I. club 1 S1 W1 /klʌb/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old Norse ; Origin: klubba 'heavy stick' ]
1 . FOR AN ACTIVITY OR SPORT
a) [ also + plural verb British English ] an organization for people who share a particular interest or enjoy similar activities, or a group of people who meet together to do something they are interested in
rugby/golf/squash etc club
Our chess club really needs new members.
club for
a club for unemployed young people
It costs £15 to join the club.
She belongs to a local health club.
b) the building or place where the members of a particular club meet or play sport:
We could have dinner at the golf club.
⇨ ↑ country club , ↑ fan club , ↑ youth club
2 . PROFESSIONAL SPORT [ also + plural verb British English ] especially British English a professional organization including the players, managers, and owners of a sports team:
Manchester United Football Club
3 . FOR DANCING/MUSIC a place where people go to dance, listen to music, and meet socially:
a jazz club
Shall we go to a club?
I’m not into the club scene at all.
4 . TRADITIONAL MEN’S CLUB especially British English
a) an organization, traditionally for men only, which provides a comfortable place for its members to relax, eat, or stay the night:
I always stay at my London club.
b) the building where this organization is based
5 . book/record/wine etc club an organization which people join to buy books, records, wine etc cheaply
6 . GOLF ( also golf club ) a long thin metal stick used in golf to hit the ball
7 . WEAPON a thick heavy stick used to hit people
8 . IN CARD GAMES
a) clubs one of the four ↑ suit s (=types of cards) in a set of playing cards, which has the design of three round black leaves in a group together
ten/king etc of clubs
the ace of clubs
b) a card from this suit:
You have to play a club.
9 . in the club British English old-fashioned if a woman is in the club, she is going to have a baby – used humorously SYN pregnant
10 . join the club ( also welcome to the club American English ) spoken used after someone has described a bad situation that they are in, to tell them that you are in the same situation:
‘He never listens to me.’ ‘Join the club.’
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ types of club
▪ a football/tennis/golf etc club
There’s a football club for the young people in the area.
▪ a sports club
Why don’t you join one of the school sports clubs?
▪ a youth club (=for young people)
The youth club is on Thursday nights in the village hall.
▪ a social club (=where you meet people and talk)
Older people may benefit from joining a social club.
▪ a health club (=where you go to do physical exercise)
The hotel has its own health club with saunas, solarium and work-out equipment.
▪ a fan club (=for people who like a particular team, band, person etc)
I used to be a member of the Take That fan club.
▪ a country club (=a sports and social club, usually in the countryside)
Ted was a member of an exclusive country club.
■ verbs
▪ join a club
I decided to join the computer club.
▪ belong to a club
Do you belong to any university clubs or societies?
▪ form a club (=start one)
It’s always possible to form your own club.
▪ run a club (=organize one)
My Dad helps to run the rowing club.
▪ a club welcomes somebody (=is happy to accept new members)
The chess club welcomes both beginners and experienced players.
■ club + NOUN
▪ a club member/member of a club
There’s a monthly magazine for club members.
▪ club membership
Club membership costs £300 per year.
▪ a club chairman/president
Reg took over as club chairman three years ago,
▪ a club secretary
For further information about membership, contact the club secretary.
▪ a club official (=someone with a position of authority in the club)
At this meeting we will elect new club officials.
II. club 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle clubbed , present participle clubbing ) [transitive]
to hit someone hard with a heavy object:
baby seals being clubbed to death
club together phrasal verb
if people club together, they share the cost of something:
We clubbed together to buy her a present.