- town
- /taUn/ noun
1 PLACE (C) a large area with houses, shops, offices etc where people live and work, that is smaller than a city and larger than a village: an industrial town in the Midlands | the town of Norwalk, Connecticut2 MAIN CENTRE (U) the business or shopping centre of a town: We're going into town tonight to see a film. | They have a small apartment in town.3 PEOPLE (singular) all the people who live in a particular town: The whole town turned out to watch the procession.4 WHERE YOU LIVE (U) AmE the town or city where you live: Cam left town about an hour ago, he should be out at the farm by now. | out of town: I'll be out of town for about a week. | in town: Guess who's in town? Jodie's sister! | be from out of town (=live in a different town than the one you are in): Do you know of a good place to eat? I'm from out of town.5 VILLAGE (C) AmE several houses forming a small group around a church, shops etc; village BrE: Rowayton is a small town of around 4000 people.6 NOT COUNTRY the town life in towns and cities in general: Which do you prefer, the town or the country?7 go to town (on) informal to do something in a very eager or thorough way, often spending a lot of money: Angela really went to town on buying things for her new house.8 go/be out on the town informal to go to restaurants, bars, theatres etc for entertainment in the evening9 town and gown BrE used to describe the situation in which the people living in a town and the students in a town seem to be separate and opposing groups—see also: ghost town, blow town blow 1 (11), market town, new town, paint the town (red) paint 2 (6)
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.