tools
/tuːl/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈulz] /tuːl/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈulz] /ˈtül How to pronounce tool (audio)/ (ame, mw)
tools — 名詞
1. a physical object that you hold in your hands and use for making, fixing, or wor
工具
手持的器具，用於製作或修理物品
a physical object that you hold in your hands and use for making, fixing, or working on other things — for example, a hammer, screwdriver, or saw
Faisal keeps all his gardening tools in a metal shed behind the house.
Faisal 把所有園藝工具都放在屋後的鐵皮棚子裡。
collocation: gardening tools
You will need a few basic tools like a measuring tape and a level to hang the shelves.
要掛好層架，你需要一些基本工具，例如捲尺和水平儀。
pattern: need a tool to [verb]
The carpenter reached for his chisel, the one tool he could not work without.
那位木匠伸手去拿他的鑿子——那是他工作中不可或缺的一項工具。
Lauren borrowed a set of kitchen tools from her neighbour to prepare the birthday cake.
Lauren 向鄰居借了一套廚房工具來製作生日蛋糕。
Every tool in the workshop had been cleaned and put back in its place on the wall rack.
工作室裡的每一件工具都已經清理乾淨，放回牆上架子該放的位置。
- implement
more formal; often used for farming or larger equipment
- instrument
used for precision or scientific work, or musical devices
- utensil
specifically for kitchen or eating items
- device
usually electronic or mechanical with a specific function
文法句型
a tool for [verb]-ing
use a tool to [verb]
用法筆記
Countable; commonly appears in the plural (tools) when referring to a set or collection. The singular (a tool) is used for one specific item.
常見錯誤
2. anything — such as a computer program, a method, a skill, or a piece of informat
手段；方法
幫助達成目標的事物
anything — such as a computer program, a method, a skill, or a piece of information — that makes it easier for you to achieve a goal or perform a task
Spelling checkers are a useful tool for anyone who writes emails in English at work.
對於工作上需要用英文寫信的人來說，拼字檢查是一項有用的工具。
pattern: a useful tool for [noun/-ing]
Min used the search tool on the website to find old photographs of her hometown.
Min 用網站上的搜尋工具找到了她家鄉的老照片。
collocation: search tool
The lecture gave us a new tool for thinking about climate change and its effects on farming.
那場講座給了我們一個思考氣候變遷及其對農業影響的新方法。
Indra found that keeping a daily diary was the best tool for managing her stress during exams.
Indra 發現每天寫日記是她在考試期間管理壓力的最佳工具。
The company developed an online tool that helps small businesses create their own websites.
這間公司開發了一個線上工具，可以幫助小型企業建立自己的網站。
- obstacle
something that blocks progress instead of helping it
文法句型
a tool for [verb]-ing
a tool to help [verb]
用法筆記
Often used with adjectives describing effectiveness: powerful tool, useful tool, effective tool, valuable tool. Common with for + gerund: a tool for managing / tracking / analysing.
常見錯誤
3. the particular equipment, knowledge, or skills that are considered necessary for
行頭
從事某項工作所需的用品與技能
the particular equipment, knowledge, or skills that are considered necessary for a specific type of work or activity
A good camera and editing software are the basic tools of the trade for a modern photographer.
一台好相機和剪輯軟體是現代攝影師的基本工具。
idiom: tools of the trade
Patience and a calm voice are essential tools for any primary school teacher.
耐心和冷靜的語氣是小學老師必備的條件。
collocation: essential tools for
When Tamás started his plumbing apprenticeship, he spent his first month learning the tools of the trade.
Tamás 開始學習水電工時，第一個月都在認識這行的基本工具。
For a journalist, a notebook and a reliable internet connection are the most basic tools.
對記者來說，筆記本和穩定的網路連線是最基本的工具。
文法句型
tools of the trade
用法筆記
The phrase tools of the trade can be used literally (physical equipment) or figuratively (skills and knowledge). The singular a tool of the trade is also possible.
常見錯誤
4. someone whose choices and actions are secretly directed by another person, usual
棋子
被他人利用控制的人
someone whose choices and actions are secretly directed by another person, usually for dishonest or unpleasant ends, without fully understanding their own role in the situation
The general used the young soldiers as mere tools to carry out his cruel orders without question.
將軍把年輕士兵當作棋子，讓他們不加質疑地執行他殘酷的命令。
pattern: used [someone] as a tool
Iris felt like a tool in the hands of the marketing team, repeating slogans she did not believe in.
Iris 覺得自己就像行銷團隊手中的棋子，不斷重複連自己都不相信的口號。
collocation: a tool in the hands of
The security guard later discovered that he had been a tool for the criminals who robbed the museum.
警衛後來發現自己一直是搶劫博物館的犯罪分子的棋子。
In many historical accounts, ordinary citizens are portrayed as helpless tools of the ruling class.
在許多歷史記載中，普通市民被描寫成統治階級手中毫無反抗能力的棋子。
- pawn
common metaphor from chess; suggests someone expendable in a larger scheme
- puppet
suggests being controlled from behind the scenes, with no free will
- instrument
more formal, less emotional; a person used as a means to an end
- mastermind
the person who plans and controls things, opposite of being controlled
文法句型
a tool of [someone]
用法筆記
Strongly negative. Often used in political writing or serious discussions of power dynamics. Not commonly used in everyday conversation about minor situations.
常見錯誤
5. a very informal and offensive word for a man's sexual organ; considered extremel
陰莖（粗話）
對男性生殖器的粗俗說法
a very informal and offensive word for a man's sexual organ; considered extremely rude in most settings
The comedian was criticised for using vulgar slang like the word tool during the family show.
那位喜劇演員因為在闔家觀賞的節目中使用 tool 這類粗俗用語而受到批評。
register: vulgar slang
The novel had so much crude language that the critic counted tool used as a vulgar term thirteen times.
那本小說裡有太多粗話，評論者統計 tool 這個詞作為粗俗用語總共出現了十三次。
English teachers sometimes warn students that tool can be a crude word for the male sex organ.
英文老師有時候會提醒學生，tool 可能是男性性器官的粗俗說法。
The movie was rated for adults because characters often used the word tool as a vulgar term.
那部電影被列為限制級，部分原因是劇中角色經常把 tool 當作粗話使用。
用法筆記
Strongly offensive. Do not use in any formal, professional, or polite context. Learners should recognise this meaning when reading or listening but avoid using it.
6. a rude and offensive way to describe someone you think is stupid, annoying, or b
廢物；蠢貨
罵人愚蠢或討厭的話
a rude and offensive way to describe someone you think is stupid, annoying, or behaves in a very unpleasant way
After Greta's brother spilled juice on the laptop for the third time, she called him a complete tool.
Greta 的弟弟第三次把果汁灑在筆電上後，她罵他是個大廢物。
collocation: complete tool
Stop acting like such a tool and help us clean up the mess you made in the kitchen.
別再表現得像個廢物一樣了，快來幫我們清理你在廚房搞出來的爛攤子。
pattern: acting like a tool
The football fans got into a fight after one player shouted tool at the referee during the match.
足球球迷們打了起來，因為一名球員在比賽中對著裁判罵了一聲廢物。
The man kept interrupting our conversation, so my friend whispered, what a tool, under his breath.
那個男人一直打斷我們的談話，於是我朋友低聲罵了一句：真是個廢物。
文法句型
be a tool
call someone a tool
用法筆記
Strongly insulting and impolite. Learners should understand this meaning when watching movies or TV shows but avoid using it themselves, as it is likely to cause offence.
常見錯誤
tools — 動詞
- toolspresent simple I / you / we / they
- toolses3rd person singular
- toolsing-ing form
- toolsedpast simple
1. to drive or ride in a vehicle, especially for pleasure and without a particular
兜風；行駛
開車閒逛或隨意行駛
to drive or ride in a vehicle, especially for pleasure and without a particular purpose or destination
On Sunday mornings, Valentina likes to tool along the coast road with the windows down.
星期天早上，Valentina 喜歡搖下車窗，沿著海岸公路兜風。
pattern: tool along [road]
The teenagers were tooling around the neighbourhood on their scooters after school ended.
那些青少年放學後在社區裡騎著滑板車四處閒逛。
pattern: tooling around [place]
We tooled down the highway in an old convertible, stopping at every small town diner we passed.
我們開著一輛老舊的敞篷車在高速公路上行駛，沿途經過每家小鎮餐館都會停下來。
Sophia tooled around the lake on her motorcycle every evening after work to relax.
Sophia 每天下班後都會騎著機車在湖邊兜風，放鬆心情。
文法句型
tool along [road]
tool around [place]
用法筆記
Always informal. Typically used with around or along followed by a location. Most common in American English. Not suitable for formal writing.
常見錯誤
2. to provide a factory, workshop, or workplace with the machines and equipment nee
配備工具
為工廠裝配生產設備
to provide a factory, workshop, or workplace with the machines and equipment needed for a particular type of production
The old textile factory has been tooled up to produce high-end furniture rather than clothing.
那座舊紡織廠已重新配備設備，用來生產高級家具，而非服飾。
passive: tooled up to produce [product]
The company spent over two million dollars tooling its new plant for electric car battery production.
那間公司花了兩百多萬美元為新廠房配備電動汽車電池的生產設備。
pattern: tooling [place] for [purpose]
Before the team could begin making parts, the workshop had to be properly tooled with the right lathes and presses.
在團隊開始製作零件之前，工廠必須先配備好合適的車床和沖壓機。
The factory was tooled for assembling computer chips rather than simple household appliances.
那間工廠專門配備了組裝電腦晶片的設備，而非一般家電。
文法句型
tool [factory/plant] for [production]
tool up [place]
用法筆記
Technical. The phrasal form tool up is common in manufacturing contexts. The past participle tooled often acts as an adjective: a well-tooled factory.
常見錯誤
3. to cut, press, or shape a material — usually leather, metal, or wood — using a h
加工；雕刻
用工具在材料上加工造型
to cut, press, or shape a material — usually leather, metal, or wood — using a hand tool, often for decoration
The artisan tooled a delicate flower pattern into the leather belt using a small hammer and stamp.
工匠用小錘子和印模在皮帶上敲出了一個精緻的花朵圖案。
pattern: tool [pattern] into [material]
The cover of the old book was made of beautifully tooled leather with gold lettering on the front.
那本舊書的封面是精美壓花的皮革，正面還有燙金字樣。
common collocation: beautifully tooled leather
Each saddle in the shop is hand-tooled by a craftsman who has been working with leather for forty years.
店裡的每副馬鞍都是由一位從事皮革工藝四十年的師傅手工雕製而成。
文法句型
tool [material] with [tool]
beautifully tooled [material]
用法筆記
Most commonly used in the past participle form (tooled leather, hand-tooled). Almost always describes decorative work on natural materials. Not used for machine-based manufacturing.