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type

n. · v. · adv.
US //ˈtaɪp// UK //tˈaɪp// type
  1. 1 a category (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    a group of people or things that share the same qualities or features.

    a category or class of people or things sharing common characteristics.

    Example

    What type of music do you usually listen to when you study?

    Example

    The researchers identified a specific type of soil that was particularly conducive to the growth of rare alpine flora.

  2. 2 romantic preference (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Informal

    the kind of person that you usually find attractive.

    a preferred category of person, typically in the context of romantic or physical attraction.

    Example

    He is a nice guy, but he is just not really my type.

    Example

    She realized after several dates that she didn't actually have a specific type, as her interests were quite eclectic.

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  1. 3 printing/fonts (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    printed letters or the style of characters used in a book or document.

    characters or letters used in printing, or the collective style of such characters. Uncountable in this sense.

    Example

    The type in this old book is so small that I can hardly read it.

    Example

    The graphic designer selected a bold, sans-serif type to ensure the headline remained legible even from a distance.

  2. 4 blood group (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicine

    one of the groups that human blood is divided into.

    a classification of blood based on the presence or absence of inherited antigenic substances.

    Example

    The hospital needs more donors with O-negative blood type for emergencies.

    Example

    Determining the patient's blood type was the first priority before the surgical team could proceed with the transfusion.

    • blood group
  3. 5 computing data (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a label that tells a computer what kind of data a value is.

    a classification that specifies which type of value a variable has and what operations can be performed on it.

    Example

    You will get an error if you try to add a number to a text type.

    Example

    The compiler threw a warning because the variable type did not match the expected return value of the function.

    • data type
  4. 6 to use a keyboard (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to write something using a keyboard on a computer or phone.

    to write or enter text by pressing keys on a keyboard or typewriter.

    Example

    I need to type this essay before the deadline tomorrow morning.

    Example

    She can type over eighty words per minute without looking down at the keyboard once.

  5. 7 to categorize (v.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    to put someone or something into a group based on their features.

    to assign someone or something to a particular category or class.

    Example

    It is unfair to type people based only on their appearance.

    Example

    The psychologist attempted to type the subjects based on their responses to the stress-inducing stimuli.

  6. 8 very (adv.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang American English

    a slang word used to mean 'very' or 'really'.

    an intensifier used to mean 'extremely' or 'very'.

    Example

    That new movie was type loud in the cinema.

    Example

    The party last night was type wild, and I didn't get home until four in the morning.

Origin

From Middle English type (“symbol, figure, emblem”), from Latin typus, from Ancient Greek τύπος (túpos, “mark, impression, type”), from τύπτω (túptō, “I strike, beat”).

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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