(~s, scheming, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a plan or arrangement involving many people which is made by a government or other organization. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use program )
...~s to help combat unemployment.
...a private pension ~...
N-COUNT: oft N to-inf, n N
2.
A ~ is someone’s plan for achieving something.
...a quick money-making ~ to get us through the summer...
N-COUNT: oft N to-inf, N for -ing
3.
If you say that people are scheming, you mean that they are making secret plans in order to gain something for themselves.
Everyone’s always scheming and plotting...
The bride’s family were scheming to prevent a wedding...
They claimed that their opponents were scheming against them...
You’re a scheming little devil, aren’t you?
VERB: oft cont, V, V to-inf, V against n, V-ing disapproval
scheming
...their favourite pastimes of scheming and gossiping.
N-UNCOUNT
4.
see also colour ~ , pension ~
5.
When people talk about the ~ of things or the grand ~ of things , they are referring to the way that everything in the world seems to be organized.
We realize that we are infinitely small within the ~ of things.
PHRASE