town

noun

/taʊn/

Idioms

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[countable, uncountable] a place with many houses, shops, etc. where people live and work. It is larger than a village but smaller than a city.
- The nearest town is ten miles away.
- a university/seaside/market town
- in a town I live in a small town.
- How many people live in the town?
- We spent a month in the French town of Le Puy.
- They live in a rough part of town.
see also Bean Town, boom town, company town, county town, dormitory town, ghost town, new town, shanty town, small-town, twin town
Culture place namesplace namesBritain and the US have a rich variety of place names. Some names come from a feature of the countryside. Others are named after a church or castle. Some honour famous people, while others have been brought from abroad.Many names reflect the history of an area and of the people who once lived there. Some of the oldest place names in Wales and Scotland date back to the time of the Celts. Some towns in Southern England have Latin names dating from Roman times. Other names are of Anglo-Saxon or Viking origin and date from the period when these peoples entered Britain with their armies. Later, the Normans introduced some French names.In the US many place names come from Native American words: Chicago, for example, means 'place of the onion' in the Algonquian language, Seattle is named after a chief, and Natchez after a tribe. Sometimes the names were translated, sometimes not: the Black Warrior River in Alabama runs through the city of Tuscaloosa, which was named after a Native American whose name means 'black warrior'. Names of Spanish origin are found mainly in the South-Western US. They include San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. A few names are of French origin, for example, Baton Rouge. Some names come from more than one culture: Anaheim combines the Spanish name 'Ana' with the German 'heim' (= home).Many British towns take their name from a river. In Wales and Scotland many towns have names beginning with Aber-, which means 'river mouth', for example, Aberystwyth, Aberdeen. In England towns close to a river mouth often end with -mouth, for example, Dartmouth. The name of the river forms the rest of the name. Names ending in -ford (Oxford) suggest a place where a river is shallow enough to cross. A town next to a lake may, in Scotland, contain loch- or, in England, -mere, for example, Lochinver, Windermere.In Scotland, there are several place names beginning with Dun-, meaning 'hill', for example, Dunbar. Any place whose name ends with -don (Swindon), -hurst (Sandhurst), -head (Gateshead) or, in Wales, begins with pen- (Penarth), probably stands on or near a hill. Towns near passes may end in -gate, for example, Harrogate, or, in Scotland, begin with Glen-, for example, Glencoe. Names ending with -coumbe or -combe (Ilfracombe) or -dale (Rochdale), or, in Wales, beginning with cwm- (Cwmbran) suggest that the town is in a valley.American place names based on natural features are easier to recognize. Examples include Two Rivers, River Edge, Mirror Lake, Ocean City, Gulf Breeze, Seven Hills, Shady Valley, Twentynine Palms, Lookout, Little Rock, Round Rock, White Rock and Slippery Rock. French names include La Fontaine and Eau Claire. Some place names describe a product, for example, Bean City, Copper City.Many British towns developed around an early fort or castle. This may be indicated by a name ending in -burgh (Edinburgh), -bury (Salisbury), -caster or -cester (Doncaster, Gloucester) or -chester (Dorchester), or beginning or ending with castle (Newcastle), or, in Wales, with Caer- (Caernarfon).Names that include church-, kirk- or, in Wales llan- refer to a church (Offchurch, Kirkby, Llandaff). Towns where there was a monastery may have names ending in -minster (Kidderminster).Names ending with -ham (Cheltenham), -hampton (Southampton), -ington (Workington), -stock or -stoke (Woodstock, Basingstoke), -thorpe (Scunthorpe), -wich or -wick (Norwich, Warwick) mean that there was a village or farm there.In the US place names that refer to buildings include House, Brick Church and High Bridge. Atlanta, Georgia is named after a railway.Some British place names refer to ancient tribes. The elements -ing and -ingham at the end of a name mean 'people of' and 'home of the people of', as in Reading ('Read's people') and Birmingham ('home of Beorma's people'). Places with names ending in -by were the homes of Vikings , for example, Grimsby ('Grim's village').Some towns take their name from Christian saints, particularly if they had local connections. These include St Albans and St Andrews. Towns named after people who lived in more recent times are rare in Britain. They include Nelson, named after Lord Nelson and the new town Telford, named after the engineer Thomas Telford.By contrast, many towns in the US honour famous Americans, especially presidents. Abraham Lincoln is honoured in towns named Lincoln, Lincolnville, Lincolnwood, etc., Andrew Jackson at Jackson and Jacksonville and Thomas Jefferson at Jefferson, Jeffersonville and Jefferson City.Other towns named after famous Americans include Houston, Texas, named after Sam Houston; Cody, Wyoming, after William Cody (better known as Buffalo Bill); Boone, Tennessee, after Daniel Boone; and Custer, Montana, after General George Custer. Often the person is now little heard of, for example, H M Shreve, a 19th century boat captain on the Mississippi River, whose name was used for Shreveport, Louisiana. A few towns are named after companies, for example, Hershey, Pennsylvania.Many American towns are named after a place in Britain or another country from which the people who had moved to the US originally came. British names are found especially in New England. They include Boston, Cambridge, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-sea, and Stafford. British names used in other parts of the US include the cities of New York and Birmingham, and Glasgow, a small town in Montana. Like New York (New Amsterdam), Brooklyn (Breukelyn) was originally named by Dutch immigrants.Names from other countries include New Orleans, Moscow, Athens, Paris, Naples and New Holland.Americans enjoy creating unusual or humorous names, such as Tombstone in Arizona. Truth or Consequences in New Mexico is named after a radio quiz show. Other names include Cannon Ball, Pie Town, Smackover, Humble City, High Lonesome, Cut and Shoot, and Monkey's Eyebrow.
Extra Examples
- I spent years moving from town to town.
- It was built as a new town in the 1960s.
- Kitzbühel is an ancient fortified town with fine medieval buildings.
- She has gone back to live in her home town.
- a 19th-century mill town that used to produce cotton
- a busy market town
- a lake just outside the town
- a sleepy provincial town in southern France
- a thriving holiday town
- the dusty border town of Eagle Pass, Texas
- the rolling hills that surround the town
- the sun-drenched beach towns of Southern California
- Sackville is a small university town in eastern Canada.
Topics Geographya1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- big
- large
- major
- …
verb + town
- build
- found
- live in
- …
town + verb
- flourish
- grow
town + noun
- centre
- hall
- square
- …
preposition
- in town
- out of town
- outside (the) town
- …
phrases
- the centre/center of (the) town
- the middle of (the) town
- the edge of (the) town
- …
See full entry
the town
[singular] the people who live in a particular town
- The whole town is talking about it.
see also Our Town
[uncountable] the area of a town where most of the shops and businesses are
- We are only five minutes from the centre of town.
- in town Mum's in town doing some shopping.
- Can you give me a lift into town?
- Millie hit the town, looking for excitement.
see also downtown, midtown, out-of-town (1), uptown
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verb + town
- go into
- hit
preposition
- in town
See full entry
[uncountable] (especially North American English) a particular town where somebody lives and works or one that has just been referred to
- in town I'll be in town next week if you want to meet.
- This restaurant serves the best steaks in town.
- out of town He married a girl from out of town.
- The gossips finally drove her out of town.
see also out-of-town (2)
Extra Examples
- He left town yesterday for a conference in Cape Town.
- I was out of town last week.
- They wanted to move out of town and start a new life in the country.
- They'll be back in town tomorrow.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- big
- large
- major
- …
verb + town
- build
- found
- live in
- …
town + verb
- flourish
- grow
town + noun
- centre
- hall
- square
- …
preposition
- in town
- out of town
- outside (the) town
- …
phrases
- the centre/center of (the) town
- the middle of (the) town
- the edge of (the) town
- …
See full entry
[singular, uncountable] life in towns or cities as opposed to life in the country
- Pollution is just one of the disadvantages of living in the town.
- Do you prefer the town to the country?
Collocations Town and country
Town and countryTown
- live in a city/a town/an urban environment/(informal) a concrete jungle/the suburbs/shanty towns/slums
- live (especially North American English) downtown/in the downtown area/(British English) in the city centre
- enjoy/like the hectic pace of life/the hustle and bustle of city life
- cope with the stress/pressure of urban life
- get caught up in the rat race
- prefer/seek the anonymity of life in a big city
- be drawn by/resist the lure of the big city
- head for the bright lights (of the big city/New York)
- enjoy/love the vibrant/lively nightlife
- have/be close to all the amenities
- be surrounded by towering skyscrapers/a soulless urban sprawl
- use/travel by/rely on (British English) public transport/(North American English) public transportation
- put up with/get stuck in/sit in massive/huge/heavy/endless/constant traffic jams
- tackle/ease/reduce/relieve/alleviate the heavy/severe traffic congestion
- be affected/choked/damaged by pollution
Country
- live in a village/the countryside/an isolated area/a rural backwater/(informal) the sticks
- enjoy/like the relaxed/slower pace of life
- enjoy/love/explore the great outdoors
- look for/find/get/enjoy a little peace and quiet
- need/want to get back/closer to nature
- be surrounded by open/unspoilt/picturesque countryside
- escape/quit/get out of/leave the rat race
- seek/achieve a better/healthy work-life balance
- downshift to a less stressful life
- seek/start a new life in the country
- (British English, informal) up sticks/ (North American English, informal ) pull up stakes and move to/head for…
- create/build/foster a strong sense of community
- depend on/be employed in/work in agriculture
- live off/farm/work the land
- tackle/address the problem of rural unemployment
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- big
- large
- major
- …
verb + town
- build
- found
- live in
- …
town + verb
- flourish
- grow
town + noun
- centre
- hall
- square
- …
preposition
- in town
- out of town
- outside (the) town
- …
phrases
- the centre/center of (the) town
- the middle of (the) town
- the edge of (the) town
- …
See full entry

Word OriginOld English tūn ‘enclosed piece of land, homestead, village’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tuin ‘garden’ and German Zaun ‘fence’.

Idioms

go to town (on something)

(informal) to do something with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, etc., especially by spending a lot of money
- They really went to town on the decorations for the party.

Wordfinder

amenity
city
ghetto
high-rise
metropolitan
population
slum
suburb
town
urban

a/the man about town

(old-fashioned) a man who frequently goes to fashionable parties, clubs, theatres, etc.
- In his new suit, he looked quite the man about town.

the only game in town

(informal) the most important thing of a particular type, or the only thing that is available

(out) on the town

(informal) visiting restaurants, clubs, theatres, etc. for entertainment, especially at night
- a night on the town
- How about going out on the town tonight?

paint the town red

(informal) to go to a lot of different bars, clubs, etc. and enjoy yourself

单词	town
释义	town noun /taʊn/ /taʊn/ Idioms jump to other results [countable, uncountable] a place with many houses, shops, etc. where people live and work. It is larger than a village but smaller than a city. The nearest town is ten miles away. a university/seaside/market town in a town I live in a small town. How many people live in the town? We spent a month in the French town of Le Puy. They live in a rough part of town. see also Bean Town, boom town, company town, county town, dormitory town, ghost town, new town, shanty town, small-town, twin town Culture place namesplace namesBritain and the US have a rich variety of place names. Some names come from a feature of the countryside. Others are named after a church or castle. Some honour famous people, while others have been brought from abroad.Many names reflect the history of an area and of the people who once lived there. Some of the oldest place names in Wales and Scotland date back to the time of the Celts. Some towns in Southern England have Latin names dating from Roman times. Other names are of Anglo-Saxon or Viking origin and date from the period when these peoples entered Britain with their armies. Later, the Normans introduced some French names.In the US many place names come from Native American words: Chicago, for example, means 'place of the onion' in the Algonquian language, Seattle is named after a chief, and Natchez after a tribe. Sometimes the names were translated, sometimes not: the Black Warrior River in Alabama runs through the city of Tuscaloosa, which was named after a Native American whose name means 'black warrior'. Names of Spanish origin are found mainly in the South-Western US. They include San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. A few names are of French origin, for example, Baton Rouge. Some names come from more than one culture: Anaheim combines the Spanish name 'Ana' with the German 'heim' (= home).Many British towns take their name from a river. In Wales and Scotland many towns have names beginning with Aber-, which means 'river mouth', for example, Aberystwyth, Aberdeen. In England towns close to a river mouth often end with -mouth, for example, Dartmouth. The name of the river forms the rest of the name. Names ending in -ford (Oxford) suggest a place where a river is shallow enough to cross. A town next to a lake may, in Scotland, contain loch- or, in England, -mere, for example, Lochinver, Windermere.In Scotland, there are several place names beginning with Dun-, meaning 'hill', for example, Dunbar. Any place whose name ends with -don (Swindon), -hurst (Sandhurst), -head (Gateshead) or, in Wales, begins with pen- (Penarth), probably stands on or near a hill. Towns near passes may end in -gate, for example, Harrogate, or, in Scotland, begin with Glen-, for example, Glencoe. Names ending with -coumbe or -combe (Ilfracombe) or -dale (Rochdale), or, in Wales, beginning with cwm- (Cwmbran) suggest that the town is in a valley.American place names based on natural features are easier to recognize. Examples include Two Rivers, River Edge, Mirror Lake, Ocean City, Gulf Breeze, Seven Hills, Shady Valley, Twentynine Palms, Lookout, Little Rock, Round Rock, White Rock and Slippery Rock. French names include La Fontaine and Eau Claire. Some place names describe a product, for example, Bean City, Copper City.Many British towns developed around an early fort or castle. This may be indicated by a name ending in -burgh (Edinburgh), -bury (Salisbury), -caster or -cester (Doncaster, Gloucester) or -chester (Dorchester), or beginning or ending with castle (Newcastle), or, in Wales, with Caer- (Caernarfon).Names that include church-, kirk- or, in Wales llan- refer to a church (Offchurch, Kirkby, Llandaff). Towns where there was a monastery may have names ending in -minster (Kidderminster).Names ending with -ham (Cheltenham), -hampton (Southampton), -ington (Workington), -stock or -stoke (Woodstock, Basingstoke), -thorpe (Scunthorpe), -wich or -wick (Norwich, Warwick) mean that there was a village or farm there.In the US place names that refer to buildings include House, Brick Church and High Bridge. Atlanta, Georgia is named after a railway.Some British place names refer to ancient tribes. The elements -ing and -ingham at the end of a name mean 'people of' and 'home of the people of', as in Reading ('Read's people') and Birmingham ('home of Beorma's people'). Places with names ending in -by were the homes of Vikings , for example, Grimsby ('Grim's village').Some towns take their name from Christian saints, particularly if they had local connections. These include St Albans and St Andrews. Towns named after people who lived in more recent times are rare in Britain. They include Nelson, named after Lord Nelson and the new town Telford, named after the engineer Thomas Telford.By contrast, many towns in the US honour famous Americans, especially presidents. Abraham Lincoln is honoured in towns named Lincoln, Lincolnville, Lincolnwood, etc., Andrew Jackson at Jackson and Jacksonville and Thomas Jefferson at Jefferson, Jeffersonville and Jefferson City.Other towns named after famous Americans include Houston, Texas, named after Sam Houston; Cody, Wyoming, after William Cody (better known as Buffalo Bill); Boone, Tennessee, after Daniel Boone; and Custer, Montana, after General George Custer. Often the person is now little heard of, for example, H M Shreve, a 19th century boat captain on the Mississippi River, whose name was used for Shreveport, Louisiana. A few towns are named after companies, for example, Hershey, Pennsylvania.Many American towns are named after a place in Britain or another country from which the people who had moved to the US originally came. British names are found especially in New England. They include Boston, Cambridge, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-sea, and Stafford. British names used in other parts of the US include the cities of New York and Birmingham, and Glasgow, a small town in Montana. Like New York (New Amsterdam), Brooklyn (Breukelyn) was originally named by Dutch immigrants.Names from other countries include New Orleans, Moscow, Athens, Paris, Naples and New Holland.Americans enjoy creating unusual or humorous names, such as Tombstone in Arizona. Truth or Consequences in New Mexico is named after a radio quiz show. Other names include Cannon Ball, Pie Town, Smackover, Humble City, High Lonesome, Cut and Shoot, and Monkey's Eyebrow. Extra Examples I spent years moving from town to town. It was built as a new town in the 1960s. Kitzbühel is an ancient fortified town with fine medieval buildings. She has gone back to live in her home town. a 19th-century mill town that used to produce cotton a busy market town a lake just outside the town a sleepy provincial town in southern France a thriving holiday town the dusty border town of Eagle Pass, Texas the rolling hills that surround the town the sun-drenched beach towns of Southern California Sackville is a small university town in eastern Canada. Topics Geographya1 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective big large major … verb + town build found live in … town + verb flourish grow town + noun centre hall square … preposition in town out of town outside (the) town … phrases the centre/center of (the) town the middle of (the) town the edge of (the) town … See full entry the town [singular] the people who live in a particular town The whole town is talking about it. see also Our Town [uncountable] the area of a town where most of the shops and businesses are We are only five minutes from the centre of town. in town Mum's in town doing some shopping. Can you give me a lift into town? Millie hit the town, looking for excitement. see also downtown, midtown, out-of-town (1), uptown Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + town go into hit preposition in town See full entry [uncountable] (especially North American English) a particular town where somebody lives and works or one that has just been referred to in town I'll be in town next week if you want to meet. This restaurant serves the best steaks in town. out of town He married a girl from out of town. The gossips finally drove her out of town. see also out-of-town (2) Extra Examples He left town yesterday for a conference in Cape Town. I was out of town last week. They wanted to move out of town and start a new life in the country. They'll be back in town tomorrow. Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective big large major … verb + town build found live in … town + verb flourish grow town + noun centre hall square … preposition in town out of town outside (the) town … phrases the centre/center of (the) town the middle of (the) town the edge of (the) town … See full entry [singular, uncountable] life in towns or cities as opposed to life in the country Pollution is just one of the disadvantages of living in the town. Do you prefer the town to the country? Collocations Town and countryTown and countryTown live in a city/a town/an urban environment/(informal) a concrete jungle/the suburbs/shanty towns/slums live (especially North American English) downtown/in the downtown area/(British English) in the city centre enjoy/like the hectic pace of life/the hustle and bustle of city life cope with the stress/pressure of urban life get caught up in the rat race prefer/seek the anonymity of life in a big city be drawn by/resist the lure of the big city head for the bright lights (of the big city/New York) enjoy/love the vibrant/lively nightlife have/be close to all the amenities be surrounded by towering skyscrapers/a soulless urban sprawl use/travel by/rely on (British English) public transport/(North American English) public transportation put up with/get stuck in/sit in massive/huge/heavy/endless/constant traffic jams tackle/ease/reduce/relieve/alleviate the heavy/severe traffic congestion be affected/choked/damaged by pollution Country live in a village/the countryside/an isolated area/a rural backwater/(informal) the sticks enjoy/like the relaxed/slower pace of life enjoy/love/explore the great outdoors look for/find/get/enjoy a little peace and quiet need/want to get back/closer to nature be surrounded by open/unspoilt/picturesque countryside escape/quit/get out of/leave the rat race seek/achieve a better/healthy work-life balance downshift to a less stressful life seek/start a new life in the country (British English, informal) up sticks/ (North American English, informal ) pull up stakes and move to/head for… create/build/foster a strong sense of community depend on/be employed in/work in agriculture live off/farm/work the land tackle/address the problem of rural unemployment Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective big large major … verb + town build found live in … town + verb flourish grow town + noun centre hall square … preposition in town out of town outside (the) town … phrases the centre/center of (the) town the middle of (the) town the edge of (the) town … See full entry Word OriginOld English tūn ‘enclosed piece of land, homestead, village’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tuin ‘garden’ and German Zaun ‘fence’. Idioms go to town (on something) (informal) to do something with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, etc., especially by spending a lot of money They really went to town on the decorations for the party. Wordfinder amenity city ghetto high-rise metropolitan population slum suburb town urban a/the man about town (old-fashioned) a man who frequently goes to fashionable parties, clubs, theatres, etc. In his new suit, he looked quite the man about town. the only game in town (informal) the most important thing of a particular type, or the only thing that is available (out) on the town (informal) visiting restaurants, clubs, theatres, etc. for entertainment, especially at night a night on the town How about going out on the town tonight? paint the town red (informal) to go to a lot of different bars, clubs, etc. and enjoy yourself
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