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Spare tire - 英语词汇详解 (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：belly fat (Spare tire)
Spare tire
/spɛr taɪər/
n. phr.
A humorous way to say the fat around a person's waist, because it looks like a tire.
belly fat
➕
/ˈbɛli fæt/
n. phr.
A humorous term for excess fat around the waist, likened to a car's spare tire.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Spare (extra, reserve) + tire (wheel covering). Originally referred to a spare wheel for vehicles.
💡 Mnemonic
Picture a car with a spare tire on its waist—that's your belly after too many snacks!
📖 Example
After months of working from home and snacking, he noticed he was developing a spare tire.
After months of working from home and snacking, he noticed he was developing a spare tire.
🔗 Collocations
develop a spare tire – develop a spare tire (waist fat)
lose the spare tire – lose the spare tire (lose belly fat)
hide the spare tire – hide the spare tire (conceal waist fat)
🔄 Synonyms
love handles (n. pl.) – Excess fat on the sides of the waist, similar to a spare tire.
muffin top (n.) – Fat that spills over the waistband of pants, resembling a muffin top.
📖 Cultural Story
'Spare tire' entered auto vocabulary in early 1900s; its slang for belly fat arose in 1950s, comparing fat rolls to a car's spare wheel.
Meaning 2：extra tire (Spare tire)
Spare tire
/spɛr taɪər/
n. phr.
An extra tire kept in a car to replace a flat or damaged tire.
extra tire
➕
/ˈɛkstrə taɪər/
n. phr.
An additional tire kept in a vehicle to replace a flat or damaged tire.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
Before our long road trip, we made sure the spare tire in the trunk was properly inflated.
Before our long road trip, we made sure the spare tire in the trunk was properly inflated.
🔗 Collocations
check the spare tire – check the spare tire (inspect the extra tire)
replace the spare tire – replace the spare tire (change the extra tire)
carry a spare tire – carry a spare tire (have an extra tire in the vehicle)
🔄 Synonyms
spare wheel (n.) – Another term for a spare tire, especially in British English.
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