• Charge

    Pronunciation

    • RP IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɑːdÍ¡Ê’/
    • GenAm IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɑɹdÍ¡Ê’/
    • Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)dÊ’

    Origin

    From Middle English chargen, from Old French chargier, from Medieval Latin carricare ("to load"), from Latin carrus ("a car, wagon"); see car.

    Full definition of charge

    Noun

    charge

    (plural charges)
    1. The scope of someone's responsibility.The child was in the nanny's charge.
      • 1848 April 24, John K. Kane, opinion, United States v. Hutchison, as reported in The Pennsylvania law Journal, June 1848 edition, as reprinted in, 1848,The Pennsylvania Law Journal volume 7, page 366 http://books.google.com/books?id=Pz-TAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA366&dq=key:He had the key of a closet in which the moneys of this fund were kept, but the outer key of the vault, of which the closet formed part, was in the charge of another person.
    2. Someone or something entrusted to one's care, such as a child to a babysitter or a student to a teacher.The child was a charge of the nanny.
    3. A load or burden; cargo.The ship had a charge of colonists and their belongings.
    4. The amount of money levied for a service.A charge of 5 dollars.
    5. An instruction.I gave him the charge to get the deal closed by the end of the month.
    6. (military) A ground attack against a prepared enemy.Pickett died leading his famous charge.
    7. An accusation.
      • 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. .we'll nail the sophist to it, if we can get him on that charge;
    8. That's a slanderous charge of abuse of trust.
    9. An electric charge.
    10. (basketball) An offensive foul in which the player with the ball moves into a stationary defender.
    11. A measured amount of powder and/or shot in a firearm cartridge.
    12. (heraldry) An image displayed on an escutcheon.
    13. A forceful forward movement.
      • 2011, March 2, Chris Whyatt, Arsenal 5 - 0 Leyton Orient, Abou Diaby should have added Arsenal's fourth in the 50th minute after he danced round a host of defenders on a charge towards goal

    Verb

    1. (transitive) To place a burden upon; to assign a duty or responsibility to.
      • John Lockethe charging of children's memories with rules
      • Bible, Joshua xxii. 5Moses ... charged you to love the Lord your God.
      • ShakespeareCromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition.
      1. (transitive) To formally accuse of a crime.I'm charging you with grand theft auto.
      2. (ambitransitive) To require payment (for goods, services, etc.) of.to charge high for goods
        • 2013-07-19, Peter Wilby, Finland spreads word on schools, Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.
      3. Will I get charged for this service?
      4. (transitive) To assign (a debit) to an account.Let's charge this to marketing.
      5. (transitive) To pay on account, as by using a credit card.Can I charge my Amazon purchase to Paypal?Can I charge this purchase?
      6. To impute or ascribe.
        • DrydenNo more accuse thy pen, but charge the crime
          On native sloth, and negligence of time.
      7. To call to account; to challenge.
        • Shakespeareto charge me to an answer
      8. To ornament with or cause to bear.to charge an architectural member with a moulding
      9. (heraldry) To assume as a bearing.He charges three roses.
      10. (heraldry) To add to or represent on.He charges his shield with three roses or.
      11. (transitive) To load equipment with material required for its use, as a firearm with powder, a fire hose with water, a chemical reactor with raw materials.Charge your weapons; we're moving up.
        • Shakespearetheir battering cannon charged to the mouths
        1. (transitive) To cause to take on an electric charge.Rubbing amber with wool will charge it quickly.
        2. (transitive) To add energy to (a battery).He charged the battery overnight.
        3. (transitive) To add energy to a battery within.Don't forget to charge the drill.
        4. (intransitive, of a battery) To gain energy.The battery is still charging: I can't use it yet.
        5. (intransitive, of a device containing a battery) To have a battery within gain energy.His cell phone charges very quickly, whereas mine takes forever.
      12. (intransitive) To move forward quickly and forcefully, particularly in combat and/or on horseback.
        1. (military, transitive and intransitive) To attack by moving forward quickly in a group.The impetuous corps charged the enemy lines.
        2. (basketball) To commit a charging foul.
        3. (cricket, of a batsman) To take a few steps down the pitch towards the bowler as he delivers the ball, either to disrupt the length of the delivery, or to get into a better position to hit the ball.
      13. (transitive) To squat on the belly and be still; a command given by a hunter to a dog.
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