(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is someone who does work without being paid for it, because they want to do it.
She now helps in a local school as a ~ three days a week...
Mike was a member of the local ~ fire brigade.
N-COUNT
2.
A ~ is someone who offers to do a particular task or job without being forced to do it.
Right. What I want now is two ~s to come down to the front...
N-COUNT
3.
If you ~ to do something, you offer to do it without being forced to do it.
Aunt Mary ~ed to clean up the kitchen...
He ~ed for the army in 1939...
She ~ed as a nurse in a soldiers’ rest-home...
He’s ~ed his services as a chauffeur.
VERB: V to-inf, V for n, V as n, V n, also V
4.
If you ~ information, you tell someone something without being asked. (FORMAL)
The room was quiet; no one ~ed any further information...
‘They were both great supporters of Franco,’ Ryle ~ed...
The next week, Phillida ~ed that they were getting on better.
VERB: V n, V with quote, V that
5.
A ~ is someone who chooses to join the armed forces, especially during a war, as opposed to someone who is forced to join by law.
They fought as ~s with the Afghan guerrillas...
N-COUNT