label
/ˈleɪb(ə)l
/noun
1A small piece of paper, fabric, plastic, or similar material attached to an object and giving information about it: the alcohol content is clearly stated on the label price labels...
- Our bin has been put out regularly on the date stipulated on the attached label.
- However, manufacturers could be breaking the law if the information on labels is misleading to the public.
- My mother works part-time in a factory where she weighs chickens before sealing them in plastic and then attaching labels.
Synonyms
tag, ticket, tab, sticker, marker, docket, chit, chitty, flag, stamp;
document, documentation
1.1A piece of fabric sewn inside a garment and bearing the brand name, size, or instructions for care: a garment with the label ‘Laura Ashley’...
- Finally, don't fret if your pattern size is larger than your ready-to-wear size - there won't be any size labels on the finished garment!
- First and foremost, always follow the cleaning instructions on your garment's label.
- Aren't there any tags or labels inside the boot that could give us a hint?
1.2The piece of paper in the centre of a record giving the artist and title.
1.3A company that produces recorded music: independent labels...
- It was up to the smaller independent labels to record and market new sounds.
- When we started our record label, disco music was selling.
- We, as musicians, need the resources of record labels to promote our music.
1.4The name or trademark of a fashion company: she plans to launch her own designer clothes label...
- It's no coincidence that most of today's major fashion labels push their own line of hats to complement their brand of clothing and accessories.
- Dubai has a range of fashion houses, from designer labels like Armani to economy brands like Giordano.
- I think men are much more aware of designer labels and fashion trends than they were even a year ago.
Synonyms
brand, brand name, trade name, trademark, proprietary name, line, make, logo
2A classifying phrase or name applied to a person or thing, especially one that is inaccurate or restrictive: the label ‘salsa’ seems especially meaningless when applied to musicians like Tito Puente...
- But the label stuck and politically I was ‘right wing’.
- Both parties try to tag their opponents' policies with phrases and labels intended to place them in the most negative light.
- For now, the US seems to be avoiding the genocide label but is sticking with ethnic cleansing to describe the situation.
Synonyms
designation, denomination, description, characterization, identification, tag;
name, epithet, nickname, title, sobriquet, pet name, byname
formal appellation, cognomen
2.1(In a dictionary entry) a word or words used to specify the subject area, register, or geographical origin of the word being defined: the italic part-of-speech label follows the pronunciation...
- Interestingly, Australian-edited dictionaries no longer use ‘slang’ as a register label.
2.2 Computing A string of characters used to refer to a particular instruction in a program.If there is a label in any given line, we save the label and the device filename in a hash....
- The lack of consistency in program labels and definitions nationwide creates a thorny obstacle to research synthesis.
- The system creates a unique identifier or label for each stored object.
2.3 Biology & Chemistry A radioactive isotope, fluorescent dye, or enzyme used to make something identifiable for study: radioactive labels...
- Some techniques involve the application of radioactive labels to the proteins.
- These machines attached different colored fluorescent tags to the DNA fragments instead of radioactive labels, and read them off automatically.
- Alternatively, the presence of the protein of interest on the gel can be detected by using a detectable label - e.g. a radioactive ion or compound to the protein.
3 Heraldry A narrow horizontal strip, typically with three downward projections, that is superimposed on a coat of arms by an eldest son during the life of his father.Every member of the family is awarded a distinctive coat of arms with a label, issued by Royal Warrant from the Queen rather than a grant of arms from the heralds as others receive.
4 Architecture another term for dripstone.
verb (labels, labelling, labelled; US labels, labeling, labeled) [with object]
1Attach a label to (something): she labelled the parcels neatly, writing the addresses in capital letters...
- Workbook exercises are labeled to correspond neatly with the main text they support.
- You cannot mark or label your package as containing firearms.
- The majority of the vehicles are labelled with essential details - model, brand and year - and in some cases special features are also mentioned.
Synonyms
tag, attach labels to, put labels on, tab, ticket, stamp, mark, put stickers on, docket, flag
1.1Assign to a category, especially inaccurately or restrictively: many pupils felt that they were labelled as failures [with object and complement]: the critics labelled him a loser...
- Measures designed to promote and protect local educational values could be labelled as ‘barriers to trade’.
- One is tempted to conclude that it reflects a fear that anyone who is publicly critical of the extent of the problems will be labelled as a racist or similar.
- We need to accept that the majority of young people don't commit crime and those that do need help and support, rather than being labelled as bad or evil.
Synonyms
categorize, classify, class, characterize, describe, designate, identify;
mark, stamp, pronounce, brand, condemn, pigeonhole, stereotype, typecast, compartmentalize, typify;
call, name, term, dub, nickname
2 Biology & Chemistry Make (a substance, molecule, or cell) identifiable by replacing an atom with one of a distinctive radioactive isotope, or by attaching a fluorescent dye, enzyme, or other molecule: insulin labelled with iodine-125 was used as a tracer...
- The radioactive carbon is the tracer molecule and the carbon dioxide has been labelled or tagged.
- Cells were labeled with fluorescent lipid analogs before cholesterol depletion.
- Although not easy, cell membranes are frequently labeled with fluorescent fatty acids and lipids.
Derivatives
labeller
- If these Kroy labelers are not suitable for what you need to do, please check out the complete list of label printers we offer.
- Cheap manual labelers like the trusty Dymo work fine too, but they take more time, are clumsier to use, and produce labels that look, well, homemade.
- We have been selling quality, industrial labelers for over 37 years.
Origin
Middle English (denoting a narrow strip): from Old French, 'ribbon', probably of Germanic origin and related to lap1.