label

SayLAY-buhlUK/ˈleɪ.bəl/AUS/ˈlæɪ.bəl/

17 meanings of label

1
nouncountable
A small tag or sticker that gives information about the thing it is attached to.
Like a name tag stuck on a box so you know what is inside.
She read the label to find out how to wash the sweater.
Each jar in the cupboard has a label with its contents.
Similartag, ticket, sign
Note
2
nouncountable
A name people give to a person or group to put them in a category.
Like putting a sticker on someone that says what kind of person they are.
He rejected the label of 'rebel' that others gave him.
Once you get a label like 'shy,' it is hard to lose it.
Similarcategory
3
verbtransitive
To attach a small tag or sign to something so people know what it is.
Like writing a name on a folder so you know what is inside.
Please label each box before you store it.
She labeled the jars so she could find spices quickly.
Similartag, mark
Note
4
verb
To give a person or thing a name that puts them in a category.
Like calling someone 'the funny one' so everyone sees them that way.
Don't label people as lazy just because they work slowly.
The press labeled him a hero after the rescue.
Similarbrand, call, dub, classify, categorize
Note
5
nouncountable
A company that puts out and sells music recordings.
Like a company that puts out songs the way a publisher puts out books.
She signed with a major label last year.
The band started their own label to release music.
Note
6
nouncountable
A piece of text on a screen that names or explains a button or box.
Like a small sign next to a light switch that tells you what it does.
The label next to the box told users to type their email.
He changed the button's label to read 'Submit.'
Similarcaption
Note
7
nouncountable
A thin strip of material, such as paper, parchment, metal, or even land.
Like a thin ribbon of paper cut from a larger sheet.
She cut a thin label of paper to mark her place in the book.
The old deed had a label of parchment holding its wax seal.
Similarstrip, tag, band
Note
8
nouncountable
An extra piece of writing added to a document, such as a note added to a will.
Like a sticky note added to a letter to change part of it.
The lawyer added a label to the contract to fix one mistake.
A small label at the end of the will named a new heir.
Similarcodicil, addendum, rider
9
nouncountable
In old art, a painted band or scroll that holds written words.
Like a speech bubble in a comic, but painted as a flowing ribbon.
In the painting, a label above the saint held a short prayer.
The artist drew a curling label with the king's name on it.
Similarscroll, banderole
Note
10
nouncountable
A name a programmer gives to a number so the number is easier to read and use.
Like a nickname for a number, so you don't have to remember the number itself.
Each label in the code stands for a number the computer uses.
She gave every status code a clear label so others could read it.
Similaridentifier, name
Note

11
nouncountable
A name marking a spot in code that the program can jump straight to.
Like a bookmark in a book that lets you flip straight to a certain page.
Add a label at the top of the loop so the program can jump back to it.
The old code uses a label to skip past the error-handling section.
Note
12
verbtransitive
To mark certain atoms with a special form called an isotope, so scientists can track where they go.
Like putting a colored tag on a few sheep so you can spot them in the flock.
Scientists label the sugar molecules so they can watch them travel through the body.
Researchers labeled the protein with a special atom to see where it ended up.
Similartag, mark
Note
13
verbtransitive
To attach a substance that can be spotted to something living so its location can be tracked.
Like putting a glow-in-the-dark sticker on something so you can find it in the dark.
Researchers label the cells with a glowing dye to see them under the microscope.
She labeled each antibody so it would show up in the scan.
Similartag, mark
Note
14
nouncountable
A molding that sticks out along the sides and top of a door or window in old buildings.
Like a little stone roof that sticks out over a door to keep rain off.
A carved label runs above the church doorway to throw off the rain.
The mason repaired the stone label over the old window.
Similardripstone
Note
15
nouncountable
A mark on a coat of arms shaped like a band with short hanging tags.
Like a strap with little flaps hanging down, drawn across the top of a shield.
The eldest son added a label to his family's coat of arms.
A blue label with three tags sits across the top of the shield.
Note
16
nounhistoricalcountable
A brass ruler with sights, used long ago with a surveying tool to measure heights.
Like a ruler with little aiming holes you look through to see how high something is.
He fixed the brass label to the instrument before measuring the height.
The surveyor looked through the label's sights at the distant hilltop.
Note
17
nounobsolete
A bunch of threads tied together at one end and used to decorate something.
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of label apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from an old English word meaning a narrow strip of cloth, which came through Old French from a Frankish word for a torn piece of cloth.