(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
The ~ of a room is the part of it that you walk on.
Jack’s sitting on the ~ watching TV...
We painted the wooden ~ with a white stain.
N-COUNT: usu the N in sing
2.
A ~ of a building is all the rooms that are on a particular level.
It is on the fifth ~ of the hospital...
They occupied the first two ~s of the tower.
= storey
N-COUNT: usu supp N
3.
The ocean ~ is the ground at the bottom of an ocean. The valley ~ is the ground at the bottom of a valley.
N-COUNT: usu sing, with supp, oft n N
4.
The place where official debates and discussions are held, especially between members of parliament, is referred to as the ~.
The issues were debated on the ~ of the House.
N-COUNT: usu the N in sing
5.
In a debate or discussion, the ~ is the people who are listening to the arguments being put forward but who are not among the main speakers.
The president is taking questions from the ~.
N-SING-COLL: the N
6.
The ~ of a stock exchange is the large open area where trading is done.
...the dealing ~ at Standard Chartered Bank.
N-COUNT: usu sing, with supp
7.
The ~ in a place such as a club or disco is the area where people dance.
N-COUNT
8.
If you are ~ed by something, you are unable to respond to it because you are so surprised by it.
He was ~ed by the announcement...
He seemed ~ed by a string of scandals.
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed, V-ed
9.
see also ~ed , ~ing , dance ~ , first ~ , ground ~ , shop ~
10.
If you take the ~, you start speaking in a debate or discussion. If you are given the ~, you are allowed to do this.
Ministers took the ~ to denounce the decision to suspend constitutional rule...
Only members would be given the ~.
PHRASE: V inflects
11.
If you take to the ~, you start dancing at a dance or disco.
The happy couple and their respective parents took to the ~.
PHRASE: V inflects
12.
If you say that prices or sales have fallen through the ~, you mean that they have suddenly decreased.
Property prices have dropped through the ~...
PHRASE: PHR after v
13.
If you wipe the ~ with someone, you defeat them completely in a competition or discussion. (INFORMAL)
He could wipe the ~ with the Prime Minister.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
14.
see also factory ~