(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is an area of grass, for example in a park or on a farm. A ~ is also an area of land on which a crop is grown.
...a ~ of wheat...
They went for walks together in the ~s.
N-COUNT
2.
A sports ~ is an area of grass where sports are played.
...a football ~...
Gavin Hastings was helped from the ~ with ankle injuries.
N-COUNT
3.
A ~ is an area of land or sea bed under which large amounts of a particular mineral have been found.
...an extensive natural gas ~ in Alaska.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
4.
A magnetic, gravitational, or electric ~ is the area in which that particular force is strong enough to have an effect.
Some people are worried that electromagnetic ~s from electric power lines could increase the risk of cancer.
N-COUNT: usu supp N
5.
A particular ~ is a particular subject of study or type of activity.
Exciting artistic breakthroughs have recently occurred in the ~s of painting, sculpture and architecture...
Each of the authors of the tapes is an expert in his ~.
N-COUNT: usu with supp
6.
A ~ is an area of a computer’s memory or a program where data can be entered, edited, or stored. (COMPUTING)
Go to a site like Yahoo! Finance and enter ‘AOL’ in the Get Quotes ~.
N-COUNT
7.
You can refer to the area where fighting or other military action in a war takes place as the ~ or the ~ of battle.
We never defeated them on the ~ of battle.
...the need for politicians to leave day-to-day decisions to commanders in the ~.
N-COUNT: usu the N, oft N of n
8.
Your ~ of vision or your visual ~ is the area that you can see without turning your head.
Our ~ of vision is surprisingly wide.
N-COUNT: with supp
9.
The ~ is a way of referring to all the competitors taking part in a particular race or sports contest.
Going into the fourth lap, the two most broadly experienced riders led the ~...
N-COUNT-COLL: usu sing, the N
10.
You use ~ to describe work or study that is done in a real, natural environment rather than in a theoretical way or in controlled conditions.
I also conducted a ~ study among the boys about their attitude to relationships...
Our teachers took us on ~ trips to observe plants and animals, firsthand...
ADJ: ADJ n
11.
In a game of cricket, baseball, or rounders, the team that is ~ing is trying to catch the ball, while the other team is trying to hit it.
When we are ~ing, the umpires keep looking at the ball.
VERB: usu cont, V
12.
If you say that someone ~s a question, you mean that they answer it or deal with it, usually successfully. (JOURNALISM)
He was later shown on television, ~ing questions.
VERB: V n
13.
If a sports team ~s a particular number or type of players, the players are chosen to play for the team on a particular occasion.
England intend ~ing their strongest team in next month’s World Youth Championship.
VERB: V n
14.
If a candidate in an election is representing a political party, you can say that the party is ~ing that candidate. (JOURNALISM)
There are signs that the new party aims to ~ candidates in elections scheduled for February next year.
= put up
VERB: V n
15.
see also coal~ , mine~ , playing ~ , snow~
16.
If someone is having a ~ day, they are very busy doing something that they enjoy, even though it may be hurtful for other people.
In our absence the office gossips are probably having a ~ day...
PHRASE: V inflects
17.
Work or study that is done in the ~ is done in a real, natural environment rather than in a theoretical way or in controlled conditions.
The zoo is doing major conservation work, both in captivity and in the ~.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v
18.
If you say that someone leads the ~ in a particular activity, you mean that they are better, more active, or more successful than everyone else who is involved in it.
When it comes to picking up awards they lead the ~ by miles.
PHRASE: V inflects
19.
If someone plays the ~, they have a number of different romantic or sexual relationships. (INFORMAL)
He gave up playing the ~ and married a year ago.
PHRASE: V inflects