squeaker
squeaker — 名詞
- squeakersingular
- squeakersplural
1. A small plastic or rubber piece that is placed inside a soft child's toy and pro
發聲器
裝在玩具內、按壓會發出吱吱聲的小零件
A small plastic or rubber piece that is placed inside a soft child's toy and produces a short, high-pitched chirp or squeak when pressed or squeezed.
Mei pressed the teddy bear's tummy, and the squeaker inside made the baby laugh.
Mei 按了按泰迪熊的肚子，裡面的發聲器讓嬰兒笑了出來。
squeaker + inside + toy — location pattern
The squeaker in the rubber duck stopped working after Reuben squeezed it too many times.
Reuben 太常擠壓那隻橡皮鴨，鴨子裡面的發聲器終於壞了。
The dog's toy has a squeaker hidden inside, so the puppy makes a funny noise every time it bites down.
那隻狗玩具裡面藏了一個發聲器，小狗每次咬下去都會發出好笑的聲音。
collocation: squeaker hidden inside
Tyler's grandmother sewed a new squeaker into the cloth doll she was making for his little cousin.
Tyler 的祖母在她為小姪女做的布娃娃裡縫進了一個新的發聲器。
sew a squeaker into — verb + particle + location
Ari bought a squeaky bone for his dog, but the squeaker fell out after the first day of chewing.
Ari 買了一根會吱吱叫的骨頭給他的狗，但才啃了一天，發聲器就掉了出來。
- press a squeaker
- squeeze a squeaker
- squeaker inside [toy]
- squeaker stops working
- noisemaker
broader term — any device that makes sound, not just a squeak
- squeaky toy
refers to the whole toy containing the squeaker, not the component itself
文法句型
squeaker + in + noun phrase (location)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the pattern 'squeaker + in/inside + toy name' to describe where the device is located.
常見錯誤
2. A competition, election, or match in which the winner is decided by an extremely
險勝；激戰
勝負差距極小的比賽或選舉
A competition, election, or match in which the winner is decided by an extremely small margin, making the outcome uncertain until the very end.
The city council election was a real squeaker, with Dario winning by only twelve votes.
市議會選舉是一場險勝，Dario 只以十二票之差獲勝。
be a real squeaker — common informal expression
Last night's game turned into a squeaker when the visiting team scored with three seconds left.
昨晚的比賽在客隊於終場前三秒進球後，變成了一場激戰。
The race was a squeaker — neither runner led by more than half a stride.
那場賽跑從頭到尾都是拉鋸戰——兩名選手從未領先超過半步。
a squeaker — dash structure for emphatic definition
Hamza watched the tennis final, which became a squeaker after the third set tie-break.
Hamza 觀看了那場網球決賽，雙方在第三盤搶七局之後戰況變得激烈膠著。
The mayoral race turned into a squeaker when the underdog gained two thousand votes overnight.
市長選舉在落後的黑馬候選人一夜之間多獲得兩千票後，變成了一場激戰。
turn into a squeaker — common collocation with race/election
- a real squeaker
- turn into a squeaker
- squeaker of a [game/race/election]
- nail-biter
equally informal, but emphasises the emotional tension for spectators
- close call
can refer to any narrow escape, not just competitions
- photo finish
originally horse-racing; suggests the winner was determined by the smallest possible measurement
- landslide
a victory by a very large margin — opposite of a squeaker
文法句型
be a squeaker
squeaker of a + noun
用法筆記
Almost always appears with an article ('a squeaker') and is most common in North American sports commentary and election reporting. The phrase 'a squeaker of a [noun]' also works: 'a squeaker of a game'.
3. Any living creature or object that produces a short, high-pitched sound — such a
吱吱響
發出吱吱聲的生物或物品
Any living creature or object that produces a short, high-pitched sound — such as a tiny animal, a rusty hinge, or an unoiled wheel.
A tiny squeaker scurried across the kitchen floor, and Sana knew she had a mouse in the house.
有個吱吱叫的小東西跑過廚房地板，Sana 這才知道家裡有老鼠。
squeaker as an informal term for a mouse
Faisal oiled the garden gate hinges so the old squeaker would finally be quiet.
Faisal 給花園大門的鉸鏈上了油，讓那扇吱吱作響的老門終於安靜下來。
The small guinea pig was the loudest squeaker in the whole pet shop that morning.
那隻小天竺鼠是整間寵物店裡最會吱吱叫的小傢伙。
loudest squeaker — superlative pattern
Obi's bicycle wheel had become a terrible squeaker after the rain left it rusty and dry.
Obi 的腳踏車輪胎在下過雨後變得又鏽又乾，成了一部吵死人的吱吱響怪物。
Théo picked up the baby hamster and called the little squeaker by its new name, Pip.
Théo 捧起那隻小倉鼠，叫這個吱吱叫的小傢伙的新名字 Pip。
little squeaker — affectionate reference to a small animal
- tiny squeaker
- noisy squeaker
- loudest squeaker
- squeaker (mouse)
colloquial term for a mouse — endearing, not scientific
文法句型
be a squeaker (description)
用法筆記
Used playfully or descriptively rather than as a technical term. The context — animal, person, or object — is inferred from the surrounding sentence.