meaningmean‧ing /ˈmiːnɪŋ/ ●●● S2 W1 noun 
I don’t know the precise meaning of the word ‘gleaned’.2ideas in speech/book etc [countable, uncountable] the thoughts or ideas that someone wants you to understand from what they say, do, write etcmeaning of The meaning of her words was clear. We’d lost our jobs.meaning behind She hardly dared to understand the meaning behind his statement.3what’s the meaning of this? spoken used to demand an explanation: What’s the meaning of this? I asked you to be here an hour ago!4purpose/special quality [uncountable] the quality that makes life, work etc seem to have a purpose or value: Life seemed to have lost its meaning since Janet’s death. Her studies no longer seemed to have any meaning. For many people it is religion that gives meaning to their existence.5true nature [uncountable] the true nature and importance of somethingmeaning of We seem to have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.6(not) know the meaning of something to have, or not have, experience and understanding of a particular situation or feeling: Living in a war zone, the children knew the meaning of fear. Guilty! She doesn’t know the meaning of the word!COLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 2verbshave a meaning· The same word may have several different meanings.take on a meaning (=begin to have a new meaning)· The word ‘chaos’ has taken on a special scientific meaning.understand the meaning· The pictures help the children understand the meanings of the words.know the meaning· Do you know the meaning of the word ‘paraphrase’?get somebody’s meaning (also take somebody’s meaning British English) (=understand what someone is saying in an indirect way)· He’s not like other people, if you get my meaning.grasp the meaning (=begin to understand the meaning)· She suddenly grasped the meaning of his frantic gestures.carry meaning (also bear a meaning formal) (=have a meaning)· In conversation, even a pause may carry meaning.convey meaning (=express a meaning)· the use of hand signals to convey meaningadjectivesprecise/specific/exact· The term ‘stress’ has a precise meaning to an engineer.a hidden meaning· She felt there was a hidden meaning behind his words.a double meaning (=two meanings at the same time)· Everything he said had a double meaning.the literal meaning· The literal meaning of ‘telephone’ is ‘far-away sound’.the ordinary meaning· They are a 'nuisance' in the ordinary meaning, not the legal meaning, of that word.the figurative/metaphorical meaning (=different from its usual or basic meaning)· The expression has a metaphorical meaning.somebody’s/something’s true meaning· Children understand the true meaning of these words.a symbolic meaning (=representing an idea)· Colours often have symbolic meanings; for example, black signifies grief in Western cultures.THESAURUSSense 2meaning the thoughts or ideas that someone wants you to understand from what they say, do, write etc: · What do you think is the meaning of the poem?the gist the main idea and meaning of something such as an article or a speech: · Read the story quickly first, just to get the gist of it.· I think I understand the gist of what you’re saying.the drift/your drift the main set of ideas involved in something such as an explanation, argument, or account of something – often used when the ideas are not stated directly: · The drift of his letter is that he wants to come back.· I don’t quite follow your drift.the essence the most important meaning of something such as an argument or piece of writing: · The essence of what he is saying is that human character is formed by society.the thrust the most important message of an argument, explanation etc, especially when it consists of a set of connected ideas leading to a final answer or idea: · The overall thrust of her argument is that we need to do more to protect our environment.the substance formal the most important ideas contained in an argument or piece of writing: · The substance of Marx’s views is the same in both of these books.· His article lacks substance (=there are no interesting or important ideas in it).the implication the meaning of what someone says, writes etc that is not stated directly, but that people are expected to understand: · The implication was that they did not consider Harrison to be trustworthy.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The same symbol can have more than one meaning, depending on the context in which it is used.
- There is a chart that explains the meaning of all the symbols on the map.
- This word 'spring' has several different meanings.
- Was there a hidden meaning behind his words?
- We convey meaning not only by our words but also by our actions.
- Children just beginning on their first language have to solve the problem of how forms map on to meanings.
- If action stems from subjective meanings, it follows that the sociologist must discover those meanings in order to understand action.
- Peter read the letter twice before its meaning sank in.
- So the notion that pragmatics might be the study of aspects of meaning not covered in semantics certainly has some cogency.
- The meaning of words changes every fifty years.
- There is a further meaning to be discovered in the shepherds.
- Words associated with women are sexualized so that apparently equivalent terms acquire very different meanings.
THESAURUSSense 2
the thoughts or ideas that someone wants you to understand from what they say, do, write etc: · What do you think is the meaning of the poem?
the main idea and meaning of something such as an article or a speech: · Read the story quickly first, just to get the gist of it.· I think I understand the gist of what you’re saying.
the main set of ideas involved in something such as an explanation, argument, or account of something – often used when the ideas are not stated directly: · The drift of his letter is that he wants to come back.· I don’t quite follow your drift.
the most important meaning of something such as an argument or piece of writing: · The essence of what he is saying is that human character is formed by society.
the most important message of an argument, explanation etc, especially when it consists of a set of connected ideas leading to a final answer or idea: · The overall thrust of her argument is that we need to do more to protect our environment.
formal the most important ideas contained in an argument or piece of writing: · The substance of Marx’s views is the same in both of these books.· His article lacks substance (=there are no interesting or important ideas in it).
the meaning of what someone says, writes etc that is not stated directly, but that people are expected to understand: · The implication was that they did not consider Harrison to be trustworthy.
Longman Language Activatorthe meaning of something what a word, sign, or statement means: · This word 'spring' has several different meanings.· We convey meaning not only by our words but also by our actions.meaning of: · There is a chart that explains the meaning of all the symbols on the map.hidden meaning (=a meaning that is not directly stated): · Was there a hidden meaning behind his words?
one of the meanings of a word that has several meanings: sense of: · In the dictionary the different senses of each word are marked by numbers.in its broadest/fullest sense (=in the most general meaning of the word): · I'm using the word "education" in its broadest sense here.
the important meaning that something has, especially if the meaning is not immediately clear: significance of: · Freud explained the significance of some of the objects and situations in Anna's dream.special significance: · Nothing can be more exciting than the first time you receive red roses. They have special significance.
the way that you explain the meaning of a word: definition of: · Could one of the class give me a definition of the word "equilibrium"?somebody's definition of something: · Obviously your definition of "rich" is very different from mine.
a feeling or an idea that a word makes you think of that is not its actual meaning: · "Bermuda" with its connotations of fun and sunpositive/negative connotation: · For most people "motherhood" has a very positive connotation.
to explain the meaning of a word or phrase: · Each of us might define the concept of freedom in a slightly different way.define something as something: · The dictionary defines it as "a narrow passage".define something loosely/broadly (=define something in a way that is not very exact): · Dietary fibre can be loosely defined as the cell-wall material of plants.
the main meaning of something the main idea of an argument, discussion, statement etc that shows its general or most important meaning: the point of something: · The point of the story did not emerge until the end of the film.somebody's point: · What's your point? Do you think I'm not good enough for your daughter?miss the point (=not understand the main idea): · The talk was about symbolism in art -- Len missed the point and thought it was about painting techniques.the point is.... (=used for mentioning the most important thing): · The point is, you should have told me where you were going.come/get to the point (=to reach the most important part of what you want to say): · "I'll come straight to the point," said the doctor. "I think you are suffering from depression."
the main idea and meaning of something such as an article or a speech: the gist of something: · I don't know the whole story but this is the gist of it.get the gist (of something) (=understand the gist of something): · Read the article once through to get the gist of it.· Students are encouraged to read the text, getting the gist, then go deeper into the meaning.
the most important meaning of something such as an argument or piece of writing: the essence of something: · The essence of his argument is that human character is formed by society.
the main set of ideas involved in something such as an explanation, argument, or account of something: the drift of something: · The drift of his letter is that he wants to come back.catch/get/follow somebody's drift (=understand the basic idea of what someone is saying): · It was a complicated argument but I think I caught his drift.· I follow your drift, but I just don't believe it.
the most important message of an argument, explanation etc, especially when it consists of a set of connected ideas leading to a final answer or idea: the thrust of something: · It is difficult to argue with the thrust of Davidson's analysis of the situation.· The overall thrust of her argument was that women are still oppressed in all areas of life.
formal the most important ideas contained in an argument or piece of writing: the substance of something: · The substance of Marx's views is the same in both of these books.
to have a particular meaning to have a particular meaning - use this about words, signs, or statements: · What does "abandon" mean?· "Poultry" means chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese.· It says "not suitable for children", which means anyone under 16.mean (that): · The flashing light means we're running out of gas.· "Downsizing" simply means that firms are tending to buy smaller computers to do jobs which used to require big ones.what is meant by something: · What is meant by the term "random access"?
if a letter or group of letters stands for a word, name, or number, it is a short way of saying or writing it: · NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization.· What does the F in John F. Kennedy stand for?
if a shape, letter, object etc represents something, it is used as a sign for that thing in a map, plan, calculation etc: · The red lines on the map represent railways.· Single letters or combinations of letters represent different phonetic sounds.
also symbolise British if something such as an object or animal symbolizes an idea or quality, it is used as a sign to mean that idea or quality, especially in a story, a ceremony, or a particular society: · The lion symbolizes strength, the lamb symbolizes gentleness.· In Europe, the colour white symbolizes purity but in Asia it is often the symbol of deep mourning.· Cowardice is symbolized in the painting by the white feathers on the soldier's coat.
if a word or number denotes something, it means it in a very exact sense - used especially in technical contexts: · The dotted line on the graph denotes profits.· The English word "family" used to denote all the people in the house, including servants.· The quantity denoted by the letter E varies from experiment to experiment.
if a word connotes something, it makes you think of feelings and ideas that are not its actual meaning: · The word "jolly" often connotes that someone is fat.
to intend a particular meaning to intend a particular meaning when you say something: · When you said "the editor", did you mean me?· He said Sarah was a very close friend, but I'm not sure what he meant.mean (that): · I meant that we would have to leave early, that's all.if you know what I mean (=used to show that you are saying something in a less extreme way than you really mean): · She's kind of irritable, if you know what I mean.what somebody means is that...: · So what he means is that we'll have to start the whole thing again.· What I meant was that I wouldn't have time to help, not that I didn't want to.
when something has a meaning that is not directly stated if a statement, fact, event etc suggests that something is true, it seems to mean that it is true or could be true, but this is not directly stated: · It is still not clear what these facts suggest -- perhaps a new strain of the virus, or a completely new virus.suggest (that): · All the evidence suggests that the problem has improved in recent years.· The victim had marks on his neck which seemed to suggest he had been strangled.
if a statement, fact, event etc implies that something is true, it suggests very strongly that it is true : · His criticisms implied a lack of confidence in my work.imply (that): · The way he greeted the boys seemed to imply that he knew them quite well.· Just the fact that he's written to you implies he likes you.
to say something in an indirect way - use this especially when you are saying what the real meaning of a statement is: · What do you think the writer is saying in this story?say (that): · Are you saying I'm fat?· So what you're saying, Mr President, is that you don't have a policy on this issue.
a meaning that is not directly stated, but which seems to be intended: · He didn't actually accuse me of stealing, but that was the implication.implication that: · Staff members were asked to work on Sundays, with the implication that they would lose their jobs if they refused.by implication (=the intended meaning is that): · The law bans organized protests and, by implication, any form of opposition.
a feeling or attitude that seems to be part of a statement, even though it is not directly stated: · a story with racist undertonesundertone of: · There was an unmistakable undertone of nationalist resentment in many of their remarks.
to believe that something has a particular meaning to choose to believe that what someone says or does has a particular meaning, especially if it is not easy to understand or is not completely clear: · How would you interpret her letter? Is she really hostile or just being ironic?· This dream can be interpreted in several different ways.interpret something as something: · I interpreted her silence as anger.· They are worried that the workers might interpret the new law as a restriction of their rights.
to think that something has a particular meaning even though you cannot be completely sure that this is what it means: · Democracy was originally understood to mean the people governing themselves.· The Victorians understood "The environment" to mean the background to human activity, in particular, industrial activity.
to think that something has a meaning that it does not in fact have, especially by thinking that it is more important than it really is: read something into something: · Be careful not to read your own modern opinions into this story.· The statement criticized journalists for reading too much into what he had said about the war.read into something something: · Some critics have read into the more macabre scenes a subconscious hatred of his parents.
to believe that what someone does or says has a particular meaning, especially if you think it shows their attitude towards you: take something as an insult/compliment/criticism etc: · Had he spoken like this to anyone else, it would have been taken as an insult.· I take it as a compliment when my students ask questions after class.take something as a sign/signal etc: · The investors took this interest rate cut as a sign that the Government was desperate.
formal to think that something is true because another fact makes it seem likely, even though it does not prove it completely: · From this, astronomers can infer the presence of many more "black holes".infer (from something) that: · It seems reasonable to infer that the cause was not sabotage but a simple accident.· We can infer from the archaeological evidence that there was slavery in Carthage.
to guess the real meaning of something by thinking very carefully and noticing that the meaning is different from what it at first seems to be: · Perseverance is required to understand the story and you have to read between the lines to find the book's full meaning.reading between the lines (=used to say what you think the real situation is): · Reading between the lines, I don't think they want to train people who might soon leave the company.
someone's opinion about the meaning of something someone's opinion about the probable meaning of a statement, result, someone's actions etc: · One possible interpretation is that they want you to resign.interpretation of: · the traditional interpretation of Marx's opinionsbe open to interpretation (=to be able to be interpreted in more than one way): · The word "reasonable" is vague and open to interpretation.
someone's opinion about the meaning of a piece of writing or an action, used especially when they realize that there are other possible meanings: somebody's understanding (of something): · According to my understanding of the letter, it means something quite different.· That was not my understanding of the regulations, and I resent your accusation that I failed to follow them correctly.
someone's opinion about the meaning of a statement, an event, or a situation after considering all the available information: somebody's reading of something: · What's your reading of the latest trade figures?· My reading of the situation is that this conflict is likely to get worse over the next few months.
to be the most basic meaning of a statement you say basically or essentially as a way of introducing the general meaning of a longer or more complicated statement: · I won't read it all to you, but basically they want us to leave the house.· Basically, the author is in favour of disarmament but with a few reservations.· This is essentially the same argument that Arnold used in "Culture and Anarchy".
if a long statement, argument, discussion etc boils down to or comes down to a simple fact, that is its simplest and most important meaning: · The argument boiled down to him saying I did and me saying I didn't.· That's what it boils down to then: he's not prepared to help us.· They make a variety of points, but what their complaints come down to is, no one seems to care.
if a statement amounts to something, that is what it means or that is the effect it has, especially if this is something that the person making the statement was deliberately trying to avoid: · The fact that he said he was sorry after the accident amounts to a confession of guilt.· Their request for better working conditions amounted to a criticism of the management.
you say in other words when you are going to make clear the meaning of something you have just said, using simpler words: · He prides himself on his powers of persuasion -- or, in other words, his salesmanship.· The books and materials are kept on closed access, in other words available only to the library staff.
you say that someone said something to that effect , when you are giving the general meaning of what they said, even if you do not use the same words: · I thought he was wrong and I said something to that effect at dinner.words to that effect: · James said he was unhappy in his work or words to that effect.
when it is not clear which meaning is intended having more than one possible meaning, so that it is not clear which meaning is intended: · Unfortunately the instructions were ambiguous and we didn't know which part of the program to run.· She left a very ambiguous message on the answerphone last night.· The results of the experiments were ambiguous and they will have to be done again.
having no meaning something that is meaningless has no meaning, and is therefore useless, wrong, or stupid: · I wish politicians would tell us the truth, instead of repeating their meaningless prepared answers.· The statement issued by the authorities was meaningless.· It is meaningless to ask what is "real" or "imaginary" in a story.
speech or writing that has no meaning: · He described her comments as confused nonsense.talk nonsense: · I don't intend to waste any more time listening to you talk nonsense.
informal complicated language, especially in an official document, that seems to have no meaning: · I can't understand all this legal gobbledygook.
something you say or write in order to be funny · Have you heard any good jokes lately?· Wilson spoke for about 15 minutes, peppering his mainly serious message with jokes.joke about · Leno opened the show with a joke about the election.get the jokealso see a joke British (=understand a joke) · It wasn't that I didn't get the joke - I just didn't think it was funny.· Everyone laughed except Mr Broadbent, who didn't see the joke.tell a joke · It's a good idea to start a speech by telling a joke.dirty joke (=one about sex) · In some situations, a dirty joke can be considered sexual harassment.private joke (=a secret joke) · The two girls were whispering in the corner and giggling over some private joke.
a short story you tell to make people laugh: · It reminded her of a funny story she'd heard at work.tell a funny story: · He began telling funny stories about the time he worked as a barman on a cruise ship.
informal something funny that someone says to try to make people laugh - use this especially when what they say annoys you: · Bob Hope would keep his audience laughing with an endless stream of jokes and wisecracks.· Amy responded with a wisecrack that got her in big trouble with the teacher.
a short remark that is funny and clever: · There are some memorable one-liners in every Woody Allen film.· It's a hilarious scene with a succession of brilliant one-liners from Groucho Marx.
a short joke, especially one told by a professional entertainer as part of a show: · His first job was writing gags for a famous comedian.gag about: · He started the show with a few old gags about mothers-in-law.
the sentence or phrase that comes at the end of a joke, and makes it funny: · He got to the end of the joke and couldn't remember the punch line.· I waited for the punch line, but it never came.
spoken say this when you are going to tell someone a joke about a particular subject: · Have you heard the one about the brown cow who goes into a bar?
a joke made by deliberately mixing up or mistaking two different meanings of the same word or two words with the same sound: · "Seven days without food makes one weak'' is a pun on the words "week'' and "weak'', and also on the different meanings of "one''.· The audience groaned at his pun.(if you'll) pardon the pun (=used to say that you know what you are going to say has two meanings): · "Pardon the pun, but we were all in the same boat," said Navy Lieutenant Green.
a joke made by deliberately using a word or phrase that has two possible meanings, one of which is about sex or sexual parts of the body: · Dirty jokes and double meanings are what makes the show funny.· The song's lyrics are full of double entendres.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meanings 1 & 2verbs A lot of the jokes were based on double meaning. A trade war is not a war in the literal sense.
· The same word may have several different meanings.
(=begin to have a new meaning)· The word ‘chaos’ has taken on a special scientific meaning.
· The pictures help the children understand the meanings of the words.
· Do you know the meaning of the word ‘paraphrase’?
(also take somebody’s meaning British English) (=understand what someone is saying in an indirect way)· He’s not like other people, if you get my meaning.
(=begin to understand the meaning)· She suddenly grasped the meaning of his frantic gestures.
(also bear a meaning formal) (=have a meaning)· In conversation, even a pause may carry meaning.
(=express a meaning)· the use of hand signals to convey meaning
adjectives· The term ‘stress’ has a precise meaning to an engineer.
· She felt there was a hidden meaning behind his words.
(=two meanings at the same time)· Everything he said had a double meaning.
· The literal meaning of ‘telephone’ is ‘far-away sound’.
· They are a 'nuisance' in the ordinary meaning, not the legal meaning, of that word.
(=different from its usual or basic meaning)· The expression has a metaphorical meaning.
· Children understand the true meaning of these words.
(=representing an idea)· Colours often have symbolic meanings; for example, black signifies grief in Western cultures.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· Children sometimes find it easier to use pictures to convey meaning, rather than words.
A lot of the jokes were based on double meaning. A trade war is not a war in the literal sense.· The story teaches a lesson about the true meaning of friendship.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· A day by the seaside has a different meaning on the breezy east coast.· For example, the word infer seems to have different meanings for different speakers.· In a neutral context like It's -, heavy has a different meaning.· Second, the imagery suggests different meanings.· Words can also have different meaning according to the context in which they are used.· Then there is the fact that two phrases that sound exactly alike can have different meanings depending on their context.· The two pictures are not, however, incompatible, they merely highlight different aspects of meaning.· As symbols, they may have different meanings for different people in different situations.
· This gives a double meaning to Blanche's hatred of naked light.· Old rivalries are barely submerged and every quip has a deadly double meaning.· No, there was no double meaning in what he'd said.· Sniggers and the double meanings surrounded the subject which was one of the biggest taboos in our society.
· As Leon Brittan has pointed out, the phrase doesn't even carry the same literal meaning in every language.· As I read, it seems to me that this is not his literal meaning.· A text would entail its interpretation only if meaning was exhausted by sense, the coded or literal meanings studied by semantics.· Therefore, on the literal meaning of the words used, the applicants must fail.· Within the family it is usually the words and their literal meaning which take primary importance.· The literal meaning is not conclusive: the ordinary reader knows all about irony.
· For Francisco Franco, the war now had a new meaning.· More new meanings find expression this way than by almost any other process.· A new meaning for vertical integration.· Whether or not we will shortly have a passive computer lobby, it certainly gives a new meaning to the hacking cough.· There seems to be no place in successful socialization for creative interaction that produces new meanings.· Safety at sea takes on a new meaning when you sail with Navico.· Whether new words and new meanings are accepted can depend to some extent on what means exist to disseminate them.· So buy a daffodil ... and give a new meaning to flower power.
· Use complex words only when you need a precise meaning and a simple word will not serve the purpose.· Most of us maintain vague notions of justice, but its precise meaning escapes us until we are deprived of it.· Words have areas of meaning rather than precise points of meaning. 6.· That is, they have a fairly definite, precise meaning.· The precise meaning attached to these terms has varied depending upon the setting in which they were used.· T R S Allan suggests that political concepts should inform judicial decisions about the precise meaning of supremacy.· Probability has a precise meaning here.· It is a concept, an abstraction, a term with no single precise and agreed meaning.
· This is a generation for whom the war years remain vivid and the Empire had real meaning.· Most job descriptions are bland, boring, totally devoid of colour and - worse still - frequently devoid of real meaning.· I love you utterly and completely, and you give real meaning to life.· They would know the real meaning of religious freedom, something which has never really existed throughout religious history.· Now we know the real meaning of going weak at the knees.· Until a child has achieved that understanding, a numeral is just a shape with no real meaning.· Not only do both represent a constant danger to the community, but their lives have ceased to have any real meaning.
· As yet there has been little research considering early retirement among women and its social meaning and impact.· I made some modest remarks about the social and political meanings encoded in works of art.· Finally, one must be aware of yet another way in which social actions have meaning.· The contact becomes an act only if in some way or another it can be provided with a social meaning.· Initially, this may simply involve the elicitation of a sequence of sounds or actions which can be endowed with social meaning.· We will be working with a simplified form of a total theory of social meaning.· What social meanings, if any, can be detected in the synchronized clapping and threats aggression?
· Contrast also grants priority to lexical expressions that conventionally convey a specific meaning.· If it has a specific set of meanings, the semantic theory should specify them.· Liberty for Hayek has a specific meaning.· Furthermore, Ishmael is alive because he alone did not assign specific meanings to events.· The name can convey a highly specific meaning or less than nothing, depending on your audience.· All the descriptions used on Sainsbury's packs have specific meanings.· Certainly not a routine interpretation of certain symbols attached to specific meanings.· What specific meanings Dicey himself intended when writing the Law of the Constitution matters little.
· The fact is simply that the two colours do not possess universal symbolic meanings shared by all the peoples of the globe.· And yet, symbolic meanings do not derive only from cultures.· All illnesses carry symbolic meanings as well as the purely physiological.· In other words, a technological breakthrough supposedly ushered in new symbolic meanings.· Comprehension in the sense of understanding sentences is then a semantic matter of deciphering symbolic meanings.· A harmless pleasure can become the gateway to nameless hells when for whatever reasons it begins to carry a significant symbolic meaning.· The attraction of shells has often been enhanced by attributing to them symbolic meanings suggested by more or less fanciful resemblances.· The symbolic meaning of the clothes is the same for all Punjabis.
· The right legal answer, based on the true meaning of the Act, must be found and applied.· A man needed special experience and insight to work true meanings out of certain murky remarks.· Even so, those with grace always know how to be graceful and she would probably understand the true meaning of the gesture.· It was too soon for anyone to understand the true meaning of what had happened.· I still can't get a clear definition on the true meaning of it all.· Given the dichotomous speech model that Richard uses, one need only invert the sense to discover the true meaning.· She understood the true meaning of a phrase she had often heard but never defined: in her element.
NOUN· A pronunciation is addressed either with or without the mediation of the semantic system - our store of word meanings.· Vumba is a Shona word meaning mist.· The automatic recognition of word meanings has been demonstrated in a number of experimental investigations.· Knowledge of how word meanings combine at the sentence level can rule out grammatically correct, but semantically implausible sentences.· The word meaning is to be taken seriously here.· The chapter by Eve Clark focuses on young children's acquisition of word meanings.· Masala is a generic word meaning mixed spices, and thus the most basic curry powder is a masala of a sort.· In a semantic network, concepts, which refer to word meanings, are represented by nodes.
VERB· A difference in word form signals a difference in meaning, so two different forms can not carry the selfsame meaning.· Many phrases that we feel could logically be broken up still carry hidden meanings that pass unnoticed until some one misuses them.· Terms may overlap in meaning, but they may not carry identical meanings.· Sometimes they carry unexpected meanings and then are called idioms.· Words carry meanings, and so do combinations of words.· Even the most unselfish people carry certain meanings in their eyes.· As Leon Brittan has pointed out, the phrase doesn't even carry the same literal meaning in every language.· A linguistic element carries meaning to the extent that it is selected.
· The alteration of stress on certain words can completely change the meaning of a phrase or sentence.· That was their new job and the word changed its meaning to reflect that new reality.· The effect has been so many priorities and urgent tasks to change the meaning and the effect of the concept.· It changes their meaning, though - and very quickly.· Though their scruples were overcome, their objection pointed to their awareness that the ceremony was changing its meaning.· When we change the order in which things happen, it changes the meaning of the story.· You can not interfere with a single word in Shakespeare or Milton without changing the meaning.· Occasionally incorrect spelling can change the meaning of a sentence.
· Nurses frequently have difficulty in conveying the exact meaning of messages to patients and relatives.· The rest often consists of sentences to help convey the meaning of those key points and to make the language flow.· Attainment target 3: A growing ability to construct and convey meaning in written language matching style to audience and purpose.· Contrast also grants priority to lexical expressions that conventionally convey a specific meaning.· Choice of words and their arrangement in sentences to convey exact meaning are therefore vital in the activity of communicating.· They must faithfully convey the historian's meaning and still be memorable for you. 3.· Even without verbal language, we can convey meaning.· But it isin Between that the function of language to convey meaning is most actively questioned.
· Meaning lies in the mind, beyond words - just as one may search for a word to express one's meaning.· The morpheme is the smallest unit of language that expresses meaning and is governed by the grammatical rules of the language.· Rather, each conventional expression expresses a different meaning.
· These will be given the meaning they bear among lawyers.· This would run counter to the very informal information exchange that gives it meaning in this internal context.· Because of this, humans' actions are meaningful: they define situations and give meaning to their actions and those of others.· Such elders may have given positive meaning to experiences of anxiety, poverty, chronic illness, multiple losses and death.· They consider that you can only move on from an unhappy experience if you have given it some meaning.· We cling to the symbols which give our life meaning and help us in answering this question.· But without another job, a hobby or some activity that gives meaning to their lives there is danger.
· A good counsellor helps them to interpret the meaning behind the words each speaks.· And they interpret that as meaning that whatever happens in the money market exporters should still retain some of their current advantage.· Confusion between the sources of faunal diversity could easily lead to mistakes in interpreting its meaning.· This could be interpreted as meaning that the Act applies to the activity duty.
· The name was often given to women by eighteenth century writers, and may have lost its meaning.· To lose these meanings would be death, to unleash them would overwhelm.· But in that case his words lose their meaning and become empty.· They become more and more frequent until they lose all meaning as acts of atonement and become simply acts of smoking.
· The story has to be decoded in order to understand its meaning.· Children understand your meaning by perceiving the tone of your voice.· This tension between change and continuity is the key to understanding the inner meaning as opposed to the outward form of working-class sport.· You will use your powers of anticipation and imagination to read between the lines, to understand message and meaning.· You may still be a child but you are the only person in this dreadful place who understands the meaning of care.· Even so, those with grace always know how to be graceful and she would probably understand the true meaning of the gesture.· In short, although a wink is a movement of the eyelids, the movement is no help in understanding its meaning.· The need to understand the meaning of behaviour also makes it difficult to predict how individuals will behave.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- What's the meaning of this? I asked you to be here an hour ago!
- Mike Hardware was the kind of private eye who didn't know the meaning of fear.
- A dictionary is useless unless one already knows the meanings of many words.
- For instance, we assume he would satisfy our behavioural criteria for being some one who knows the meaning of the word bank.
- He had a lot of things representing other things that no one but he knew the meaning of.
- Men like Luke Hunter didn't know the meaning of permanence - or fidelity.
- Regarding exercises: before attempting to answer a question do make sure you know the meaning of all the words in it!
- So I know the meaning of credit.
- Some were struggling behind-but they did not really know the meaning of struggling.
- Willi didn't know the meaning of restraint, not in any aspect of his life.
- How haggard and bereft of hope they looked!
- These women were old and toothless at a young age, their eyes bereft of hope.
- As a solo instrument following a melodic line, the violin can convey every imaginable shade of feeling.
- From a sociologist's point of view, work has shades of meaning which are individual to each of us.
- In this more tolerant environment several newspapers representing different shades of opinion have already sprung up, especially in the urban areas.
- It represented all shades of opinion, but it was dominated by Sukarno.
- There was in most works an allowance for shades of feeling and meaning, and for the existence of doubt.
- These two directions or shades of opinion are not necessarily as starkly polarised as may appear.
- To teach me to perceive the shades of beauty and the shades of meaning ...
WORD FAMILYadjectivemeaningfulmeaninglessnounmeaningverbmeanadverbmeaningfully
1of a word/sign etc [countable, uncountable] the thing or idea that a word, expression, or sign representsmeaning of I don’t know the precise meaning of the word ‘gleaned’.2ideas in speech/book etc [countable, uncountable] the thoughts or ideas that someone wants you to understand from what they say, do, write etcmeaning of The meaning of her words was clear. We’d lost our jobs.meaning behind She hardly dared to understand the meaning behind his statement.3what’s the meaning of this? spoken used to demand an explanation: What’s the meaning of this? I asked you to be here an hour ago!4purpose/special quality [uncountable] the quality that makes life, work etc seem to have a purpose or value: Life seemed to have lost its meaning since Janet’s death. Her studies no longer seemed to have any meaning. For many people it is religion that gives meaning to their existence.5true nature [uncountable] the true nature and importance of somethingmeaning of We seem to have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.6(not) know the meaning of something to have, or not have, experience and understanding of a particular situation or feeling: Living in a war zone, the children knew the meaning of fear. Guilty! She doesn’t know the meaning of the word!COLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 2verbshave a meaning· The same word may have several different meanings.take on a meaning (=begin to have a new meaning)· The word ‘chaos’ has taken on a special scientific meaning.understand the meaning· The pictures help the children understand the meanings of the words.know the meaning· Do you know the meaning of the word ‘paraphrase’?get somebody’s meaning (also take somebody’s meaning British English) (=understand what someone is saying in an indirect way)· He’s not like other people, if you get my meaning.grasp the meaning (=begin to understand the meaning)· She suddenly grasped the meaning of his frantic gestures.carry meaning (also bear a meaning formal) (=have a meaning)· In conversation, even a pause may carry meaning.convey meaning (=express a meaning)· the use of hand signals to convey meaningadjectivesprecise/specific/exact· The term ‘stress’ has a precise meaning to an engineer.a hidden meaning· She felt there was a hidden meaning behind his words.a double meaning (=two meanings at the same time)· Everything he said had a double meaning.the literal meaning· The literal meaning of ‘telephone’ is ‘far-away sound’.the ordinary meaning· They are a 'nuisance' in the ordinary meaning, not the legal meaning, of that word.the figurative/metaphorical meaning (=different from its usual or basic meaning)· The expression has a metaphorical meaning.somebody’s/something’s true meaning· Children understand the true meaning of these words.a symbolic meaning (=representing an idea)· Colours often have symbolic meanings; for example, black signifies grief in Western cultures.THESAURUSSense 2meaning the thoughts or ideas that someone wants you to understand from what they say, do, write etc: · What do you think is the meaning of the poem?the gist the main idea and meaning of something such as an article or a speech: · Read the story quickly first, just to get the gist of it.· I think I understand the gist of what you’re saying.the drift/your drift the main set of ideas involved in something such as an explanation, argument, or account of something – often used when the ideas are not stated directly: · The drift of his letter is that he wants to come back.· I don’t quite follow your drift.the essence the most important meaning of something such as an argument or piece of writing: · The essence of what he is saying is that human character is formed by society.the thrust the most important message of an argument, explanation etc, especially when it consists of a set of connected ideas leading to a final answer or idea: · The overall thrust of her argument is that we need to do more to protect our environment.the substance formal the most important ideas contained in an argument or piece of writing: · The substance of Marx’s views is the same in both of these books.· His article lacks substance (=there are no interesting or important ideas in it).the implication the meaning of what someone says, writes etc that is not stated directly, but that people are expected to understand: · The implication was that they did not consider Harrison to be trustworthy.