(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a way of working, organizing, or doing something which follows a fixed plan or set of rules. You can use ~ to refer to an organization or institution that is organized in this way.
...a flexible and relatively efficient filing ~.
...a multi-party ~ of government...
N-COUNT: usu with supp
2.
A ~ is a set of devices powered by electricity, for example a computer or an alarm.
Viruses tend to be good at surviving when a computer ~ crashes.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
3.
A ~ is a set of equipment or parts such as water pipes or electrical wiring, which is used to supply water, heat, or electricity.
...a central heating ~.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
4.
A ~ is a network of things that are linked together so that people or things can travel from one place to another or communicate.
...Australia’s road and rail ~.
...a news channel on a local cable ~.
= network
N-COUNT: usu supp N
5.
Your ~ is your body’s organs and other parts that together perform particular functions.
These gases would seriously damage the patient’s respiratory ~.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
6.
A ~ is a particular set of rules, especially in mathematics or science, which is used to count or measure things.
...the decimal ~ of metric weights and measures.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
7.
People sometimes refer to the government or administration of a country as the ~.
These feelings are likely to make people attempt to overthrow the ~...
N-SING: the N
8.
see also central nervous ~ , digestive ~ , eco~ , immune ~ , metric ~ , nervous ~ , public address ~ , solar ~ , sound ~
9.
If you get something out of your ~, you take some action so that you no longer want to do it or no longer have strong feelings about it.
I want to get boxing out of my ~ and settle down to enjoy family life.
PHRASE: V inflects