fair
noun/feə(r)/
/fer/
- (British English also funfair)(North American English also carnival)a type of entertainment in a field or park at which people can ride on large machines and play games to win prizes
- Let's take the kids to the fair.
- all the fun of the fair
Culture fairsfairsSome British fairs, such as St Giles Fair in Oxford and the Goose Fair in Nottingham, date back hundreds of years. They are travelling fairs that take place in a town centre for a few days each year. In the past, animals were sold at these fairs and people could change employers there. The Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria still has animals, but most fairs now consist only of fairground rides (= machines that move round fast or from side to side while people are sitting on them) and amusements such as the coconut shy and 'hook a duck'. They are especially popular with children and young people and some holiday towns, for example Blackpool, have permanent fairgrounds.Some fairs in the US also have long histories. State fairs and county fairs, held at the end of summer, were important in the days when transport was limited and most Americans were farmers living far from the nearest town. They provided an opportunity to see friends, buy supplies and look at the latest farm equipment. People entered their best animals in competitions and afterwards sold them. Today there are also competitions for crops, for example, the sweetest corn, and for home crafts like baking and sewing. The winner of the first prize gets a blue ribbon. In Britain, competitions like these take place at village horticultural shows and agricultural shows, such as the Royal Show. Many Americans who are not farmers go to fairs for other kinds of entertainment. There is a midway, a large area with different kinds of rides and games, and an area where ice cream, pies and candy (BrE sweets) are sold. Fairs in Britain and the US typically include rides such as merry-go-rounds or carousels, a Ferris wheel (also called a big wheel), bumper cars (BrE also dodgems), and a roller coaster. There is often a ‘dark ride’ (BrE ghost train) (= a ride in the dark past things that jump out or make a frightening noise). There are stalls selling food such as candy floss (NAmE cotton candy), toffee apples (NAmE candy apples) and hot dogs. The US and Britain also have permanent amusement parks or theme parks, which may have rides that are bigger and faster.In Britain and the US other events are sometimes called fairs. At craft fairs (NAmE arts and crafts fairs) people sell things they have made, for example, pottery, jewellery, candles and leather goods. Trade fairs are large events where business companies show their products and make new contacts.Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- annual
- antiques
- art
- …
- attend
- go to
- visit
- …
- take place
- at a/the fair
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- (North American English) a type of entertainment in a field or park at which farm animals and products are shown and take part in competitions
- the county/state fair
- We all went south for the state fair.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- annual
- antiques
- art
- …
- attend
- go to
- visit
- …
- take place
- at a/the fair
- (also fete, fête (all British English))an outdoor entertainment at which people can play games to win prizes, buy food and drink, etc., usually arranged to make money for a special purpose compare fayre (1)Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
- annual
- antiques
- art
- …
- attend
- go to
- visit
- …
- take place
- at a/the fair
- an event at which people, businesses, etc. show and sell their goods
- a world trade fair
- a craft/a book/an antique fair
Extra Examples- I bought it at a local craft fair.
- She is organizing next year's book fair.
- The city is holding its annual trade fair in May this year.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- annual
- antiques
- art
- …
- attend
- go to
- visit
- …
- take place
- at a/the fair
- (British English) (in the past) a market at which animals were sold
- a horse fair
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- annual
- antiques
- art
- …
- attend
- go to
- visit
- …
- take place
- at a/the fair
- job/careers fair an event at which people who are looking for jobs can get information about companies who might employ them see also science fairOxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
- annual
- antiques
- art
- …
- attend
- go to
- visit
- …
- take place
- at a/the fair
entertainment
business
animal market
jobs
Word Originnoun Middle English (in the sense ‘periodic gathering for the sale of goods’): from Old French feire, from late Latin feria, singular of Latin feriae ‘holy days’ (on which such fairs were often held).
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