place
place definition
place (plās)
noun
- a square or court in a city
- a short street, often closed at one end
- space; room
- a particular area or locality; region
- the part of space occupied by a person or thing
- situation or state if I were in his place
- a city, town, or village
- a residence; dwelling; house and grounds
- a building or space devoted to a special purpose a place of amusement
- a particular spot on or part of the body or a surface a sore place on the leg
- a particular passage or page in a book, magazine, etc., esp. the point where one has temporarily stopped reading to mark one's place
- position or standing, esp. one of importance, accorded to one one's place in history
- a step or point in a sequence in the first place
- the customary, proper, or natural position, time, or character
- a space used, reserved, or customarily occupied by a person, as a seat in a theater, at a table, etc.
- an office; employment; position
- official position
- the duties of any position
- the duty, or business (of a person)
- in racing, the first, second, or third position at the finish, specif. the second position
- Arith. the position of a digit in a number (Ex.: in 12.3 the one is in the ten's place, the two in the unit's place, and the three in the tenth's place)
Etymology: OFr < L platea, a broad street (in LL, an open space) < Gr plateia, a street < platys, broad: see platy-
transitive verb placed, placing plac′·ing
- to put in a particular place, condition, or relation
- to put in an assigned or proper place, as in a sequence or series
- ☆ to identify by associating with the correct place or circumstances to place somebody's face
- to find employment or a position for; appoint to an office
- to arrange for a desired handling, treatment, or allocation of to place a shipment, to place a child for adoption
- to assign (a value)
- to make or give as an estimate
- to offer (a proposal, problem, etc.) to be considered
- to repose (confidence, trust, hope, etc.) in a person or thing
- to adjust (the voice) to head or chest register
- to finish in (a specified position) in a competition to place last
Etymology: Fr placer
intransitive verb
Sports to finish among the first three in a contest; specif., to finish second in a horse or dog race
place Idioms
give place
- to make room
- to yield
go places
☆Slang to achieve success
in (or out of) place
- in (or out of) the customary, proper, or assigned place
- that is (or is not) fitting, proper, or timely
in place of
as a substitute for; instead of
know one's place
to be conscious of one's (inferior) position or rank in life and act accordingly
put someone in his (or her) place
to humble someone who is overstepping bounds
run in place
to move the legs alternately as in running, but remain in the same place, not going forward or backward
take place
to come into being; happen; occur
take the place of
to be a substitute for
Browse dictionary definitions near place
Also Mentioned In