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place

Pronunciation: /pleɪs/

Translate place | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of place

noun

  • 1a particular position, point, or area in space; a location:I can’t be in two places at once the monastery was a peaceful place that street was no place for a lady figurativehe would always have a special place in her heart
  • a particular area on a larger surface:he lashed out and cut the policeman’s hand in three places
  • a building or area used for a specified purpose or activity:the town has many excellent eating places a place of worship
  • informal a person’s home:what about dinner at my place?
  • a point in a book or other text reached by a reader at a particular time:I must have lost my place in the script
  • 2a portion of space designated or available for or being used by someone:they hurried to their places at the table Jackie had saved her a place
  • a vacancy or available position:he was offered a place at Liverpool University
  • the regular or proper position of something:she put the book back in its place
  • a person’s rank or status:occupation structures a person’s place in society
  • [usually with negative] a right or privilege resulting from someone’s role or position:I’m sure she has a story to tell, but it’s not my place to ask
  • the role played by or importance attached to someone or something in a particular context:the place of computers in improving office efficiency
  • 3a position in a sequence or series, typically one ordered on the basis of merit:his score left him in ninth place
  • British any of the first three or sometimes four positions in a race (used especially of the second, third, or fourth positions).
  • North American the second position, especially in a horse race.
  • the degree of priority given to something:accurate reportage takes second place to lurid detail
  • the position of a figure in a series indicated in decimal or similar notation, especially one after the decimal point:calculate the ratios to one decimal place
  • 4 [in place names] a square or short street:the lecture theatre is in New Burlington Place
  • a country house with its grounds.

verb

[with object]
  • 1 [with object and adverbial] put in a particular position:a newspaper had been placed beside my plate
  • cause to be in a particular situation:enemy officers were placed under arrest you are not placing yourself under any obligation
  • allocate or assign (an abstract quality) to something:they place a great deal of emphasis on positive thought
  • (be placed) have a specified degree of advantage or convenience as a result of one’s position or circumstances: [with infinitive]:the company is well placed to seize the opportunity
  • 2find a home or employment for:the children were placed with foster-parents
  • dispose of (something, especially shares) by selling to a customer: the shares were placed last November
  • arrange for the recognition and implementation of (an order, bet, etc.):they placed a contract for three boats
  • order or obtain a connection for (a telephone call) through an operator: she placed a call to her husband to break the news
  • 3 [with object and adverbial] identify or classify as being of a specified type or as holding a specified position in a sequence or hierarchy:a survey placed the company 13th for achievement
  • [with object, usually with negative] be able to remember or identify (someone or something):she eventually said she couldn’t place him
  • (be placed) British achieve a specified position in a race:he was placed eleventh in the long individual race
  • [no object] be among the first three or four in a race (or the first three in the US): he won three times and placed three times (be placed)the horse, Bahuddin, was not placed at Lingfield
  • 4 Rugby & American Football score (a goal) by a place kick.

Phrases

give place to

be succeeded or replaced by: the farmlands gave place to bare, scree-covered slopes anarchy eventually gave place to patrician capitalism

go places

informal
travel.
be increasingly successful:a pop star who’s definitely going places

in place

  • 1working or ready to work; established:contingency plans should be in place the rules which we shall put in place in the months ahead meet these criteria
  • 2North American on the spot; not travelling any distance.

in place of

instead of: eat raisins in place of junk food desserts

keep someone in his (or her) place

keep someone from becoming presumptuous.

out of place

not in the proper position; disarranged: not a hair was out of place in her painstakingly crimped coiffure
in a setting where one is or feels inappropriate or incongruous: the glamorous woman seemed radically out of place in the launderette

a place in the sun

a position of favour or advantage.

put oneself in another's place

consider a situation from another’s point of view: put yourself in her place—she’s got a lot to cope with

put someone in his (or her) place

deflate or humiliate someone regarded as being presumptuous.

take place

occur:people laid flowers at the spot where the crash took place

take one's place

take up one’s usual or recognized position.

take the place of

replace.

Derivatives

placeless

adjective

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French, from an alteration of Latin platea 'open space', from Greek plateia (hodos) 'broad (way)'

Grammar

Adverbials and adverbial clauses can provide information about where something happened.AdverbialsAdverbials of place can be individual words or prepositional phrases. In the examples that follow, the adverbials are printed in bold type.We should not have expected to see them there. A quarter of them live in New York City. Adverbial clausesThese are usually introduced by the conjunctions:where wherever everywhere For example:It just seems odd to do it where no one is likely to see it. Wherever he went things seemed different. Everywhere one looked there were unaccustomed trophies on display.

place in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of place in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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