title
Definitions
The name of a book, film, song or other work
标题，书名，片名
A word denoting rank, profession or honor placed before or after a name
头衔，称号
A championship won in a sport or competition
冠军（头衔）
(law) A legally recognized right of ownership
（法律）所有权，产权
To give a name or heading to a work
给…加标题，命名
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin titulus, 'an inscription or label that says what something is.' That one idea fans out into all of title's modern senses — the heading of a work, a rank, a claim of ownership, a championship — each a kind of label naming what or who something is.
Root titl still carries 4 more wordsWhy It Means This
Why can one word mean a book's name, a knight's rank, a deed to land, and a boxing championship? Because a Roman titulus was simply a label that declared 'what this is.' Each modern sense is a different thing being labeled: a work gets a name, a person gets a rank, an owner gets a recognized claim, a champion gets the label 'best.' Same act of labeling, four arenas.
Usage Guide
Sense depends on field: media (the film's title), formal address (a job title), law (title deed, hold title to), sport (win/defend/lose the title). Note 'title to' (ownership of) vs 'title of' (the name of) — different prepositions, different senses.
Example Sentences
- 1.
I can't remember the title of that movie.
- 2.
Her official title is Director of Operations.
- 3.
The champion defended his title for the third time.
- 4.
You'll need the title deed to sell the house.