Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - in

I. [c red]POSITION OR MOVEMENT Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: In addition to the uses shown below, 'in' is used after some verbs, nouns, and adjectives in order to introduce extra information. 'In' is also used with verbs of movement such as ‘walk’ and ‘push’, and in phrasal verbs such as ‘give in’ and ‘dig in’. 1. Someone or something that is in something else is enclosed by it or surrounded by it. If you put something in a container, you move it so that it is enclosed by the container. He was in his car. ...clothes hanging in the wardrobe... PREP 2. If something happens in a place, it happens there. We spent a few days in a hotel... He had intended to take a holiday in America... PREP 3. If you are in, you are present at your home or place of work. My flatmate was in at the time... ? out ADV: be ADV 4. When someone comes in, they enter a room or building. She looked up anxiously as he came in... They shook hands and went in. ADV: ADV after v 5. If a train, boat, or plane has come in or is in, it has arrived at a station, port, or airport. We’d be watching every plane coming in from Melbourne... Look. The train’s in. We’ll have to run for it now. ADV: ADV after v, be ADV 6. When the sea or tide comes in, the sea moves towards the shore rather than away from it. She thought of the tide rushing in, covering the wet sand... ? out ADV: ADV after v, be ADV 7. Something that is in a window, especially a shop window, is just behind the window so that you can see it from outside. There was a camera for sale in the window. PREP 8. When you see something in a mirror, the mirror shows an image of it. I couldn’t bear to see my reflection in the mirror... PREP 9. If you are dressed in a piece of clothing, you are wearing it. He was a big man, smartly dressed in a suit and tie. PREP: oft -ed PREP n 10. Something that is covered or wrapped in something else has that thing over or round its surface. His legs were covered in mud. PREP: oft -ed PREP n 11. If there is something such as a crack or hole in something, there is a crack or hole on its surface. There was a deep crack in the ceiling above him. PREP II. [c red]INCLUSION OR INVOLVEMENT Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If something is in a book, film, play, or picture, you can read it or see it there. Don’t stick too precisely to what it says in the book. PREP 2. If you are in something such as a play or a race, you are one of the people taking part. Alf offered her a part in the play he was directing... More than fifteen thousand people took part in the memorial service. PREP 3. Something that is in a group or collection is a member of it or part of it. The New England team are the worst in the league. PREP 4. You use in to specify a general subject or field of activity. ...those working in the defence industry. ...future developments in medicine. PREP III. [c red]TIME AND NUMBERS Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If something happens in a particular year, month, or other period of time, it happens during that time. ...that early spring day in April 1949... Export orders improved in the last month... In the evening, the people assemble in the mosques... PREP 2. If something happens in a particular situation, it happens while that situation is going on. His father had been badly wounded in the last war. ...issues you struggle with in your daily life. PREP 3. If you do something in a particular period of time, that is how long it takes you to do it. He walked two hundred and sixty miles in eight days. PREP: PREP amount 4. If something will happen in a particular length of time, it will happen after that length of time. I’ll have some breakfast ready in a few minutes... They’ll be back in six months. PREP: PREP amount 5. You use in to indicate roughly how old someone is. For example, if someone is in their fifties, they are between 50 and 59 years old. ...young people in their twenties. PREP: PREP poss pl-num 6. You use in to indicate roughly how many people or things do something. ...men who came there in droves... PREP: oft PREP num 7. You use in to express a ratio, proportion, or probability. Last year, one in five boys left school without a qualification... PREP: num PREP num IV. [c red]STATES AND QUALITIES Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If something or someone is in a particular state or situation, that is their present state or situation. The economy was in trouble... Dave was in a hurry to get back to work... Their equipment was in poor condition... PREP: v-link PREP n 2. You use in to indicate the feeling or desire which someone has when they do something, or which causes them to do it. Simpson looked at them in surprise... Chris was weeping in anger and grief... PREP 3. If a particular quality or ability is in you, you naturally have it. Violence is not in his nature... PREP: oft PREP pron to-inf 4. You use in when saying that someone or something has a particular quality. He had all the qualities I was looking for in a partner... ‘I don’t agree,’ she said, surprised at the strength in her own voice... PREP 5. You use in to indicate how someone is expressing something. Information is given to the patient verbally and in writing. ...lessons in languages other than Spanish. PREP 6. You use in in expressions such as in a row or in a ball to describe the arrangement or shape of something. The cards need to be laid out in two rows... Her ear, shoulder and hip are in a straight line... PREP 7. If something is in a particular colour, it has that colour. ...white flowers edged in pink... PREP: oft -ed PREP colour 8. You use in to specify which feature or aspect of something you are talking about. The movie is nearly two hours in length... There is a big difference in the amounts that banks charge. ...a real increase in the standard of living... PREP V. [c red]OTHER USES AND PHRASES (ins) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If you say that something is in, or is the in thing, you mean it is fashionable or popular. (INFORMAL) A few years ago jogging was the in thing... ADJ 2. You use in with a present participle to indicate that when you do something, something else happens as a result. In working with others, you find out more about yourself. PREP: PREP -ing 3. If you say that someone is in for a shock or a surprise, you mean that they are going to experience it. You might be in for a shock at the sheer hard work involved... PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n 4. If someone has it in for you, they dislike you and try to cause problems for you. (INFORMAL) The other kids had it in for me. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n 5. If you are in on something, you are involved in it or know about it. I don’t know. I wasn’t in on that particular argument... PREP-PHRASE: v-link PREP n, v n PREP n 6. If you are in with a person or group, they like you and accept you, and are likely to help you. (INFORMAL) PHRASE: PHR n 7. You use in that to introduce an explanation of a statement you have just made. I’m lucky in that I’ve got four sisters. PHRASE 8. The ins and outs of a situation are all the detailed points and facts about it. ...the ins and outs of high finance... PHRASE: usu the PHR of n/-ing