CHANGE


Meaning of CHANGE in English

/ tʃeɪndʒ; NAmE / verb , noun

■ verb

BECOME / MAKE DIFFERENT

1.

[ v ] to become different :

Rick hasn't changed. He looks exactly the same as he did at school.

changing attitudes towards education

Her life changed completely when she won the lottery.

2.

[ vn ] to make sb/sth different :

Fame hasn't really changed him.

Computers have changed the way people work.

3.

change (sb/sth) (from A) to / into B to pass or make sb/sth pass from one state or form into another :

[ v ]

Caterpillars change into butterflies.

Wait for the traffic lights to change.

The lights changed from red to green.

[ vn ]

With a wave of her magic wand, she changed the frog into a handsome prince.

4.

[ vn ] to stop having one state, position or direction and start having another :

Leaves change colour in autumn.

The wind has changed direction.

Our ship changed course.

REPLACE

5.

[ vn ] change sb/sth (for sb/sth) | change sth (to sth) to replace one thing, person, service, etc. with sth new or different :

I want to change my doctor.

We change our car every two years.

We changed the car for a bigger one.

Marie changed her name when she got married.

She changed her name to his.

That back tyre needs changing.

EXCHANGE

6.

[ vn ] change sth (with sb) (used with a plural object) to exchange positions, places, etc. with sb else, so that you have what they have, and they have what you have :

At half-time the teams change ends.

Can we change seats?

Can I change seats with you?

CLOTHES

7.

change (into sth) | change (out of sth) to put on different or clean clothes :

[ v ]

I went into the bedroom to change.

She changed into her swimsuit.

You need to change out of those wet things.

[ vn ] ( especially BrE )

I didn't have time to get changed before the party (= to put different clothes on) .

( especially NAmE )

I didn't have time to change clothes before the party.

BABY

8.

[ vn ] to put clean clothes or a clean nappy / diaper on a baby :

She can't even change a nappy.

The baby needs changing.

There are baby changing facilities in all our stores.

BED

9.

[ vn ] to put clean sheets, etc. on a bed :

to change the sheets

Could you help me change the bed?

MONEY

10.

[ vn ] change sth (into sth) to exchange money into the money of another country :

Where can I change my traveller's cheques?

to change dollars into yen

11.

[ vn ] change sth (for / into sth) to exchange money for the same amount in different coins or notes :

Can you change a £20 note?

to change a dollar bill for four quarters

GOODS

12.

[ vn ] change sth (for sth) ( BrE ) to exchange sth that you have bought for sth else, especially because there is sth wrong with it; to give a customer a new item because there is sth wrong with the one they have bought :

This shirt I bought's too small—I'll have to change it for a bigger one.

Of course we'll change it for a larger size, Madam.

BUS / TRAIN / PLANE

13.

to go from one bus, train, etc. to another in order to continue a journey :

[ v ]

Where do I have to change?

Change at Reading (for London).

[ vn ]

I stopped in Moscow only to change planes.

—see also unchanging

IDIOMS

- change hands

- change horses in midstream

- change your / sb's mind

- change your tune

- change your ways

—more at chop verb , leopard , place noun

PHRASAL VERBS

- change sth around / round

- change back (into sb/sth)

- change back (into sth)

- change sth back (into sth)

- change down

- change over (from sth) (to sth)

- change up

■ noun

DIFFERENCE

1.

[ C , U ] change (in / to sth) the act or result of sth becoming different :

a change in the weather

important changes to the tax system

There was no change in the patient's condition overnight.

She is someone who hates change.

social / political / economic change

STH NEW AND INTERESTING

2.

a change [ sing. ] change (from sth) the fact of a situation, a place or an experience being different from what is usual and therefore likely to be interesting, enjoyable, etc. :

Finishing early was a welcome change .

Let's stay in tonight for a change .

Can you just listen for a change ?

It makes a change to read some good news for once.

REPLACING STH

3.

[ C ] change (of sth) | change (from sth to sth) the process of replacing sth with sth new or different; a thing that is used to replace sth :

a change of address

a change of government

a change from agriculture to industry

There will be a crew change when we land at Dubai.

( BrE )

Let's get away for the weekend. A change of scene (= time in a different place) will do you good.

OF CLOTHES

4.

change of clothes, etc. [ C ] an extra set of clothes, etc. :

She packed a change of clothes for the weekend.

I keep a change of shoes in the car.

MONEY

5.

[ U ] the money that you get back when you have paid for sth giving more money than the amount it costs :

Don't forget your change!

That's 40p change.

The ticket machine gives change.

6.

[ U ] coins rather than paper money :

Do you have any change for the phone?

a dollar in change (= coins that together are worth one dollar)

I didn't have any small change (= coins of low value) to leave as a tip.

He puts his loose change in a money box for the children.

Could you give me change for a ten pound note (= coins or notes that are worth this amount) ?

OF BUS / TRAIN / PLANE

7.

[ C ] an occasion when you go from one bus, train or plane to another during a journey :

The journey involved three changes.

IDIOMS

- a change for the better / worse

- a change of heart

- a change of mind

- get no change out of sb

—more at ring verb , wind (I) noun

••

WORD ORIGIN

Middle English : from Old French change (noun), changer (verb), from late Latin cambiare , from Latin cambire barter, probably of Celtic origin.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.