flat

Word family  noun flat flatness adjective flat verb flatten adverb flat flatly

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Trade, Motor vehicles, Sport, Drink, Electricity, Daily life, Business, Music, Clothes, Colours & sounds

flat1 /flæt/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective (comparative flatter, superlative flattest)  1  surface 表面FLAT smooth and level, without raised or hollow areas, and not sloping or curving 平的，平坦的 houses with flat roofs 平顶房 a perfectly flat sandy beach 十分平坦的沙滩 The countryside near there is flat as a pancake (=very flat). 那儿附近的乡间地势非常平坦。 Work on a clean, flat surface. 在干净、平整的台面上工作。 →4  See picture of 见图 LANDSCAPE2  money 钱BBT a flat rate, amount of money etc is fixed and does not change or have anything added to it 〔费率、金额等〕统一的，固定的 Clients are charged a flat rate of £250 annually. 向客户统一收取250英镑的年费。 We charge a flat fee for car hire. 我们收取固定的租车费。3. tyre/ball 轮胎/球TTCDS a flat tyre or ball has no air or not enough air in it 没气的，瘪的，气不足的4  not deep 不深的 not very deep, thick, or high, especially in comparison to its width or length 〔尤指与其宽度或长度相比〕浅的，薄的；矮的 The cake came out of the oven flat, not fluffy. 蛋糕出炉时扁扁的，不够松软。5. drink 饮料DFD a drink that is flat does not taste fresh because it has no more bubbles of gas in it 〔饮料〕走了气的 OPP fizzy6  BORINGnot interesting 没有趣味的 [not before noun] a performance, book etc that is flat lacks interest, excitement, or energy 〔演出、书等〕沉闷乏味的，平淡的 Arsenal looked flat for large parts of the game. 比赛的大部分时间里，阿森纳队的表现都乏善可陈。7  battery 电池 British EnglishHPED a flat battery has lost its electrical power 电用完了的 SYN American English dead Have you checked that the batteries haven’t gone flat (=become flat)? 你检查过电池里还有电吗？8  business/trade 生意/贸易B if prices, economic conditions, trade etc are flat, they have not increased or improved over a period of time 不景气的，不兴旺的 Analysts are expecting flat sales in the coming months. 分析人士预计未来数月销售不景气。9. E flat/B flat/A flat etc APMa musical note that is one semitone lower than the note E, B, A etc 降E调/降B调/降A调等 → sharp, natural10. musical sound 音乐声APM if a musical note is flat, it is played or sung slightly lower than it should be 降音的，偏低的 OPP sharp11  voice 嗓音EMOTIONAL not showing much emotion, or not changing much in sound as you speak 平淡的，无变化的 ‘He’s dead, ’ she said in a flat voice. “他死了。”她淡淡地说。12  a flat refusal/denial etc CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYa refusal etc that is definite and which someone will not change 断然拒绝/否认等 Our requests were met with a flat refusal. 我们的请求遭到断然拒绝。13  be flat on your back a) DOWNto be lying down so that all of your back is touching the floor 仰面平躺 b) ILLto be very ill so that you have to stay in bed for a period of time 卧病在床 I’ve been flat on my back with the flu all week. 我得了流感，在床上躺了整整一个礼拜。14. shoes 鞋DCC flat shoes have very low heels 平底的，平跟的15  light 光CBRIGHT having little variety of light and dark 无深浅反差的，无明暗的，缺乏层次的 Flat lighting is typical of Avedon’s portraits. 平面照明是阿维顿肖像照的特征。16  and that’s flat! British English spoken old-fashionedCERTAINLY/DEFINITELY used to say that you will definitely not change what you have just said 就这样！就这么定了! SYN and that’s that I won’t go, and that’s flat! 我不去，就这样！ —flatness noun [uncountable] → in/into a flat spin at spin2(6), → flat feet THESAURUSflat on one level, without any holes or raised areas, and not sloping or curving 平的〔无凹凸或弯曲〕a flat roof 平（屋）顶a flat screen 平面屏幕Before you lay the tiles, make sure that the ground is completely flat. 铺地砖前要确保地面完全平整。level not sloping in any direction, so that every part is at the same height 水平的〔高度一致〕Is the top of this picture level? 这幅画的上端平了吗？After four hours coming down the mountain, I was glad to be back on level ground. 走完四个小时的下山路，我很高兴回到了平地上。smooth without any holes or raised areas – used especially when saying how something feels when you touch it 〔尤指触感〕光滑的her lovely smooth skin 她迷人光滑的皮肤I ran my hand across the animal’s smooth fur. 我抚摸着那动物光滑的皮毛。even without any holes or raised areas 平整的﹝无凹凸﹞Apply the paint to an even surface. 把涂料涂在平整的表面上。Be careful – the path is not very even here. 小心——这段路不是很平坦。horizontal going straight across and not sloping 水平的〔无倾斜〕a horizontal line 水平线Raise both arms to a horizontal position. 平举双臂。

Examples from the Corpus

flat• This Coke is completely flat.• Investors on Wall Street applauded the results, even though sales at stores open at least a year were essentially flat.• The horn was a little flat.• It was flat and smooth under her thick gray cotton underpants.• Cambridge is very flat and you can see for miles.• Worries over the economy have kept attendance flat at California's theme parks.• I don't know why some English people prefer flat beer.• There was a neat solid bulge where her flat belly had been.• Focaccia, an Italian flat bread, has become very popular for sandwiches.• That champagne must have gone flat by now• Home prices have stayed flat for the past year.• The game just seemed kind of flat, like they didn't care.• Stack the crepes on a flat plate.• Tails are assumed to act as stiff flat plates with continuous surfaces.• We swam out to a flat rock to sunbathe.• We sat down on a big flat rock.• Roofs, particularly flat roofs, can be damaged as a result of weight of snow lying on them.• a flat, sandy beach• If by fair you mean that everyone pays the same proportion of his income in taxes, the flat tax comes closer.• Would a flat tax save taxpayers money and time, or is it a rip-off that would help only the rich?flat as a pancake• When they came out of the oven, they looked like a tortilla, flat as a pancake.flat fee• One, for the World Resources Institute, compared ten cities that had pay-to-throw schemes with four others that charged flat fees.• At present, they pay a flat fee for a license.• You can either pay a flat fee for your access or pay per megabyte of traffic coming down your line.• Girobank charges a flat fee of £5 per draft and Barclays £9.gone flat• The effervescent eschatology of sunshine and wealth had gone flat.• What should be champagne music is no better than tepid Babycham that has gone flat.• Eventually, even her rage had gone flat and stale, leaving her with nothing but a sour taste in her mouth.• Much of the barley in the area has gone flat, he says.

Related topics: Motor vehicles, Music

flat2 ●●● S2 W3 noun [countable]  1  place to live 住的地方 especially British EnglishFLAT a place for people to live that consists of a set of rooms that are part of a larger building 一套住房，一套公寓房，单元房 SYN apartment They have a flat in Crouch End. 他们在蹲尾区有一套公寓。 a two-bedroom flat 带两间卧室的公寓 The building was knocked down to make way for a block of flats (=a large building with many flats in it). 那幢建筑被拆了，腾出地方建一幢公寓楼。 → granny flat2  tyre 轮胎TTC especially American English a tyre that does not have enough air inside 瘪了的轮胎 SYN flat tyre Damn, the car has a flat. 真该死，车子有个轮胎没气了。 He stopped to change a flat. 他停下来换掉瘪了的轮胎。3  music 音乐 a) APMa musical note that is one semitone lower than a particular note 降半音 b) APMthe sign (Ƅ) in written music that shows that a note is one semitone lower than a particular note 降半音符号，降号 → sharp, natural4  LAND 土地flats [plural]DN an area of land that is at a low level, especially near water 低洼地；浅滩 mud flats 泥滩5. SHOES 鞋flats [plural] a pair of women’s shoes with very low heels 女式平跟鞋6. the flat of somebody’s hand/a knife/a sword etc FLATSIDEthe flat part or flat side of something 某人的掌面/刀面/剑面等7. on the flat British EnglishFLAT on ground that is level and does not slope 在平地上n COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + flatsmallThe flat was too small for the three of them.big/spaciousIt was a big flat with eight or nine rooms.cramped/poky (=too small and not comfortable)She spends most days shut up in a poky flat looking after her disabled Mum.a one-bedroom/two-bedroom etc flatShe lived in a one-bedroom flat in Clapham.a one-room/two-room etc flatTheir home is a humble two-room flat.a ground-floor/first-floor/second-floor etc flatWe’re moving into a first-floor flat.a basement flat (=a flat that is below ground level)They lived in a basement flat in South London.a studio flat (=with one main room)I might just be able to afford a tiny studio flat.high-rise flats (=flats in a very tall building)Many high-rise flats were built in the 1970s.a rented flatHe returned to his rented flat in Cheltenham.a luxury flatLaura shares a luxury flat with her sister Chloe.a self-contained flat (=a flat with its own kitchen and bathroom)We rented a self-contained flat in the city centre.a furnished/unfurnished flat (=a rented flat that does or does not have furniture)She found a job and a furnished flat.a holiday flatThe building has been converted into three holiday flats.phrasesa block of flats (=a large building divided into separate flats)At the time, I lived in a block of flats in St John’s Wood.verbslive in a flatTerry lived in a flat on the second floor.buy a flatI had planned to buy a flat with Geraldine.rent a flatRenting a flat can be very expensive in this part of town.move into a flatThey move into their new flat next week.own a flatThe couple own their own flat in Peebles.

Examples from the Corpus

flat• Prices start from £40,995 for a studio and £49,995 for one-bedroom flats.• Sitting in the high-ceilinged library of his comfortable flat, he looks the part: bespectacled, a man of thoughtful pose.• Stella and Keith moved into a cold, damp flat together.• The Government is restoring several of them as holiday flats, a slow process but tastefully done.• Lisa lives on the nineteenth floor of a black of flats in London.• Headlines about local councils demolishing blocks of flats 10 years old or younger have become commonplace in the past four years.• a group of students in a shared flatblock of flats• I was billeted in a block of flats in St John's Wood - luxurious before the lush fittings had been removed.• But it's not a block of flats - it's more like half an ordinary house.• A block of flats now occupies the site.• Headlines about local councils demolishing blocks of flats 10 years old or younger have become commonplace in the past four years.• Two cyclists chased him, but he ducked in and out of blocks of flats and vanished.• The people who live in the same house or block of flats as you do. 2.• They clutter streets, smother blocks of flats and deface many homes.• In a number of areas local authorities have sold blocks of flats to private developers who then refurbish them prior to sale.change a flat• He had no useful information about the shooting that took place nearby as Cosby changed a flat tire, police said.• The doctoral student was apparently attempting to change a flat tire when his assailant struck.

Related topics: Music

flat3 ●●○ adverb  1  flat position 平直的姿势FLAT in a position in which the surface of something is against another surface without curving or sloping 平直地，平坦地 The bed can be folded flat for storage. 这张床可以折扁存放。 He lay flat on the floor. 他平躺在地板上。 That night I lay flat on my back and stared up at the ceiling. 那一夜，我仰面平躺，眼睛直直地盯着天花板。2  three minutes/ten seconds etc flat informalSHORT TIME in exactly three minutes, ten seconds etc – used to emphasize that something happens or is done very quickly 正好三分钟/十秒钟等〔用于强调事情发生或完成的速度很快〕 I was dressed in five minutes flat. 我只用五分钟就穿好衣服了。3  fall flat informalFAIL if a joke, story etc falls flat, it does not achieve the effect that is intended 〔笑话、故事等〕没有达到预期效果 Unfortunately, what could have been a powerful drama fell flat. 真可惜，本该是很有影响力的一出戏却没有出彩。4. music 音乐APM if you sing or play music flat, you sing or play slightly lower than the correct note so that the sound is unpleasant 降音[调]地，音调偏低地 OPP sharp5  fall flat on your/something's face a) FALLto fall so that you are lying on your chest on the ground 摔趴在地上 Babe slipped and fell flat on her face. 巴贝滑了一跤，趴在地上。 b) informalFAIL to not have the result you want or expect, especially when this is embarrassing 达不到预期的效果〔尤指造成尴尬〕 The theory falls flat on its face when put into practice. 该理论在实际应用时栽了跟头。6  flat out informal a) FAST/QUICKas fast as possible 以最快速度，以全速 Everyone’s working flat out to finish on time. 所有人都全力以赴，争取按时完成。 b) American EnglishHONEST in a direct and complete way 坦率地，直截了当地 SYN straight outask/tell somebody flat out She asked him flat out if he was seeing another woman. 她直截了当地问他是否在跟别的女人约会。7  tell somebody flat British English spokenHONEST to tell someone something directly and definitely 直截了当地告诉某人 SYN straight out I told him flat that I didn’t want to see him again. 我和他直说我不想再见到他了。 → flat broke at broke2(1)

Examples from the Corpus

flat• If you removed the future earnings, Baker told jurors, O. J. Simpson is flat broke.• They rest with their wings flat, but with the front wings covering their rear ones.• Stretched out flat, her feet pointing to the bow, she closed her eyes.• Deliberately he settled flat, inviting the pain to do its worst; quietly enjoying conquering it and himself.• You know how all the tires were flat out at the lake that night?• Attaching a deep heading tape Lay the curtains out flat with lining sides uppermost.lay flat• Melanie was waiting by the Transit holding two sleeping-bags, the sort that you can unzip and lay flat.• There was more scrub there, but not enough for anyone to hide, unless they lay flat.• She spread out her towel and lay flat, adjusting her sunglasses against the glare above.• For weeks he lay flat in his canoe while friends retraced their way back with him to Lake Michigan.• I lay flat on my back and stared up at the ceiling.• That night I lay flat on my back in the Sheraton mahogany bed, staring up at the ecru lace canopy.• They lay flat, under fire.From Longman Business Dictionaryflatflat1 /flæt/ adjective [only before a noun]1ECONOMICSa flat fee, price etc is fixed and does not change or have anything added to itWe charge a flat fee for car hire.Subscribers to the service have to pay a flat charge each month.2ECONOMICSif a market, economy etc is flat or sales are flat, levels of trade or sales are not increasingIn the USA, car sales were flat although truck sales increased.As demand for the company’s products stays flat and costs remain high, half-year profits have fallen by 70% to £15.1 million.3FINANCE if the stockmarket is flat, prices are not rising or fallingThe share market closed flat after spending the day trapped in a 10 point range.flatflat2 noun [countable] British EnglishPROPERTY a place where people live that consists of a set of rooms, usually on one floor, which are part of a larger buildingSYN APARTMENTPrices start from £89,995 for one-bedroom flats.The building was knocked down to make way for a block of flats (=a large building divided into many separate flats).flatflat3 adverb1fall flat if something you are doing or planning falls flat, it is unsuccessfulTheir plans to build a retirement home in Spain fell flat.2flat out informal if you work flat out, you work as fast as possibleWorking flat out, the men completed the work by about ten-thirty on Saturday morning.Origin flat1 (1200-1300) Old Norse flatr flat2 1. (1800-1900) Scottish English flet “inside of a house” ((14-19 centuries)) (influenced by → FLAT1)2. (1200-1300) → FLAT1

flat1 adjective →10-16
→THESAURUS1flat2 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1flat3 adverbLDOCE OnlineChinese  

Corpus hollow and raised level, areas, or smooth and without Business

flat

I

flat¹ S2 W2 /flæt/ adjective (comparative flatter, superlative flattest)1.  SURFACE smooth and level, without raised or hollow areas, and not sloping or curving:
    houses with flat roofs
    a perfectly flat sandy beach
    The countryside near there is flat as a pancake (=very flat).
    Work on a clean, flat surface.
2.  MONEY a flat rate, amount of money etc is fixed and does not change or have anything added to it:
    Clients are charged a flat rate of £250 annually.
    We charge a flat fee for car hire.
3.  TYRE/BALL a flat tyre or ball has no air or not enough air in it
4.  NOT DEEP not very deep, thick, or high, especially in comparison to its width or length:
    The cake came out of the oven flat, not fluffy.
5.  DRINK a drink that is flat does not taste fresh because it has no more bubbles of gas in it
   OPP  fizzy
6.  NOT INTERESTING  [not before noun] a performance, book etc that is flat lacks interest, excitement, or energy:
    Arsenal looked flat for large parts of the game.
7.  BATTERY British English a flat battery has lost its electrical power
   SYN  dead American English:
    Have you checked that the batteries haven’t gone flat (=become flat)?
8.  BUSINESS/TRADE if prices, economic conditions, trade etc are flat, they have not increased or improved over a period of time:
    Analysts are expecting flat sales in the coming months.
9. E flat/B flat/A flat etc a musical note that is one semitone lower than the note E, B, A etc ⇨ sharp, natural
10.  MUSICAL SOUND if a musical note is flat, it is played or sung slightly lower than it should be
   OPP  sharp
11.  VOICE not showing much emotion, or not changing much in sound as you speak:
    ‘He’s dead,’ she said in a flat voice.
12. a flat refusal/denial etc a refusal etc that is definite and which someone will not change:
    Our requests were met with a flat refusal.
13. be flat on your back
  a. to be lying down so that all of your back is touching the floor
  b. to be very ill so that you have to stay in bed for a period of time:
    I’ve been flat on my back with the flu all week.
14.  SHOES flat shoes have very low heels
15.  LIGHT having little variety of light and dark:
    Flat lighting is typical of Avedon’s portraits.
16. and that’s flat__ British English spoken old-fashioned used to say that you will definitely not change what you have just said
   SYN  and that’s that:
    I won’t go, and that’s flat__
—flatness noun [uncountable]
⇨ in/into a flat spin at spin²(6), ⇨ flat feet
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ flat on one level, without any holes or raised areas, and not sloping or curving: a flat roof | a flat screen | Before you lay the tiles, make sure that the ground is completely flat.
   ▪ level not sloping in any direction, so that every part is at the same height: Is the top of this picture level? | After four hours coming down the mountain, I was glad to be back on level ground.
   ▪ smooth without any holes or raised areas – used especially when saying how something feels when you touch it: her lovely smooth skin | I ran my hand across the animal’s smooth fur.
   ▪ even without any holes or raised areas: Apply the paint to an even surface. | Be careful – the path is not very even here.
   ▪ horizontal going straight across and not sloping: a horizontal line | Raise both arms to a horizontal position.

II

flat² S2 W3 noun [countable]1.  PLACE TO LIVE especially British English a place for people to live that consists of a set of rooms that are part of a larger building
   SYN  apartment:
    They have a flat in Crouch End.
    a two-bedroom flat
    The building was knocked down to make way for a block of flats (=a large building with many flats in it). ⇨ granny flat
2.  TYRE especially American English a tyre that does not have enough air inside
   SYN  flat tyre:
    Damn, the car has a flat.
    He stopped to change a flat.
3.  MUSIC
  a. a musical note that is one semitone lower than a particular note
  b. the sign (Ƅ) in written music that shows that a note is one semitone lower than a particular note ⇨ sharp, natural
4.  LAND flats [plural] an area of land that is at a low level, especially near water:
    mud flats
5.  SHOES flats [plural] American English a pair of women’s shoes with very low heels
6. the flat of sb’s hand/a knife/a sword etc the flat part or flat side of something
7. on the flat British English on ground that is level and does not slope
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + flat
   ▪ small The flat was too small for the three of them.
   ▪ big/spacious It was a big flat with eight or nine rooms.
   ▪ cramped/poky (=too small and not comfortable) She spends most days shut up in a poky flat looking after her disabled Mum.
   ▪ a one-bedroom/two-bedroom etc flat She lived in a one-bedroom flat in Clapham.
   ▪ a one-room/two-room etc flat Their home is a humble two-room flat.
   ▪ a ground-floor/first-floor/second-floor etc flat We’re moving into a first-floor flat.
   ▪ a basement flat (=a flat that is below ground level) They lived in a basement flat in South London.
   ▪ a studio flat (=with one main room) I might just be able to afford a tiny studio flat.
   ▪ high-rise flats (=flats in a very tall building) Many high-rise flats were built in the 1970s.
   ▪ a rented flat He returned to his rented flat in Cheltenham.
   ▪ a luxury flat Laura shares a luxury flat with her sister Chloe.
   ▪ a self-contained flat (=a flat with its own kitchen and bathroom) We rented a self-contained flat in the city centre.
   ▪ a furnished/unfurnished flat (=a rented flat that does or does not have furniture) She found a job and a furnished flat.
   ▪ a holiday flat The building has been converted into three holiday flats.
■ phrases
   ▪ a block of flats (=a large building divided into separate flats) At the time, I lived in a block of flats in St John’s Wood.
■ verbs
   ▪ live in a flat Terry lived in a flat on the second floor.
   ▪ buy a flat I had planned to buy a flat with Geraldine.
   ▪ rent a flat Renting a flat can be very expensive in this part of town.
   ▪ move into a flat They move into their new flat next week.
   ▪ own a flat The couple own their own flat in Peebles.

III

flat³ adverb1.  FLAT POSITION in a position in which the surface of something is against another surface without curving or sloping:
    The bed can be folded flat for storage.
    He lay flat on the floor.
    That night I lay flat on my back and stared up at the ceiling.
2. three minutes/ten seconds etc flat informal in exactly three minutes, ten seconds etc – used to emphasize that something happens or is done very quickly:
    I was dressed in five minutes flat.
3. fall flat informal if a joke, story etc falls flat, it does not achieve the effect that is intended:
    Unfortunately, what could have been a powerful drama fell flat.
4.  MUSIC if you sing or play music flat, you sing or play slightly lower than the correct note so that the sound is unpleasant
   OPP  sharp
5. fall flat on your/something's face
  a. to fall so that you are lying on your chest on the ground:
    Babe slipped and fell flat on her face.
  b. informal to not have the result you want or expect, especially when this is embarrassing:
    The theory falls flat on its face when put into practice.
6. flat out informal
  a. as fast as possible:
    Everyone’s working flat out to finish on time.
  b. American English in a direct and complete way
   SYN  straight out
    ask/tell somebody flat out
    She asked him flat out if he was seeing another woman.
7. tell somebody flat British English spoken to tell someone something directly and definitely
   SYN  straight out:
    I told him flat that I didn’t want to see him again.
⇨ flat broke at broke²(1)