place

place¹ W1S1 [pleıs] n

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1¦(area/space/building etc)¦

2¦(home )¦

3 take place

4¦(space to sit or put something)¦

5¦(point in book/speech)¦

6¦(opportunity to do something)¦

7¦(role/position)¦

8 in place

9 in place of somebody/something

10 take the place of somebody/something

11 in somebody's place

12 be no place for somebody

13 first/second/third etc place

14 in the first place

15 take second place (to somebody/something)

16 take your places

17 all over the place

18 put somebody in their place

19 out of place

20 it is not somebody's place (to do something)

21 have no place

22 fall into place

23 be going places

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[Date: 900-1000; : Old French; Origin: 'open space', from Latin platea 'broad street', from Greek plateia (hodos), from platys 'broad, flat']

1.) ¦(AREA/SPACE/BUILDING ETC)¦

a space or area, for example a particular point on a surface or a room, building, town, city etc

▪ Make sure you keep the key in a safe place.

▪ I've spent the day dashing about from place to place.

▪ The place was full of screaming children.

▪ He was threatening to burn the place down.

▪ She had never been back to the place where the accident happened.

▪ The theatre bar was our usual meeting place.

▪ We were living then in a place called Alberiga.

▪ The wall was quite damp in places (=in some places) .

place for

▪ This is a great place for a holiday.

a place to do sth

▪ I couldn't find a place to park.

▪ Did the accident happen at your place of work (=the place where you work) ?

▪ The Great Mosque has been a place of worship for Muslims for centuries.

see usage note ↑position¹

2.) ¦(HOME )¦ informal

a house or apartment where someone lives

▪ They've got quite a big place on the outskirts of Leeds.

sb's place

▪ Do you want to come back to my place for coffee?

▪ It took us ages to find a place to live .

▪ He's staying with us until he can find a place of his own .

3.) take place

to happen, especially after being planned or arranged

▪ The next meeting will take place on Thursday.

▪ Talks between the two sides are still taking place.

▪ Major changes are taking place in society.

4.) ¦(SPACE TO SIT OR PUT SOMETHING)¦

a space where someone can sit, or a space where you can put something

▪ I might arrive a bit late, so could you save me a place?

▪ There are still a few places left on the coach.

▪ Make sure you put everything back in its proper place.

place for

▪ Can you find a good place for this vase?

5.) ¦(POINT IN BOOK/SPEECH)¦

a point that you have reached in a book or a speech

▪ This would be a good place to stop and answer any questions that people have.

▪ I used a bookmark so that I wouldn't lose my place (=forget the point that I had reached) .

6.) ¦(OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING)¦

if someone has a place somewhere, they have the opportunity to go there or join in an activity

place in

▪ If you don't come to training you might lose your place in the team.

▪ We've been trying to find her a place in a residential home.

place on

▪ He was offered a place on the management committee.

▪ There are still a couple of places left on the course.

place at

▪ I've been offered a place at York University.

7.) ¦(ROLE/POSITION)¦

the ↑role or important position that someone or something has in a situation or in society

sb's place

▪ the old idea that a woman's place is in the home

place in

▪ He finally reached the summit of Everest and secured his place in history.

▪ Working has a very important place in all our lives.

8.) in place

a) in the correct position

▪ The chairs for the concert were nearly all in place.

▪ The glass was held in place by a few pieces of sellotape.

b) existing and ready to be used

▪ Funding arrangements are already in place.

9.) in place of sb/sth also in sb's/sth's place

instead of someone or something else

▪ In place of our advertised programme, we will have live coverage of the special memorial service.

▪ The company flag had been taken down and in its place hung the Union Jack.

▪ If I refused to go, they would send someone else in my place.

10.) take the place of sb/sth also take sb's/sth's place

to exist or be used instead of someone or something else

= ↑replace

▪ Natural methods of pest control are now taking the place of chemicals.

▪ I had to find someone to take Jenny's place.

11.) in sb's place

used to talk about what you would do if you were in someone else's situation

▪ What would you do in my place?

▪ Try to put yourself in my place and think how you would feel.

12.) be no place for sb

to be a completely unsuitable place for someone

▪ This is no place for a child.

13.) first/second/third etc place

first, second etc position in a race or competition

▪ He took second place in the long jump.

in first/second etc place

▪ I finished in third place .

14.) in the first place

a) used to introduce a series of points in an argument, discussion etc

▪ In the first place, I'm too busy, and in the second I don't really want to go.

b) used to talk about what someone did or should have done at the start of a situation

▪ I wish I'd never got involved in the first place!

15.) take second place (to sb/sth)

to be less important than someone or something else

▪ She wasn't prepared to take second place in his life.

16.) take your places

used to tell people to go to the correct place or position that they need to be in for an activity

▪ If you would like to take your places, the food will be served shortly.

17.) all over the place informal

a) everywhere

▪ There was blood all over the place.

b) in a very untidy state

▪ She came in with her hair all over the place.

18.) put sb in their place

to show someone that they are not as clever or important as they think they are

▪ I soon put him in his place.

19.) out of place

a) not suitable for a particular situation or occasion

▪ He never seemed to feel out of place at social functions.

▪ The paintings looked strangely out of place.

b) not in the correct or usual position

▪ The kitchen was spotlessly clean, with nothing out of place.

20.) it is not sb's place (to do sth)

if it is not your place to do something, you do not have the duty or right to do it

▪ It's not your place to criticize me!

21.) have no place

formal to be completely unacceptable

have no place in

▪ Capital punishment has no place in a modern society.

22.) fall into place

a) if things fall into place in your mind, you suddenly realize and understand what is really happening

▪ Things were beginning to fall into place in my mind.

▪ Everything suddenly fell into place.

b) if plans or events fall into place, they start to happen in the way that you hoped they would

▪ Eventually I got a job, and my life began to fall into place.

23.) be going places informal

to start becoming successful in your life

▪ William is a young man who is definitely going places.

→have/take pride of place at ↑pride¹ (6)

place ²

place² W1S3 v

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1¦(position)¦

2¦(situation)¦

3¦(in a job/home)¦

4¦(arrange something)¦

5¦(how good/important)¦

6 place value/importance/emphasis etc on something

7 can't place somebody

8 be well/ideally etc placed

9¦(races)¦

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1.) ¦(POSITION)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to put something somewhere, especially with care

= ↑put

▪ She poured the doctor a cup of tea and placed it on the table.

▪ He carefully placed the folder back in his desk drawer.

2.) ¦(SITUATION)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to put someone or something in a particular situation

= ↑put

▪ The government is being placed under pressure to give financial help to farmers.

▪ Children must not be placed at risk.

▪ Some areas of the city have been placed under curfew.

▪ This places me in a very difficult position.

3.) ¦(IN A JOB/HOME)¦ [T] formal

to find a suitable job or home for someone

▪ Some unemployed people can be very difficult to place.

▪ He was later placed with a foster family.

4.) ¦(ARRANGE SOMETHING)¦ [T]

to arrange for something to be done

▪ He placed an advertisement in the local paper.

▪ You can place orders by telephone.

▪ I had no idea which horse I should place a bet on.

5.) ¦(HOW GOOD/IMPORTANT)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to say how good or important you think someone or something is

▪ I would place health quite high on my list of priorities.

places sb/sth above/before sb/sth

▪ Some museums seem to place profit above education.

6.) place value/importance/emphasis etc on sth

to decide that something is important

▪ Most people place too much value on money.

▪ The company places a lot of emphasis on training.

7.) can't place sb

to recognize someone, but be unable to remember where you have met them before

▪ I've seen her somewhere before, but I can't quite place her.

8.) be well/ideally etc placed

a) to be in a good situation where you have the ability or opportunity to do something

be well/ideally placed to do sth

▪ The company is now well placed to compete in Europe.

b) BrE to be in a good place or position

be well/ideally etc placed for

▪ The hotel is well placed for most of London's theatres.

9.) ¦(RACES)¦

be placed first/second etc

to be first, second etc in a race or competition