Setting - English meaning

verb

Alter or move (something) slightly in order to achieve the desired fit, appearance, or result.

Usage examples:

He smoothed his hair and adjusted his tie

verb

Alter or regulate so as to conform to a standard

verb

To change something slightly to make it fit, work better, or be more suitable

Usage examples:

[ t ] adjust the angle of your monitor so you can easily read it., [ i ] you need time to adjust to…

noun

A region or part of a town, a country, or the world.

Usage examples:

Rural areas of britain

noun

A part of the earth’s surface of land and water, or a particular part of a country, city, town, etc.

Usage examples:

An industrial/suburban/mountainous area, this area of the brain is called the cerebral cortex., his…

noun

A particular part of a place, piece of land, or country

Usage examples:

This is an area of the city where 48% of the properties are rental properties., our goal is to grow…

noun

A painted cloth hung at the back of a theatre stage as part of the scenery.

Usage examples:

Alex is happy with the art alliance and has volunteered to paint some scenery backdrops for them.

verb

Lie behind or beyond; serve as a background to.

Usage examples:

The rolling hills that backdropped our camp

noun

A large piece of cloth with buildings, countryside, etc. painted on it, hung at the back of a stage during a performance

noun

The part of a picture, scene, or design that forms a setting for the main figures or objects, or appears furthest from the viewer.

Usage examples:

The house stands against a background of sheltering trees

verb

Form a background to.

Usage examples:

Windswept land backgrounded by the rockies

noun

Things that appear to be farther away or behind what is nearer or in front, esp. in a picture

Usage examples:

[ c ] he photographed the models against different backgrounds., [ u ] with so much noise in the ba…

noun

A stopper for closing a hole in a container.

Usage examples:

His invention was designed to cut a hole through an existing bung or stopper rather than through th…

verb

Close with a stopper.

Usage examples:

The casks are bunged before delivery

noun

A bribe.

Usage examples:

I know i'm not the only one to have stopped supporting animal welfare groups, so ultimately these g…

noun

An item of soft sweet food made from a mixture of flour, fat, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients, baked and sometimes iced or decorated.

Usage examples:

A delicious cake smothered with whipped cream

verb

(of a thick or sticky substance that hardens when dry) cover and become encrusted on (the surface of an object).

Usage examples:

His clothes were caked in mud

noun

A sweet food made with a mixture of flour, eggs, fat, and sugar

Usage examples:

Would you like a piece of/a slice of/some cake?, chocolate/sponge cake, a birthday/christmas cake, …

verb

Mark (a gauge or instrument) with a standard scale of readings.

Usage examples:

The depth gauge is calibrated in centimetres

verb

To make, adjust, or check the setting (= the position) of the controls used to make measurements with a tool or measuring device

Usage examples:

Our radar was calibrated for 100,000 yards.

verb

To mark units of measurement on an instrument such so that it can measure accurately

Usage examples:

A calibrated stick for measuring the amount of oil in an engine

noun

A thick mass of coagulated liquid, especially blood, or of material stuck together.

Usage examples:

A blood clot

verb

Form or cause to form clots.

Usage examples:

Drugs that help blood to clot

noun

An almost solid piece of something

Usage examples:

Blood clot he had a blood clot removed from his brain.

verb

(of a fluid, especially blood) change to a solid or semi-solid state.

Usage examples:

Blood had coagulated round the edges of the gash

verb

(of a liquid) to become or cause to become thicker so that it will not flow

Usage examples:

[ i ] when making cheese, enzymes are added to make the milk coagulate.

verb

To change from liquid to a more solid state, or to cause something to do this

Usage examples:

The sauce coagulated as it cooled down., the venom of this snake coagulates the blood.

verb

Become semi-solid, especially on cooling.

Usage examples:

The blood had congealed into blobs

verb

To change from a liquid or soft state to a thick or solid state

Usage examples:

The grease in the frying pan congealed as it cooled.

noun

The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood.

Usage examples:

The proposals need to be considered in the context of new european directives

The set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation

noun

The influences and events related to a particular event or situation

Usage examples:

A historical/literary context, he is willing to look for solutions in the context of changes to the…

verb

Bring the different elements of (a complex activity or organization) into a harmonious or efficient relationship.

Usage examples:

He had responsibility for coordinating london's transport services

adjective

Equal in rank or importance.

Usage examples:

Cross references in the catalogue link subjects which may be coordinate

noun

Each of a group of numbers used to indicate the position of a point, line, or plane.

Usage examples:

It happened when he came across a theorem which stated that points in the plane could be specified …

adjective

Free from error; in accordance with fact or truth.

Usage examples:

Make sure you have been given the correct information

verb

Put right (an error or fault).

Usage examples:

The council issued a statement correcting some points in the press reports

adjective

In agreement with the true facts or with a generally accepted standard

Usage examples:

It’s your responsibility to see that your tax return is correct., do you have the correct time?, "d…

verb

Form or cause to form crystals.

Usage examples:

When most liquids freeze they crystallize

verb

If a liquid crystallizes, it turns into crystals.

verb

If something crystallizes your thoughts or opinions, it makes them clear and fixed

Usage examples:

The event helped to crystallize my thoughts.

verb

(typically of something regarded as good) become smaller, fewer, or less; decrease.

Usage examples:

The birth rate continued to decline

noun

A gradual and continuous loss of strength, numbers, quality, or value.

Usage examples:

A serious decline in bird numbers

verb

To go down in amount or quality; lessen or weaken

Usage examples:

His interest in the project declined after his wife died., her health declined quickly., [ t ] she …

noun

A sum of money paid into a bank or building society account.

Usage examples:

Cash funds which are an alternative to bank or building society deposits

verb

Put or set down (something or someone) in a specific place.

Usage examples:

He deposited a pile of school books on the kitchen table

noun

An amount of money paid into an account

Usage examples:

She made a large deposit last thursday., will you get your deposit back if you cancel the trip?, th…

verb

Move or fall downwards.

Usage examples:

The aircraft began to descend

verb

Move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

verb

To go down or come down something

Usage examples:

[ i ] the path descends to the valley below., [ t ] jane descended the stairs slowly in her wedding…

verb

Cease to be visible.

Usage examples:

He disappeared into the trees

verb

(of a person or thing) to go to a place or into a condition where the person or thing cannot be seen

Usage examples:

She disappeared into the house., he disappeared for a few hours (= went somewhere unknown)., they w…

verb

If people or things disappear, they go somewhere where they cannot be seen or found

Usage examples:

The search was called off for the sailors who disappeared in the storm., i can't find my keys anywh…

verb

Get rid of by throwing away or giving or selling to someone else.

Usage examples:

The waste is disposed of in the north sea

verb

To make someone feel a particular, and often bad, way toward someone else, or to influence someone in a particular way

Usage examples:

Her sense of humor disposed me to like her.

phrasal verb

To get rid of something, especially by throwing it away

Usage examples:

The agency has put an end to new efforts to dispose of hazardous waste in sensitive environmental a…

noun

An area of a country or city, especially one characterized by a particular feature or activity.

Usage examples:

A coal-mining district

verb

Divide into areas.

Usage examples:

The committee districted the city into blocks

noun

An area of a country, state, or city that has been given fixed borders for official purposes, or one having a particular feature that makes it different from surrounding areas

Usage examples:

The theater district in new york is in midtown manhattan.

verb

Let or make (something) fall vertically.

Usage examples:

The fire was caused by someone dropping a lighted cigarette

noun

A small round or pear-shaped portion of liquid that hangs or falls or adheres to a surface.

Usage examples:

The first drops of rain splashed on the ground

verb

Let fall to the ground

noun

A site for depositing rubbish.

Usage examples:

Putting a halting site beside a dump was unfair in the first place.

verb

Deposit or dispose of (rubbish, waste, or unwanted material), typically in a careless or hurried way.

Usage examples:

Trucks dumped 1,900 tons of refuse here

verb

To put down or drop something heavy without caring where it goes, or to get rid of something or someone no longer wanted

Usage examples:

The ship was accused of dumping garbage overboard., she missed too many rehearsals and was dumped f…

noun

The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

Usage examples:

Survival in an often hostile environment

noun

The air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live

Usage examples:

We’re trying to protect the environment from pollution., a good business environment, for preschool…

noun

The air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live

Usage examples:

Conserve/preserve/protect the environment he tries to do what he can to preserve the environment by…

verb

Surround; enclose.

Usage examples:

The stone circle was environed by an expanse of peat soil

plural noun

The surrounding area or district.

Usage examples:

The picturesque environs of the loch

noun

The area surrounding a place, especially a town

noun

A piece of equipment or furniture which is fixed in position in a building or vehicle.

Usage examples:

Plumbing fixtures

noun

A piece of equipment that stays attached to a house or other building

Usage examples:

A light fixture, bathroom fixtures, fig. he became a fixture (= a regular feature) on television in…

noun

Something in a house that is permanently fixed, such as bathroom equipment, and that is not taken by someone when they move to a new home

Usage examples:

All fixtures and fittings are included in the house price.

noun

A rigid structure that surrounds something such as a picture, door, or windowpane.

Usage examples:

His mother stood in the frame of the kitchen door, hands on her hips and a grim expression on her f…

verb

Place (a picture or photograph) in a frame.

Usage examples:

He had had the photo framed

noun

A set of criteria or stated values in relation to which measurements or judgements can be made.

Usage examples:

The observer interprets what he sees in terms of his own cultural frame of reference

verb

(with reference to a liquid) turn or be turned into ice or another solid as a result of extreme cold.

Usage examples:

In the winter the milk froze

noun

An act of holding or being held at a fixed level or in a fixed state.

Usage examples:

Workers faced a pay freeze

verb

To become cold enough to become solid

Usage examples:

[ i ] the rainwater froze overnight, leaving the roads icy., [ i ] freeze! keep your hands up!, [ t…

noun

A a thick, clear, slightly sticky substance, especially one used in cosmetic or medicinal products.

Usage examples:

Hair gel

verb

(of a liquid or semi-liquid substance) set or become more solid.

Usage examples:

The stew is gelling

noun

An upper-class or well-bred girl or young woman.

Usage examples:

Fastidiously reared home counties gels

noun

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Usage examples:

Wild chimps in their natural habitat

noun

The natural surroundings in which an animal or plant usually lives

noun

The natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives

Usage examples:

With so many areas of woodland being cut down, a lot of wildlife is losing its natural habitat.

verb

Make or become hard or harder.

Usage examples:

Wait for the glue to harden

verb

To make or become stronger or more severe

Usage examples:

[ i ] as the war progressed, attitudes on both sides hardened., [ i ] in a few hours the cement wil…

verb

If prices or share prices harden, they increase

Usage examples:

If the oil price hardens this week and remains high, there will be some effect on fuel prices by th…

verb

Add notes to (a melody) to produce harmony.

Usage examples:

We harmonize a scale using only the notes from that particular key

verb

To add a harmony to a tune

Usage examples:

[ i ] i can sing a tune, but i find it hard to harmonize., [ t ] we need to harmonize the different…

verb

To make systems or laws the same or similar in different companies, countries, etc. so that they can work together more easily

Usage examples:

Initiatives to harmonize world tax systems have been met with much resistance., flexible working ar…

verb

Put (something) down gently or carefully.

Usage examples:

She laid the baby in his cot

noun

Used with an abstract noun so that the phrase formed has the same meaning as the verb related to the noun used, e.g. ‘lay the blame on’ means ‘to blame’.

Usage examples:

She laid great stress on little courtesies

adjective

Not ordained into or belonging to the clergy.

Usage examples:

A lay preacher

verb

Be in or move into a sloping position.

Usage examples:

He leaned back in his chair

noun

A deviation from the perpendicular; an inclination.

Usage examples:

The vehicle has a definite lean to the left

adjective

(of a person or animal) thin, especially healthily so; having no superfluous fat.

Usage examples:

His lean, muscular body

verb

Go away from.

Usage examples:

She left london on june 6

noun

(in snooker, croquet, and other games) the position in which a player leaves the balls for the next player.

noun

Time when one has permission to be absent from work or from duty in the armed forces.

Usage examples:

Joe was home on leave

exclamation

Used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event.

Usage examples:

And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them

noun

A person's young son or daughter (particularly used in online forums).

Usage examples:

My lo doesn't nap during the day

noun

A place where something happens or is set, or that has particular events associated with it.

Usage examples:

Her summers were spent in a variety of exotic locales

noun

An area or place, esp. one where something special happens

Usage examples:

The film’s locale is venice in the summer of 1957.

noun

An area or place, especially one where something special happens, such as the action in a book or film

Usage examples:

The book's locale is a coastal town in the summer of 1958.

noun

A particular place or position.

Usage examples:

The property is set in a convenient location

noun

A particular place or position

Usage examples:

A good location for a bookstore, the map showed the location of an old mine., the documentary was f…

noun

The place or position that something is in or where something happens

Usage examples:

Come visit us at our new location!, an ideal/prime/suitable location (for sth) the strong economy a…

noun

A person's social environment.

Usage examples:

Gregory came from the same aristocratic milieu as sidonius

noun

The people and the physical and social conditions and events that provide a background in which someone acts or lives

Usage examples:

The irish-catholic milieu of chicago, a cultural milieu

noun

The type of place and situation in which the action of a film or play happens

Usage examples:

This is the film's most celebrated scene, a masterstroke of movement and mise en scene., the genera…

verb

Climb up (stairs, a hill, or other rising surface).

Usage examples:

He mounted the steps

noun

A backing or setting on which a photograph, gem, or work of art is set for display.

Usage examples:

A decorated photograph mount

noun

A mountain or hill (archaic except in place names).

Usage examples:

Mount etna

noun

A backing, setting, or support for something.

Usage examples:

He pulled the curtain rail from its mounting

verb

Climb up (stairs, a hill, or other rising surface).

Usage examples:

He mounted the steps

adjective

Increasing or rising

Usage examples:

There’s been mounting international criticism of the move.

noun

A district or community within a town or city.

Usage examples:

She lived in a wealthy neighbourhood of boston

noun

An area of a town, or the people who live or work in this area

Usage examples:

The company aims to set up a nursery school in every neighbourhood., the $150 million bond issue wi…

noun

A large public garden or area of land used for recreation.

Usage examples:

A walk round the park

verb

Bring (a vehicle that one is driving) to a halt and leave it temporarily, typically in a car park or by the side of the road.

Usage examples:

He parked his car outside her house

verb

A piece of open land for recreational use in an urban area

noun

A particular position, point, or area in space; a location.

Usage examples:

I can't be in two places at once

verb

Put in a particular position.

Usage examples:

A newspaper had been placed beside my plate

noun

An area, town, building, etc.

Usage examples:

Her garden was a cool pleasant place to sit., what was the name of that place we drove through on t…

noun

A living organism of the kind exemplified by trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, ferns, and mosses, typically growing in a permanent site, absorbing water and inorganic substances through its roots, and synthesizing nutrients in its leaves by photosynthesis using the green pigment chlorophyll.

Usage examples:

Eventually, it melts to supply water and nutrients to plants and aquatic organisms.

verb

Put (a seed, bulb, or plant) in the ground so that it can grow.

Usage examples:

We planted a lot of fruit trees

verb

Set down heavily or carelessly.

Usage examples:

She plonked her glass on the table

noun

A sound as of something being set down heavily.

Usage examples:

He sat down with a plonk

noun

Cheap wine of inferior quality.

Usage examples:

We turned up at 8 p.m., each clutching a bottle of plonk

adjective

Having a full rounded shape.

Usage examples:

The berries were plump and sweet

verb

Shake or pat (a cushion or pillow) to adjust its stuffing and make it rounded and soft.

Usage examples:

She plumped up her pillows

noun

An abrupt plunge; a heavy fall.

Usage examples:

The wagon came into a deep hole, with such a plump

verb

Play a keyboard or plucked stringed instrument in an inexpressive way.

Usage examples:

I got a guitar when i was twelve and started plunking away on it

noun

The sound made by abruptly plucking a string of a stringed instrument.

Usage examples:

The singing was punctuated by the plunks of the guitar

verb

Make a light explosive sound.

Usage examples:

Corks popped and glasses tinkled

noun

A light explosive sound.

Usage examples:

There were a few pops, perhaps from pistols

adverb

With a light explosive sound.

Usage examples:

The champagne went pop

verb

Present or constitute (a problem or danger).

Usage examples:

The sheer number of visitors is posing a threat to the area

noun

A way of standing or sitting, especially in order to be photographed, painted, or drawn.

Usage examples:

Photographs of boxers in ferocious poses

verb

Puzzle or perplex (someone) with a question or problem.

Usage examples:

We have thus posed the mathematician and the historian

verb

Put forward as fact or as a basis for argument.

Usage examples:

The confucian view posits a perfectible human nature

noun

A statement which is made on the assumption that it will prove to be true.

Usage examples:

Aristotle divides posits into two types, definitions and hypotheses.

verb

To suggest something as a basic fact or principle from which a further idea is formed or developed

Usage examples:

[ + that ] if we posit that wage rises cause inflation, it follows that we should try to minimize t…

noun

A place where someone or something is located or has been put.

Usage examples:

The distress call had given the ship's position

verb

Put or arrange (someone or something) in a particular place or way.

Usage examples:

He pulled out a chair and positioned it between them

noun

A pole or beam used as a temporary support or to keep something in position.

Usage examples:

He looked around for a prop to pin the door open

verb

Support or keep in position.

Usage examples:

She propped her chin in the palm of her right hand

noun

A portable object other than furniture or costumes used on the set of a play or film.

Usage examples:

The exhibition features props and costumes from the show's incredible 49-year history

verb

Move to or place in a particular position.

Usage examples:

I put my hand out towards her

noun

A throw of a shot or weight.

Usage examples:

Nichols recorded a put of 61.05 on his third attempt.

Cause to be in a certain state

collocation

Put in a horizontal position

phrasal verb

Stop holding something and place it on a surface or the ground.

Usage examples:

Harry put down his cup

phrasal verb

Record something in writing.

Usage examples:

He's putting a few thoughts down on paper

noun

An area, especially part of a country or the world having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries.

Usage examples:

The equatorial regions

noun

A particular area or part of a state, country, or the earth’s surface

Usage examples:

Wheat is the major crop of this region., he’s complaining of pain in the lower abdominal region., a…

noun

A particular area or part of the world, or one of the areas into which a country is divided

Usage examples:

The less-developed regions of the world, coastal regions of the country have much better infrastruc…

verb

Control or maintain the rate or speed of (a machine or process) so that it operates properly.

Usage examples:

A hormone which regulates metabolism

verb

To control an activity or process by rules or a system

Usage examples:

A computer system regulates production., [ + question word ] their parents regulate how much tv the…

verb

To check that the activities of a business or organization are legal and follow official rules or laws

Usage examples:

Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce., the agency regulates the financial service…

noun

The place where an incident in real life or fiction occurs or occurred.

Usage examples:

The emergency team were among the first on the scene

noun

A part of a play or movie in which the action stays in one place for a continuous period

Usage examples:

The opening scene of the movie was filmed in new york city., the scene from the mountaintop was bre…

verb

Resolve or reach an agreement about (an argument or problem).

Usage examples:

The unions have settled their year-long dispute with hollywood producers

noun

A wooden bench with a high back and arms, typically incorporating a box under the seat.

Usage examples:

She read to her brother, who sat on the settle opposite her

verb

To get or to become comfortable

Usage examples:

[ t ] campbell settled herself in front of a blazing fire., [ i ] he settled back in his chair and …

verb

Go down below the surface of something, especially of a liquid; become submerged.

Usage examples:

He saw the coffin sink below the surface of the waves

noun

A fixed basin with a water supply and outflow pipe.

Usage examples:

I stood at the kitchen sink

noun

Fall or descend to a lower place or level

noun

An area of ground on which a town, building, or monument is constructed.

Usage examples:

The proposed site of a hydroelectric dam

verb

Fix or build (something) in a particular place.

Usage examples:

The rectory is sited behind the church

noun

A set of circumstances in which one finds oneself; a state of affairs.

Usage examples:

The situation between her and jake had come to a head

noun

A condition or combination of conditions that exist at a particular time

Usage examples:

I was in a situation where i didn’t have cash handy.

noun

The conditions that exist at a particular time and place

Usage examples:

Some dealers have taken advantage of the situation by adding £1,000 or more to the suggested retail…

verb

Make or become hard or solid.

Usage examples:

The magma slowly solidifies and forms crystals

verb

To make something firm, or to become firm

Usage examples:

[ t ] a chemical reaction solidifies the resin., [ i ] lava solidifies as it cools., [ t ] the play…

noun

A small round or roundish mark, differing in colour or texture from the surface around it.

Usage examples:

Ladybirds have black spots on their red wing covers

verb

Short for spotlight.

verb

A point located with respect to surface features of some region

verb

Have or maintain an upright position, supported by one's feet.

Usage examples:

Lionel stood in the doorway

noun

An attitude towards a particular issue; a position taken in an argument.

Usage examples:

The party's tough stand on immigration

verb

Be standing; be upright

noun

A place on a railway line where trains regularly stop so that passengers can get on or off.

Usage examples:

We walked back to the station and caught the train back to brussels

verb

Short for stations of the cross.

noun

A building or buildings and the surrounding area where a particular service or activity takes place

Usage examples:

A train/bus station, a gas station, a police/fire station, at our house in the mountains we only ge…

noun

A thin piece of wood that has fallen or been cut off a tree.

Usage examples:

Hayes picked up a fallen stick and twirled it idly between his fingers.

verb

Push a sharp or pointed object into or through (something).

Usage examples:

He stuck his fork into the sausage

verb

A long thin implement resembling a length of wood

verb

Make or become stiff or rigid.

Usage examples:

He stiffened his knees in an effort to prevent them trembling

verb

Make rigid or more rigid

verb

To become or make something firm or more difficult to bend

Usage examples:

[ t ] to paint on linen, you first have to stiffen the fabric with a glue mixture., [ i ] his back …

verb

Pack or store (an object) carefully and neatly in a particular place.

Usage examples:

Barney began stowing her luggage into the boot

verb

To put something in a place where it can be kept safely

Usage examples:

Please stow your carry-on bags under the seat in front of you.

verb

Become less intense, violent, or severe.

Usage examples:

I'll wait a few minutes until the storm subsides

verb

(of a condition) to become less strong, or (of an activity or disagreement) to become less violent

Usage examples:

When her pain didn’t subside, matt drove her to the hospital., friction between the groups subsided…

verb

Be all round (someone or something).

Usage examples:

The hotel is surrounded by its own gardens

noun

A thing that forms a border or edging round an object.

Usage examples:

An oak fireplace surround

verb

To be around something on all sides

Usage examples:

Snow-capped mountains surround the city., the house was surrounded by dense woods., i’m interested …

plural noun

The things and conditions around a person or thing.

Usage examples:

I took up the time admiring my surroundings

plural noun

The place where you live and the conditions in which you live

Usage examples:

Everyone wants safe, comfortable surroundings.

verb

Cause to occur or operate at the same time or rate.

Usage examples:

Soldiers used watches to synchronize movements

verb

To cause something to happen in a planned way at exact times

Usage examples:

The traffic lights were synchronized to allow cars to go at 30 mph and not have to stop for a red l…

verb

Make or become thick or thicker.

Usage examples:

Thicken the sauce with flour

verb

To cause to become thicker

Usage examples:

Thicken the gravy with a little flour.

verb

Disappear suddenly and completely.

Usage examples:

Moira vanished without trace

verb

Become invisible or unnoticeable

verb

To disappear or stop existing, esp. suddenly

Usage examples:

Her smile vanished.