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Definition of label noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

label

noun
 OPAL WOPAL S
 
/ˈleɪbl/
 
/ˈleɪbl/
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  1.  
     a piece of paper, etc. that is attached to something and that gives information about it synonym tag, ticket
    • Always read the label carefully.
    • price/address labels
    • on a label The washing instructions are on the label.
    Synonyms labellabeltag ▪ stickerThese are all words for a piece of paper, cloth or plastic that is attached to something and gives information about it.label a small piece of paper, cloth or plastic that is attached to something in order to show what it is or give information about it:
    • The washing instructions are on the label.
    • address labels
    tag (often used in compounds) a small piece of paper, cloth or plastic that is attached to something, or that somebody wears, in order to give information about it/​them:
    • Everyone at the conference had to wear a name tag.
     label or tag?Labels in clothes are usually made of cloth and sewn in. Tags on clothes are usually made of card and cut off before you wear the clothes. A name tag can be stuck or tied onto somebody to show who they are: All babies in the hospital have name tags tied round their ankles. Price tag is much more frequent than price label and is used for both literal and figurative meanings: What does the price tag say? • There is a £20 million price tag on the team’s star player. A label can also be a sticker that you put on an envelope. sticker a sticky label with a picture or message on it, that you stick on to something.Patterns
    • a price label/​tag/​sticker
    • to have a label/​tag/​sticker
    • to attach/​put on/​stick on a label/​tag/​sticker
    • The label/​tag/​sticker says…
    see also off-label, own-label
    Extra Examples
    • The label on the bottle listed the ingredients.
    • It doesn't have a price label on it.
    • She stuck labels on all the jars.
    • The care label says ‘dry-clean only’.
    • What does it say on the label?
    • This program produces address labels from your database.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • adhesive
    • sticky
    • package
    • …
    verb + label
    • bear
    • carry
    • have
    • …
    preposition
    • on a/​the label
    • label on
    See full entry
  2. (disapproving) a word or phrase that is used to describe somebody/something in a way that seems too general, unfair or not correct
    • I hate the label ‘millennial’.
    Extra Examples
    • One sometimes feels that the label ‘classic’ is applied to any book that is dull.
    • Why do we need to attach a label to these feelings?
    • He was cruelly given the label ‘Mr Zero’ by the press.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • ideological
    • party
    verb + label
    • apply
    • assign
    • attach
    • …
    See full entry
  3. (also designer label)
     the name or trademark of a fashion company
    • today's major fashion labels
    • She plans to launch her own designer clothes label.
    • He's really fashion-conscious and will only wear labels (= clothes with a designer label).
    see also white labelTopics Clothes and Fashionb1
  4. a company that produces and sells music, CDs, etc.
    • an independent record label
    • It's his first release for a major label.
    Extra Examples
    • The band is hoping to sign with a major label.
    • The record was produced under the Virgin label.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • music
    • record
    • major
    • …
    verb + label
    • launch
    • sign to
    • sign with
    • …
    preposition
    • under a/​the label
    See full entry
    5. Word OriginMiddle English (denoting a narrow strip): from Old French, ‘ribbon’.
See label in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee label in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: label

Nearby words

dizzy
adjective
 
 
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