world

world
n.
1 a the earth, or a planetary body like it. b its countries and their inhabitants. c all people; the earth as known or in some particular respect.
2 a the universe or all that exists; everything. b everything that exists outside oneself (dead to the world).
3 a the time, state, or scene of human existence. b (prec. by the, this) mortal life.
4 secular interests and affairs.
5 human affairs; their course and conditions; active life (how goes the world with you?).
6 average, respectable, or fashionable people or their customs or opinions.
7 all that concerns or all who belong to a specified class, time, domain, or sphere of activity (the medieval world; the world of sport).
8 (foll. by of) a vast amount (that makes a world of difference).
9 (attrib.) affecting many nations, of all nations (world politics; a world champion).
Phrases and idioms:
all the world and his wife
1 any large mixed gathering of people.
2 all with pretensions to fashion. bring into the world give birth to or attend at the birth of. carry the world before one have rapid and complete success. come into the world be born. for all the world (foll. by like, as if) precisely (looked for all the world as if they were real). get the best of both worlds benefit from two incompatible sets of ideas, circumstances, etc. in the world of all; at all (used as an intensifier in questions) (what in the world is it?). man (or woman) of the world a person experienced and practical in human affairs. the next (or other) world a supposed life after death. out of this world colloq. extremely good etc. (the food was out of this world). see the world travel widely; gain wide experience. think the world of have a very high regard for. World Bank colloq. the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, an organization administering economic aid between member nations. world-beater a person or thing surpassing all others. world-class of a quality or standard regarded as high throughout the world. World Cup a competition between football or other sporting teams from various countries. world-famous known throughout the world. the world, the flesh, and the devil the various kinds of temptation.
world language
1 an artificial language for international use.
2 a language spoken in many countries. world-line Physics a curve in space-time joining the positions of a particle throughout its existence. the (or all the) world over throughout the world. world power a nation having power and influence in world affairs. the world's end the farthest attainable point of travel. World Series the US championship for baseball teams. world-shaking of supreme importance. the world to come supposed life after death. world-view = WELTANSCHAUUNG. world war a war involving many important nations (First World War of 1914-18; Second World War of 1939-45). world-weariness being world-weary. world-weary weary of the world and life on it. world without end for ever.
Etymology: OE w(e)orold, world f. a Gmc root meaning 'age': rel. to OLD

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР
Synonyms:
, , , / , , / , / , , , , , , , , / , , , , , / , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • World — World, n. [OE. world, werld, weorld, weoreld, AS. weorold, worold; akin to OS. werold, D. wereld, OHG. weralt, worolt, werolt, werlt, G. welt, Icel. ver[ o]ld, Sw. verld, Dan. verden; properly, the age of man, lifetime, humanity; AS. wer a man +… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • world — UK US /wɜːld/ noun [C, usually singular] ► a particular area of activity: »Our world of work is changing rapidly. »the world of advertising/the internet »the business/corporate world …   Financial and business terms

  • world — /werrld/, n. 1. the earth or globe, considered as a planet. 2. (often cap.) a particular division of the earth: the Western world. 3. the earth or a part of it, with its inhabitants, affairs, etc., during a particular period: the ancient world. 4 …   Universalium

  • world — noun 1 the earth/its people ADJECTIVE ▪ known ▪ a medieval map of the known world ▪ entire, whole VERB + WORLD ▪ create …   Collocations dictionary

  • World — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Sommaire 1 Sport 1.1 Baseball 1.2 Lutte …   Wikipédia en Français

  • World — The world is a proper noun for the planet Earth envisioned from an anthropocentric or human worldview, as a place inhabited by human beings and other terrestrial lifes. It is often used to signify the sum of human experience and history, or the… …   Wikipedia

  • world — I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English woruld human existence, this world, age (akin to Old High German weralt age, world); akin to Old English wer man, eald old more at virile, old Date: before 12th century 1. a. the earthly state… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • world — See: COME UP IN THE WORLD or RISE IN THE WORLD, DEAD TO THE WORLD, FOR ALL THE WORLD, IN A WORLD OF ONE S OWN or IN A WORLD BY ONESELF, IN THE WORLD, LOOK AT THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE COLORED GLASSES, NOT FOR THE WORLD, ON TOP OF THE WORLD or… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • world — See: COME UP IN THE WORLD or RISE IN THE WORLD, DEAD TO THE WORLD, FOR ALL THE WORLD, IN A WORLD OF ONE S OWN or IN A WORLD BY ONESELF, IN THE WORLD, LOOK AT THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE COLORED GLASSES, NOT FOR THE WORLD, ON TOP OF THE WORLD or… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • World — (as used in expressions) Disney World y Disneylandia Industrial Workers of the World Pan American World Airways, Inc. Trans World Airlines, Inc. world music World Series (Serie Mundial) World Trade Center World Wildlife Fund WWW (World Wide Web) …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • world — Synonyms and related words: Africa, America, Antipodes, Asia, Asia Major, Asia Minor, Australasia, Copernican universe, Earth, East, Eastern Hemisphere, Einsteinian universe, Eurasia, Europe, Everyman, Far East, Gaea, Ge, John Doe, Levant, Middle …   Moby Thesaurus

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”