I. rec ‧ ord 1 S1 W1 /ˈrekɔːd $ -ərd/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ record , ↑ recorder , ↑ recording ; verb : ↑ record ; adjective : recorded ≠ ↑ unrecorded ]
1 . INFORMATION [countable] information about something that is written down or stored on computer, film etc so that it can be looked at in the future
record of
I try to keep a record of everything I spend.
According to official records, five people were killed last year near that road junction.
2 . HIGHEST/BEST EVER [countable] the fastest speed, longest distance, highest or lowest level etc that has ever been achieved or reached, especially in sport:
The American team set a new world record in the sprint relay.
3 . MUSIC [countable] a round flat piece of plastic with a hole in the middle that music and sound are stored on ⇨ vinyl :
I spent a lot of time listening to records.
My dad’s got a huge record collection.
a major British record company
⇨ ↑ record player
4 . PAST ACTIVITIES [singular] the facts about how successful, good, bad etc someone or something has been in the past
record of/in (doing) something
Chemistry graduates have a good record in finding employment.
the company’s track record in improving conditions
record on
Mr Davis defended the government’s record on unemployment (=what they have done about unemployment) .
5 . CRIME [countable] ( also criminal/police record ) information kept by the police that shows someone has committed a crime:
He’s only 18 and he already has a record.
They won’t employ anyone with a criminal record.
6 . the record books if someone is in the record books, they have achieved more than anyone else in a particular way:
She hopes to get into the record books by becoming the youngest woman to hold a pilot’s licence.
7 . in record time very quickly:
She was out of bed and ready for school in record time that morning.
8 . off the record if you say something off the record, you do not want people to repeat what you say, for example in newspapers or meetings:
May I talk to you, strictly off the record?
9 . be/go on (the) record as saying (that) to say something publicly or officially, so that it may be written down and repeated:
She is on record as saying that teachers are under too much pressure.
10 . for the record spoken used to tell someone that what you are saying should be remembered or written down:
For the record, the police never charged me.
11 . set/put the record straight to tell people the truth about something, because you want to be sure that they understand what the truth really is:
I would like to set the record straight on a few points.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ verbs
▪ the records show something
Official records show that 44 businesses have stopped trading in the last 12 months.
▪ keep a record
Teachers keep a record of students’ progress.
▪ maintain a record formal
The directors are responsible for maintaining adequate accounting records.
▪ place/put something on record (=officially say something or write it down)
I wish to put on record my objection to the scheme.
▪ access records ( also have/gain access to records ) (=be able to look at them)
Every citizen has the right to access their medical records.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + record
▪ a written record
Where written records do survive, they are incomplete.
▪ historical records
Using historical records, we have produced an image of the temple.
▪ official records
This has been the wettest winter since official records began.
▪ an accurate record
Many hospitals did not keep accurate records.
▪ a detailed record
Edwardian travellers left detailed records of their journeys.
▪ a proper record
Failure to maintain proper records would be a criminal offence.
▪ confidential records
They were transferring confidential student records onto computer.
▪ a permanent record
You will have a permanent record of your work.
▪ medical/hospital/health etc records
The hospital could not find my mother’s medical records.
|
Patients’ hospital records are kept on a database.
▪ financial records
The company’s financial records must be up-to-date.
▪ public records (=records of births, deaths etc, that the public are allowed to look at)
He found the information while examining public records.
▪ police records
Violent assaults rose 39 percent, according to police records.
■ phrases
▪ the biggest/highest etc on record
Last summer was one of the hottest on record.
▪ a matter of public record formal (=something that has been written down so that anyone can know it)
His salary is a matter of public record.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ verbs
▪ break/beat a record (=do better or be greater than an existing record)
He broke the world record twice.
▪ smash/shatter a record (=beat it easily)
She smashed the record by a massive 28 seconds.
▪ hold a record (=have it)
Davies holds the record for most points in a season.
▪ set a record (=achieve it for the first time)
The twenty-year-old set a new British record of 44.47 secs.
▪ equal a record ( also tie a record American English ) (=do as well as the record)
Woods equalled the course record and finished eleven under par.
|
Davis tied a team record by hitting six field goals.
▪ a record stands (=is not beaten)
His record stood for 42 years.
▪ a record falls (=is beaten)
Another record will fall on the last day of the season, if Arsenal win their final game.
■ adjectives
▪ an all-time record
The price of oil has hit an all-time record.
▪ a world record
Powell equalled the 100 metres world record with a time of 9.77 seconds.
▪ an Olympic record
He won a gold medal and broke the Olympic record by 44 records.
▪ a British/American/Italian etc record
Jones won in 10.93 seconds, a new British record.
▪ a course/track record (=the best score for a particular golf course or time for a racecourse or track)
Lewis set the fastest lap with a new track record.
▪ a club/team record
Irvin holds a team record with 111 catches this season.
■ record + NOUN
▪ a record number/level/time etc
Pollution in the lake has reached record levels.
▪ a record high/low
The stock market reached a record high on August 21.
▪ a record attempt (=an attempt to break a record)
They will make another record attempt next year.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ record information about something that is written down:
your medical records
|
the public records office
|
I have to keep a record of all my spending when I’m travelling on business.
▪ file a set of written records, or information stored on a computer under a particular name:
He began reading the file on the case.
|
I think I may have accidentally deleted the file.
▪ accounts ( also books informal ) an exact record of the money that a company has received and spent:
Companies are required by law to publish their annual accounts.
|
Someone had been falsifying the accounts.
|
The company’s books all seemed to be in order.
▪ ledger one of the official books in which a company’s financial records are kept, which show how much it has received and spent:
The costs have been moved from one column of the ledger to another.
▪ minutes an official written record of what is said and decided at a meeting:
Both points are mentioned in the minutes of the last meeting on August 3rd.
▪ diary a book in which you regularly write down the things that have happened to you:
In his diary he wrote, ‘It s lovely having him here, we’ve had so many cosy talks.’
|
I’ll just check in my diary to see if I’m free.
▪ blog a web page on the Internet on which someone regularly writes about their life, opinions, or a particular subject:
I may not always agree with David, but I always read his blog.
▪ register an official list of names of people, organizations etc:
Guests must sign the hotel register.
|
the national register of births, deaths, and marriages
|
Lloyds Register of Shipping
▪ roll an official list of names, especially of people who are allowed to do something such as vote or be in a class at school:
the electoral roll (=list of people who can vote in an area)
|
The teacher called the roll (=read out the list of the names of the students, who then have to say if they are present) .
▪ log an official record that is kept on a ship or plane:
Mr Appleby said he complained to a senior officer, who made a note in the ship’s log.
II. re ‧ cord 2 S3 W2 /rɪˈkɔːd $ -ɔːrd/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ record , ↑ recorder , ↑ recording ; verb : ↑ record ; adjective : recorded ≠ ↑ unrecorded ]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: recorder 'to bring to mind' , from Latin recordari , from cor 'heart' ]
1 . [transitive] to write information down or store it in a computer or on film so that it can be looked at in the future:
Her husband made her record every penny she spent.
record that
He recorded that the operation was successful.
In 1892 it is recorded that the weather became so cold that the river froze over.
The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.
2 . [intransitive and transitive] to store music, sound, television programmes etc on tape or ↑ disc s so that people can listen to them or watch them again:
The group has just recorded a new album.
Is the machine still recording?
I’ll record the film and we can all watch it later.
3 . [transitive] if an instrument records the size, speed, temperature etc of something, it measures it and keeps that information:
Wind speeds of up to 100 mph have been recorded.