scheme

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a secret and often dishonest plan to get something for yourself.

n. a clandestine or devious method of obtaining an advantage; a plot.

“He was arrested for his part in a scheme to steal money from the company.”

“The investigators uncovered a complex fraudulent scheme involving offshore accounts and shell companies designed to evade federal taxes.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Academic

n. the way that things are arranged in a system.

n. an orderly combination or arrangement of related parts or elements.

“The designer chose a bright color scheme for the new office.”

“The rhyming scheme of the sonnet follows a traditional pattern that emphasizes the shift in tone during the final couplet.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun British English · Dialect

n. a large group of houses built by the local government.

n. a public housing estate, typically consisting of low-income or social housing.

“He grew up on a large housing scheme on the edge of the city.”

“The documentary explores the social challenges faced by residents living in the post-war schemes of Glasgow.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Computing Technical

n. the part of a web address that tells the computer which protocol to use, like 'http'.

n. the initial component of a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that specifies the protocol or mechanism for accessing a resource.

“The 'https' scheme indicates that the connection to the website is secure.”

“When parsing the URL, the application first identifies the scheme to determine which handler should process the request.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to make secret or dishonest plans.

v. to make clandestine or devious plans, often with the intent to deceive or gain an unfair advantage.

“They were scheming to take over the business while the owner was away.”

“The rival factions spent months scheming against one another, each attempting to secure the majority vote before the annual general meeting.”