urban: [17] Urban comes from Latin urbānus, a derivative of urbs ‘city’ (a word of unknown origin). It was preceded into English by urbane [16], which is essentially the same word, but came via Old French urbaine. It was originally used as urban is now, but after urban arrived it gradually took the metaphorical path to ‘smooth, sophisticated’. The derivatives suburb and suburban date from the 14th and 17th centuries respectively; and suburbia was coined in the 1890s. => suburban, urbane
urban (adj.)
"characteristic of city life, pertaining to cities or towns," 1610s (but rare before 1830s), from Latin urbanus "of or pertaining to a city or city life; in Rome," also "in city fashion, polished, refined, cultivated, courteous," but also sometimes "witty, facetious, bold, impudent;" as a noun, "city dweller," from urbs (genitive urbis) "city, walled town," of unknown origin.
The word gradually emerged in this sense as urbane became restricted to manners and styles of expression. In late 20c. American English gradually acquiring a suggestion of "African-American." Urban renewal, euphemistic for "slum clearance," is attested from 1955, American English. Urban sprawl recorded by 1958. Urban legend attested by 1980.
Urban
masc. proper name, from Latin urbanus "refined, courteous," literally "of a city" (see urban).
实用例句
1. The government is spending billions of dollars on new urban rail projects.
政府正把数十亿元花在新城市铁路项目上。
来自柯林斯例句
2. There are problems of urban decay and gang violence.
存在城市衰败和帮派暴力的问题。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Wanton violence is now becoming a regular feature of urban life.
肆无忌惮的暴行在城市生活中越来越司空见惯。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Waits sang about the boozy netherworld of urban America.
韦茨歌唱美国都市纵酒豪饮的下层世界。
来自柯林斯例句
5. The whole urban sprawl of Ankara contains over 2.6m people.
