lacuna

Advancedzipf 2.32

Pronunciation

/ləˈkjuːnə/(luh-KYOO-nuh)

Part of speech

nounformal

Chinese

空白；缺失

Definition

An unfilled space or gap; a missing portion in a book or manuscript.

Word family

  • lacunae/ləˈkjuːniː/(n
  • plural)空白们

Collocations

  • fill a lacuna
  • a lacuna in the law
  • significant lacuna
  • lacuna in knowledge

Examples

  1. 1.The study identified a significant lacuna in our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems. (gap in knowledge)
  2. 2.There is a lacuna in the legislation that allows companies to avoid paying the tax. (loophole/gap)

Synonyms

  • gap/ɡæp/— empty space
  • void/vɔɪd/— empty space
  • omission/əˈmɪʃən/— something left out

Etymology

from Latin "lacuna" = pool, pit, gap — "lacus" = lake — a hollow space, something missing