case meaning and definition

CASE noun

Definition of case (noun)

1. an occurrence of something
   • "it was a case of bad judgment"; "another instance occurred yesterday"; "but there is always the famous example of the Smiths"
   • synonyms: example, instance
2. a special set of circumstances
   • "in that event, the first possibility is excluded"; "it may rain in which case the picnic will be canceled"
   • synonyms: event
3. a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy
   • "the family brought suit against the landlord"
   • synonyms: causa, cause, lawsuit, suit
4. the actual state of things
   • "that was not the case"
5. a portable container for carrying several objects
   • "the musicians left their instrument cases backstage"
6. a person requiring professional services
   • "a typical case was the suburban housewife described by a marriage counselor"
7. a person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation
   • "the subjects for this investigation were selected randomly"; "the cases that we studied were drawn from two different communities"
   • synonyms: guinea pig, subject
8. a problem requiring investigation
   • "Perry Mason solved the case of the missing heir"
9. a statement of facts and reasons used to support an argument
   • "he stated his case clearly"
10. the quantity contained in a case
    • synonyms: caseful
11. nouns or pronouns or adjectives (often marked by inflection) related in some way to other words in a sentence
    • synonyms: grammatical case
12. a specific state of mind that is temporary
    • "a case of the jitters"
13. a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities)
    • "a real character"; "a strange character"; "a friendly eccentric"; "the capable type"; "a mental case"
    • synonyms: character, eccentric, type
14. a specific size and style of type within a type family
    • synonyms: face, font, fount, typeface
15. an enveloping structure or covering enclosing an animal or plant organ or part
    • synonyms: sheath
16. the housing or outer covering of something
    • "the clock has a walnut case"
    • synonyms: casing, shell
17. the enclosing frame around a door or window opening
    • "the casings had rotted away and had to be replaced"
    • synonyms: casing
18. (printing) the receptacle in which a compositor has his type, which is divided into compartments for the different letters, spaces, or numbers
    • "for English, a compositor will ordinarily have two such cases, the upper case containing the capitals and the lower case containing the small letters"
    • synonyms: compositor's case, typesetter's case
19. bed linen consisting of a cover for a pillow
    • "the burglar carried his loot in a pillowcase"
    • synonyms: pillow slip, pillowcase, slip
20. a glass container used to store and display items in a shop or museum or home
    • synonyms: display case, showcase, vitrine

CASE verb

Definition of case (verb)

1. look over, usually with the intention to rob
   • "They men cased the housed"
2. enclose in, or as if in, a case
   • "my feet were encased in mud"
   • synonyms: encase, incase