label

[ley-buhl]

noun

1. a slip of paper, cloth, or other material, marked or inscribed, for attachment to something to indicate its manufacturer, nature, ownership, destination, etc..

   The medicine bottle should have a label on it with the dosing instructions.

2. a short word or phrase descriptive of a person, group, intellectual movement, etc..

   The label “progressive” can be used to describe many different political movements.

3. a word or phrase indicating that what follows belongs in a particular category or classification.

   The label “Formal” marks words used in academic or business contexts.

4. Architecture.,  a molding or dripstone over a door or window, especially one that extends horizontally across the top of the opening and vertically downward for a certain distance at the sides.

5. 1. a brand or trademark under which something, such as clothing or music, is manufactured and sold.

      She records under her own label.

      Chanel has launched a new label for ready-to-wear couture.

   2. the manufacturer using such a label.

      All the big-name labels will have a runway show during Fashion Week.

      Major labels are feeling the economic crunch and are no longer signing small acts or individual musicians.

6. Heraldry.,  a narrow horizontal strip with a number of downward extensions of rectangular or dovetail form, usually placed in chief as the cadency mark of an eldest son.

7. Obsolete.,  a strip or narrow piece of anything.

verb (used with object)

labeled, labeling , labelled, labelling .

1. to affix a label to; mark with a label.

   The drawers have all been labeled with their contents.

2. to designate or describe by or on a label.

   The bottle was labeled poison.

3. to put in a certain class; classify.

   It's easy to label someone as difficult and stop trying, but curiosity and compassion can often get you further.

4. Chemistry.,  Also to incorporate a radioactive or heavy isotope into (a molecule) in order to make traceable.

label

/ ˈleɪbəl /

noun

1. a piece of paper, card, or other material attached to an object to identify it or give instructions or details concerning its ownership, use, nature, destination, etc; tag

2. a brief descriptive phrase or term given to a person, group, school of thought, etc

   the label "Romantic" is applied to many different kinds of poetry

3. a word or phrase heading a piece of text to indicate or summarize its contents

4. a trademark or company or brand name on certain goods, esp, formerly, on gramophone records

5. another name for dripstone

6. heraldry a charge consisting of a horizontal line across the chief of a shield with three or more pendants: the charge of an eldest son

7. computing a group of characters, such as a number or a word, appended to a particular statement in a program to allow its unique identification

8. chem a radioactive element used in a compound to trace the mechanism of a chemical reaction

verb

1. to fasten a label to

2. to mark with a label

3. to describe or classify in a word or phrase

   to label someone a liar

4. to make (one or more atoms in a compound) radioactive, for use in determining the mechanism of a reaction

label

1. See tracer

Other Word Forms

• labeller noun
• labeler noun
• nonlabeling adjective
• nonlabelling adjective
• prelabel noun
• relabel verb (used with object)
• unlabeled adjective
• unlabelled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of label¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French: “ribbon,” perhaps from Germanic; lap ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of label¹

C14: from Old French, from Germanic; compare Old High German lappa rag

Example Sentences

It is as socialist as ever but unworthy of the label “democratic.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

You’ve probably seen it on websites or labels from businesses hawking supplements or treatments that have no known grounding in science.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Since 2 September, the US has carried out a number of strikes against what it labelled "narco-boats", in which at least 27 people have been killed.

Read more on BBC

Neither Spotify nor the record labels involved offered much detail as to what the new products might look like.

Read more on MarketWatch

When the band started, it was as inspired by Modest Mouse as it was iconic Chicago hardcore label Touch and Go Records, the singer said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• company 
• design 
• logo 
• number 
• stamp 
• sticker 
• tag 
• trademark