style
/stʌɪl
/noun
1A particular procedure by which something is done; a manner or way: different styles of management...
- I find ‘brainstorming’ an effective way to create modifications to teaching styles and procedures.
- In trials of different styles of patient management, surgical procedures, or alternative therapies, full blinding is often impossible.
- Teachers with very different teaching styles and approaches can be equally effective.
Synonyms
manner, way, technique, method, methodology, approach, system, mode, form, practice;
Latin modus operandi
informal MO
type, kind, manner, variety, sort, nature, genre, vein, species, ilk, vintage, school, brand, quality, calibre, kidney;
design, pattern, stamp, model, cast, grain;
North American stripe
1.1A way of painting, writing, composing, building, etc., characteristic of a particular period, place, person, or movement: the concerto is composed in a neoclassical style a striking feature of Swift’s style is his use of conjunctions...
- During his lifetime, the artist went through different periods of characteristic painting styles.
- These are some characteristics of the writing style of someone under a lot of stress or tension.
- The series features all styles and periods of buildings, from country houses and gothic castles to a radar station and a water mill - dating from medieval times to the 20th century.
1.2A way of using language: he never wrote in a journalistic style [mass noun]: students should pay attention to style and idiom...
- The tone, the attitude, the style, the language; all have changed significantly.
- More than the style of language has changed at the paper since then.
- Mr Midgley criticised our website and the style of language used.
Synonyms
phraseology, mode of expression, wording, language
1.3 [usually with negative] (one's style) One’s usual way of behaving or approaching situations: backing out isn’t my style
1.4An official or legal title: the partnership traded under the style of Storr and Mortimer...
- With a living trust, you need to be sure all of your assets and investments are styled in the name of the trust for the rest of your life.
2A distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed: the pillars are no exception to the general style...
- Distinctive styles of local pottery appear around 2500 BC along with Neolithic polished stone axes.
- What we have here are a series of large, eight foot high canvases, generally untitled, painted in a number of styles, and appearing to hark back principally to Abstract Expressionism.
- Maurice is a popular artist and has contributed to numerous group shows and his distinctive style will be familiar to many.
2.1A particular design of clothing: his shoes were in a style that he could wear anywhere...
- Big sleeves were in a variety of Chinese clothing styles from various dynasties.
- This time around he went for being modern, by encompassing modern styles and techniques with Chanel's intricate classic designs.
- What are your favorite styles or pieces of clothing that defy trends?
Synonyms
fashion, trend, vogue, mode, latest thing;
fad, craze, rage
2.2A way of arranging the hair: for a glamorous style, hair was brushed out after setting...
- You get your hair cut in reasonable styles and accept the fact that the King is dead.
- Barbel finished the style by curling the hair with a flat iron and applying a light holding spray.
- Most women prefer the traditional styles of long upswept hair for adults and long braids for girls.
3 [mass noun] Fashionable elegance and sophistication: the world-famous hotel attracts guests because of its style and taste...
- This kind of fridge has become a symbol of taste, elegance, style and wealth.
- But when a temple of style and urban sophistication founders on ambience, food and service, it doesn't leave much to cling to.
- Waterford Crystal, the epitome of style and elegance, is the world's most successful luxury crystal brand.
Synonyms
flair, stylishness, smartness, elegance, grace, gracefulness, poise, polish, suaveness, sophistication, urbanity, chic, dash, finesse, panache, elan, taste
informal class, pizzazz, ritziness, oomph, zing
comfort, luxury, elegance, chic;
affluence, wealth, opulence, lavishness
3.1A confident, effortless manner or technique: he plays with such style
4 Botany (In a flower) a narrow, typically elongated extension of the ovary, bearing the stigma.As the pistil emerged from the bracts, the style elongated and the stigma expanded markedly in size and, finally, became receptive to pollen....
- Five pistils were dissected from flowers and the stigmas and styles were mounted on aluminium stubs using carbon paste.
- This has been used previously to detect ethylene biosynthesis successfully from a variety of flowers and floral tissues including styles and during pollen tube growth.
5 Zoology (In an invertebrate) a small, slender pointed appendage; a stylet.The posterior midbrain sends 9 nerve cords frontally to the outer oral styles....
- The precise styles of claw morphology may be quite variable, but the function can be deduced and tested experimentally in the case of living forms.
- For each type of aquatic activity we examine unique behaviors or styles of locomotion that may contribute to a decrease in energetic costs.
6 archaic term for stylus (sense 2).
verb [with object]
1Design or make in a particular form: the yacht is well proportioned and conservatively styled...
- The car was styled by the new design team.
- The automaker, which designed and styled the vehicle in-house at its Gentro Stile facility, decided to meet that goal by developing two completely different cars.
- These cuts define how your pants are styled and designed in terms of fit and how they fall.
Synonyms
design, fashion, tailor, make, produce
1.1Arrange (hair) in a particular way: he styled her hair by twisting it up to give it body...
- So whether you or a professional are styling your hair, it will be responsive to being brushed, curled, and combed.
- Watch how your hair is styled, what products are used, what kind of brushes, rollers, or styling irons your hairdresser uses so that you can replicate the look yourself.
- To finish, he styled the hair with a brush and slightly teased the bangs.
2 [with object and complement] Designate with a particular name, description, or title: the official is styled principal and vice chancellor of the university...
- Sleek modern bikes are aggressively styled with names to match: ‘Pulsar’, ‘Victor’, etc.
- If his future wife is styled Duchess of Cornwall, she will be taking his name, since that is one of his existing titles.
- Well-known atheist, Richard Dawkins, now styles himself as A Devil's Chaplain, the title of a recent book.
Synonyms
call, name, title, entitle, dub, designate, term, address, label, tag;
christen, baptize, nickname
archaic clepe
rare denominate
Phrases
in (grand) style
like it's going out of style (or fashion)
Derivatives
styleless
- The arrangement of the openings, some recessed to create terraces, reflect Zucchi's interest in the styleless, vernacular character of Venetian domestic architecture.
- Over the last twenty years, wooden colonial houses with verandas and gardens in Noumea have disappeared, replaced by styleless buildings.
- If they needed to be designed, his proposals were always guileless and almost styleless.
stylelessness
- Its essential stylelessness has turned critics against it as well.
- Everything seems effortless, until you begin to concentrate on the subtlety of the modulations and what it takes to achieve them, yet the overwhelming effect is of transparency, stylelessness.
- His stylelessness had, of course, great style.
styler
- If locks are short, check out new liquid stylers.
- They also turned out to be what the industry calls ‘heavy heat stylers’, a term that denotes the frequent use of hairdryers.
- Rest assured because you can easily add volume with a classic styler.
Origin
Middle English (denoting a stylus, also a literary composition, an official title, or a characteristic manner of literary expression): from Old French stile, from Latin stilus. The verb dates (first in sense 2 of the verb) from the early 16th century.