case¹ /kās/

1. A covering, box or sheath containing something
2. The contents of such a box, etc, as in a case of wine
3. A set, eg of pistols
4. A facing for walls
5. The boards and back of a hardback book
6. A tray with many compartments in which a compositor keeps types of different sizes and styles (printing)

To enclose in a case

cāsˈing noun

1. The act of putting on a case
2. An outside covering of any kind, as of boards, plaster, etc
3. A strong rigid pipe or tube lining a well, shaft, etc
4. The outer covering of a tyre
5. The outer deck of a submarine
6. Cleaned animal intestines, or a substitute, used to case sausage meat, etc

caseˈ-bottle noun

A bottle made to fit into a case with others, a bottle with a covering

caseˈ-bound adjective

(of a book) with a hard cover

cased glass or case glass noun

A type of 19c glass consisting of one or more layers of coloured glass laid on clear glass and cut away to form various patterns

caseˈ-harden transitive verb

1. To harden on the surface, as by carbonizing iron (metallurgy)
2. To make callous or insensitive through previous experience

caseˈ-hardening noun

caseˈ-knife noun

A large knife kept in a sheath

caseˈmaker noun

A person who makes covers for books

caseˈman noun

A compositor

caseˈ-sensitive or (-insensitive) adjective

Of a computer program, etc, taking (no) account of whether a text character is upper-case or lower-case

caseˈ-shot noun

Canister shot, an artillery projectile for use at close quarters

caseˈ-worm noun

A caddis-worm

casˈinghead noun (mining)

The part of the well that is above the surface and to which the pipelines and control valves are attached

case² /kās/

1. That which happens, an event or occurrence
2. State or condition
3. Subject of question, investigation or inquiry
4. (an instance of) a person or animal having a disease
5. (records relating to) a person under medical treatment or being dealt with by a social worker, etc
6. An odd or humorous character, usually qualified in some way as in he's a strange case (informal)
7. A legal statement of facts either in total or as presented by the defence or the prosecution
8. A lawsuit
9. A plausible contention, something to be said for a position or action, a point
10. (any of the specific types of) grammatical relation of a noun, pronoun, or (in some languages) adjective to another word in the sentence, and/or its variation in form to express that relation

To reconnoitre or examine, usu with a view to burglary

caseˈbook noun

1. Formerly, a book in which a doctor records the history of his cases
2. A book recording medical, legal, etc cases which are valuable as examples for reference

case history noun

A record of ancestry, environment, personal history, etc for use in diagnosis and treatment, or for some other purpose

case law noun

Law established by judicial decisions made in previous cases

caseˈ-load noun

The number of cases a doctor, social worker, etc has to deal with at a particular time

caseˈmix noun

A database system for storing information about medical patients, based on classification according to specific predetermined characteristics such as age, severity of illness, diagnosis, etc

caseˈ-study noun

1. A study based on the analysis of one or more cases or case histories
2. (the gathering and organizing of information for) a case history

caseˈwork noun (social work)

The study of individuals or of families, their environment and personal history, often together with supervision and guidance

caseˈworker noun

as the case may be

Depending on or in accordance with the particular circumstances

case in point

An example or illustration of what is under discussion

in any case

1. Anyway, however
2. Whatever happens

in case

1. In the event that
2. In order to make safe, make sure, etc

in case to

In fit condition for

in that case

Since that is the situation

make out one's case

To give reasons for one's statements or position

on (or off) one's case

Persistently (or no longer) harassing or carping at one

put (the) case

1. To suppose an instance
2. To take for example

the case

The fact, the reality

• unharmonious
• unharness
• unharnessed
• unharnesses
• unharnessing
• unharvested
• unhasp
• unhasped
• unhasping
• unhasps
• unhasting
• unhasty
• unhat
• unhatch'd
• unhatched
• unhats
• unhatted
• unhatting
• unhattings
• unhaunted
• unhazarded
• unhazardous
• UNHCR
• unhead
• unheaded