insert

Sayin-SURTUS/ɪnˈsɝt//ɪnˈsɜːt/

As a nounIN-surt

Noun pluralinserts

11 meanings of insert

1
verbtransitive
To put something into or between other things.
Like sliding a letter into an envelope.
Please insert the coin into the slot.
She inserted a bookmark between the pages.
Similarput, place, slip, introduce, add
Oppositeremove, extract, withdraw, delete
Note
2
nouncountable
A small printed sheet placed inside a magazine or newspaper, often an ad or a guide.
An insert fell out of the Sunday paper when I picked it up.
The magazine came with several glossy inserts advertising new cars.
Similarleaflet, flyer, supplement, pamphlet, circular
3
nouncountable
A small part that fits into a larger part of a machine.
The mechanic pressed a metal insert into the worn hole.
These plastic inserts protect the screw threads.
Similarsleeve, liner
4
nouncountable
A picture placed inside written text on a page.
The article had a small insert showing the map.
Photo inserts made the report easier to follow.
Similarinset, illustration, figure
5
noun
A keyboard key that switches between adding text and typing over the text already there.
Like a switch that flips between two ways of typing.
Press Insert to switch from typing over text to adding it.
He hit the Insert key by accident and started overwriting his work.
Note
6
nouncountable
A close-up shot that points the viewer's eye to one small detail in a scene.
The director added an insert of the ticking clock to build tension.
Quick inserts of the letter helped viewers read its contents.
Similarclose-up
Note
7
nouncountable
A recorded part played during a live show.
The news anchor introduced an insert about the flood.
Short inserts gave the host time to change sets.
Similarclip, segment, package
Note
8
nouncountable
A word like "please" that can be dropped into different points of a sentence.
Like a sticker you can put almost anywhere on a page.
"Please" works as an insert that fits at the start, middle, or end of a sentence.
Many short interjections act as inserts, popping up freely in speech.
Note
9
nouncountable
A piece of DNA placed into another DNA molecule.
Like adding an extra paragraph into a long letter.
Scientists added the gene as an insert into the bacterial DNA.
The lab checked that both inserts had joined correctly.
Note
10
nouncountable
A small program that adds a sound effect to an audio track.
Like adding a filter to a photo, but for sound.
She added a reverb insert to the vocal track.
Too many inserts can slow the whole project down.
Similarplug-in
Note
11
nouncolloquialcountable
A soft, absorbent pad placed inside a cloth diaper.
She slipped a fresh insert into the cloth diaper.
We keep a stack of inserts by the changing table.
Similarpad, liner

Practice

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Origin

From Latin insertus, the past participle of inserō. This came from in- plus serō, meaning to join or bind together.