohio said the new tax law would hurt their pocketbooks the most.
俄亥俄州的選民表示，新的稅法最傷他們的荷包。
plural; possessive determiner
Élise warned that the rent increase would stretch her pocketbook to its limit.
Élise 警告說，房租上漲會把她的荷包逼到極限。
Politicians know that any change to grocery prices touches every voter's pocketbook.
政治人物都知道，雜貨價格的任何變動都會觸動每一位選民的荷包。
The new heating bills are too much for the average pensioner's pocketbook.
新的暖氣費對一般退休老人的荷包來說實在太重了。
- wallet
in the metaphorical 'household budget' sense; less common in this use
- finances
more formal, neutral register
- purse strings
idiomatic; refers to control over spending
文法句型
someone's pocketbook
hit the pocketbook
用法筆記
Almost always used in discussions of prices, taxes, or policy; rarely about a single small purchase. Often appears with verbs like 'hit', 'hurt', 'stretch', or 'touch'.
常見錯誤
3. a bag, usually with a strap or handle, that a woman carries to hold her phone, k
女用手提包
女性隨身攜帶的手提小包
a bag, usually with a strap or handle, that a woman carries to hold her phone, keys, lipstick, and other personal things — what British speakers call a handbag.
Ayesha dug through her pocketbook on the subway platform, looking for her metro card.
Ayesha 在地鐵月台上翻找手提包，想找出她的捷運卡。
collocation: dig through a pocketbook
Grandma always kept butterscotch sweets in the side pocket of her pocketbook.
奶奶總是把奶油糖放在她手提包的側袋裡。
in one's pocketbook (location)
Adaeze chose a small leather pocketbook to match her shoes for the wedding.
Adaeze 挑了一個小巧的皮製手提包，搭配婚禮要穿的鞋子。
A thief grabbed the old woman's pocketbook on 5th Avenue and ran before anyone shouted.
一名小偷在第五大道搶走那名老婦人的手提包，接著在眾人出聲前逃跑。
Please don't leave your pocketbook on the back of the chair in this restaurant.
在這家餐廳裡，請不要把你的手提包掛在椅背上。
文法句型
carry a pocketbook
in one's pocketbook
用法筆記
Mostly American English, and somewhat old-fashioned — younger Americans tend to say 'purse' or 'bag'. British English uses 'handbag' instead.
常見錯誤
4. a slim folding case, often made of leather, that a person uses to keep paper mon
皮夾；錢夾
存放紙鈔證件的對折式小包
a slim folding case, often made of leather, that a person uses to keep paper money, cards, and small documents.
Hugo opened his old leather pocketbook and counted the few notes still inside.
Hugo 打開他那本舊舊的皮夾，數著裡頭僅剩的幾張鈔票。
collocation: open one's pocketbook
At the customs desk, Christopher pulled his passport from a worn brown pocketbook.
在海關櫃台，Christopher 從一個磨舊的棕色皮夾裡掏出護照。
Amani kept the old letter folded inside her grandfather's pocketbook for years.
Amani 把那封舊信折好，放進爺爺的皮夾裡保存多年。
The pickpocket on the tram slipped a slim pocketbook out of the tourist's coat.
電車上的扒手從那名遊客的外套裡抽出一只薄薄的皮夾。
文法句型
a leather pocketbook
用法筆記
Older usage; today most speakers say 'wallet' for this object. Distinguish from sense 3 (handbag): a pocketbook here is small and flat, designed to go inside a pocket.
pocketbook — 形容詞
- pocketbookpositive
- more pocketbookcomparative
- most pocketbooksuperlative
1. concerning the everyday cost of living and what ordinary people can afford — use
切身財務的
牽涉一般家庭開銷的議題
concerning the everyday cost of living and what ordinary people can afford — used especially of political topics that affect family budgets.
Health insurance is a major pocketbook issue for voters in this county.
健保是這個郡選民最切身財務相關的議題。
collocation: pocketbook issue
The senator focused her campaign on pocketbook concerns like fuel and food prices.
那位參議員把競選重心放在燃料與食物價格這類切身財務問題上。
collocation: pocketbook concerns
Voters in small towns care most about pocketbook questions, not foreign policy.
小鎮的選民最在意切身財務相關的議題，而不是外交政策。
Quan said the new factory rules were a pure pocketbook decision for his family.
Quan 說新的工廠規定對他家來說純粹是切身財務上的考量。
- financial
broader; not restricted to household budgets
- economic
more abstract; about the whole economy
- bread-and-butter
idiomatic; everyday-living issues, very similar use
文法句型
pocketbook issue
pocketbook concerns
用法筆記
Used only before a noun (attributive); you cannot say 'this issue is pocketbook'. Common in American political journalism, especially with nouns like 'issue', 'concern', 'question', or 'decision'.