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

chapter

noun
 
/ˈtʃæptə(r)/
 
/ˈtʃæptər/
Idioms
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  1. (abbreviation ch., chap.)
    [countable] a separate section of a book, usually with a number or title
    • to read/write a chapter
    • He devotes an entire chapter to this topic.
    • I've just finished Chapter 3.
    • I read chapter after chapter of the book.
    • in a chapter in the previous/next/first/last chapter
    • in a later chapter
    • There is a useful summary at the end of the chapter.
    • chapter of something the final chapter of her autobiography
    • the opening chapter of the book
    • chapter in something the most interesting chapter in the book
    • chapter on something Have you read the chapter on the legal system?
    Extra Examples
    • His influence on other writers will be discussed in the next chapter.
    • I read the first few chapters and then got bored.
    • The author devotes two chapters to language acquisition.
    • This chapter covers money and banking.
    • a chapter on the city's architecture
    Topics Literature and writingb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • first
    • introductory
    • opening
    chapter + verb
    • be entitled something
    • be titled something
    • address something
    verb + chapter
    • read
    • write
    • dedicate
    preposition
    • in a/​the chapter
    • chapter about
    • chapter on
    See full entry
  2. [countable] a period of time in a person’s life or in history
    • a difficult chapter in our country’s history
    • Her return to Kansas ended a particularly unhappy chapter in her life.
    Topics Timec1, Historyc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • difficult
    • sad
    • unhappy
    See full entry
  3. [countable + singular or plural verb] all the priests of a cathedral or members of a religious community
    • a meeting of the dean and chapter
    • The chapter meets/meet twice a month.
  4. [countable] (especially North American English) a local branch of a society, club, etc.
    • the local chapter of the Rotary club
  5. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French chapitre, from Latin capitulum, diminutive of caput ‘head’.
Idioms
chapter and verse
  1. the exact details of something, especially the exact place where particular information may be found
    • I can't give chapter and verse, but that's the rough outline of our legal position.
a chapter of accidents
  1. (British English) a series of unpleasant events caused by bad luck
    • The whole affair has been a chapter of accidents from start to finish.
See chapter in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee chapter in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
previously
adverb
 
 
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B1
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