I. band 1 S2 W2 /bænd/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Sense 1-2: Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: French ; Origin: bande 'group of people' ]
[ Sense 3-6: Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: French ; Origin: bande 'flat strip, edge, side' ]
1 . [also + plural verb] British English a group of musicians, especially a group that plays popular music:
The band was playing old Beatles songs.
I grew up playing in rock bands.
Smith joined the band in 1989.
They formed a band when they were still at school.
The entertainment includes a disco and live band.
interviews with band members
⇨ ↑ big band , ↑ brass band , ↑ marching band , ↑ one-man band
2 . a group of people formed because of a common belief or purpose
band of
a small band of volunteers
bands of soldiers
3 . a range of numbers within a system:
Interest rates stayed within a relatively narrow band.
age/tax/income etc band
people within the $20,000–$30,000 income band
4 . a flat narrow piece of something with one end joined to the other to form a circle:
papers held together with a rubber band
a slim gold band on her finger
5 . a narrow area of light, colour, land etc that is different from the areas around it:
The birds have a distinctive blue band round their eyes.
band of
a thin band of cloud
6 . technical a range of radio signals SYN waveband
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ form a band
They formed their own band and released a single.
▪ join a band
He took up the saxophone and joined the school band.
▪ play/sing in a band (=be a musician or singer in a band)
Budd played in a rock band.
▪ lead a band (=either as lead singer or as a conductor)
He led his own band in Florida and played in clubs.
▪ a band performs/plays
The band is performing live on Saturday night.
▪ a band strikes up (=starts playing)
We were on the dance floor waiting for the band to strike up.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + band
▪ a rock/jazz etc band
He's the saxophonist in a jazz band.
▪ a brass band (=a band of brass instruments such as trumpets and trombones)
A brass band was playing in the park.
▪ a live band (=playing live music, not recorded music)
There's a live band at the club on Saturday nights.
▪ the school band
She plays the trumpet in the school band.
▪ a marching band (=musicians who march as they play)
the Ohio state marching band
▪ a military band (=musicians who play music on military occasions)
a military band with their brass and their drums
■ band + NOUN
▪ a band member
He was one of the original band members.
▪ a band leader (=the conductor of a brass band, a military band, etc)
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'make a band'. Say form a band .
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ stripe a line of colour, especially one of several lines of colour all close together:
the red and white stripes on the US flag
|
horizontal stripes
▪ streak a coloured line or thin mark, especially one that is not straight or has been made accidentally:
His hair was black with streaks of grey.
|
He saw the red streaks of sunrise in the sky.
▪ band a thick line of colour that is different from the areas around it:
The fish has a black band on its fin.
II. band 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive usually passive]
British English to put people or things into different groups, usually according to income, value, or price:
After valuation, properties will be banded in groups of £20,000 or more.
band together phrasal verb
if people band together, they unite in order to achieve something:
Local people have banded together to fight the company’s plans.