I. NOUN USES
(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ of things is a number of things that belong together or that are thought of as a group.
There must be one ~ of laws for the whole of the country...
I might need a spare ~ of clothes...
The computer repeats a ~ of calculations...
Only she and Mr Cohen had complete ~s of keys to the shop...
The mattress and base are normally bought as a ~.
...a chess ~.
N-COUNT: oft N of n
2.
In tennis, a ~ is one of the groups of six or more games that form part of a match.
Graf was leading 5-1 in the first ~.
N-COUNT: oft supp N
3.
In mathematics, a ~ is a group of mathematical quantities that have some characteristic in common.
N-COUNT
4.
A band’s or musician’s ~ is the group of songs or tunes that they perform at a concert.
The band continued with their ~ after a short break...
N-COUNT
5.
You can refer to a group of people as a ~ if they meet together socially or have the same interests and lifestyle.
He belonged to what the press called ‘The Chelsea Set’.
N-SING: supp N
see also jet ~
6.
The ~ for a play, film, or television show is the furniture and scenery that is on the stage when the play is being performed or in the studio where filming takes place.
From the first moment he got on the ~, he wanted to be a director too...
...his stage ~s for the Folies Bergeres.
N-COUNT: also on/off N
7.
The ~ of someone’s face or part of their body is the way that it is fixed in a particular expression or position, especially one that shows determination.
Matt looked at Hugh and saw the stubbornness in the ~ of his shoulders...
N-SING: usu the N of n
8.
A ~ is an appliance. For example, a television ~ is a television.
Children spend so much time in front of the television ~...
N-COUNT: oft supp N
II. VERB AND ADJECTIVE USES
(~s, ~ting)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: The form '~' is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle of the verb.
Please look at category 25 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
If you ~ something somewhere, you put it there, especially in a careful or deliberate way.
He took the case out of her hand and ~ it on the floor...
When he ~ his glass down he spilled a little drink.
= put, place
VERB: V n prep, V n with adv
2.
If something is ~ in a particular place or position, it is in that place or position.
The castle is ~ in 25 acres of beautiful grounds...
= situated
ADJ: v-link ADJ prep/adv
3.
If something is ~ into a surface, it is fixed there and does not stick out.
The man unlocked a gate ~ in a high wall and let me through...
ADJ: v-link ADJ prep/adv
4.
You can use ~ to say that a person or thing causes another person or thing to be in a particular condition or situation. For example, to ~ someone free means to cause them to be free, and to ~ something going means to cause it to start working.
Set the kitchen timer going...
A phrase from the conference floor ~ my mind wandering...
Dozens of people have been injured and many vehicles ~ on fire...
Churchill immediately ~ into motion a daring plan.
VERB: V n -ing, V n -ing, be V-ed adj/adv, V n with prep
5.
When you ~ a clock or control, you adjust it to a particular point or level.
Set the volume as high as possible...
I forgot to ~ my alarm and I overslept.
VERB: V n adv/prep, V n
6.
If you ~ a date, price, goal, or level, you decide what it will be.
The conference chairman has ~ a deadline of noon tomorrow...
A date will be ~ for a future meeting...
VERB: V n, V n
7.
If you ~ a certain value on something, you think it has that value.
She ~s a high value on autonomy...
VERB: V n on n/-ing
8.
If you ~ something such as a record, an example, or a precedent, you do something that people will want to copy or try to achieve.
Legal experts said her case would not ~ a precedent because it was an out-of-court ~tlement...
A new world marathon record of 2 hrs, 8 min, 5 sec, was ~ by Stephen Jones of Great Britain...
VERB: V n, V n
9.
If someone ~s you a task or aim or if you ~ yourself a task or aim, you need to succeed in doing it.
I have to plan my academic work very rigidly and ~ myself clear objectives...
VERB: V n n
10.
To ~ an examination or a question paper means to decide what questions will be asked in it. (BRIT; in AM, usually use make up )
He broke with the tradition of ~ting examinations in Latin.
VERB: V n
11.
You use ~ to describe something which is fixed and cannot be changed.
Investors can apply for a package of shares at a ~ price...
ADJ: usu ADJ n
12.
A ~ book must be studied by students taking a particular course. (BRIT; in AM, use required )
One of the ~ books is Jane Austen’s Emma.
ADJ: ADJ n
13.
If a play, film, or story is ~ in a particular place or period of time, the events in it take place in that place or period.
The play is ~ in a small Midwestern town.
ADJ: v-link ADJ prep/adv
14.
If you are ~ to do something, you are ready to do it or are likely to do it. If something is ~ to happen, it is about to happen or likely to happen.
Roberto Baggio was ~ to become one of the greatest players of all time...
ADJ: v-link ADJ to-inf
15.
If you are ~ on something, you are strongly determined to do or have it. If you are ~ against something, you are strongly determined not to do or have it.
She was ~ on going to an all-girls school...
ADJ: v-link ADJ on/against n/-ing
16.
If you ~ your face or jaw, you put on a fixed expression of determination.
Instead, she ~ her jaw grimly and waited in silence...
VERB: V n
17.
When something such as jelly, melted plastic, or cement ~s, it becomes firm or hard.
You can add ingredients to these desserts as they begin to ~...
VERB: V
18.
When the sun ~s, it goes below the horizon.
They watched the sun ~ behind the distant dales.
...the red glow of the ~ting sun.
VERB: V, V-ing
19.
To ~ a trap means to prepare it to catch someone or something.
He seemed to think I was ~ting some sort of trap for him...
VERB: V n for n
20.
When someone ~s the table, they prepare it for a meal by putting plates and cutlery on it.
= lay
VERB
21.
If someone ~s a poem or a piece of writing to music, they write music for the words to be sung to.
He has attracted much interest by ~ting ancient religious texts to music.
VERB: V n to n
22.
see also ~ting , ~-to
23.
If someone ~s the scene or ~s the stage for an event to take place, they make preparations so that it can take place.
The Democrat convention has ~ the scene for a ferocious election campaign this autumn...
PHRASE: V inflects
24.
If you say that someone is ~ in their ways, you are being critical of the fact that they have fixed habits and ideas which they will not easily change, even though they may be old-fashioned.
PHRASE: V inflects disapproval
25.
to ~ eyes on something : see eye
to ~ fire to something : see fire
to ~ foot somewhere : see foot
to ~ your heart on something : see heart
to ~ sail: see sail
to ~ great store by or on something : see store
to ~ to work: see work