(~s)
1.
The ~ of something is the act or process of controlling or reducing it.
All the talk had been about the ~ of nuclear weapons.
...damage ~.
N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp, oft N of n
2.
A ~ on something is a rule or decision which prevents that thing from growing or extending beyond certain limits.
...a ~ on the tax deductions for people who make more than $100,000 a year...
There is to be no ~ on the number of opposition parties.
N-VAR: usu N on n
3.
If you talk about the ~s of someone or something, you mean that they can only do some things and not others, or cannot do something very well.
Parents are too likely to blame schools for the educational ~s of their children.
N-PLURAL: usu with poss
4.
A ~ is a fact or situation that allows only some actions and makes others impossible.
This drug has one important ~. Its effects only last six hours.
N-VAR: usu with supp