tack
/tæk/ (bre, ipa) · /tæk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtak/ (ame, mw)
tack — 名詞
- tacksingular
- tacksplural
1. a short nail or pin with a wide flat head, pushed in by hand or hammered into wo
圖釘；平頭釘
頭部扁平的短釘
a short nail or pin with a wide flat head, pushed in by hand or hammered into wood or board to hold paper, fabric, or carpet in place.
Tara pressed a brass tack through the corner of the poster to hold it on the wall.
Tara 把一根銅色圖釘按進海報的角落，將它固定在牆上。
press a tack through [thing]
The carpet layer kept a row of tacks between his lips while he worked.
鋪地毯的師傅工作時嘴上總咬著一排平頭釘。
noun: 'a row of tacks'
Eli stepped on a loose tack and yelped, hopping toward the bathroom.
Eli 踩到一根掉在地上的圖釘，大叫一聲一跛一跛地跳向浴室。
Felix bought a small box of upholstery tacks for the old wooden chair.
Felix 為了那張老舊的木椅，買了一小盒裝飾用的平頭釘。
- thumbtack
American English for the pin used on boards
- drawing pin
British English equivalent of thumbtack
用法筆記
Common in compounds: 'thumb tack' (BrE drawing pin), 'carpet tack', 'upholstery tack'. Subject of 'press' or 'hammer' when the tack is being inserted.
常見錯誤
2. a large, loose stitch sewn by hand to join pieces of cloth in a rough way before
假縫線
暫時固定布料的長疏針
a large, loose stitch sewn by hand to join pieces of cloth in a rough way before the final sewing is done.
Rin held the lining in place with a few quick tacks before fitting the dress.
Rin 在試穿洋裝前，用幾針快速的假縫線把襯裡固定好。
noun: 'a few quick tacks'
Élise used long white tacks along the hem so she could try the skirt on first.
Élise 沿著裙襬縫了長長的白色假縫線，這樣她才能先試穿一下。
'tacks along the hem'
The tailor pulled out the tacks once the seam was machine-sewn and tidy.
縫紉師在用機器把接縫車整齊後，就把那些假縫線一條條拆掉。
Lan added a row of tacks at the shoulder to test how the jacket would hang.
Lan 在肩線那裡多縫了一排假縫線，先看看外套穿起來會怎麼垂。
- basting stitch
more technical sewing term
- tacking stitch
British English term for the same thing
用法筆記
Treated as countable: 'a tack', 'a few tacks'. Removed after the final stitch is sewn — distinct from a permanent stitch.
3. the saddle, bridle, and other equipment used when riding a horse.
馬具
騎馬用的鞍韁等裝備
the saddle, bridle, and other equipment used when riding a horse.
Rachel cleaned the tack every Sunday morning before she rode out.
Rachel 每個星期天早上都會先把馬具擦乾淨才出門騎馬。
uncountable: 'cleaned the tack'
The stable kept all the tack in a small room beside the barn.
馬廄把所有的馬具都收在穀倉旁邊的一間小房間裡。
'kept the tack'
Minh polished the leather tack until it shone in the afternoon sun.
Minh 把那些皮製馬具擦到在午後的陽光下閃閃發亮。
Old tack hung from hooks along the wall of the riding school.
馬術學校牆邊的掛鉤上，掛著一些舊的馬具。
用法筆記
Uncountable — say 'the tack', never 'a tack' for this sense. Often appears in 'tack room' (the storage room for it) and 'clean the tack'.
常見錯誤
4. the angle that a sailing boat takes against the wind, or the distance it travels
搶風航向
帆船相對於風向的角度
the angle that a sailing boat takes against the wind, or the distance it travels on that angle before turning.
Jason chose a long tack to the south before the wind shifted.
Jason 趁風向轉變之前，選了一段較長的向南搶風航向。
'a long tack to [direction]'
The skipper called for another tack as the boat neared the rocks.
船快靠近暗礁時，船長下令再轉一個搶風航向。
'call for a tack'
On the next tack we crossed the bay in under twenty minutes.
我們靠著下一段搶風航向，不到二十分鐘就橫越了海灣。
Reuben held a steady starboard tack until the lighthouse came into view.
Reuben 穩穩地保持右舷搶風航向，直到燈塔出現在眼前。
- leg
informal sailing term for one tack of a course
用法筆記
Sailing register only. Pairs with 'port' (left) and 'starboard' (right) to name which side the wind hits.
5. a way of dealing with a problem or situation — for example, a salesperson trying
策略；做法
處理問題的方式或路線
a way of dealing with a problem or situation — for example, a salesperson trying a friendly tack with a difficult customer, or a lawyer changing tack mid-trial when one argument is not working.
When polite emails failed, Tariq tried a sharper tack and called the manager directly.
客氣的電子郵件都沒用後，Tariq 改用比較強硬的策略，直接打電話給主管。
'try a sharper tack'
Rafael took a friendly tack with the angry customer and slowly calmed him down.
Rafael 對那位生氣的客人採取了和善的做法，慢慢把他安撫下來。
'take a friendly tack'
Halfway through the meeting Rachid changed tack and asked the team for their ideas.
會議進行到一半，Rachid 改變了做法，開始問團隊有什麼想法。
If this argument fails we may have to try a different tack with the judge tomorrow.
如果這個論點行不通，我們明天或許得對法官換一套不一樣的策略。
用法筆記
Frequently with verbs 'take', 'try', 'change'. Distinguish from sense 4 (the sailing angle) — this sense is metaphorical and now far more common in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
tack — 動詞
- tackpresent simple I / you / we / they
- tacks3rd person singular
- tacking-ing form
- tackedpast simple
1. to fix a piece of paper, cloth, or carpet to a surface using small nails or pins
用平頭釘釘住
以圖釘或小釘固定到表面
to fix a piece of paper, cloth, or carpet to a surface using small nails or pins.
Tara tacked the new poster to the kitchen door so everyone would see it.
Tara 把新的海報釘在廚房門上，讓家裡每個人都能看到。
tack [thing] to [place]
Eli tacked a piece of fabric over the broken window until the glass arrived.
在玻璃送來之前，Eli 用釘子把一塊布釘在破掉的窗戶上擋一擋。
'tack [thing] over [place]'
Rin tacked the carpet down along the edges of the dusty old room.
Rin 沿著那間滿是灰塵的舊房間的邊緣，把地毯一一釘住。
Notices about the school play had been tacked up all over the corridor.
學校話劇的公告被釘得整條走廊到處都是。
文法句型
tack [something] to [place]
tack [something] up/down
用法筆記
Common with directional particles: 'tack up' (a notice), 'tack down' (a carpet). The thing tacked is the direct object; the surface follows 'to', 'on', or 'over'.
常見錯誤
2. to join two pieces of cloth with long, loose hand stitches as a temporary hold,
用假縫線縫
用長疏針暫時把布料固定起來
to join two pieces of cloth with long, loose hand stitches as a temporary hold, before machine sewing the final seam.
Élise tacked the two halves of the skirt together before her customer arrived.
Élise 在客人到之前，先用假縫線把裙子的兩片暫時縫在一起。
tack [things] together
The tailor tacked the sleeves to the body of the jacket for a quick fitting.
縫紉師先用假縫線把袖子和外套主體連起來，方便快速試穿。
'tack [thing] to [thing]'
Rachel tacked the lining in place and then pulled the stitches out after sewing.
Rachel 用假縫線把襯裡固定好，等正式車縫完以後再把線拆掉。
Minh learned to tack the hem first so the dress would hang straight on the model.
Minh 學會先用假縫線把下襬固定起來，這樣洋裝穿在模特兒身上才會垂得直挺。
文法句型
tack [cloth] together
用法筆記
Sewing register. Distinguish from sense 1: here the joining is by thread, not by metal tacks. Often paired with 'together' or 'in place'.
3. (of a boat or its crew) to turn the front of the boat through the wind so that t
搶風行駛
讓帆船斜向風轉向行駛
(of a boat or its crew) to turn the front of the boat through the wind so that the sails fill on the opposite side, often as part of a zigzag path against the wind.
Jason tacked twice before he could clear the line of buoys near the harbour.
Jason 搶風轉了兩次向，才終於繞過港口附近那一排浮標。
intransitive: 'tack twice'
The little yacht tacked steadily across the bay all morning.
那艘小遊艇一整個早上都穩穩地搶風航行，慢慢橫越海灣。
'tack across [place]'
We had to tack into the wind for an hour before reaching the island.
我們得頂著風搶風行駛一個小時，才終於到達那座小島。
Reuben taught his daughter how to tack the small dinghy on her own.
Reuben 教他女兒怎麼一個人搶風駕駛那艘小帆船。
- come about
more conversational sailing term for the same maneuver
- run before the wind
sail with the wind directly behind
文法句型
[boat] tack against the wind
用法筆記
Mostly intransitive: the boat or the crew tacks. A skipper may also 'tack the boat' (transitive). Strongly tied to sailing register.
4. to add something extra and small to what is already there, often as an afterthou
附加；加上
在原本內容上再追加一小段或一項
to add something extra and small to what is already there, often as an afterthought or in a hurry — for example, tacking a short note onto an email or tacking a new charge onto a bill.
The waiter tacked a service charge onto the bill without telling Lakan.
那位服務生沒告訴 Lakan 就在帳單上多加了一筆服務費。
tack [thing] onto [thing]
Felix tacked a quick apology onto the end of the long email.
Felix 在那封長長的電子郵件最後快速加上了一段道歉的話。
'tack onto the end of'
The teacher tacked an extra question on at the bottom of the exam paper.
老師在考卷的最下方又額外多加了一題。
Christopher tacked a few more songs onto the playlist before the party started.
Christopher 在派對開始前又在播放清單上多加了幾首歌。
文法句型
tack [thing] on/onto [thing]
用法筆記
Almost always with 'on' or 'onto'; the added thing is usually small and not central. Suggests the addition feels last-minute or unplanned.
常見錯誤
5. to change one's opinion, plan, or political position quite suddenly, especially
改變立場
突然改變政策或態度方向
to change one's opinion, plan, or political position quite suddenly, especially in order to gain support or react to events.
After losing two votes, the senator tacked to the centre on the housing bill.
在連續輸了兩次投票後，那位參議員在住宅法案上轉向中間立場。
tack to the centre
The new manager tacked away from the cost-cutting plan once the strike began.
罷工一開始，新任主管就改變方向，放棄了原本那套削減成本的計畫。
'tack away from'
William tacked toward a softer line on tax after meeting the small business owners.
在和那些小企業老闆碰面後，William 對於稅務的立場轉向比較溫和的路線。
Critics said the party had tacked too far to the right since the election.
評論者說，自從那次選舉之後，這個政黨已經向右偏得太遠了。
- stand firm
refuse to change one's position
文法句型
tack to the left/right
tack toward [position]
用法筆記
Borrows from the sailing sense (sense 3). Common in political and business writing. The direction or position changed to follows a preposition: 'to', 'toward', 'away from'.