Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - change

(changes, changing, changed) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If there is a change in something, it becomes different. The ambassador appealed for a change in US policy... What is needed is a change of attitude on the part of architects... There are going to have to be some drastic changes... In Zaire political change is on its way... 1998 was an important year for everyone: a time of change. N-VAR: usu with supp see also sea change 2. If you say that something is a change or makes a change, you mean that it is enjoyable because it is different from what you are used to. It is a complex system, but it certainly makes a change... Do you feel like you could do with a change? N-SING c darkgreen]approval 3. If you change from one thing to another, you stop using or doing the first one and start using or doing the second. His doctor increased the dosage but did not change to a different medication... He changed from voting against to abstaining. VERB: V to n, V from -ing/n to 4. When something changes or when you change it, it becomes different. We are trying to detect and understand how the climates change... In the union office, the mood gradually changed from resignation to rage... She has now changed into a happy, self-confident woman... They should change the law to make it illegal to own replica weapons... Trees are changing colour earlier than last year... He is a changed man since you left... A changing world has put pressures on the corporation. = alter VERB: V, V from n to n, V into n, V n, V n, V-ed, V-ing 5. To change something means to replace it with something new or different. I paid ?80 to have my car radio fixed and I bet all they did was change a fuse... If you want to change your doctor there are two ways of doing it. VERB: V n, V n • Change is also a noun. A change of leadership alone will not be enough. N-COUNT: oft a N of n 6. When you change your clothes or change, you take some or all of your clothes off and put on different ones. Ben had merely changed his shirt... They had allowed her to shower and change... I changed into a tracksuit... I’ve got to get changed first. I’ve got to put my uniform on. VERB: V n, V, V into/out of n, get V-ed 7. A change of clothes is an extra set of clothes that you take with you when you go to stay somewhere or to take part in an activity. He stuffed a bag with a few changes of clothing. N-COUNT: N of n 8. When you change a bed or change the sheets, you take off the dirty sheets and put on clean ones. After changing the bed, I would fall asleep quickly... I changed the sheets on your bed today. VERB: V n, V n 9. When you change a baby or change its nappy or diaper, you take off the dirty one and put on a clean one. She criticizes me for the way I feed or change him... He needs his nappy changed. VERB: V n, V-ed 10. When you change buses, trains, or planes or change, you get off one bus, train, or plane and get on to another in order to continue your journey. At Glasgow I changed trains for Greenock... We were turned off the train at Hanover, where we had to change. VERB: V n, V 11. When you change gear or change into another gear, you move the gear lever on a car, bicycle, or other vehicle in order to use a different gear. (BRIT; in AM, use shift) The driver tried to change gear, then swerved... He looked up into the mirror as he changed through his gears. VERB: V n, V prep 12. Your change is the money that you receive when you pay for something with more money than it costs because you do not have exactly the right amount of money. ‘There’s your change.’—‘Thanks very much.’... They told the shopkeeper to keep the change. N-UNCOUNT 13. Change is coins, rather than paper money. Thieves ransacked the office, taking a sack of loose change... The man in the store won’t give him change for the phone unless he buys something. N-UNCOUNT see also small change 14. If you have change for larger notes, bills, or coins, you have the same value in smaller notes, bills, or coins, which you can give to someone in exchange. The courier had change for a ?10 note. N-UNCOUNT: usu N for n • If you make change, you give someone smaller notes, bills, or coins, in exchange for the same value of larger ones. PHRASE 15. When you change money, you exchange it for the same amount of money in a different currency, or in smaller notes, bills, or coins. You can expect to pay the bank a fee of around 1% to 2% every time you change money... If you travel frequently, find an agency that will change one foreign currency directly into another. VERB: V n, V n into n 16. If you say that you are doing something or something is happening for a change, you mean that you do not usually do it or it does not usually happen, and you are happy to be doing it or that it is happening. Now let me ask you a question, for a change... Liz settled back in her seat, comfortably relaxed, enjoying being driven for a change. PHRASE: PHR with cl 17. to change for the better: see better to change hands: see hand a change of heart: see heart to change your mind: see mind to change places: see place to ring the changes: see ring to change the subject: see subject to change tack: see tack to change your tune: see tune to change for the worse: see worse