(names, naming, named)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
The name of a person, place, or thing is the word or group of words that is used to identify them.
'What's his name?'-'Peter.'...
I don't even know if Sullivan's his real name...
They changed the name of the street.
N-COUNT: usu with poss
2.
When you name someone or something, you give them a name, usually at the beginning of their life.
My mother insisted on naming me Horace.
...a man named John T. Benson...
VERB: V n n, V-ed
3.
If you name someone or something after another person or thing, you give them the same name as that person or thing.
Why have you not named any of your sons after yourself?
VERB: V n after n, also V n for n
4.
If you name someone, you identify them by stating their name.
It's nearly thirty years since a journalist was jailed for refusing to name a source...
One of the victims of the weekend's snowstorm has been named as twenty-year-old John Barr.
VERB: V n, V n as n
5.
If you name something such as a price, time, or place, you say what you want it to be.
Call Marty, tell him to name his price.
= state
VERB: V n
6.
If you name the person for a particular job, you say who you want to have the job.
The England manager will be naming a new captain, to replace the injured David Beckham...
When the chairman of Campbell's retired, McGovern was named as his successor...
Early in 1941 he was named commander of the Afrika Korps.
VERB: V n, be V-ed as n, be V-ed n, also V n as n, V n n
7.
You can refer to the reputation of a person or thing as their name.
He had a name for good judgement...
She's never had any drug problems or done anything to give jazz a bad name.
= reputation
N-COUNT: usu sing
8.
You can refer to someone as, for example, a famous name or a great name when they are well-known. (JOURNALISM)
...some of the most famous names in modelling and show business.
= star
N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft adj N
9.
10.
If something is in someone's name, it officially belongs to them or is reserved for them.
The house is in my husband's name...
A double room had been reserved for him in the name of Muller.
PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v
11.
If someone does something in the name of a group of people, they do it as the representative of that group.
In the United States the majority governs in the name of the people...
PHRASE: PHR n, usu PHR after v
12.
If you do something in the name of an ideal or an abstract thing, you do it in order to preserve or promote that thing.
...one of those rare occasions in history when a political leader risked his own power in the name of the greater public good...
PHRASE: PHR n/-ing, usu PHR after v
13.
People sometimes use expressions such as 'in the name of heaven' or 'in the name of humanity' to add emphasis to a question or request.
What in the name of heaven's going on?...
In the name of humanity I ask the government to reappraise this important issue.
PHRASE: PHR n, PHR with cl [emphasis]
14.
When you mention someone or something by name, or address someone by name, you use their name.
He greets customers by name and enquires about their health.
PHRASE: PHR after v
15.
You can use by name or by the name of when you are saying what someone is called. (FORMAL)
...a young Australian, Harry Busteed by name...
This guy, Jack Smith, does he go by the name of Jackal?
PHRASE
16.
If someone calls you names, they insult you by saying unpleasant things to you or about you.
At my last school they called me names because I was so slow...
They had called her rude names.
PHRASE: V inflects
17.
If you say that something is the name of the game, you mean that it is the most important aspect of a situation. (INFORMAL)
The name of the game is survival.
PHRASE
18.
If you make a name for yourself or make your name as something, you become well-known for that thing.
She was beginning to make a name for herself as a portrait photographer...
He made his name with several collections of short stories.
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR as n
19.
If you name names, you identify the people who have done something, often something wrong.
Nobody was prepared to risk prosecution by actually naming names.
PHRASE: V inflects
20.
If something such as a newspaper or an official body names and shames people who have performed badly or who have done something wrong, it identifies those people by name.
The government will also name and shame the worst performing airlines.
PHRASE: Vs inflect
21.
You say you name it, usually after or before a list, to indicate that you are talking about a very wide range of things.
I also enjoy windsurfing, tennis, racquetball, swimming, you name it.
PHRASE