1
a horseshoe
horseshoe 作名词时可数，指马蹄铁。
He found an old horseshoe in the shed.
他在棚子里发现了一个旧马蹄铁。
马蹄铁（游戏用）
horseshoes — plural of horseshoe
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
马蹄铁（游戏用）
an open iron ring used as equipment in the game of horseshoes
He found an old horseshoe in the shed.
他在棚子里发现了一个旧马蹄铁。
这里指掷马蹄铁游戏用的铁环，不是马蹄上钉的蹄铁。
马的U形蹄铁,通常为金属制；引申为用于玩马蹄铁游戏、作为幸运符等的代表物。
The U-shaped shoe of a horse, now typically made of metal; by extension, a representation of this used to play the game horseshoes, hung as a luck charm, etc.
用于掷马蹄铁游戏的铁环
game equipment consisting of an open ring of iron used in playing horseshoes
马蹄铁的U形。
The U shape of a horseshoe.
钉在马蹄底部的U形铁片
U-shaped plate nailed to underside of horse's hoof
In the park, she threw a horseshoe toward the metal stake and cheered.
在公园里，她把一只马蹄铁扔向金属桩，然后欢呼起来。
The players scattered the horseshoes on the grass before starting the match.
比赛开始前，选手们把马蹄铁散放在草地上。
He picked up a rusty horseshoe and practiced his throwing stance.
他捡起一只生锈的马蹄铁，练习投掷姿势。
horseshoe 作名词时可数，指马蹄铁。
He found an old horseshoe in the shed.
他在棚子里发现了一个旧马蹄铁。
horseshoes 用复数时也指投掷马蹄铁的游戏。
They played horseshoes in the backyard.
他们在后院玩了马蹄铁游戏。
horseshoe 作动词意为“给……钉蹄铁”，是及物动词。
The blacksmith horseshoed the horse.
铁匠给马钉了马蹄铁。
Not this
He threw horseshoe at the stake.
Use this
He threw a horseshoe at the stake.
horseshoe 是可数名词，单数作宾语时需要限定词（如 a、the），不能直接裸用。这里指一个马蹄铁，所以要加 a。
Not this
The farrier horseshoe the horse every spring.
Use this
The farrier horseshoes the horse every spring.
horseshoe 作动词时，主语是第三人称单数，一般现在时要在动词后加 -s 变成 horseshoes，不能继续用名词原形 horseshoe 作谓语。
Not this
They played with horseshoes in the backyard.
Use this
They played horseshoes in the backyard.
表示玩“掷马蹄铁”这项游戏时，horseshoes 是游戏名称，前面不加 with；play + 游戏名 是固定搭配。加 with 变成“拿马蹄铁玩”，意思会变成把马蹄铁当玩具，而不是玩这个游戏。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
玩掷马蹄铁游戏
We often play horseshoes at family gatherings.
我们经常在家庭聚会上玩掷马蹄铁游戏。
马蹄铁投掷场
They dug a horseshoe pit in the backyard.
他们在后院挖了一个马蹄铁投掷场。
掷马蹄铁
He threw a horseshoe and won the game.
他掷出马蹄铁，赢得了比赛。
蹄铁钉
The farrier drove in a horseshoe nail to secure the shoe.
蹄铁匠钉入一枚蹄铁钉以固定蹄铁。
卸下马蹄铁
The groom removed the old horseshoe before the horse was re-shod.
马夫在给马重新钉掌前卸下了旧马蹄铁。
给马装蹄铁
The blacksmith horseshoed the horse in less than an hour.
铁匠不到一小时就给马装好了蹄铁。
差一点不算数；只有掷马蹄铁和扔手榴弹才讲究接近命中
He almost passed the exam, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
他差一点就通过考试了，但差一点就是失败，只有掷马蹄铁和扔手榴弹才讲究接近。
运气极好；如有神助
She survived the accident without a scratch—she must have a horseshoe up her ass.
她在事故中毫发无伤，真是运气爆棚。
差一点只有在马蹄铁游戏和手榴弹中才算数。
This American saying means that being near your target is not good enough, except in horseshoes, where a horseshoe that lands close to the stake can score, and in war with hand grenades.
这句美国谚语的意思是，偏离目标不算成功，除非是在马蹄铁游戏中，马蹄铁落在木桩附近也能得分，或是战争中投掷手榴弹时。
Use horseshoes naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
把horse（马）和shoe（鞋）拼在一起：马穿的“鞋”就是钉在蹄上的马蹄铁，形状像U。
语域：neutral 常见场景：backyard games、horseshoes tournaments、sports equipment shops 在指投掷游戏用的马蹄铁时，该词为普通用词，正式度中性，多用于谈论游戏、比赛或户外休闲活动。
作动词时，过去式和过去分词亦可写作 horseshod。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.