formula
Definitions
A rule or relationship expressed in mathematical or chemical symbols.
公式；分子式
A list of ingredients or instructions for making something, especially a medicine, food product, or recipe.
配方；处方；调制法
A standard form of words used in a particular situation.
套语；固定说法
A fixed method or principle for achieving something.
方法；准则；秘诀
A type of motor racing classification (e.g., Formula One).
（赛车）方程式级别（如 F1）
(Especially American) milk-substitute drink for babies.
（尤美）婴儿配方奶
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedform + -ula (Latin diminutive suffix) = «a little form, a small mold.» Originally a Latin word for a small fixed form — a model or template. From this image English derived all senses: a chemical formula is a fixed small form (H₂O), a recipe is a fixed form for making something, Formula One refers to a regulated form of racing, baby formula is a standardized form of milk.
Root form still carries 39 more wordsWhy It Means This
Formula's spread of meanings looks chaotic — chemical formula, baby formula, magic formula, Formula One — but they share one image: a small fixed form that can be reproduced. The Latin diminutive -ula gave us the sense of a «little model.» Romans used formula for legal forms (a standard legal phrasing). Renaissance scientists used it for fixed chemical/mathematical recipes. The 20th century added the marketing sense («the secret formula»), the racing sense (a regulated specification class), and the infant-feeding sense (a standardized milk substitute). Wildly different fields, same idea: a reliable, repeatable small form.
Usage Guide
- Math/chemistry (scientific): 'chemical formula,' 'mathematical formula' — symbolic representation
- Recipe: 'a winning formula,' 'the secret formula' — reliable method or recipe
- Set phrase: 'a formula for success,' 'standard formula' — fixed standard
- Motor racing: 'Formula One,' 'Formula E' — regulated class
- Baby food (AmE): 'baby formula,' 'powdered formula' — milk substitute
- Plurals: «formulas» (more common) or «formulae» (Latin plural, scientific writing)
Example Sentences
- 1.
E = mc² is one of the most famous formulas in physics.
- 2.
The company's secret formula has remained unchanged for 100 years.
- 3.
There is no magic formula for happiness.
- 4.
Formula One drivers race at speeds over 300 km/h.
- 5.
Many parents use formula in addition to breast milk.