INDEX:
1. a type of person or thing
2. a type of plant or animal
3. a type of product
4. to say that someone or something belongs to a particular type
RELATED WORDS
to write something with a typewriter : ↑ WRITE
◆◆◆
1. a type of person or thing
▷ type/kind/sort /taɪp, kaɪnd, sɔːʳt/ [countable noun]
a group of things or people that are similar to each other in some way, or a thing or person that belongs to such a group. Kind and sort are more common than type in spoken English. Use type when you are talking about technical subjects or when you are describing something in an exact way :
▪ I’ll get you some ice-cream. What kind would you like?
type/kind/sort of
▪ The floor was made of three different types of wood.
▪ What sort of fish is this?
▪ ‘What type of music do you like?’ ‘Mainly dance music and some indie.’
▪ She’s the kind of person you can always rely on.
▪ There are two sorts of politician - the ones who really want to help people, and the ones who just want power.
of this/that type etc
▪ Accidents of this type are extremely common.
▪ It’s a club for writers and actors and people of that sort.
of various/many/different types etc
▪ They export farming machinery and tools of various kinds.
▷ style /staɪl/ [countable noun]
a particular type of building, art, literature, music etc :
▪ The new library is a blend of various architectural styles.
style of
▪ a completely new style of painting
style [adjective/adverb]
western-style/Japanese style etc
▪ The room was simply furnished, Japanese-style.
▷ category /ˈkætɪg ə ri, ˈkætəg ə riǁ-gɔːri/ [countable noun]
a group that people or things of the same type are divided into for a particular purpose - use this when there are several groups and there is a clear system for deciding which group something belongs to :
▪ Emma Thompson won an Oscar in the Best Actress category.
▪ The novels are divided up into three categories: historical, romantic, and crime.
category of
▪ Insurance companies identify six main categories of driver.
▷ class /klɑːsǁklæs/ [countable noun]
a number of people or things that are considered as being of the same group because they have the same physical features, qualities etc :
class of
▪ French is one of a class of languages known as the Romance languages.
▪ Doctors are reluctant to prescribe a new class of drugs, especially ones which need to be taken for long periods of time.
▷ variety /vəˈraɪəti/ [countable noun]
a type of thing that is different from another similar type :
variety of
▪ The French make many varieties of cheese, from both cows’ and goats’ milk.
▪ At that time, all newsreaders spoke a variety of English spoken in southern England, known as Received Pronunciation.
▷ genre /ˈʒɒnrəǁˈʒɑːnrə/ [countable noun] formal
a type of literature, film, or work of art :
▪ Science fiction as a genre is relatively new.
▪ Italian filmmakers made their own versions of the classic Hollywood genres - the western, the gangster film, the musical.
▷ form /fɔːʳm/ [countable noun]
a form of something is one type of it of all the ones that are possible :
form of
▪ Melanoma is a form of skin cancer.
▪ Britain has a constitutional form of government.
▪ Sugar in chocolate and other forms of confectionery is one of the major causes of tooth decay.
▷ nature /ˈneɪtʃəʳ/ [singular noun]
a particular type of thing :
of a political/historical/technical/scientific/sexual nature
▪ The support being given is primarily of a practical nature.
▪ books of an erotic nature
of a different/similar nature
▪ On the plains the farmers have to deal with frequent floods, but up in the hills their problems are of a different nature.
of that nature
▪ Children at this age commonly refer to being eaten up by tigers and lions and things of that nature.
be in the nature of something
to be like something
▪ The cruise was to be in the nature of a ‘rest cure’.
▷ of that/his/their etc ilk /əv ˌðæt ˈɪlk/ [adjective phrase]
of that type, his type etc - use this especially about types that you do not like or respect :
▪ Environmentalists, feminists, and others of that ilk regularly try to drive shows like this off the air.
▪ Desserts ($5) were of the tiramisu, crème brûlée, chocolate torte ilk.
▷ like this/like that /laɪk ˈðɪs, laɪk ˈðæt/ [adjective phrase] especially spoken
of the type that you have just been talking about :
▪ The children need new pens and pencils and things like that.
▪ People like that really annoy me.
▪ I’m not sure what to do. I’ve never been in a situation like this before.
2. a type of plant or animal
▷ species /ˈspiːʃiːz/ [countable noun]
a group of animals or plants that are all similar and can breed together to produce young animals or plants of the same type :
species of
▪ There are over forty species of bird living on the island.
▪ Scientists have discovered a new species of Eucalyptus tree.
endangered species
one that might not exist for much longer
▪ The giant panda is an endangered species. There are fewer than a thousand living in the wild.
▷ breed /briːd/ [countable noun]
a type of animal, especially one that has been developed by man, such as a dog, cat, or a farm animal :
▪ Most dairy herds today are of Friesian or Holstein breeds.
breed of
▪ What breed of dog is that? I’ve never seen one like it before.
▪ It’s a very unusual breed of goat, dating back to the time of Cleopatra.
▷ variety /vəˈraɪəti/ [countable noun]
a type of plant or animal that is different from another similar type :
▪ South American growers use the best US seed varieties.
variety of
▪ This is a new variety of apple; we’re selling it for the first time.
▪ It may be possible to create varieties of fish that have resistance to common diseases.
▷ strain /streɪn/ [countable noun]
a type of plant, animal, bacteria etc that has one particular feature that makes it different from others of the same type - use this in scientific or technical contexts :
strain of
▪ A pure-bred strain of barley is required in the production of this whisky.
▪ A particularly hardy strain of the virus can make you ill for over a week.
3. a type of product
▷ brand /brænd/ [countable noun]
a type of product made by a particular company - use this about products that you use every day such as food or drink or cleaning materials :
▪ They sell all the usual kinds of coffee, but also some less well-known brands.
brand of
▪ Coke and Pepsi are the most popular brands of cola.
▪ my favourite brand of toothpaste
▷ make /meɪk/ [countable noun]
a type of product made by a particular company - use this about things such as machines, equipment, and cars, not about food or drink :
▪ What make is your washing machine?
make of
▪ ‘What make of car was she driving?’ ‘A Mercedes.’
▷ model /ˈmɒdlǁˈmɑːdl/ [countable noun]
one particular type of car or machine from among the various types that a company produces :
▪ ‘What make is the car?’ ‘It’s a Ford.’ ‘And what model?’ ‘An Escort 1.8L.’
▪ We produce a range of different computers, but this is our most popular model.
4. to say that someone or something belongs to a particular type
▷ categorize also categorise British /ˈkætɪgəraɪz, ˈkætəgəraɪz/ [transitive verb]
to decide that someone or something belongs to a particular group of people or things that have similar qualities :
categorize somebody/something as something
▪ Dali was categorized as a surrealist painter.
▪ Forecasts suggest that by the year 2010, only about 30 percent of U.S. households will be categorized as middle class.
▷ classify /ˈklæsɪfaɪ, ˈklæsəfaɪ/ [transitive verb]
to put things or people into particular groups, especially according to an official or scientific system :
classify somebody/something as something
▪ Carpentry and furniture making are usually classified as skilled trades.
classify somebody/something by/according to something
▪ Wines can be classified according to their sugar content - that is dry, medium or sweet.
▪ Eggs are classified by weight as Extra Large, Large, Medium, Small, and Peewee.
▷ stereotype /ˈsteriətaɪp/ [transitive verb]
to decide unfairly, that certain people have particular qualities, abilities, or needs, for example because they are of a particular sex, race, or social class :
▪ Teachers often stereotype kids who speak with strong regional accents.
stereotype somebody as something
▪ There is a tendency to stereotype childless women as being hard and career-orientated.
▷ pigeonhole /ˈpɪdʒɪnhəʊl, ˈpɪdʒənhəʊl/ [transitive verb]
to say that someone or something can be described as a particular type or group, in a way that is too simple and therefore unfair :
▪ You shouldn’t pigeonhole people according to your first impressions of them.
▪ When your band becomes successful, people immediately try to pigeonhole you, but we’re into all kinds of music - dance, rock, jazz, blues.
▷ under /ˈʌndəʳ/ [preposition]
if you include something under a particular category or heading, you decide that it belongs to that particular group of things :
classify/categorize/file/list something under something
▪ In our library, novels are classified under Crime, Romance, and General.
▪ The Association of British Travel Agents is listed under ‘Trade Associations and Professional Bodies’ in the Yellow Pages.