field
♦♦ field /f'iːld/ (fields fielding fielded)
1 [N-COUNT]
A field is an area of grass, for example in a park or on a farm. A field is also an area of land on which a crop is grown.
...a field of wheat...
They went for walks together in the fields.
2 [N-COUNT]
A sports field is an area of grass where sports are played.
...a football field...
Gavin Hastings was helped from the field with ankle injuries.
3 [N-COUNT] usu supp N
A field is an area of land or sea bed under which large amounts of a particular mineral have been found.
...an extensive natural gas field in Alaska.
4 [N-COUNT] usu supp N
A magnetic, gravitational, or electric field is the area in which that particular force is strong enough to have an effect.
Some people are worried that electromagnetic fields from electric power lines could increase the risk of cancer.
5 [N-COUNT] usu with supp
A particular field is a particular subject of study or type of activity.
Exciting artistic breakthroughs have recently occurred in the fields of painting, sculpture and architecture...
Each of the authors of the tapes is an expert in his field.
6 [N-COUNT]
A field is an area of a computer's memory or a program where data can be entered, edited, or stored. (COMPUTING)
Go to a site like Yahoo! Finance and enter `AOL' in the Get Quotes field.
7 [N-COUNT] usu the N, oft N of n
You can refer to the area where fighting or other military action in a war takes place as the field or the field of battle.
We never defeated them on the field of battle.
...the need for politicians to leave day-to-day decisions to commanders in the field.
8 [N-COUNT] with supp
Your field of vision or your visual field is the area that you can see without turning your head.
Our field of vision is surprisingly wide.
9 [N-COUNT-COLL] usu sing, the N
The field is a way of referring to all the competitors taking part in a particular race or sports contest.
Going into the fourth lap, the two most broadly experienced riders led the field...
10 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use field to describe work or study that is done in a real, natural environment rather than in a theoretical way or in controlled conditions.
I also conducted a field study among the boys about their attitude to relationships...
Our teachers took us on field trips to observe plants and animals, firsthand...
11 [VERB] usu cont, V
In a game of cricket, baseball, or rounders, the team that is fielding is trying to catch the ball, while the other team is trying to hit it.
When we are fielding, the umpires keep looking at the ball.
12 [VERB] V n
If you say that someone fields a question, you mean that they answer it or deal with it, usually successfully. (JOURNALISM)
He was later shown on television, fielding questions.
13 [VERB] V n
If a sports team fields a particular number or type of players, the players are chosen to play for the team on a particular occasion.
England intend fielding their strongest team in next month's World Youth Championship.
14 [VERB] V n
If a candidate in an election is representing a political party, you can say that the party is fielding that candidate. (JOURNALISM)
There are signs that the new party aims to field candidates in elections scheduled for February next year.
= put up
15
see also coalfield, minefield, snowfield, snowfield
16 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone is having a field day, they are very busy doing something that they enjoy, even though it may be hurtful for other people.
In our absence the office gossips are probably having a field day...
17 [PHRASE] usu PHR after v
Work or study that is done in the field is done in a real, natural environment rather than in a theoretical way or in controlled conditions.
The zoo is doing major conservation work, both in captivity and in the field.
18 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone leads the field in a particular activity, you mean that they are better, more active, or more successful than everyone else who is involved in it.
When it comes to picking up awards they lead the field by miles.
19 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone plays the field, they have a number of different romantic or sexual relationships. (INFORMAL)
He gave up playing the field and married a year ago.field event (field events)
[N-COUNT]
A field event is an athletics contest such as the high jump or throwing the discus or javelin, rather than a race.field hand (field hands)
[N-COUNT]
A field hand is someone who is employed to work on a farm. (mainly AM)field hock|ey
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Field hockey is an outdoor game played on a grass field between two teams of 11 players who use long curved sticks to hit a small ball and try to score goals. (AM; in BRIT, use hockey)field mar|shal (field marshals)
also field-marshal
[N-COUNT; N-TITLE]
A field marshal is an officer in the army who has the highest rank.field mouse (field mice)
also fieldmouse
[N-COUNT]
A field mouse is a mouse with a long tail that lives in fields and woods.field sport (field sports)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Hunting, shooting birds, and fishing with a rod are referred to as field sports when they are done mainly for pleasure.home field (home fields)
[N-COUNT]
A sports team's home field is their own playing field, as opposed to that of other teams. (AM; in BRIT, use home ground)left field
1 [N-SING] usu prep N
If you say that someone or something has come out of left field or is out in left field, you mean that they are untypical, unusual, or strange in some way.
The question came out of left field, but Mary Ann wasn't really surprised...
He is, like most theorists, out there in left field, ignoring the experimental evidence.
2 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
Left-field means slightly odd or unusual. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
...a left-field cabaret act...
Her parents were creative and left-field and wanted Polly to become a singer or a truck driver.
= unconventionalmag|net|ic field (magnetic fields)
[N-COUNT]
A magnetic field is an area around a magnet, or something functioning as a magnet, in which the magnet's power to attract things is felt.play|ing field (playing fields)
1 [N-COUNT]
A playing field is a large area of grass where people play sports.
...the playing fields of the girls' Grammar School.
2 [PHRASE] N inflects
You talk about a level playing field to mean a situation that is fair, because no competitor or opponent in it has an advantage over another.
We ask for a level playing field when we compete with foreign companies.track and field
[N-UNCOUNT]
Track and field refers to athletics as opposed to other sports.
1 [N-COUNT]
A field is an area of grass, for example in a park or on a farm. A field is also an area of land on which a crop is grown.
...a field of wheat...
They went for walks together in the fields.
2 [N-COUNT]
A sports field is an area of grass where sports are played.
...a football field...
Gavin Hastings was helped from the field with ankle injuries.
3 [N-COUNT] usu supp N
A field is an area of land or sea bed under which large amounts of a particular mineral have been found.
...an extensive natural gas field in Alaska.
4 [N-COUNT] usu supp N
A magnetic, gravitational, or electric field is the area in which that particular force is strong enough to have an effect.
Some people are worried that electromagnetic fields from electric power lines could increase the risk of cancer.
5 [N-COUNT] usu with supp
A particular field is a particular subject of study or type of activity.
Exciting artistic breakthroughs have recently occurred in the fields of painting, sculpture and architecture...
Each of the authors of the tapes is an expert in his field.
6 [N-COUNT]
A field is an area of a computer's memory or a program where data can be entered, edited, or stored. (COMPUTING)
Go to a site like Yahoo! Finance and enter `AOL' in the Get Quotes field.
7 [N-COUNT] usu the N, oft N of n
You can refer to the area where fighting or other military action in a war takes place as the field or the field of battle.
We never defeated them on the field of battle.
...the need for politicians to leave day-to-day decisions to commanders in the field.
8 [N-COUNT] with supp
Your field of vision or your visual field is the area that you can see without turning your head.
Our field of vision is surprisingly wide.
9 [N-COUNT-COLL] usu sing, the N
The field is a way of referring to all the competitors taking part in a particular race or sports contest.
Going into the fourth lap, the two most broadly experienced riders led the field...
10 [ADJ] ADJ n
You use field to describe work or study that is done in a real, natural environment rather than in a theoretical way or in controlled conditions.
I also conducted a field study among the boys about their attitude to relationships...
Our teachers took us on field trips to observe plants and animals, firsthand...
11 [VERB] usu cont, V
In a game of cricket, baseball, or rounders, the team that is fielding is trying to catch the ball, while the other team is trying to hit it.
When we are fielding, the umpires keep looking at the ball.
12 [VERB] V n
If you say that someone fields a question, you mean that they answer it or deal with it, usually successfully. (JOURNALISM)
He was later shown on television, fielding questions.
13 [VERB] V n
If a sports team fields a particular number or type of players, the players are chosen to play for the team on a particular occasion.
England intend fielding their strongest team in next month's World Youth Championship.
14 [VERB] V n
If a candidate in an election is representing a political party, you can say that the party is fielding that candidate. (JOURNALISM)
There are signs that the new party aims to field candidates in elections scheduled for February next year.
= put up
15
see also coalfield, minefield, snowfield, snowfield
16 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone is having a field day, they are very busy doing something that they enjoy, even though it may be hurtful for other people.
In our absence the office gossips are probably having a field day...
17 [PHRASE] usu PHR after v
Work or study that is done in the field is done in a real, natural environment rather than in a theoretical way or in controlled conditions.
The zoo is doing major conservation work, both in captivity and in the field.
18 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you say that someone leads the field in a particular activity, you mean that they are better, more active, or more successful than everyone else who is involved in it.
When it comes to picking up awards they lead the field by miles.
19 [PHRASE] V inflects
If someone plays the field, they have a number of different romantic or sexual relationships. (INFORMAL)
He gave up playing the field and married a year ago.field event (field events)
[N-COUNT]
A field event is an athletics contest such as the high jump or throwing the discus or javelin, rather than a race.field hand (field hands)
[N-COUNT]
A field hand is someone who is employed to work on a farm. (mainly AM)field hock|ey
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Field hockey is an outdoor game played on a grass field between two teams of 11 players who use long curved sticks to hit a small ball and try to score goals. (AM; in BRIT, use hockey)field mar|shal (field marshals)
also field-marshal
[N-COUNT; N-TITLE]
A field marshal is an officer in the army who has the highest rank.field mouse (field mice)
also fieldmouse
[N-COUNT]
A field mouse is a mouse with a long tail that lives in fields and woods.field sport (field sports)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Hunting, shooting birds, and fishing with a rod are referred to as field sports when they are done mainly for pleasure.home field (home fields)
[N-COUNT]
A sports team's home field is their own playing field, as opposed to that of other teams. (AM; in BRIT, use home ground)left field
1 [N-SING] usu prep N
If you say that someone or something has come out of left field or is out in left field, you mean that they are untypical, unusual, or strange in some way.
The question came out of left field, but Mary Ann wasn't really surprised...
He is, like most theorists, out there in left field, ignoring the experimental evidence.
2 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
Left-field means slightly odd or unusual. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
...a left-field cabaret act...
Her parents were creative and left-field and wanted Polly to become a singer or a truck driver.
= unconventionalmag|net|ic field (magnetic fields)
[N-COUNT]
A magnetic field is an area around a magnet, or something functioning as a magnet, in which the magnet's power to attract things is felt.play|ing field (playing fields)
1 [N-COUNT]
A playing field is a large area of grass where people play sports.
...the playing fields of the girls' Grammar School.
2 [PHRASE] N inflects
You talk about a level playing field to mean a situation that is fair, because no competitor or opponent in it has an advantage over another.
We ask for a level playing field when we compete with foreign companies.track and field
[N-UNCOUNT]
Track and field refers to athletics as opposed to other sports.