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fare

n. · v.
US //ˈfɛɹ// UK //fˈeə// fare
  1. 1 transport cost (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the money you pay for a journey on a bus, train, taxi, or plane.

    the sum of money charged for a journey on public transport or in a hired vehicle.

    Example

    The bus fare has gone up twice this year, making it expensive for students.

    Example

    Commuters were outraged when the rail company announced a significant increase in peak-time fares despite frequent service delays.

    Usage

    Usually countable when referring to specific prices.

  2. 2 a passenger (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    a person who pays to travel in a vehicle, especially a taxi.

    a paying passenger in a hired vehicle, particularly a taxicab.

    Example

    The taxi driver picked up his last fare of the night near the station.

    Example

    The driver noted the destination of his fare in the logbook before pulling away from the kerb into the heavy rain.

    Usage

    Commonly used in the transport industry or by drivers.

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  1. 3 food and drink (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Literary Formal Cooking

    the type of food and drink that is served at a meal or in a restaurant.

    a range of food and drink of a specified type; often used in literary or hospitality contexts.

    Example

    The restaurant is famous for its traditional English fare like roast beef.

    Example

    The tavern offered simple but hearty fare, providing much-needed sustenance to the weary travellers after their long journey.

    Usage

    Uncountable in this sense.

  2. 4 to perform or progress (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to get along or succeed in a particular situation.

    to progress or perform in a specified way; almost always used with an adverbial modifier.

    Example

    How did you fare in your job interview yesterday?

    Example

    Economists are closely watching how small businesses fare under the new tax regulations introduced earlier this quarter.

    Usage

    Intransitive; typically followed by adverbs like 'well', 'badly', or 'better'.

Etymology 1

From Middle English fare, from a merger of Old English fær (“journey, road”) and faru (“journey, companions, baggage”), from Proto-Germanic farą and farō (“journey, fare”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“a going, passage”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English faren, from Old English faran (“to travel, journey”), from Proto-West Germanic faran, from Proto-Germanic faraną, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“a going, passage”). Cognate with West Frisian farre, Dutch varen (“to sail”), German fahren (“to travel”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål fare, Norwegian Nynorsk and Icelandic fara (“to go”) and Swedish fara (“to travel”).

Word family
Idioms2 entries

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