trophy
Definitions
A cup, statue or other object awarded as a prize for winning a competition.
奖杯；奖品（因获胜而颁发的杯、像等）。
Something kept or displayed as a symbol of success or victory.
战利品；象征成功或胜利的纪念物。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Greek tropaion, from tropē (a turning). On a battlefield, the trophy marked the exact spot where the enemy turned (tropē) and fled — the turning point of the fight. Captured weapons were hung there as a victory sign. The modern cup you lift is the shrunken descendant of that monument to a turned tide.
Root trop still carries 11 more wordsWhy It Means This
The link to 'turn' is hidden but real. Ancient Greeks erected a tropaion — a post hung with captured arms — at the spot on the battlefield where the enemy line broke and turned to run. It commemorated the moment the tide turned. Over time the meaning narrowed from 'victory monument' to 'prize for winning,' and the form shrank from a battlefield post to a shelf-sized cup. The 'trophy wife' sense is a modern, slightly cynical extension: a partner displayed as a sign of one's success.
Common Collocations
- 1.win a trophy赢得奖杯
- 2.trophy cabinet奖杯陈列柜
- 3.trophy wife花瓶妻子／炫耀性伴侣
- 4.lift the trophy高举奖杯
Example Sentences
- 1.
She lifted the trophy above her head as the crowd cheered.
- 2.
The shelf was lined with trophies from his years of competitive swimming.
- 3.
The captured flag was displayed as a trophy of the victory.