quantity /ˈkwɒntɪtɪ/ CET4 TEM4

• 1. 

  N-VAR A quantity is an amount. 数量

  例：

  ...a small quantity of water.

  …少量的水。

• 2. 

  N-UNCOUNT Things that are produced or available in quantity are produced or available in large amounts. 大量

  例：

  After some initial problems, acetone was successfully produced in quantity.

  解决了最初的一些问题后，成功地生产出了大量丙酮。

• 3. 

  N-UNCOUNT You can use quantity to refer to the amount of something that there is, especially when you want to contrast it with its quality. (尤指相对于质量而言的) 数量

  例：

  ...the less discerning drinker who prefers quantity to quality.

  …重量不重质、识别力较差的饮酒者。

• 4. 

  PHRASE If you say that someone or something is an unknown quantity, you mean that not much is known about what they are like or how they will behave. 未知量; 未知数

  例：

  She had known Max for some years now, but he was still pretty much an unknown quantity.

  她现在认识马克斯也好几年了，但是他仍然是个大大的未知数。