英和和英

語源

From pipe +‎ dream, referring to the fantasies experienced when smoking an opium pipe. Compare 古期英語 pīpdrēam (“the sound or music of a pipe”), which is formed identically but has a different meaning.

発音

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈpaɪp driːm/
• (General American) IPA: /ˈpaɪp ˌdrim/

名詞

pipe dream (plural pipe dreams)

1. (idiomatic, originally US) A desire or idea which is unlikely to materialize, or a plan which is unlikely to work; a near impossibility. [from late 19th c.]

   Synonyms: castle in the air, pie in the sky

   Coordinate term: figment of one's imagination

   I think that his plan to become a professional athlete is a pipe dream and that he should stay in school.

   • 1962 December, “Dr. Beeching Previews the Plan for British Railways”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 376:

     Only a year ago it would have needed a "super-Micawber" to be optimistic that the railways would once again pay their way. But it was no longer a pipe dream that B.R. could make a profit, the way to do it was now clear.

別の表記

• pipedream

派生語

• pipe-dream (verb)
• pipedreamed (adjective)
• pipe-dreamer (modelled after pipe dream)
• pipe dreaming (noun)

参照

Further reading

• pipe dream (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

発音

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈpaɪpdriːm/
• (General American) IPA: /ˈpaɪpˌdrim/

動詞

pipe-dream (third-person singular simple present pipe-dreams, present participle pipe-dreaming, simple past and past participle pipe-dreamed)

1. (intransitive) To have a desire or idea which is unlikely to materialize, or to imagine a plan which is unlikely to work; to dream of a near impossibility.

参照