(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
An ~ is a written or spoken request to come to an event such as a party, a meal, or a meeting.
...an ~ to lunch...
He’s understood to be there at the personal ~ of President Daniel Arap Moi.
N-COUNT: oft N to-inf, N to n
2.
An ~ is the card or paper on which an ~ is written or printed.
Hundreds of ~s are being sent out this week.
N-COUNT
3.
If you believe that someone’s action is likely to have a particular result, especially a bad one, you can refer to the action as an ~ to that result.
Don’t leave your shopping on the back seat of your car–it’s an open ~ to a thief.
N-SING: N to n