A small stand that you put under a hot pot, pan or dish so it does not burn the table. Modern trivets are usually a flat metal frame, or a thick disc of cork, silicone or wood, and they live in the kitchen.

A small stand一個小小的架子，that you put under a hot pot, pan or dish放在熱鍋、平底鍋或熱盤子底下，so it does not burn the table這樣才不會燙壞桌子。Modern trivets are usually a flat metal frame現代的trivet通常是一個扁平的金屬框架，or a thick disc of cork, silicone or wood或是一片厚厚的軟木、矽膠或木頭圓片，and they live in the kitchen都放在廚房裡。

The older meaning is more literal: an iron three-legged stand set in a fireplace or on a stove to hold a pot over the heat — that is where the name comes from. Note that a trivet's job is to keep hot metal off a surface, which makes it different from a table mat or coaster (those are for drinks, or for looks).

The older meaning is more literal比較舊的意思更直接一點：an iron three-legged stand set in a fireplace or on a stove一個放在壁爐裡或爐子上的三腳鐵架，to hold a pot over the heat用來把鍋子架在火上——that is where the name comes from這也是這個名字的由來。Note that a trivet's job is to keep hot metal off a surface要注意trivet的功用是讓燙的金屬不要直接碰到桌面，which makes it different from a table mat or coaster這讓它跟桌墊或杯墊不一樣(those are for drinks, or for looks)（那些是給飲料用的，或是純粹好看）。

British English has a fixed old phrase, "as right as a trivet", meaning perfectly fine and steady — the image is a three-legged stand, which never wobbles, because three points always sit flat on the floor even when the floor is not level.

British English has a fixed old phrase, "as right as a trivet"英式英語有一句老成語「as right as a trivet」，meaning perfectly fine and steady意思是「完全沒問題、很穩」——the image is a three-legged stand, which never wobbles畫面是一個三腳架，永遠不會搖晃，because three points always sit flat on the floor even when the floor is not level因為三個點就算地板不平也一定會平貼在地上。

You will meet it in older books; younger speakers rarely say it. The word itself is uncommon in daily speech — plenty of native speakers own one and just call it "that thing you put the hot pot on".

You will meet it in older books你會在比較舊的書裡遇到它；younger speakers rarely say it年輕人很少這樣說。The word itself is uncommon in daily speech這個字本身在日常口語裡不常見——plenty of native speakers own one and just call it "that thing you put the hot pot on"很多母語人士家裡就有一個，卻只會叫它「放熱鍋那個東西」。