tʃɑ:dʒ v. & n. --v. 1 tr. a
ask (an amount) as a
price (charges ø5 a ticket). b ask (a person)
for an
amount as a price (you
forgot to charge me). 2 tr. a (foll. by
to, up to)
debit the cost of to (a
person or account) (charge it to my
account; charge it up to me). b debit (a person or an account) (bought a
new car and charged the company). 3 tr. a (often foll. by with)
accuse (of an offence) (charged
him with theft). b (foll. by
that + clause)
make an
accusation that. 4 tr. (foll. by to + infin.)
instruct or
urge. 5 (foll. by with) a tr.
entrust with. b refl.
undertake. 6 a intr. make a rushing
attack; rush
headlong. b tr. make a rushing attack
on;
throw oneself against. 7 tr. (often foll. by up) a
give an
electric charge to (a body). b
store energy in (a battery). 8 tr. (often foll. by with)
load or
fill (a
vessel,
gun, etc.) to the full or
proper extent. 9 tr. (usu. as charged adj.) a (foll. by with) saturated with (air charged with vapour). b (usu. foll. by with) pervaded (with
strong feelings etc.) (atmosphere charged with
emotion; a charged atmosphere). --n. 1 a a price asked for goods or services. b a
financial liability or
commitment. 2 an accusation,
esp. against a
prisoner brought to
trial. 3 a a
task,
duty, or
commission. b
care,
custody,
responsible possession. c a person or
thing entrusted; a minister's
congregation. 4 a an
impetuous rush or attack, esp. in a
battle. b the signal for
this. 5 the
appropriate amount of
material to be put
into a
receptacle,
mechanism, etc. at
one time, esp. of
explosive for a gun. 6 a a
property of
matter that is a
consequence of the
interaction between its constituent particles and exists in a
positive or
negative form, causing
electrical phenomena. b the
quantity of this carried by a
body. c energy stored chemically for
conversion into
electricity. d the process of charging a
battery. 7 an
exhortation; directions, orders. 8 a
burden or load. 9
Heraldry a
device; a
bearing. øcharge account US a
credit account at a
shop etc. charge card a credit card for
which the account must be
paid in full
when a
statement is issued. charge-hand
Brit. a
worker,
ranking below a
foreman, in charge of others on a
particular job. charge-nurse Brit. a
nurse in charge of a
ward etc. charge-sheet Brit. a
record of cases and charges
made at a
police station.
free of charge
gratis. give a person in charge
hand a person
over to the police. in charge having
command. lay to a person's charge accuse a person
of. put a person on a charge charge a person with a specified
offence.
return to the charge
begin again, esp. in
argument.
take charge (often foll. by of)
assume control or
direction. øøchargeable adj. [ME f. OF charger f. LL car(ri)care load f. L carrus CAR]
