ergonomics

Word family

BECthe way in which the careful design of equipment helps people to work better and more quickly 工效学，人类工程学

We were very impressed with the machine’s ergonomics.

我们对这台机器的工效印象颇深。

n GRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb?

Ergonomics is followed by a singular verb:

Ergonomics is an important part of design.

—ergonomic adjectiveadj

a new ergonomic design

提高工效的新型设计

—ergonomically /-kli/ adverbadv

—ergonomist /ɜːˈɡɒnəmɪst $ ɜːrˈɡɑː-/ noun [countableC]

Examples from the Corpus

ergonomics• His practical genius for ergonomics allowed him to succeed in adapting tasks to suit a disabled workforce.• But performance is poor, the steering light and lifeless, ergonomics messy and the gearbox jerky.• The context is, of course, the context of ergonomics as conceived by the designers of the list.• The unique feature of ergonomics is its emphasis on the characteristics of human operators and their relevance to the design of work.• The principles of ergonomics that are important for all workers are particularly important for those working with arthritis.• In the previous book in this series the relationship of ergonomics to other aspects or kinds of technology was discussed in detail.• In the race for portability, ergonomics takes a back seat to size and convenience.• In contrast, it is the ergonomics of the hardware and the physical environment that have received most attention.

From Longman Business Dictionary

ergonomicser·go·nom·ics /ˌɜːgəˈnɒmɪksˌɜːrgəˈnɑː-/ noun [uncountableU]

the study of how the design of equipment affects how well people can do their work

the ergonomics of computer keyboards

—ergonomic adjectiveadj

a comfortable, ergonomic design

—ergonomical adjectiveadj

—ergonomically adverbadv

The factory is well lit, ergonomically designed and air-conditioned.

Origin ergonomics

(1900-2000) Greek ergon “work” + English -omics (as in economics)