What does "insert" mean?

1. (to put inside) to put something into or between other things. 2. (a leaflet or supplement) a loose piece of paper, such as an advertisement, placed inside a magazine or newspaper. 3. (a mechanical part) a small part that is made to fit into a larger piece of equipment. 4. (film or broadcast segment) a short piece of film or a close-up shot added to a larger scene. 5. (computing key) a key on a computer keyboard that changes how you type over text.

insert

v. · n.

US //ˈɪnˌsɝt// in·sert

1 to put inside (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to put something into or between other things.

to place or fit something into another object or between existing parts. Transitive — requires a direct object.

Example

Please insert your credit card into the machine to pay for the parking.

Example

The technician had to insert a small probe into the narrow gap between the engine blocks to locate the source of the leak.
- put in
- enter
- fit
- extract
- remove
2 a leaflet or supplement (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a loose piece of paper, such as an advertisement, placed inside a magazine or newspaper.

a promotional or informative leaflet or separate section placed within a larger publication or package.

Example

The Sunday newspaper always comes with several colourful advertising inserts.

Example

The marketing department designed a glossy insert for the trade journal to highlight the new product line's technical specifications.

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3 a mechanical part (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical

a small part that is made to fit into a larger piece of equipment.

a component designed to be placed into a larger assembly to provide a specific function, such as a threaded hole or a protective lining.

Example

The shoes come with a special foam insert to make them more comfortable.

Example

The engineer specified a hardened steel insert for the plastic casing to ensure the bolt would not strip the threads over time.
- fitting
- attachment
4 film or broadcast segment (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Television

a short piece of film or a close-up shot added to a larger scene.

a pre-recorded segment or a specific close-up shot integrated into a larger broadcast or cinematic sequence to provide detail.

Example

The director decided to add an insert of the ticking clock to build tension.

Example

During the live news broadcast, the producer triggered a pre-recorded insert featuring an interview with the local mayor.
- cutaway
- segment
5 computing key (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

a key on a computer keyboard that changes how you type over text.

a keyboard key used to toggle between inserting new characters and overwriting existing text.

Example

I accidentally hit the Insert key and started deleting my previous sentences as I typed.

Example

Modern text editors often disable the Insert key functionality by default to prevent users from unintentionally overwriting their work.

Origin

From Latin insertus, past participle of inserō, from in- + serō (“join, bind together, connect, entwine, interweave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind, put together, to line up”). Compare exsert.