overcharge 主要有两个含义:
最常用的含义是"多收费、索价过高"。
/ˌoʊ.vɚˈtʃɑːrdʒ/(动词)
/ˈoʊ.vɚ.tʃɑːrdʒ/(名词)
The restaurant overcharged us by $20 for the dinner.
那家餐厅多收了我们20美元的晚餐费。
After discovering that the mechanic had deliberately overcharged her for a simple oil change, she decided to file a complaint with the consumer protection agency.
在发现那个修车技师故意在简单的换机油服务上多收了她的钱后,她决定向消费者保护机构投诉。
overcharge 由前缀 over-(过度、超出)和 charge(收费;充电)组合而成。charge 源自古法语 chargier,意为"装载、负担",再往前追溯至拉丁语 carricare,意为"用车装载"。从"装载"引申出"施加费用"的含义,加上 over- 表示"超出合理范围",便构成了"多收费"或"过度充电"之意。该词自14世纪起便在英语中使用。