1An area of open land, especially one planted with crops or pasture, typically bounded by hedges or fences.

1. 1.1 A piece of land used for a particular purpose, especially an area marked out for a game or sport.
   a football field

   Example sentencesExamples

   • He sees it in all aspects of life, from sports fields to football clubs.
   • There is no doubt that being a spectator is far more stressful than to actually be involved in the game on the field.
   • So you don't see all the best players of the game on the field at the same time.
   • So that game in 1986 was the first time we were on the same field in a competitive game.
   • He has, without doubt, one of the more dangerous players on the field in Game Two.
   • He fires off the ball, disrupts the backfield and makes plays all over the football field.
   • Both keepers were the busiest players on the field in an end-to-end game with Bingley opening the scoring in the tenth minute.
   • However this proved to be in vain when some quick thinking at a tap penalty saw Dodworth go nearly the full length of the field to tie the game.
   • The sports centre subsidises things like playing fields and football fields.
   • Well, no matter how they look on paper, you gotta play the games on the field.
   • But his presence led to an unprecedented incident on the field in the Seagulls-Apollon game.
   • He said his proposal would involve a single-storey school, which could offer facilities for community activities, including a swimming pool, a hall, a gym and sports fields.
   • Mercy, but they are going to have fun on the football field at Honolulu, and possibly the nearest race track.
   • One sports talk show after another was lined up in front of the dugouts, taking live shots of the field before the big game.
   • Usftl games are typically played on Sunday mornings on regulation football fields with 12-minute quarters.
   • Back in those days they wouldn't have taken the camera away from the field while the game was being played.
   • As a follower of the game it will be a joy to watch Kavanagh playing on Gaelic football fields for many more years to come.
   • It's this talent, he argues, that has enabled them to maximise the potential playing area of a football field.
   • Think of it like the computer game Minesweeper, except on a football field.
   • I don't want to see injuries happen to anyone on the football field, but they are a part of the game.

   Synonyms

   pitch, ground, sports field, playing field, recreation ground, arena

   stadium

   British informal park
2. 1.2Cricket Fielders collectively, or the manner in which they are spread over the pitch.
   he sees the ball early and strokes it through the gap in the field

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Other situations may also exist where there is an open gap in the field due simply to the positioning of the fielders.
   • Is the field in, hovering around the centre, or is it deep-set, flung back to the periphery?
   • As far as the field is concerned, this year we've had the deepest and strongest field ever.
3. 1.3 A fielder.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • Thomas Hoyos was the best center field.
   • Michael Mclouhglin was the best right field.
4. 1.4 A large area of land or water completely covered in a particular substance, especially snow or ice.
   an ice field

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Individual volcanoes of continental monogenetic volcanic fields are generally presumed to erupt single magma batches during brief eruptions.
   • These lizards rely on rock crevices for cover from predators and harsh climate and these crevices are found only in boulder fields or lava flows.
   • These are interpreted to be lava tube conduits feeding the toe of the lava field.
   • The vertical change in architecture can be related to the evolution of the lava field.
   • After about a mile I kinked down to cross the Seven where there's a good, arched bridge and where the river, flowing through fields of virgin snow, was trimmed with a glaze of grey translucent ice.
   • Continental monogenetic volcanic fields are subject to the same physical constraints as other volcanic systems.
   • Here three main pockmark and mud diapir fields were observed.
   • In this case, over time, the debris field covered about two to three square mile area.
   • Observations made earlier this year by the OMEGA instrument on Mars Express showed that Mars has vast fields of perennial water ice, stretching out from its south pole.
   • Spring came and the snowpack melted like an ice cube on hot asphalt, instead of compacting and forming the vast fields of perfect-corn snow we expected.
   • The simplest explanation is that the general assumption that continental monogenetic volcanic fields lack significant shallow magma storage zones must be in error.
5. 1.5 An area rich in a natural product, typically oil or gas.
   a gas field

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Salekhard is surrounded by some of the richest oil and natural gas fields in the world.
   • The large pipelines, built since the 1970s, linking Soviet oil and gas fields and western Europe, make their way across Ukrainian territory.
   • China has huge oil and gas fields still to be developed.
   • In the case of Christmas Island two of the three launch paths will go over or near the oil and gas fields of the northwest shelf and the Timor Sea.
   • Australia must therefore not frustrate East Timor's rightful claim to its maritime boundaries and its rightful share of the oil and gas fields of the Timor Sea.
   • Greater Sunrise is the biggest of the three oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea.
   • It is running a dangerous game of bluff over Greater Sunrise, encouraged by Norwegian advisers whose experience is based on the oil and gas fields in Europe's North Sea.
   • Oil companies are experts in developing oil and gas fields, not countries.
   • This story says that a Waitangi Tribunal report to be issued today will find that Taranaki Maori are entitled to a share of the profits from our oil and gas fields.
   • At the same time, many of the world's oil and gas fields are maturing.
   • The UK oil and gas industry has benefited from the abolition of royalty payments on the North Sea's 30 oldest oil and gas fields, which came into effect on January 1.
   • It could be further magnified because over time non-U.S. firms will have much more information on and familiarity with Iranian oil and gas fields.
   • The Brunei economy was revolutionized by the discovery of substantial onshore oil deposits in 1929 and offshore oil and gas fields in the early 1960s.
   • China's state-owned oil companies have in recent years been actively involved around the globe in buying oil and gas fields and establishing energy supplies.
   • Another wealthy tribe, the 16,000-strong Osage in Oklahoma, owns the rights to one of the richest oil and gas fields in the state.
   • Large natural gas storage fields in salt domes are another example.
   • The attention that was given to the detailed geometry of growth faults in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, and the Niger Delta helped the exploitation of oil and gas fields in these areas.
   • However, Arctic reserves are now being considered more seriously as other oil and gas fields become exhausted.
   • Unocal controls major oil and gas fields in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, and, of course, Asia.
   • To this end, the company is betting on expanding its oil and gas productions from fields outside Indonesia.
6. 1.6the field A place where a subject of scientific study or of artistic representation can be observed in its natural location or context.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • Getting out in the field over and over is the best way to build up knowledge.
   • When traveling to a destination with large mammals you should learn about their behavior before going out in the field.
7. 1.7usually the field An area which is or is to become the scene of a battle or campaign.
   a field of battle

   Example sentencesExamples

   • In 1913 Paris was hit by The Rite of Spring and by a volume of noise and dissonance that no human had experienced outside the field of battle.
   • The inference, that the ideas that it contains should be carried to the field of battle, is inescapable.
   • But for the labours of a statesman all the sound and fury of the swordsman on the field of battle would in the end signify nothing.
   • Unable to match the forces of the West on the field of battle, new plans had to be hatched.
   • All her life she had imagined the field of battle from her grandfather's descriptions.
   • Images of Bruce Lee and the night fighting scene in Enter the Dragon flashed through my mind like flags on the field of battle.
   • David's beheading of Goliath took place on the field of battle, after Goliath was already dead.
   • Losing a man on the field of battle is a terrible thing, but losing a man when the army is bedded down for the winter is truly a tragedy.
   • It would have been better if they had fallen on the field of battle.
   • But while vanquishing the enemy on the field of battle is necessary, it is not sufficient.
   • The U.S. military was so superior as to be virtually unchallengeable on the field of battle.
   • But the idea is to use it on a wounded soldier on the field of battle where blood is hard to come across.
   • From the mists, a shuffling figure could be discerned moving towards the field of battle.
   • Even now, the last of my forces have withdrawn from the field of battle back into the keep.
   • Ultimate victory for them lies at the level of grand strategy rather than on the field of battle.
   • It was more likely that their shortcomings outside the field of battle that would hold them back.
   • We read of their heroic actions on the field of battle and their deeds in other places.
   • The threats from the beach were horrifying enough to have made Napoleon turn from the field of battle.
   • However, they could not forget the bonds they had forged with their French brothers on the field of battle.
   • I wondered if my classmates and I could make such a sacrifice for our country on the field of battle.
8. 1.8archaic A battle.
   many a bloody field was to be fought

   Example sentencesExamples

   • All these were slaughtered in savage fields for the faith and fell beside the standard of the Cross, breathing loyalty to God and man in their last agonies.
   • Rupert made himself conspicuous during our Civil War in many a bloody field.

2A particular branch of study or sphere of activity or interest.

1. 2.1Computing A part of a record, representing an item of data.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • A PRM can be thought of as a Bayesian network whose variables are fields in a relational database.
   • You can create a collection of database fields that have unique values for each drawing in the set.
   • Baidu even seems enormously proud of its simple, 4K home page with a single search field.
   • If you type some text in the input field below the chat window, your avatar acts as a voice-over.
   • Buffer overflows are also a major vulnerability and happen when too much data is input into a field.
2. 2.2Linguistics Psychology A general area of meaning within which individual words make particular distinctions.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • It is a matter of word fields and changes of meaning, but also about the creation of new words.
   • This predictability concerns specifically psychological processes, which, by the author's definition, take place within a field of meaning.
   • Those other words provide context and define the semantic fields being used.

3A space or range within which objects are visible from a particular viewpoint or through a piece of apparatus.

4usually the fieldAll the participants in a contest or sport.

5An area on a flag with a single background colour.

1. 5.1Heraldry The surface of an escutcheon or of one of its divisions.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • The first field (top left corner) of the escutcheon shows the national arms.
   • In the coat of arms of Amsterdam, the field of the escutcheon (heraldic shield) is red.

6Physics
The region in which a particular condition prevails, especially one in which a force or influence is effective regardless of the presence or absence of a material medium.

1. 6.1 The force exerted or potentially exerted in a field.
   the variation in the strength of the field

   Example sentencesExamples

   • What is to protect us then from the pathological possibilities of strong gravitation fields?
   • Electrons prefer to avoid regions of strong and oscillating fields, so the wall alone would fling them out.
   • Generating and detecting x rays in the strong fields used for magnetic resonance is difficult, but it can be done.
   • It agrees with the Newtonian theory for low speeds and weak gravitational fields, but differs from it at high speeds and strong fields.
   • Like a magnet, the crystal retains the polarization when the field is turned off.

7Mathematics
A system subject to two binary operations analogous to those for the multiplication and addition of real numbers, and having similar commutative and distributive laws.

1Baseball Cricket
no object Attempt to catch or stop the ball and return it after it has been hit by the batsman or batter, thereby preventing runs being scored or base runners advancing.

1. 1.1with object Catch or stop (the ball) and return it.
   his swinging bunt was fielded by the Chicago catcher

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Frustrated by neglect, Hagan fielded a loose ball in the centre and created a try for his fellow winger, the burly Kevin Wilson who added a further try in the final minute as York ran out of steam.
   • The big Scot fielded the ball, made to kick again but instead chose to run with the ball, slipped, and was tackled by All Black flanker Mike Brewer who was clearly ahead of the kicker.
   • Orioles right fielder Ken Singleton fielded the ball off the wall and threw to his cutoff man Rich Dauer who in turn fired the ball home.
   • Ruhle fielded the ball and threw to first for an apparent double play.
   • He wants to be involved, either with the ball in hand with the enemy guarding the stumps or hurtling round the boundary to field the ball.
   • The outfielders take fly balls first, then we infielders field ground balls.
   • Mike Westwood set the pattern of the game after only five minutes when the winger fielded a high ball to return it fully 60 yards into the Sandal 22.
   • But Barclay spoiled the fairytale as he recovered well fielding the ball.
   • With two outs and a man on second, Jeffrey Hammonds singled to shallow leftfield, where Jeff Conine fielded the ball and fired home.
   • He often fields ground balls behind second base and makes the throw to first to put out batters.
   • In my first at-bat, I hit one right back to the pitcher, Don Drysdale, who fielded the ball and threw me out.
   • Hernandez says he had much more time to get in front of ground balls when he played shortstop, but fielding the ball hasn't been a problem for him.
   • Nevin, who fielded fly balls at Qualcomm Stadium this winter, said he's now more accepting of the club's decision to move him to the outfield.
   • Foulke fielded the ball and threw to Graffanino at third base.
   • Then, when Vaughan next fielded the ball, he fired it to Geraint Jones, close to Hayden's head.
   • Unfortunately, he doesn't have much range to his right, and he's horrible at fielding the ball backhanded.
   • Second baseman Bip Roberts fielded the ball but had no one to throw to, putting two Marlins on base.
   • He can sacrifice, forcing the first or third baseman to field the ball and make a play away from the lead runner.
   • After fielding the ball, however, the pitcher threw it way over the first baseman into deep right field.
   • First baseman Jack Clark fielded the ball and threw to pitcher Todd Worrell who was covering first.

   Synonyms

   catch, stop, retrieve

   return, throw back

2with object Send out (a team or individual) to play in a game.

1. 2.1 (of a political party) put up (a candidate) to stand in an election.
   the Ecology party fielded 109 candidates

   Example sentencesExamples

   • The Green Party is fielding candidates in only 114 constituencies, but hopes to gain its first seat in the Commons this year.
   • The party will field candidates in all three Bolton seats at the general election.
   • Pensioner parties are fielding candidates in the Scottish elections, so now we have someone to identify with.
   • The Progressive Democrats and the Green Party are each fielding a candidate in both and Kildare South also has an independent candidate.
   • Among small parties fielding candidates in this election are some which are seeking to divide our society on racial and asylum issues.
   • Several other fringe parties are fielding candidates on various councils.
   • The British National Party is fielding a record 14 candidates in the rock-solid Labour stronghold of Barnsley.
   • However, that has not happened, with only the three main parties fielding candidates.
   • Little Lever is the only ward in which the Green Party is fielding a candidate.
   • ALL three major political parties have fielded candidates for the forthcoming by-election for the Ogbourne ward of Kennet District Council.
   • The Socialist Equality Party is fielding candidates in the federal election to lay the basis for a mass political movement of the working class that will fight for this perspective.
   • The party is fielding candidates in next month's local elections in seven Yorkshire wards including those at the centre of last summer's rioting in Bradford and Leeds.
   • The Liberal Party will field another nine candidates for functional constituencies.
   • All three main political parties are also fielding candidates in these elections, as are the Greens.
   • Unsurprisingly each main political party has fielded a candidate, including the present council leader being nominated by the Labour Party.
   • For example, some parties are not fielding candidates for the presidency by way of protest, but they can give their members the green light to vote anyway.
   • In that event, I'd blame the entire Democratic Party for even fielding a candidate.
   • The last time the party fielded a candidate here was in 1997.
   • At the same time, smaller parties that fielded no candidates for prime minister invested all their efforts in the Knesset elections.
   • Apart from the trio, the party will field nine candidates in the functional constituencies.
2. 2.2 Deploy (an army)
   Russia was committed to fielding 800,000 men

   Example sentencesExamples

   • The Syrians were too busy fighting one another to field an effective army yet.
   • They even developed independent governments, raised their own taxes, fielded their own armies.
   • To date the Army has certified and fielded a total of seven Apache Longbow battalions.
   • Unfortunately, the Zulus did not resort to guerrilla warfare as previous opponents had done, but fielded an enormous army.
   • Both the Korean states fielded large armies who fought bravely.
   • He fielded an army that was a match for the Greeks, but Porus' army had an additional advantage: war elephants.
   • Each side fielded armies that were very similar in tactics, organization, and equipment, and both used African and Gallic auxiliary troops.
   • Yet neither of these sources deal with the wars of the late sixteenth century, by which time major combatants were fielding armies of many tens of thousands.
   • This was an organizational imperative made necessary by the ever larger armies fielded by continental military systems during the 19th century.
   • Also, the French people, a nation in arms, could field a far larger army then a similar sized state.
   • I'm also skeptical that an ongoing draft is the only way to field a large army anyway.
   • Rolling in wealth, the Church built great edifices and fielded its own armies and sank deeper and deeper into immorality, materialism, and decadence.
   • The Soviet Union then fielded a huge army that had bested the Wehrmacht and was fully capable of gobbling up large chunks of Western Europe.
   • The Romans quickly fielded another army, for the heart of Roman strength was in central and southern Italy.
   • In 1270, against the advice of counselors and family, Louis again fielded an army and headed east.
   • One day we will field this army, we will have the chance to show our power, but it will not be this day.
   • Bruce also does an accurate job of reporting the political joustings among the Army generals for the new American Army soon to be fielded.
   • The Arab states that invaded the nascent State of Israel fielded armies that were trained and supplied by the French and British Empires.

   Synonyms

   deploy, position, post, station, range, dispose

3with object Deal with (a difficult question, telephone call, etc.).

1attributive Carried out or working in the natural environment, rather than in a laboratory or office.

1. 1.1 (of military equipment) light and mobile for use on campaign.
   field artillery

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Al Qaeda tried to infiltrate one privatized military field kitchen, in Afghanistan.
   • Matrikon was chosen to develop the main application and Tridon to implement the hardware on the field equipment.
   • We took the liberty of bringing medical supplies along with standard field kits for any operation.
   • A three-piece field artillery battery was involved for marking and night illumination tasks.
   • The full bag is lightweight and fits into military field clothing pockets.
   • The field artillery could develop GPS munitions that could work in a similar fashion.
   • The field gun destroyed the building being used by Hollis as shelter.
   • No one said anything about armored personnel carriers organic to the armored field artillery units.
   • For a more detailed military example, consider the introduction of a mobile field gun.
   • Sanders would eventually command a field artillery battalion activated at Camp Rucker.
   • Light siege engines and field artillery bulked behind the infantry, crews crouched at their weapons.
   • Therefore, the idea is to make the field artillery a one-round, one-kill combat arm.
   • The unit assembled at Fort Sill recently to test all aspects of their field artillery skills.
   • Next year, when he chooses his branch, he'll be putting in for field artillery.
   • Fielding continues to remaining field artillery units in the Army National Guard.
   • In sum, field artillery systems were built for an organization developed decades earlier.

   Synonyms

   mobile, portable, transportable, movable, manoeuvrable, light, lightweight

   rare portative
2. 1.2 Used in names of animals or plants found in the open country, rather than among buildings or as cultivated varieties, e.g.: field mouse.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • The Field Mouse is a small rodent, found in long rolling plains or alternately old houses and any place in between.
   • The fire crackled, breaking the silent slumber of the field animals who had settled down in their dens.
   • My former ant loving celly, Penguin, would be in seventh heaven if left to his own devices with the field ants.
3. 1.3 Denoting a game played outdoors on a marked field.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • The game, the fastest and most skilful field game on the planet, requires such devotion.
   • Even in the fastest field game in the world, you get a second every now and again.
   • We have two great field games and we should never let them become wars of attrition.
   • The field athletics will take place on the pitch on Saturday, May 7 at 2.30 pm sharp.
   • New people to the area or indeed anyone with an interest in promoting the fastest most skilled field game in the world are welcome to attend.
   • Both sides get to play a number of increasingly stupid field games until a winner is decided.
   • Jack Lynch, who knew a thing or two about hurling, once said it was the greatest field game in the world.
   • That was all he had to say on his own preferred field game, however.
   • His view was that they were catering for two major field games and that each deserved separate consideration.
   • The NLL uses the Canadian box game with certain variations taken from field lacrosse.
   • It does not happen in other field games where they simply perform their primary duty and that is to enforce the rules.
   • But when it comes to the greatest field game in the world, the Meath lads don't pass much heed.