creature
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++crea·ture /ˈkriːtʃə $ -ər/ ●●● W3 noun [countable] 1 LIVING THINGHBliving thing 生物 anything that is living, such as an animal, fish, or insect, but not a plant 生物；动物 all the living creatures in the sea 海洋中所有的生物creatures of the deep (=animals and fish that live in the ocean) 海洋生物► see thesaurus at animal2 STRANGEHBTTSimaginary or strange 想象的或奇异的 an imaginary animal or person, or one that is very strange and frightening 不可名状的生物，怪物 creatures from outer space 来自外太空的生物3. a creature of habit HABITsomeone who always does things in the same way or at the same time 墨守成规的人4 STH made or invented 制造或发明的东西 formalsomething MADE OR INVENTEDINVENT something, especially something bad, that was made or invented by a particular person or organization 创造物〔尤指不好的东西〕；产物creature of The poll tax was a creature of the government. 人头税是政府的发明。5 SB controlled by STH 受某物控制的某人somebody CONTROLLED BY somethingCONTROL someone who is controlled or influenced a lot by something 受支配的人，傀儡，奴才creature of He was a creature of the military government. 他是军政府的傀儡。6 beautiful/stupid/adorable etc creature literaryPERSON/PEOPLE someone who has a particular character or quality 漂亮的/愚蠢的/讨人喜欢的人等 He was the most beautiful creature Dot had ever seen. 他是多特见到过的最漂亮的人。n COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + creaturea living creatureThe early Greeks believed that plants were living creatures that felt pain and pleasure.a little/small/tiny creaturetiny creatures such as micea beautiful/magnificent creatureThe buffalo is a magnificent creature.a wild creatureDamage to the environment affects all wild creatures.a sea/marine creature (also an ocean creature)The first living creatures were marine creatures.a furry creatureTown dwellers see the squirrel as a cute furry creature, but to farmers they’re a pest.a dangerous creaturedangerous creatures such as tigersa nocturnal creature (=awake at night and sleeping in the day)As darkness falls, nocturnal creatures begin to make an appearance.a primitive/simple creature (=one with only a few cells)primitive creatures like bacteriaa complex creature (=consisting of many different parts)Human beings are extremely complex creatures.
Examples from the Corpus
creature• creatures of the deep• The Housing Board was a creature of Mayor Beller's design.• The movie's about creatures from outer space.• But they, like all creatures, clearly have their own inner life.• Higher still up the Sizewell natural food chain is another creature we had gone especially to find-marine skuas.• They were rare, complex creatures of overwhelming confidence, persistence and ambition.• The pull of the invisible creature grew stronger.• The scale and spirit of the iron creatures on display brought to mind one image: mechanical dinosaurs without skin.• They found a fossil of a small, sparrow-like creature.• Jainism, a Hindu reform church, prohibits the killing of any living creature.• Great big and fearsome Dimetrodon, a species of dinosaur, was the most powerful creature.living creatures• Every living creature is a product of its past.• I will never again destroy every living creature as I have done.• It was evening; not a house, not a living creature, was to be seen.• Our perception of parrots as somehow our rightful property has been destructive for the living creature in its natural environment.• The living creature that I had briefly been might never have existed.• This at least is one joy that must have been known by almost every living creature.• It is a small self-enclosed world with its own miniature atmosphere derived from living creatures.• He enraged biologists by considering the biosphere of living creatures as a large chemical factory.Origin creature (1200-1300) Old French Late Latin creatura, from Latin creare; → CREATEcrea·ture noun →n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
animal, Corpus fish, that as is or anything such living, an
creature
crea‧ture W3 /ˈkriːtʃə $ -ər/
noun [countable]1. LIVING THING anything that is living, such as an animal, fish, or insect, but not a plant:
all the living creatures in the sea
creatures of the deep (=animals and fish that live in the ocean)
2. IMAGINARY OR STRANGE an imaginary animal or person, or one that is very strange and frightening:
creatures from outer space
3. a creature of habit someone who always does things in the same way or at the same time
4. SOMETHING MADE OR INVENTED formal something, especially something bad, that was made or invented by a particular person or organization
creature of
The poll tax was a creature of the government.
5. SOMEBODY CONTROLLED BY SOMETHING someone who is controlled or influenced a lot by something
creature of
He was a creature of the military government.
6. beautiful/stupid/adorable etc creature literary someone who has a particular character or quality:
He was the most beautiful creature Dot had ever seen.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + creature
▪a living creature The early Greeks believed that plants were living creatures that felt pain and pleasure.
▪a little/small/tiny creature tiny creatures such as mice
▪a beautiful/magnificent creature The buffalo is a magnificent creature.
▪a wild creature Damage to the environment affects all wild creatures.
▪a sea/marine creature (also an ocean creature ) The first living creatures were marine creatures.
▪a furry creature Town dwellers see the squirrel as a cute furry creature, but to farmers they’re a pest.
▪a dangerous creature dangerous creatures such as tigers
▪a nocturnal creature (=awake at night and sleeping in the day) As darkness falls, nocturnal creatures begin to make an appearance.
▪a primitive/simple creature (=one with only a few cells) primitive creatures like bacteria
▪a complex creature (=consisting of many different parts) Human beings are extremely complex creatures.
▪ animal a living thing such as a dog, cow, or tiger, but not an insect, fish, or bird: farm animals such as cows, sheep, and pigs | People are becoming more concerned about animal welfare.
▪creature /ˈkriːtʃə $ -ər/ an animal – used especially when describing a particular animal’s characteristics or when referring to animals generally: The cheetah is a magnificent creature. | all the living creatures in the sea
▪beast an animal, especially a large or dangerous one: To most people, lions are savage beasts. | a wild beast
▪living thing an animal considered as one of a group of things that grow and then die, including humans and plants: The only living things we saw were dogs and cats.
▪species /ˈspiːʃiːz/ a group of animals whose members are similar and can breed together to produce young animals: Seven species of birds of prey have been observed.
▪mammal an animal that drinks milk from its mother’s body when it is young: Humans, dogs, and whales are all mammals.
▪vertebrate a living creature that has a backbone: viruses that affect chickens, monkeys, and most other vertebrates
▪invertebrate a living creature that does not have a backbone: earthworms and other small invertebrates
crea‧ture W3 /ˈkriːtʃə $ -ər/
noun [countable]1. LIVING THING anything that is living, such as an animal, fish, or insect, but not a plant: creatures of the deep (=animals and fish that live in the ocean)
2. IMAGINARY OR STRANGE an imaginary animal or person, or one that is very strange and frightening:
3. a creature of habit someone who always does things in the same way or at the same time
4. SOMETHING MADE OR INVENTED formal something, especially something bad, that was made or invented by a particular person or organization
creature of
5. SOMEBODY CONTROLLED BY SOMETHING someone who is controlled or influenced a lot by something
creature of
6. beautiful/stupid/adorable etc creature literary someone who has a particular character or quality:
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