(1) 胸部，(女人)乳房(front of the human chest， esp a woman's breasts)[C]：hold/clutch/hug a child tenderly to one's～温柔地把孩子抱/搂/搂在胸前; have a large/well-developed～乳胸硕大/丰满;the～of the earth (fig) 大地的胸怀;〖同〗breast，chest;

(2) 衣服的胸襟(part of a dress that covers the chest)[C]：carry a letter in the～of one's dress 把信放在胸襟里带着;the～of one's shirt衬衣的胸襟;Darts are used to shape the～of a dress.衣服上打裥是为了使胸襟成形。

(3) 内心，胸怀，心胸 (person's heart regard-ed as the centre of feelings)[C](lit)：She felt an ache in her～.她心中感到痛苦。His sorrows were locked in his own～.他把忧伤深埋在自己的心中。Pity stirred within his～.他心中涌动着怜恤之情。Her～was torn by sorrow.忧伤使她心碎。Empty your～of its sorrows.把你内心的忧伤倾诉出来。She's nursing some dark， sinful passion in her～.她内心怀有某种阴暗、邪恶的强烈感情。a～friend/buddy密友;〖同〗heart，soul;

(4) (湖，海之)广阔的水面(broad surface， esp of a lake or sea)[C] (lit)：the calm～of the lake 宁静的湖面;

the bosom of ... ……的亲密关系：live in the～of one's family生活在家庭的天伦之乐中;torn from the～of one's own family与自己的骨肉分离;Every young man must leave the～of his family to seek his own fortune.每个年轻人都应该走出家庭的温室去寻找自己的机遇。

→′bosomy adj 乳房硕大的;

【辨异】bosom与breast和chest都有“胸部”的意思，但有不同。bosom是文学用语，尤指女人的乳房;breast同指女人以及男人的乳部，指人体从肚子到脖子之间的前面部分，如：beat one's breast(捶胸);chest则指人体从肚子到脖子之间的整个部分，包括心脏和肺，意为“胸膛(腔)”，如：a pain in one's chest(胸腔痛)。