com‧pa‧ny S1 W1 / kʌmp ə ni / 名词 ( 复数形式 companies )
1 business [ countable also + 复数形式 动词 British English ] a business organization that makes or sells goods or services 同义词 business , firm :
Which company do you work for?
I called the phone company about the bill.
The company was set up just after the war.
The company directors have awarded themselves a massive pay increase.
2 other people [不可数名词] when you are with other people and not alone :
The two men enjoy each other’s company .
Rita’s husband is away for the week, so I thought I’d go over and keep her company (= be with her so that she doesn’t feel lonely ) .
Come over for dinner – I could use the company (= would like to be with other people ) .
James is good company (= is a cheerful person who is enjoyable to be with ) .
as company
Bessie was glad to have the dog as company.
in sb’s company (= with someone )
I felt nervous in the company of such an important man.
in company with somebody (= together with another person or group )
He’s performing in company with saxophonist Ernie Watts.
3 guests [不可数名词] people who are visiting you in your home :
It looks like the Hammills have company .
We’re expecting company this evening.
4 friends [不可数名词] your friends or the group of people you spend time with :
People judge you by the company you keep (= the people you spend time with ) .
Things began to go wrong when he got into bad company .
5 performers [可数名词] a group of actors, dancers, or singers who work together :
a theatre company
a touring company
the Kirov Ballet Company
6 be in good company used to tell someone who has made a mistake that they should not be embarrassed because some important or respected people have made the same mistake :
If you can’t program the video recorder, you’re in good company.
7 GROUP [不可数名词] formal a group of people who are together in the same place, often for a particular purpose or for social reasons :
He glanced around at the assembled company .
Some jokes are just not appropriate to tell in mixed company (= in a group of both men and women ) .
in company (= when surrounded by other people, especially at a social occasion )
Parents should teach their children how to behave in company.
8 somebody and company informal used after a person’s name to mean that person and their friends :
This has not stopped Senator Biden and company from trying to make it an issue in the election.
9 army [可数名词] a group of about 120 soldiers who are usually part of a larger group
10 two’s company, three’s a crowd used to suggest that two people would rather be alone together than have other people with them → part company at part 2 ( 4 ) , → present company excepted at present 1 ( 7 )
COLLOCATIONS
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + company
a computer/phone/oil etc company an international oil company
a manufacturing/shipping/publishing etc company I’m working for a printing company at the moment.
a large/big company She has a senior position in a large manufacturing company.
a small company His father is the director of a small company.
an international company (= with offices in different countries ) She works for a major international company.
a multinational company (= with offices in many countries ) Within ten years the business grew into a huge multinational company.
a private company (= not owned by the government ) There are many tiny private companies.
a state-owned company (= owned by the government )
a public/listed company (= offering its shares for sale on the stock exchange )
a limited company (= one whose owners only have to pay a limited amount if it gets into debt )
a subsidiary company (= owned or controlled by a larger company )
the parent company (= the one that owns or controls a smaller one )
a local company The new development will bring more business to local companies.
a reputable company (= with a good reputation ) Choose a reputable building company to do the work.
动词
work for a company How long have you been working for your present company?
join a company (= become an employee ) I joined the company ten years ago.
run/manage a company Nick runs a property company.
set up/start/form a company Two years later he started his own software company.
found/establish a company The company was founded in 1993 by William J. Nutt.
take over a company (= buy it and run it ) The company was taken over by the management in a £32.5 million deal.
a company grows/expands The company has expanded year on year.
a company goes bankrupt/goes out of business (= stops doing business after losing too much money )
a company fails (= goes bankrupt ) His audio equipment company failed in the mid 1980s.
a company goes bust informal (= goes bankrupt )
a company goes to the wall informal (= goes bankrupt )
a company goes into liquidation (= is closed and sold in order to pay its debts )
company + NOUN
company policy It is not company policy to give that information.
a company director/executive He earns a huge amount of money as a senior company executive.
a company car (= that your company gives you to use )
COLLOCATIONS
动词
enjoy sb’s company Steve was fun and she clearly enjoyed his company.
keep somebody company (= be with someone so that they do not feel lonely ) Mum was out so I stayed at home to keep my younger sister company.
have some company (= not be alone ) ‘Come in,’ she said, pleased to have some company.
need/want company Children need the company of other kids their age.
be good/pleasant company (= be a cheerful person who is enjoyable to be with ) I always liked seeing Rob – he was such good company.
THESAURUS
company an organization that makes or sells something, or provides a service : big oil companies | telephone companies | He runs a software company.
firm a company, especially one that provides a service rather than producing goods : a law firm | a firm of accountants | a security firm
business a company – often used when talking about a company that employs only a small number of people : She set up her own catering business. | small businesses | a family business
corporation a large company that often includes several smaller companies : IBM is one of the biggest corporations in the world.
multinational a very large company with offices in many different countries : American multinationals are establishing research and development facilities across the developing world.
conglomerate / kənɡlɒmərət, kənɡlɒmərɪt $ -ɡlɑ- / a very large company that consists of several different companies which have joined together : The company was taken over by a German media conglomerate.
giant a word used mainly by newspapers for a very large company : Their clients include the retail giant, Wal-Mart.
subsidiary a company that is owned by a larger company : The company runs its New York operations through a US subsidiary.