| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| place |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  pl s |
| NOUN: | 1a. An area with definite or indefinite boundaries; a portion of space. b. Room or space, especially adequate space: There is place for everyone at the back of the room. 2a. The particular portion of space occupied by or allocated to a person or thing. b. A building or an area set aside for a specified purpose: a place of worship. 3a. A dwelling; a house: bought a place on the lake. b. A business establishment or office. c. A locality, such as a town or city: visited many places. 4. abbr. Pl. A public square or street with houses in a town. 5a. A space in which one person, such as a passenger or spectator, can sit or stand. b. A setting for one person at a table. 6. A position regarded as belonging to someone or something else; stead: She was chosen in his place. 7. A particular point that one has reached, as in a book: I have lost my place. 8. A particular spot, as on the body: the place that hurts. 9a. The proper or designated role or function: the place of the media in a free society. b. The proper or customary position or order: These books are out of place. c. A suitable setting or occasion: not the place to argue. d. The appropriate right or duty: not her place to criticize. 10. Social station: He overstepped his place. 11. A particular situation or circumstance: Put yourself in my place. 12. High rank or status. 13. A job, post, or position: found a place in the company. 14. Relative position in a series; standing. 15. Games Second position for betting purposes, as in a horserace. 16. The specified stage in a list of points to be made, as in an argument: in the first place. 17. Mathematics A position in a numeral or series. | | VERB: | Inflected forms: placed, plac·ing, plac·es
| | TRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To put in or as if in a particular place or position; set. 2. To put in a specified relation or order: Place the words in alphabetical order. 3. To offer for consideration: placed the matter before the board. 4. To find accommodation or employment for. 5. To put into a particular condition: placed him under arrest. 6. To arrange for the publication or display of: place an advertisement in the newspaper. 7. To appoint to a post: placed her in a key position. 8a. To rank in an order or sequence: I'd place him second best. b. To estimate: placed the distance at 100 feet. 9. To identify or classify in a particular context: could not place that person's face. 10a. To give an order for: place a bet. b. To apply or arrange for: place an order. 11. To adjust (one's voice) for the best possible effects. | | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | To be among those who finish a competition or race, especially to finish second. | | PHRASAL VERB: | place out To qualify for a waiver of a requirement or prerequisite: placed out of a freshman composition class. | | IDIOMS: | all over the place In or to many locations; everywhere: Film is sold all over the place. in place 1. In the appropriate or usual position or order: With everything in place, she started the slide show. 2. In the same spot; without moving forwards or backwards: While marching in place, the band played a popular tune. in place of Instead of. keep (or know) (one's) place To recognize one's social position and act according to traditional decorum. place in the sun A dominant or favorable position or situation. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English, from Old English plæce and Old French place, open space (from Medieval Latin placea, from Vulgar Latin *plattea), both from Latin plat a, broad street, from Greek plateia (hodos), broad (street), feminine of platus. See plat- in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | place a·ble —ADJECTIVE
placer —NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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