/ klɑːs; NAmE klæs/ noun , verb , adjective
■ noun
IN EDUCATION
1.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] a group of students who are taught together :
We were in the same class at school.
She is the youngest in her class.
He came top of the class .
The whole class was / were told to stay behind after school.
2.
[ C , U ] an occasion when a group of students meets to be taught
SYN lesson :
I was late for a class.
See me after class.
She works hard in class (= during the class) .
I have a history class at 9 o'clock.
3.
[ C ] (also classes [ pl. ]) a series of classes on a particular subject
SYN course :
I've been taking classes in pottery.
Are you still doing your French evening class?
4.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] ( especially NAmE ) a group of students who finish their studies at school, college or university in a particular year :
the class of 2002
IN SOCIETY
5.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] one of the groups of people in a society that are thought of as being at the same social or economic level :
the working / middle / upper class
The party tries to appeal to all classes of society.
the professional classes
6.
[ U ] the way that people are divided into different social and economic groups :
differences of class, race or gender
the class system
a society in which class is more important than ability
GROUP OF PEOPLE / ANIMALS
7.
[ C ] a group of people, animals or things that have similar characteristics or qualities :
It was good accommodation for a hotel of this class.
different classes of drugs
Dickens was in a different class from (= was much better than) most of his contemporaries.
As a jazz singer she's in a class of her own (= better than most others) .
—see also first-class , high-class , low-class , second-class
SKILL / STYLE
8.
[ U ] an elegant quality or a high level of skill that is impressive :
She has class all right—she looks like a model.
There's a real touch of class about this team.
IN TRAIN / PLANE
9.
[ C ] (especially in compounds) each of several different levels of comfort that are available to travellers in a plane, etc. :
He always travels business class.
The first-class compartment is situated at the front of the train.
—see also economy class syndrome , second-class , third-class , tourist class
OF UNIVERSITY DEGREE
10.
[ C ] (especially in compounds) one of the levels of achievement in a British university degree exam :
a first- / second- / third-class degree
BIOLOGY
11.
[ C ] a group into which animals, plants, etc. that have similar characteristics are divided, below a phylum
—compare family , genus , species
•
IDIOMS
see chatter verb
■ verb
[ vn ] [ often passive ] class sb/sth (as sth)
PUT INTO GROUP
to think or decide that sb/sth is a particular type of person or thing
SYN classify :
Immigrant workers were classed as aliens.
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] ( informal )
WITH SKILL / STYLE
very good :
a class player / performer
She's a real class act .
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (in sense 1): from Latin classis a division of the Roman people, a grade, or a class of pupils.