place

1 (C) PLACE, POSITION, OR AREA

1 POINT/POSITION

a) any area, point, or position in space: This is the place where the accident happened. | Make sure you keep it in a safe place. | We kept moving from place to place. | The whole place was covered in dust.

b) a particular point in a larger area: a sore place on my shoulder | There's a place on the wall where the paint's coming off.

—see position 1

2 PLACE FOR DOING STH a place that is used for, or is suitable for, a particular purpose or activity: place to live/eat/park etc: What they need is a decent place to live. | I couldn't find a place to park. | place for: It's a great place for a vacation. | sth's place (=where something is usually kept): Put it back in its place when you've finished with it.

3 BUILDING/TOWN/COUNTRY ETC a particular place such as a shop, factory, town, or country: They've just bought a little place in Wales. | We were living then in a place called Alberiga. | I got it at that big furniture place on the ring road. | a nice Korean place (=restaurant) on the corner

4 SB'S HOUSE your place/my place etc informal the house, apartment, or room where you live, I live etc: Do you want to come back to our place for coffee?

5 be no place for to be a completely unsuitable place: A damp bedsit was no place for a baby.

6 place of work formal a factory, office etc where you work

7 place of worship formal a building such as a church, where people have religious ceremonies

TAKE PLACE

8 take place to happen, especially after being planned or arranged: The next meeting will take place on Thursday. | the changes taking place in Indian society

9 take the place of to exist or be used instead of someone or something else; replace: Electric trains have now taken the place of steam ones. | No-one could take the place of her mother.

10 take second place to to be less important than someone or something else: Our personal wishes must take second place to the needs of the children.

11 take your place

a) to go to a particular position that you need to be in for an activity: Take your places for the next dance.

b) to join, and form an important part of, a group of people or things: This new work will take its place among the most important paintings of the century.

IN PLACE

12 in place in the correct or usual position: Have you got all the lights in place yet?

13 in place of instead of: In place of our advertised programme, we will be showing a film.

14 in sb's place

a) if you do something in someone's place, you do it because they were supposed to but could not: Jane was ill, so I went to the conference in her place.

b) spoken used when talking about what you would do if you were in someone else's situation: What would you do in my place?

15 in places in some parts or areas, but not everywhere: In places, there was even mould on the walls.

FIRST/SECOND PLACE

16 first/second/third etc place first, second etc position in a race or competition: I finished in fifth place.

17 in the first place

a) used to introduce a series of points in an argument, discussion etc: Well, in the first place, I can't afford it, and in the second place I'm not really interested.

b) spoken used when talking about what was done, or should have been done, at the start of a situation: I should never have gone in the first place!

OTHER MEANINGS

18 AT COLLEGE ETC an opportunity to take part in a course, activity, event etc: He's been offered a place at York University. | There are only two places left on the word-processing course..

19 AVAILABLE SPACE a seat on a bus, room in a hotel etc that is available for someone to use: There are still a few places left on the coach.

20 all over the place informal

a) everywhere: There were policemen all over the place.

b) in a very untidy state: Her hair was all over the place.

21 AT A TABLE a knife, fork, spoon, plate etc arranged on a table for one person to use: Shall I lay places for five or for six?

22 put sb in their place to show someone that they are not as clever or important as they think they are: A few curt remarks from the chairperson soon put Bates in his place.

23 out of place

a) not suitable for a particular situation or occasion: I felt completely out of place among all those smart rich people.

b) not in the correct or usual position: Nothing was ever out of place in Kitty's house.

24 not your place if it is not your place to do something, it is not your responsibility to do it, especially because you do not have enough power: It's not my place to tell the directors what to do!

25 lose your place to not know what point you had reached in a book, speech etc: The lecturer seemed to have lost his place.

26 save/keep sb a place to make sure that people do not sit in a particular chair that you want to save for someone else: I might arrive a bit late, so could you save me a place?

27 have no place formal to be completely unacceptable: People with racist views have no place in this union.

28 fall into place

a) if things fall into place in your mind, you suddenly realize and understand what is really happening: When I found out who he was, 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, moved house, and my life began to fall into place.

29 be going places informal to start becoming successful in your life: He's really going places as an actor.

30 know your place often humorous to behave in a way that shows that you know which people are more important than you: I'll get back to the kitchen then - I know my place!

—see also: decimal place, have/take pride of place pride 1 (6) USAGE NOTE: PLACE WORD CHOICE: room, space, place, somewhere, anywhere The uncountable nouns room and space can both mean an empty area that can be used for any purpose: Is there (any) room/space for me/us to sit down in here? | Is there room/space for more books on this shelf? | There's not enough room/space to move in here! A place or a space (C) is a single piece of space that can be used for something. However, a place in this sense often has a planned or official purpose, while a space may be unplanned and smaller: I need a place to work (= an office, a study, or desk). | I need a space to work (=a part of a room or table). You say a public place but usually a parking space (=for one car) and an open/green space. In spoken English people often use somewhere or anywhere: I can't find anywhere to park. | He's looking for somewhere to park his car. GRAMMAR Place is singular, with the plural places: I visited a lot of different places (NOT place). 2 verb

1 POSITION (transitive always + adv/prep) to put something somewhere, especially with care: place sth in/on/under etc: He placed the book back on the shelf. | She had placed a tape recorder in front of her on the table.

2 SITUATION (transitive always + adv/prep) to put someone or something in a particular situation: Her request places me in a very difficult position.

3 HOW IMPORTANT (T) to decide how good or important something is, as compared to something else: Place the wines in order of preference. | place value/importance etc on sth: The company places emphasis on training its staff.

4 IN A JOB (T) formal to find a suitable job for someone: The agency had placed her with a local firm.

5 can't place sb to be unable to remember why you recognize someone, what their name is etc: I'm sure I've met that girl before somewhere, but I can't quite place her.

6 place a bet to risk money by guessing the result of a future event

7 place an order to ask a shop or business to provide a product that you need: We placed an order with Whiteley's for 200 shirts.

8 be placed to do sth/be placed for sth to be in a situation where you have the ability or opportunity to do or have something: You're better placed to arrange the meeting than I am. | How are you placed for money? (=do you have enough money?)

9 RACES be placed first/second etc

a) to be first, second etc in a race or competition

b) (T) BrE if a horse is placed in a race, it comes second or third

c) (I) AmE if a horse places in a race, it comes second