| 释义 |
gazillion, n. and a. colloq. (orig. U.S.).
Brit. |gəˈzɪljən|, U.S. |gəˈzɪlj(ə)n|
Forms: 19– gazillion, 19– kazillion
[Apparently alteration of bazillion n. Compare earlier zillion n.]
A. n. A very large (but indefinite) number or quantity (of something); chiefly in pl.
1978Washington Post 3 Dec. l12/1 Everything is played not to the people in the seats but to the unseen gazillions who will watch the tape played back later that night, when it is teleported into their proverbial bedrooms. 1995Daily Tel 24 Aug. 23/1 Worldwide, gazillions will be spent adapting to this new standard ‘operating system’. 2000Sun-Herald (Sydney) 18 June 87/5 To a huge percentage of people who consume the gazillions of litres of booze produced in this country every year, it's just a cheap and readily available means of getting off their faces.
B. adj. With an article, numeral, or other quantifier, and followed by a plural noun: amounting to a very large (but indefinite) number or quantity.
1986Chicago Tribune 27 July 5/1 No Kidding? Contact with a razor sharp mower blade whirring around at 10 kazillion miles an hour will hurt you? 1992Philadelphia Inquirer 11 Oct. 35/1 For the last 50 years or so, baseball caps have been sneaking off the field and into a gazillion other societal nooks and crannies. 2002Guardian 26 June ii. 5/1 It is something of a shock to find myself dumped into the enormous cow pen with seven gazillion other journalists. |