Place | Mean of place in English Dictionary

/ˈpleɪs/

• Noun
• a specific area or region of the world
1. Please state your place of birth and your current place of residence. [=where you were born and where you live now]
2. New York City is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
3. I've heard it's a good place to raise children.
4. places like Africa and South America
5. traveling to distant/exotic/faraway/remote places
6. the hottest place on earth
• a building or area that is used for a particular purpose
1. churches and other places of worship
2. a place of learning/business
3. You should plan to meet him in a public place.
4. a local gathering/meeting place
5. Muslim holy places
6. ancient burial places
7. We had dinner at a great little Italian place [=restaurant] downtown.
8. He tried several places [=stores], but no one sold the ingredients he needed.
9. You've come to the right place. I have just what you need.
10. This bar is the place to be [=it is where many people go and where exciting things happen] on Saturday nights.
• a building, part of a building, or area that is used for shelter
1. They gave him a place to stay for the night.

• a house, apartment, etc., where a person lives
1. We're going to need a bigger place once the baby is born.
2. He's looking to buy a place in the country.
3. Shall we go to my place or yours?
4. our summer place
• a particular space or area
1. This looks like a good place [=location, spot] to stop and rest.
2. It's nice to have the whole family together in one place.
3. Keep your jewelry and other valuables in a safe place.
4. The map is torn in (some) places. [=some parts of the map are torn]
5. The bone in her leg broke in two places.
6. Try looking for the phrase in another place in the dictionary.
7. A person can only be in one place at one time.
8. The guards/chairs were not in their proper places.
9. Wires carry the information from place to place. = They carry it from one place to another.
10. Success is sometimes just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
11. You were just unlucky; you happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
12. She keeps a special place in her heart for mistreated animals.
13. When I left the army, I was in a very strange place mentally. [=I was in a very strange mental state]
• a particular point that you reach in a discussion, book, etc.
1. This seems like a good place to end our discussion for today.
2. He used the receipt to keep/mark his place in the book he was reading.
3. She dropped the magazine on the floor and lost her place.
• an available seat, space, or amount of room
1. There's no place to sit down.
2. I found a place to put my things.
3. They didn't have a good place for the painting in their apartment.
4. If you get to the theater before me, could you save me a place?
5. “Excuse me, is this place taken?” “Yes, I'm saving it for my friend.”
6. She said she couldn't see the stage and asked if he would change/trade/swap/switch places with her.
7. During the ceremony, he was given a place of honor [=a seat for someone who is being honored] next to the president's wife.
8. We'll have to make a place [=make a space available; make room] for our guests.
9. We made a place for you at the dinner table.
• a particular position in a line especially of people or vehicles
1. I had to use the bathroom, but I didn't want to lose my place in line.
2. Would you save/hold our places (in line), please?
• a particular position during or at the end of a race or competition
1. The runner from the U.S. is currently in third place.
2. Their horse finished in last place.
3. The two teams are tied for second place.
4. “Who took first place?” “First place went to the red team.”
• a position in a group, course, organization, school, etc.
1. They offered her a place [=job] on their staff.
2. He started getting bad grades and lost his place on the basketball team. [=he was no longer allowed to be on the team]
3. She was guaranteed a place in the college.
4. There are two places still open in the course/class.
5. He has friends in high places. [=friends who have power and influence]
6. Her courage during the war earned her a place in history. [=she is remembered as an important person in history because of her courage during the war]
7. She has an important place in the community. [=she is an important part of the community]
8. He occupies a prominent place among the great musicians of our time.
• the proper position of someone in a group or society
1. The queen's servants must know their place and act accordingly. [=they must act like servants]
2. It's not my place [=it is not appropriate for me] to punish other people's children.
3. It was not his place to make the final decision.
• an appropriate situation or setting
1. There's a time and a place for everything.
2. This is neither the time nor the place to talk about money.
• a particular situation or set of conditions
1. Call me if you ever find yourself in a tight place.
2. Anyone in her place [=position] would have done the same thing.
3. I love my life and wouldn't change/trade/swap/switch places with anyone in the world!
• the position of a digit in a number
1. In the number 316, the digit 1 is in the tens place.
2. Move the decimal point two places to the right.
3. a number with three decimal places [=a number with three digits that follow the decimal point; a number like 2.345 or .678]
4. In the number 2.468, the 4 is in the first decimal place.
• in many different areas or locations
1. New houses are springing up all over the place in that part of the country.
2. The kids left their toys all over the place.
3. Bullets were flying all over the place.
• not organized in a logical way
1. Your essay lacks organization; your ideas are all over the place.
• to be replaced by (something)
1. Confidence gave place to [=(more commonly) gave way to] fear.
2. Further down the street, tall office buildings give place to rows of tidy houses.
• to become successful
1. She has enough ambition to really go places.
2. The band is clearly going places.
• to prevent (someone) from achieving a higher social status
1. Such social rules were used to keep women in their place.
• in the proper position
1. He makes sure that every hair on his head is in place before leaving the house.
2. Tape held/kept the photo in place.
3. The house's walls are in place, but nothing else has been done.
4. With all the performers in place, we were ready to rehearse.
• in the state of being used or active
1. The new computer system should be in place by next Monday.
2. These changes were already in place when the new president took office.
3. Plans are in place for the upcoming hurricane season.
• in the same location without moving forward or backward.
1. To warm up before swimming practice, we run in place [=(Brit) on the spot] for five minutes.
• as a substitute or replacement for someone or something
1. Use milk in place of [=instead of] water for creamier hot chocolate.
2. In place of butter, olive oil was served with the bread.
3. The prince ruled the kingdom in place of his father. = The prince ruled the kingdom in his father's place.
4. She couldn't attend the meeting, so she sent her secretary in her place.
• into the proper position
1. She lowered her glasses then pushed them back into place.
• into the state of being used or active
1. The curfew was put into place [=was established] by the town's mayor.
2. The plan will be put into place over the course of several months.
• not in the correct location or position
1. Nothing in the room was out of place.
• not in a typical or appropriate situation or setting
1. Their modern style home seems oddly out of place among the town's old farmhouses.
2. She wouldn't look out of place on the cover of a fashion magazine.
3. I feel a bit out of place [=I feel like I don't belong] with my wife's family.
4. The law seems particularly out of place in today's society.
• to happen
1. The wedding is set to take place this July.
2. Negotiations are now taking place between the two governments.
3. He didn't understand what had just taken place.
4. Where does the story take place? [=where is the story set?]
• to replace someone or something
1. Who will take the king's place when he dies?
2. We solved the original problem, but now a new one has taken its place.
3. I was too busy to attend the meeting, so I had my secretary take my place.
4. Who will take the place of the current pope?
5. Televisions began to take the place of radios in most families' homes.
• to go to the location where you are supposed to sit, stand, etc.
1. The goalie took her place on the field.
2. The actors take their places on the stage and the curtain rises.
3. (chiefly Brit) Ladies and gentlemen, please take your places. [=(US) take your seats] The play is about to begin.
• to be thought of or considered as sharing a particular rank or status with others
1. He has taken his place among/alongside/beside/with history's most brutal dictators.
2. The film will surely take its place among the greatest films of all time. [=will be recognized as one of the greatest films of all time]
3. The hurricane will take its place in history as one of this country's worst natural disasters.
• Verb
• to put (something or someone) in a particular place or position
1. Please place [=set, lay] the book on my desk.
2. She placed [=rested] her hand on his shoulder.
3. The box was placed at the center of the room.
4. You can really see the similarities when you place the two pictures side by side.
5. Her name was placed on the list.
6. The husbands and wives were placed in separate groups.
7. New flowers had been placed [=positioned] around the edges of the garden.
8. They were placed next to each other in line.
• to put (someone or something) in a particular state, condition, or situation
1. Working with sick people places him at risk for infection.
2. By not accepting the prosecutor's deal, he places his future in the hands of the jury.
3. We're placing you under arrest.
4. He was released from jail and placed on probation.
• to cause or require someone or something to deal with (a demand, burden, etc.)
1. The growing population is placing increasing demands on our schools. [=it is causing our schools to deal with increasing demands]
2. The financial burden of the program is ultimately placed upon the taxpayers. [=the taxpayers have to pay for the program]
3. He managed to get a lot done, considering the time constraints that were placed on him.
4. restrictions placed upon a person's freedom
• to perform the actions that are required for (something)
1. He placed a collect (phone) call to his wife.
2. Place your bets.
• to give (an order) to someone
1. The company placed an order (with the manufacturer) for an additional 100 units.
2. “Are you ready to place your order?” asked the waiter.
• to cause (something, such as an advertisement) to appear somewhere
1. We tried selling our house by placing an ad in the newspaper.
• to find an appropriate place for (someone) to live, work, or learn
1. The agency helps place unemployed workers.
2. The child was removed from the home and placed in the care of relatives.
3. The children were placed with a foster family.
4. In high school, she was placed in advanced math and science classes.
• to show or prove the location of (someone or something) at a particular time
1. The evidence places you at the scene of the crime.
2. Investigators were able to place him at several of these meetings.
3. The company's records place three of their trucks in the area that day.
• to remember where you saw (someone or someone's face) in the past
1. The man looked familiar but she couldn't quite place him.
2. It wasn't until later that I placed her face: she was my ninth grade English teacher, Ms. Lee.
• to end a race or competition in a particular position
1. He placed fifth in last year's race.
2. The team placed second overall.
3. The first three participants to place in each event will receive medals.
• to give (someone or something) a particular rank in a series or category
1. Tolstoy's War and Peace is often placed [=ranked, rated] among the greatest masterpieces of world literature.
2. Among the most serious problems facing the world, global warming is often placed first.
3. The administration places [=puts, sets] improving the country's health-care system high on their list of priorities.