# field

Pronunciation: say "FEELD" US /fild/, UK /fiːld/

## Noun

1. A particular area of study, knowledge, work, or business activity.
   - Simple: A subject or area of work, study, or business.
   - _Genetics is a rapidly advancing field within modern biology._
   - _Researchers from several fields collaborated on the climate report._
2. An area of open land, especially one used for crops or animals and usually bounded by a fence or hedge; open country.
   - Simple: An open area of land, often with crops or animals on it and a fence or hedge around it.
   - _A herd of sheep wandered across the field toward the gate._
   - _The farmer rotated his crops between two fields each year._
3. A marked area of ground set aside for playing a game or running a race using physical effort.
   - Simple: A marked area of ground where a sport or game is played.
   - _The athletes lined up on the field before the race began._
   - _Groundskeepers prepared the field hours before the match._
4. The setting of practical, direct, or natural work, as distinct from an office, classroom, or laboratory.
   - Simple: The place where real, hands-on work happens, away from an office, classroom, or lab.
   - _Anthropologists spend years in the field living among the communities they study._
   - _The engineers tested the prototype in the field rather than in the lab._
5. A physical phenomenon, such as force, potential, or fluid velocity, that pervades a region of space, or a mathematical model assigning a quantity to each point in it.
   - Simple: A force or other effect that spreads through space, like gravity or magnetism.
   - _Physicists mapped the magnetic field around the conductor._
   - _Gravitational fields bend the path of light from distant stars._
6. A space on a form, or a part of a database record or data structure, that holds one particular piece of information.
   - Simple: A space on a form or in a computer record where one piece of information is filled in or stored.
   - _Please complete every required field before submitting the form._
   - _The address fields must match the details on your card._
7. The whole group of competitors in a contest, or everyone except the favorites in betting.
   - Simple: All the people, teams or horses in a contest, or in betting, all of them except the favorites.
   - _The field for this year's marathon includes runners from over thirty countries._
   - _Rather than back the favorite at short odds, she put her money on the field._
8. The full extent of what can be perceived by a given sense, such as sight.
   - Simple: The whole area that you can see or notice at one time.
   - _After the injury, the left side of his visual field went dark._
   - _A flicker of movement at the edge of your visual field can catch your eye._
9. The ground or place where a battle is fought; a battlefield.
   - Simple: The open ground where a battle is fought between armies.
   - _The cavalry swept across the field, scattering the enemy ranks._
   - _The general refused to leave the field until the last of his soldiers had retreated._
10. A region containing a concentration of a particular mineral resource, such as oil, gas, or coal.
   - Simple: An area of ground that holds a useful mineral, like oil or coal.
   - _Geologists surveyed the field to estimate its oil reserves._
   - _Several gas fields in the region have been abandoned._
13. In baseball, the outer grassy area beyond the infield, patrolled by the outfielders.
   - Simple: In baseball, the grassy area far from home plate where the outfielders stand.
   - _The outfielder sprinted back toward the fence in right field, but the ball dropped just beyond his reach._
   - _With a powerful right-handed hitter at the plate, the outfielders moved over toward left field._
15. A place where aircraft take off and land, whether an airport, airfield, or air base, especially one without paved runways.
   - Simple: A place where planes take off and land, often a small one without paved runways.
   - _The squadron operated from a muddy field with no paved runway._
   - _Bush pilots rely on rough fields scattered across the northern wilderness._
17. The background surface of a flag, coat of arms or coin, on which designs are placed.
   - Simple: The plain background of a flag, coat of arms or coin, behind the pictures or symbols.
   - _The new flag featured a golden emblem centered on a green field._
   - _Thirteen stars were arranged in a circle on the blue field._
18. An open or favorable opportunity for action, operation, or achievement.
   - Simple: A free and good chance to act, work, or succeed at something.
   - _The collapse of the monopoly left a wide field for new competitors._
   - _Space exploration offers an almost limitless field for discovery._

## Verb

14. To answer or address (a question, comment, or request).
   - Simple: To answer or deal with a question or request, often without warning.
   - _The candidates must field difficult questions during the live debate._
   - _The spokesperson fielded a barrage of questions about the merger._
11. To deploy or put (troops, a team, or candidates) into active operation or competition.
   - Simple: To put a team, troops, or candidates into action.
   - _The nation can field a modern, well-equipped army at short notice._
   - _The new party hopes to field candidates in every district in the next election._
12. In baseball, cricket and similar games, to catch or stop the ball and send it back, or to be the side doing this while the other side bats.
   - Simple: In baseball or cricket, to catch or stop the ball and throw it back, or be the team doing this.
   - _Good infielders field sharp grounders without hesitation._
   - _The outfielder fielded the ball before it reached the fence._
16. To conduct a study, survey, or piece of research in real-world conditions rather than in a laboratory.
   - Simple: To carry out a study or survey out in the real world, not in a lab.
   - _The institute fielded a nationwide study on commuting habits._
   - _Before launching the product, they decided to field a consumer survey._

## Other meanings

- (noun) In algebra, a commutative ring in which every nonzero element has a multiplicative inverse, so division by any nonzero element is possible.
- (noun) In an interlaced video signal, one part (usually half) of a complete frame, made up of alternating scan lines.
- (noun) In early baseball, the side that threw and caught the ball while the other side, the bat, took its turn hitting.
- (noun) The playing area for a board game, a game using model figures, or a video game.
- (noun) An older word for a fielder in cricket, one of the players on the side that is not batting.

## Origin

From Middle English feeld, from Old English feld, going back to Proto-Germanic *felþuz ('field') and ultimately to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'field, plain' or 'flat'. It is related to Dutch veld and German Feld, both meaning 'field'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/field (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).