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Place

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place¹

  • /ˈpleɪ̯s/ Canadian, US, UK, Standard
  • [ˈpʰl̥eɪ̯s] Canadian, US, UK, Standard
  • /ˈpleːs/
  • [ˈpʰl̥eːs]
  • /ˈplæ̝ɪ̯s/ Australia, New Zealand
  • [ˈpʰl̥æ̝ɪ̯s] Australia, New Zealand

Sounds like plaice · Rhymes with -eɪs

Where it comes from

From Middle English place, conflation of Old English plæċe (“place, an open space, street”) and Old French place (“place, an open space”), both from Latin platēa (“plaza, wide street”), from Ancient Greek πλατεῖα (plateîa), shortening of πλατεῖα ὁδός (plateîa hodós, “broad way”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- (“to spread”), extended form of *pleh₂- (“flat”). Displaced native Old English stōw, stede (partially), and -ern. Compare also English pleck (“plot of ground”), West Frisian plak (“place, spot, location”), Dutch plek (“place, spot, patch”). Doublet of piatza, piazza, platz, and plaza.

In the etymological chain from Latin platēa, note Old French place, which has multiple descendants — including German Platz, itself with many descendants (e.g., Russian плац (plac)). Also note a more distant chain node Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús), whence English Plato and English plate (via Latin).

noun places · pleace

  1. countable, physical, uncountable An open space, particularly a city square, market square, or courtyard. Ay, sir, the other squirrel was stolen from me by the hangman's boys in the market-place
  2. countable, often, physical, uncountable A street, sometimes but not always surrounding a public place, square, or plaza of the same name. They live at Westminster Place.
  3. countable, physical, uncountable An inhabited area: a village, town, or city.
  4. countable, physical, uncountable Any area of the earth: a region. He is going back to his native place on vacation.
  5. countable, physical, uncountable The area one occupies, particularly somewhere to sit. We asked the restaurant to give us a table with three places.
  6. countable, physical, uncountable The area where one lives: one's home, formerly (chiefly) country estates and farms. My Lady Dedlock has been down at what she calls, in familiar conversation, her "place" in Lincolnshire.
  7. countable, physical, uncountable An area of the body, especially the skin. Which place hurts the most?
  8. countable, euphemistic, physical, slang, uncountable An area to urinate and defecate: an outhouse or lavatory. Place,... (2) a jakes, or house of ease.
  9. countable, obsolete, physical, uncountable An area to fight: a battlefield or the contested ground in a battle.
  10. countable, uncountable A location or position in space. I'll check places I think she might be.
  11. countable, uncountable Proper or usual position. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
  12. countable, uncountable A particular location in a book or document, particularly the current location of a reader I lost my place when you interrupted me.
  13. countable, obsolete, uncountable A passage or extract from a book or document.
  14. countable, obsolete, rhetoric, uncountable A topic.
  15. countable, uncountable A state of mind. I'm in a strange place at the moment.
  16. countable, obsolete, uncountable A chess position; a square of the chessboard.
  17. countable, uncountable A role or purpose; a station. It is really not my place to say what is right and wrong in this case.
  18. countable, uncountable The position of a contestant in a competition. We thought we would win but only ended up in fourth place.
  19. countable, uncountable The position of first, second, or third at the finish, especially the second position. to win a bet on a horse for place
  20. countable, uncountable The position as a member of a sports team. He lost his place in the national team.
  21. countable, obsolete, uncountable A fortified position: a fortress, citadel, or walled town.
  22. countable, uncountable Numerically, the column counting a certain quantity. three decimal places;  the hundreds place
  23. countable, uncountable Ordinal relation; position in the order of proceeding. That's what I said in the first place!
  24. countable, uncountable Reception; effect, implying the making room for. My word hath no place in you.

Similar: location, position, situation, stead, stell, spot, locus

place²

  • /ˈpleɪ̯s/ Canadian, US, UK, Standard
  • [ˈpʰl̥eɪ̯s] Canadian, US, UK, Standard
  • /ˈpleːs/
  • [ˈpʰl̥eːs]
  • /ˈplæ̝ɪ̯s/ Australia, New Zealand
  • [ˈpʰl̥æ̝ɪ̯s] Australia, New Zealand

Sounds like plaice · Rhymes with -eɪs

Where it comes from

From Middle English placen, from the noun (see above).

verb places · placing · placed · place

  1. transitive To put (someone or something) in a specific location. He placed the glass on the table.
  2. ergative To earn a given spot in a competition; to rank at a certain position ((often followed by an ordinal)). The Cowboys placed third in the league.
  3. ergative, intransitive To finish second, especially of horses or dogs. In the third race: Aces Up won, paying eight dollars; Blarney Stone placed, paying three dollars; and Cinnamon showed, paying five dollars.
  4. transitive To remember where and when (an object or person) has been previously encountered. I've seen him before, but I can't quite place where.
  5. transitive To vouch for someone's alibi. The librarian was placed at home by her neighbor at the time of the murder.
  6. transitive To sing (a note) with the correct pitch.
  7. transitive To make. We were all focused intently on the triangular conference call speaker in the middle of the table. President Trump's communications team was placing a call to President Volodymyr Zelenksy of Ukraine, and we were here to listen.
  8. transitive To bet. I placed ten dollars on the Lakers beating the Bulls.
  9. transitive To recruit or match an appropriate person for a job, or a home for an animal for adoption, etc. They phoned hoping to place her in the management team.
  10. transitive To place-kick (a goal).
  11. transitive To assign (more or less value) to something. My workplace places a high premium on team spirit.

Similar: achieve, make

Place³

proper noun Places

  1. countable, uncountable A surname.
  2. countable, uncountable An unincorporated community in the town of Farmington, Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States.

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