fixture
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something that is permanently fixed in a house, like a bathtub or a sink, and stays there when the house is sold.
n.a piece of personal property that has been attached to land or a building in such a way that it is legally considered part of the real property.
Simple“The kitchen cabinets and the bathroom sink are considered fixtures of the house.”
In context“The sales agreement clearly stated that all light fixtures and built-in appliances were included in the purchase price of the property.”
UsageOften used in the plural 'fixtures and fittings'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a sports match or race that has been arranged for a specific time and place.
n.a sporting event or match scheduled to take place on a particular date.
Simple“The team has a difficult fixture against the league leaders next Saturday.”
In context“The club secretary is responsible for coordinating the season's fixtures and ensuring that the stadium is available for every home game.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is very common in British and Commonwealth English but less frequent in American English, where 'game' or 'match' is preferred.
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person who is always at a certain place, so they seem like a permanent part of it.
n.a person who is a long-standing or constant presence in a particular place or social circle.
Simple“Old Mr. Henderson has been a fixture at this café for over twenty years.”
In context“By the end of the decade, she had become a permanent fixture in the city's underground art scene, attending every major gallery opening.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a fixed set of data or a specific environment used to test software consistently.
n.an environment or set of data used to provide a consistent baseline for running software tests.
Simple“The developer created a test fixture to make sure the database worked correctly every time.”
In context“The automation suite uses a shared fixture to ensure that each test case begins with the same initial database state.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to arrange or schedule a sports match for a specific time.
v.to schedule or appoint a sporting match for a particular date.
Simple“The final game has been fixtured for the first weekend in May.”
In context“The regional committee met to decide which venues would be fixtured for the upcoming championship tournament.”
Teacher's tipThis verb use is primarily found in Australian and New Zealand English.
“Summer sun and sports fixtures helped the UK economy grow between April and June, according to official data, but some economists warned the outlook for the rest of the year was weaker.”
“The opening fixtures make him particularly attractive as United face Hull and Ipswich in weeks one and two.”
Alteration of older fixure, on the model of mixture.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.