- story
- sto|ryW2S2 [ˈsto:ri] n plural stories▬▬▬▬▬▬▬1¦(for entertainment)¦2¦(news)¦3¦(events)¦4¦(excuse)¦5¦(history)¦6¦(building)¦7¦(of a film/play etc)¦8 it's the same story here/there/in ...9 it's the same old story10 it's a long story11 to cut a long story short12 but that's another story13 that's not the whole story14 that's the story of my life15 end of story16 a different story17¦(lie)¦▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: estorie, from Latin historia; HISTORY]1.) ¦(FOR ENTERTAINMENT)¦a description of how something happened, that is intended to entertain people, and may be true or imaginary→↑tale story about/of▪ a story about a princessfairy/ghost/love etc story▪ a detective storytell/read sb a story▪ Mommy, will you read me a story?▪ a book of short stories▪ We cuddled together over a bedtime story .▪ The film was based on a true story .▪ Don't be frightened - it's only a story (=it is imaginary) .2.) ¦(NEWS)¦a report in a newspaper or news broadcast about a recent event▪ a front-page story▪ 'The Observer' ran a story about the scandal (=reported it) .cover story(=the main story in a magazine, that is about the picture on the cover)3.) ¦(EVENTS)¦an account of something that has happened, usually one that people tell each other, and which may not be true▪ The full story of what happened has never been reported.▪ Her parents did not believe her story.▪ First he wanted to hear Matthew's side of the story (=his description of what happened) .▪ He was having an affair with Julie, or so the story goes (=people are saying this) .4.) ¦(EXCUSE)¦an excuse or explanation, especially one that you have invented▪ Where were you? And don't give me some story about working late!▪ Well that's my story (=that is what I say happened) , and I'm sticking to it.5.) ¦(HISTORY)¦a description of the most important events in someone's life or in the development of something▪ the Charlie Parker Story▪ He wanted to have his life story told on film.6.) ¦(BUILDING)¦AmE a floor or level of a buildingBritish Equivalent: storey▪ a fifty-story building7.) ¦(OF A FILM/PLAY ETC)¦what happens in a film, play, or book= ↑plot▪ The story is similar in all her books.8.) it's the same story here/there/in ...used to say the same thing is happening in another place▪ Unemployment is falling in the US and it's the same story in Europe.9.) spoken it's the same old storyused to say that the present bad situation has often happened before▪ It's the same old story - too much work and not enough time.10.) spoken it's a long storyused to tell someone that you do not want to give them all the details that a full answer to their question would need11.) spoken to cut a long story short also to make a long story short AmEused when you only give the main point of something you are talking about, and not all the other details12.) spoken but that's another storyused when you have mentioned something that you are not going to talk about on this occasion13.) spoken that's not the whole storyused to say that there are more details which people need to know in order to understand the situation14.) spoken that's the story of my lifeused after a disappointing experience to mean that similar disappointing things always seem to happen to you15.) spoken end of storyused to say that there is nothing more to say about a particular subject▪ As far as I'm concerned Terry is still a friend, end of story.16.) a different storyused to say that something is not what you expect it to be▪ It looks like a big house, but inside it's a different story.17.) ¦(LIE)¦a lie - used by children or when speaking to children▪ You shouldn't tell stories .
Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.
