mode W3 AC /məʊd $ moʊd/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: modus 'measure, way' ]
1 . formal a particular way or style of behaving, living, or doing something
mode of
the most efficient mode of transport
They have a relaxed mode of life that suits them well.
Western modes of thought
2 . technical a particular way in which a machine or piece of equipment can operate:
Set the monitor to 256 colour mode.
To get out of the ‘auto’ mode on the camera, turn the knob to ‘M’.
3 . be in work mode/holiday mode etc informal to have a particular feeling or way of thinking or behaving, because of the situation you are in:
With only minutes to go, we were now in panic mode.
4 . be the mode formal to be fashionable at a particular time:
Long skirts were then the mode.
5 . technical one of various systems of arranging notes in music, such as ↑ major and ↑ minor in Western music
⇨ ↑ à la mode , ↑ modish
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THESAURUS
▪ method a way of doing something, especially one that is well known and often used:
You can choose whichever method of payment you prefer.
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an environmentally friendly method for treating household waste
▪ way a set of actions that you use in order to do something. Way is more informal than method and is used more often in everyday English:
What’s the best way to remove wine stains?
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a new way of treating the disease
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There are lots of ways of cooking mushrooms.
▪ means something that you use to do something or achieve something:
Their main means of transport is their car.
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E-mail is often the most convenient means of communication.
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He looked around for a means of escape.
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Education and training are the most efficient means of improving the nation’s economy.
▪ approach a way of dealing with a particular problem or situation, especially a way that has been carefully thought about or planned:
Today’s approach to raising children is very different from 40 years ago.
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I think we need to try a different approach.
▪ technique a particular way of doing something, for which you need a skill that has to be learned and practised:
tips on how to improve your exam technique
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More patients are surviving thanks to improved surgical techniques.
▪ tactics methods that you use in order to achieve what you want, especially in a game or competition:
There were complaints about police tactics used to clear demonstrators.
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The team was discussing tactics for the game.
▪ strategy a set of carefully planned methods for achieving something that is difficult and may take a long time:
our sales strategy
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a strategy to reduce the level of teenage smoking
▪ mode formal a particular way of doing something:
For him, painting is just another mode of expression.
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You can choose between several different modes of operation.
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the most efficient mode of transportation
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Withdrawing a child from class is still the preferred mode of providing extra help to that child.