thickness
/ˈθɪknəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈθɪknəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈthik-nəs/ (ame, mw)
thickness — 名詞
- thicknesssingular
- thicknessesplural
1. how closely packed or full of matter something is, so that it seems solid, crowd
濃密；稠密
物質緊密聚集的狀態
how closely packed or full of matter something is, so that it seems solid, crowded, or hard to see through — for example, a forest where trees grow very close, or fog so dense that it blocks your view.
The thickness of the forest made it hard for sunlight to reach the ground.
森林的濃密使得陽光難以照到地面。
collocation: thickness of + forest/fog/hair
Sora was surprised by the thickness of his cat's fur after the cold winter.
Sora 對於他的貓在寒冬過後毛髮的濃密感到驚訝。
Devika applied a hair mask to improve the thickness of her naturally thin hair.
Devika 使用了護髮膜來改善她天生細髮的濃密度。
The thickness of the morning fog meant that drivers had to stop on the road.
晨霧的濃密使得駕駛人不得不停在路上。
- density
more scientific; thickness describes how closely packed parts are, while density also involves weight per unit of space
- compactness
formal; focuses on the idea of parts being pressed tightly together
- thinness
the opposite quality — having few parts spread far apart
文法句型
the thickness of + noun
用法筆記
Uncountable only. Commonly paired with 'of' before the noun describing the dense material (e.g. the thickness of the fog, the thickness of the hair).
2. the distance from one surface of an object to the opposite surface, especially w
厚度
物體兩相對面之間的距離
the distance from one surface of an object to the opposite surface, especially when this is smaller than the object's length or width — for example, knowing that a wall is 20 centimetres from its front face to its back face.
Cole measured the thickness of the wooden plank before cutting it.
Cole 在切割木板之前先量了木板的厚度。
collocation: measure/check the thickness
The old stone wall had a thickness of nearly two metres in some places.
這道古老的石牆在某些地方的厚度將近兩公尺。
Plywood comes in several thicknesses, from three millimetres to twenty-five.
夾板有數種厚度，從三毫米到二十五毫米不等。
Adina checked the thickness of the book before deciding whether to buy it.
Adina 檢查了書本的厚度，再決定是否要買。
文法句型
a thickness of + number + unit
in thickness
用法筆記
Can be countable (different thicknesses for different measurements) or uncountable (general concept). When specifying a value, the pattern 'a thickness of [number]' is idiomatic.
常見錯誤
3. a single sheet, coating, or level of a material that lies on top of something or
層
一層鋪在表面上的材料
a single sheet, coating, or level of a material that lies on top of something or between other materials — for example, putting several thicknesses of newspaper on a table before painting.
The package was wrapped in several thicknesses of bubble wrap for protection.
包裹包了好幾層氣泡布來保護。
countable: several thicknesses of
For extra warmth in winter, Linh wore two thicknesses of woollen socks.
為了在冬天更保暖，Linh 穿了兩層羊毛襪。
The windows had a double thickness of glass to keep out the cold.
窗戶裝了雙層玻璃來阻擋寒冷。
Selim placed a single thickness of cardboard under the leaking pipe.
Selim 在漏水的管子下面墊了一層紙板。
文法句型
a thickness of + noun
several thicknesses of + noun
用法筆記
Always countable. Frequently used in the plural (several thicknesses) or with modifiers like 'double', 'single', 'multiple' before 'thickness'.
常見錯誤
4. how slowly or easily a liquid pours, based on how strongly its parts resist move
黏稠度
液體不易流動的性質
how slowly or easily a liquid pours, based on how strongly its parts resist movement — for example, the thickness of honey makes it pour much more slowly than water.
Élise tested the thickness of the soup by watching how slowly it poured.
Élise 藉由觀察湯品流下的速度來測試湯的濃稠度。
collocation: test/adjust the thickness of + liquid
In cold weather, engine oil has a greater thickness and flows more slowly.
天氣寒冷時，引擎機油的黏稠度較高，流動速度也較慢。
Dario added water to reduce the thickness of the gravy he was making.
Dario 加了一些水來降低他正在製作的肉汁的濃稠度。
The thickness of the honey made it difficult to spread on the toast.
蜂蜜的黏稠度使得它很難塗在吐司上。
- viscosity
the formal scientific term; 'thickness' is the everyday word for the same idea
- consistency
broader term describing how firm or thick a substance feels; thickness focuses specifically on resistance to flow
- thinness
the quality of a liquid that pours easily, like water or milk
文法句型
the thickness of + liquid
adjust/reduce the thickness
用法筆記
Uncountable. In cooking, 'adjust the thickness' usually means add liquid (to reduce) or add flour/cornstarch (to increase). In engineering, 'viscosity' is the preferred technical term.