Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - design

(designs, designing, designed) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. When someone designs a garment, building, machine, or other object, they plan it and make a detailed drawing of it from which it can be built or made. They wanted to design a machine that was both attractive and practical. ...men wearing specially designed boots. VERB: V n, V-ed 2. When someone designs a survey, policy, or system, they plan and prepare it, and decide on all the details of it. We may be able to design a course to suit your particular needs... A number of very well designed studies have been undertaken. VERB: V n, V-ed 3. Design is the process and art of planning and making detailed drawings of something. He was a born mechanic with a flair for design... N-UNCOUNT 4. The design of something is the way in which it has been planned and made. ...a new design of clock... BMW is recalling 8,000 cars because of a design fault. N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp 5. A design is a drawing which someone produces to show how they would like something to be built or made. They drew up the design for the house in a week. = plan N-COUNT 6. A design is a pattern of lines, flowers, or shapes which is used to decorate something. Many pictures have been based on simple geometric designs. = motif N-COUNT 7. A design is a general plan or intention that someone has in their mind when they are doing something. Is there some design in having him in the middle?... N-COUNT 8. If something is designed for a particular purpose, it is intended for that purpose. This project is designed to help landless people... It’s not designed for anyone under age eighteen. V-PASSIVE: be V-ed to-inf, be V-ed for n 9. If something happens or is done by design, someone does it deliberately, rather than by accident. The pair met often–at first by chance but later by design. = on purpose PHRASE 10. If someone has designs on something, they want it and are planning to get it, often in a dishonest way. His colonel had designs on his wife... PHRASE: V inflects