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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary tal·ent
\\ˈta-lənt\\ noun ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Old English talente, from Latin talenta, plural of talentum unit of weight or money, from Greek talanton pan of a scale, weight; akin to Greek tlēnai to bear; in senses 2-5, from the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 — more at tolerate DATE before 12th century 1.
a. any of several ancient units of weight
b. a unit of value equal to the value of a talent of gold or silver2. archaic : a characteristic feature, aptitude, or disposition of a person or animal 3. the natural endowments of a person4.
a. a special often creative or artistic aptitude
b. general intelligence or mental power : ability 5. a person of talent or a group of persons of talent in a field or activitySynonyms: see gift
• tal·ent·ed \\-lən-təd\\ adjective
• tal·ent·less \\-lənt-ləs\\ adjective talent
late 13c., "inclination, disposition, will, desire," from O.Fr. talent, from M.L. talenta, pl. of talentum "inclination, leaning, will, desire" (1098), in classical L. "balance, weight, sum of money," from Gk. talanton "balance, weight, sum," from PIE *tel-, *tol- "to bear, carry" (see extol). Originally an ancient unit of weight or money (varying greatly and attested in O.E. as talente), the M.L. and common Romanic sense developed from figurative use of the word in the sense of "money." Meaning "special natural ability, aptitude," developed mid-14c., from the parable of the talents in Matt. xxv:14-30. Related: Talented. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 talent
tal·ent / 5tAlEnt / noun1. [C, U] ~ (for sth) a natural ability to do sth well
天才；天资；天赋:
to have great artistic talent
很有艺术天赋
a man of many talents
多才多艺的男子
She showed considerable talent for getting what she wanted.
她很有天资,能够心想事成。
a talent competition / contest / show (= in which people perform, to show how well they can sing, dance, etc.)
新秀选拔赛/大奖赛/演出
2. [U, C] people or a person with a natural ability to do sth well
有才能的人；人才；天才:
There is a wealth of young talent in British theatre.
英国戏剧界年青一代人才辈出。
He is a great talent.
他是个了不起的人才。
3. [U] (BrE, slang) people who are sexually attractive
(统称)性感的人:
He likes to spend his time chatting up the local talent.
他喜欢把时间花在和当地的妞儿搭讪上。 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English Oxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishtalent
noun ADJ. considerable, enormous, exceptional, extraordinary, formidable, genuine, great, major, outstanding, prodigious, rare, real, remarkable, special, tremendous, undoubted, unique | God-given, inborn, innate, natural, raw Hard work is important, but it is no substitute for raw talent. | hidden, undiscovered | mediocre | fresh, new The company is always looking out for new talent. | young | precocious | home-grown, local one of the few teams that relies on home-grown talent | top We are losing our top talent to other countries who pay more. | acting, artistic, creative, literary, managerial, musical, scientific, vocal, writing VERB + TALENT have, possess The lad has undoubted talent. | demonstrate, display, reveal, show | flaunt, show off The banquet gave the chef a chance to flaunt his talents. | direct, redirect, turn After making her name as a singer, she turned her talents to acting. | discover, recognize, spot, unearth She has a keen eye for spotting talent. United have unearthed a real talent in this young defender. | build (on), cultivate, develop, harness, make the most of, nurture, realize, tap, use, utilize an effort to develop his creative talents to the full The theatre visits schools to tap young talent. | squander, waste His parents accused him of wasting his talents and abilities. TALENT + VERB lie Her talents lay in organization. TALENT + NOUN scout, spotter | competition, contest, show PREP. of ~ He is a violinist of exceptional talent. | with/without ~ kids with musical talent | ~ for You have a natural talent for storytelling. PHRASES a man/woman, etc. of many talents, a pool of talent Hollywood directors have a marvellous pool of acting talent to draw from. | a wealth of talent There is a wealth of talent out there in our schools. Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged tal·ent
\ˈtalənt\ noun
( -s) Etymology: Middle English talent, talente; in sense 1, from Old English talente, from Latin talenta, plural of talentum unit of weight or money, from Greek talanton balance, pair of scales, unit of weight or money; akin to Latin tollere to lift up — more at tolerate; in sense 2, from Old French talent inclination, desire, disposition, from Medieval Latin talentum, perhaps from Latin, unit of weight or money; in remaining senses from Middle English, unit of money; from the parable of the talents in Mt 25:14-30 1.
a. : any of several ancient units of weight (as a Babylonian unit equal to 3600 shekels, a unit equal to 3000 shekels used in Palestine and Syria, and a Greek unit equal to 6000 drachmas)
b. : a unit of value equal to the value of a talent of gold or silver
c. obsolete : wealth , riches, abundance 2.
a. archaic : a characteristic feature, aptitude, or disposition of a person or animal
b. obsolete : an evil disposition or attitude : passion , anger 3. : the abilities, powers, and gifts bestowed upon a man : natural endowments
< the stewardship of your time, talent, and treasure >
< the talents which God has given you as a divine trust >4.
a. : a special innate or developed aptitude for an expressed or implied activity usually of a creative or artistic nature
< the possessor of rare talent as a pianist — Arthur Krock >
< mental characteristics … connected with mathematical talent — C.R.Fish >
< the American mind with its great talent for satire — J.B.Priestley >
< credits the ladies … with a great talent for intrigue — A.M.Young >
< has no talent for metaphysical speculation — J.W.Beach >
< a man with a talent for ingratitude and unsociability — T.S.Eliot >
< man's industrious and senseless talent for involving himself in the superfluous — James Boyd >
— often used in plural
< students with talents in music find both recreation and training — Bulletin of Bates College >
< opportunity for the exercise of his political talents — C.L.Becker >
b. : general intelligence or mental power : ability
< the labors of many scholars of talent, and some few of genius, had brought new technique to lexicography — R.W.Chapman >
< talent is a wishy-washy thing unless … solidly founded on honest hard work — E.G.Coleman >
< this task calls for … sheer imaginative talent — R.D.Altick >5.
a. : a person of talent usually in a specific branch of activity
< he was a minor talent, but authentic — Malcolm Cowley >
< the most … significant talents in contemporary writing — Richard Watts >
< younger talents came to the fore — Hans Kohn >
collectively : a number of persons of talent in a usually specified field or activity
< argued with an immense array of legal talent — D.W.Brogan >
< competing … for top-grade scientific talent — Vannevar Bush >
< methods of recruiting athletic talent — Robert Rice >
b. : one that is talented or skilled in a performing art
< one of Hollywood's most luminous talents — Seymour Peck >
< one of our big spontaneous musical talents — Arthur Berger >
collectively : those engaged in a performing art
< the succession of new, worthwhile talent was augmented by … a young baritone — Irving Kolodin >
< the young talent … caromed off to Hollywood — W.I.Nichols >
< staging the show with local talent >Synonyms: see gift
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