sand: [OE] Sand is a widespread Germanic word, shared by German, Swedish, and Danish (Dutch has zand). Its prehistoric source was *sandam, which went back to an Indo-European *samdam. This also produced Latin sabulum ‘sand’, which evolved into French sable and Italian sabbia ‘sand’. It probably came ultimately from a base which signified ‘grind, crush’.
sand (n.)
Old English sand, from Proto-Germanic *sandam (cognates: Old Norse sandr, Old Frisian sond, Middle Dutch sant, Dutch zand, German Sand), from PIE *bhs-amadho- (cognates: Greek psammos "sand;" Latin sabulum "coarse sand," source of Italian sabbia, French sable), suffixed form of root *bhes- "to rub."
Historically, the line between sand and gravel cannot be distinctly drawn. Used figuratively in Old English in reference to innumerability and instability. General Germanic, but not attested in Gothic, which used in this sense malma, related to Old High German melm "dust," the first element of the Swedish city name Malmö (the second element meaning "island"), and to Latin molere "to grind." Metaphoric for "innumerability" since Old English. Sand dollar, type of flat sea-urchin, so called from 1884, so called for its shape; sand dune attested from 1830.
sand (v.)
late 14c., "to sprinkle with sand," from sand (n.); from 1620s as "to bury or fill in with sand." Meaning "to grind or polish with sand" is from 1858. Related: Sanded; sanding.
实用例句
1. The sand on the floor scrunched under our feet.
地板上的沙子在我们脚下嘎吱作响。
来自柯林斯例句
2. The sand martin is a brown bird with white underneath.
崖沙燕是一种褐羽白腹的鸟。
来自柯林斯例句
3. They all walked barefoot across the damp sand to the water's edge.
他们全都光着脚走过潮湿的沙地来到水边。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The ship has come to rest on the fine sand.
这艘船停靠在细沙滩上。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Wash them in cold water to remove all traces of sand.
