class

class¹ W1S1 [kla:s US klæs] n

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1¦(social group)¦

2¦(students)¦

3¦(teaching period)¦

4¦(studying)¦

5¦(same type of something)¦

6¦(train/aircraft etc)¦

7¦(quality)¦

8¦(style/skill)¦

9¦(university degree)¦

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[Date: 1500-1600; : French; Origin: classe, from Latin classis 'class of citizens, social class']

1.) ¦(SOCIAL GROUP)¦

a)

one of the groups in a society that different types of people are divided into according to their jobs, income, education etc

professional/landowning/working etc class

▪ a Marxist view of the ruling classes

▪ a member of the landed class (=people who own land)

class divisions/differences etc

▪ social class inequalities

→↑lower class, ↑middle class, ↑upper class, ↑working class,the chattering classes at ↑chatter¹ (4)

b) [U]

the system in which people are divided into these groups

▪ Defining the concept of class is not an easy task.

class system/structure

▪ The old class system is slowly disappearing.

2.) ¦(STUDENTS)¦ [C, also + plural verb British English]

a) a group of students who are taught together

→↑classmate in a class

▪ We're in the same class for math.

▪ Gary came top of the class in English.

▪ My class are going to the Lake District.

b) AmE a group of students who finished studying together in the same year

→↑classmate

▪ a class reunion

the class of 1965/2001 etc

(=the group of students who finished in 1965 etc)

▪ The class of '69 spent almost as much time protesting as learning.

3.) ¦(TEACHING PERIOD)¦ [U and C]

a period of time during which someone teaches a group of people, especially in a school

British Equivalent: lessongeography/French/cooking etc class

▪ I missed Bible class last week.

in class

(=during the class)

▪ No talking in class!

▪ Were you late for class this morning?

have a class AmE

▪ I have physics class at 9:30 on Tuesdays.

4.) ¦(STUDYING)¦

a series of classes in a particular subject

British Equivalent: courseclass in

▪ a class in photography at night school

dance/aerobics/Greek etc class

▪ Dance classes start at 5:15.

take/attend/do a class

(=go to a series of classes)

▪ Cindy's taking a class on dealing with stress.

▪ He attended evening classes at the local college.

5.) ¦(SAME TYPE OF SOMETHING)¦

a group of people, animals, or things that are considered together because they are similar in some way

class of

▪ Have you passed a test for this class of vehicle?

6.) ¦(TRAIN/AIRCRAFT ETC)¦ [C usually singular]

one of the different standards of seats, food etc available on a train, aircraft etc

first/business/tourist etc class

▪ We always travel first class.

7.) ¦(QUALITY)¦

a group into which people or things are divided according to their quality or abilities

nicer/better etc class of sth

▪ The port now attracts a wealthier class of visitor.

in a class of its own/in a different class

(=better than everything else)

▪ Its sheer versatility puts this computer in a different class.

▪ He's not in the same class (=not as good) as her at tennis.

8.) ¦(STYLE/SKILL)¦[U] informal

a high level of style or skill in something

→↑classy

have/show class

▪ The team showed real class in this afternoon's match.

▪ A fountain will give your garden a touch of class .

class player/actress etc

a class act informal (=someone who is skilful, attractive etc)

▪ Laughton is a class act who's proved his worth in the game.

→↑high-class, ↑low-class

9.) ¦(UNIVERSITY DEGREE)¦ BrE

one of the three levels of a university degree

▪ a second class degree

class ²

class² v [T often passive]

to consider people, things etc as belonging to a particular group, using an official system

= ↑classify class sb/sth as sth

▪ Heroin and cocaine are classed as hard drugs.