turf: [OE] Turf is a general Germanic word. It goes back to a prehistoric Germanic *turb-, which also produced German torf ‘peat’, Dutch turf, Swedish torf, and Danish tørv, and was borrowed into the Romance languages, giving French tourbe, Italian torba, and Spanish turba. Its ultimate source was the Indo-European base *drbh-.
turf (n.)
Old English turf, tyrf "slab of soil and grass, sod," also "surface of grassland," from Proto-Germanic *turb- (cognates: Old Norse torf, Danish tørv, Old Frisian turf, Old High German zurba, German Torf), from PIE root *drebh- "to wind, compress" (cognates: Sanskrit darbhah "tuft of grass").
Especially "the race course," hence the turf "the profession of racing horses" (1755). French tourbe "turf" is a Germanic loan-word. The Old English plural was identical with the singular, but in Middle English turves sometimes was used. Slang meaning "territory claimed by a gang" is attested from 1953 in Brooklyn, N.Y.; earlier it had a jive talk sense of "the street, the sidewalk" (1930s), which is attested in hobo use from 1899, and before that "the work and venue of a prostitute" (1860). Turf war is recorded from 1962.
turf (v.)
early 15c., "to cover (ground) with turf," from turf (n.). Related: Turfed; turfing.
雙語例句
1. On its home turf, the combined bank would be unrivalled.
那家聯合銀行在它自己的地盤上就無可匹敵了。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Their turf was Paris: its streets, theaters, homes, and parks.
巴黎是他們的地盤：那裏熟悉的大街、劇院、住宅和公園。
來自柯林斯例句
3. He squelched across the turf.
他撲哧撲哧地走過草皮。
來自柯林斯例句
4. a vicious turf war between rival gangs of drug dealers
對立販毒團夥之間的猛烈火並
來自《權威詞典》
5. Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged.