(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
An ~ is a large important organization such as a university, church, or bank.
The Hong Kong Bank is Hong Kong’s largest financial ~.
N-COUNT; N-IN-NAMES
2.
An ~ is a building where certain people are looked after, for example people who are mentally ill or children who have no parents.
Larry has been in an ~ since he was four...
N-COUNT; N-IN-NAMES
3.
An ~ is a custom or system that is considered an important or typical feature of a particular society or group, usually because it has existed for a long time.
I believe in the ~ of marriage.
N-COUNT: usu N of n
4.
The ~ of a new system is the act of starting it or bringing it in.
There was never an official ~ of censorship in Albania.
N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n