occasion

occasion
noun
  1. a particular time or instance of an event
    (特定的)时刻;场合
    on one occasion I stayed up until two in the morning.
    有一次我直到凌晨2点才去睡觉。
    ■a special or noteworthy event, ceremony, or celebration
    (仪式、庆典等)重大场合
    she was presented with a gold watch to mark the occasion.
    为了纪念那个重大场合她被赠与一块金表。
    [mass noun]Sunday lunch has a suitable sense of occasion about it.
    周日午餐给人一种重大场合才有的感觉。
    ■a suitable or opportune time for doing something
    适当时机
    by-elections are traditionally an occasion for registering protest votes.
    补缺选举向来都是记反对票的适当时机。
  2. [mass noun](formal)reason; cause
    理由;原因
    [with infinitive]it's the first time that I've had occasion to complain.
    这是我第一次有理由抱怨。
verb
  1. [with obj.](formal)cause (something)
    造成,导致,引起
    something vital must have occasioned this visit.
    肯定有什么重大的事导致了这次访问。
    [with two objs]his death occasioned her much grief.
    他的死使她十分悲痛。
常用词组
on occasion (或 occasions)
  1. occasionally; from time to time
    有时;偶尔
    on occasion, the state was asked to intervene.
    有时政府会被要求进行干预。
rise to the occasion
  1. perform better than usual in response to a special situation or event
    在特殊场合超常发挥,在特殊场合应付裕如
take occasion
  1. (archaic)make use of an opportunity to do something
    (古)抓住时机
语源
  1. late Middle English: from Latin occasio(n-) 'juncture, reason', from occidere 'go down, set', from ob- 'towards' + cadere 'to fall'
英语宝典
考试词汇表