Etymology 1
From Middle English cas, from Old French cas (“an event”), from Latin cāsus (“a falling, a fall; accident, event, occurrence; occasion, opportunity; noun case”), perfect passive participle of cadō (“to fall, to drop”).
Noun
case (plural cases)
- An actual event, situation, or fact.
For a change, in this case, he was telling the truth.
It is not the case that every unfamiliar phrase is an idiom.
In case of fire, break glass. [sign on fire extinguisher holder in public space]
2013 July 20, “The attack of the MOOCs”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:Since the launch early last year of […] two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete.
- (now rare) A given condition or state.
1586, William Warner, “The Fourth Booke. Chapter XXXVI.”, in Albions England. Or Historicall Map of the Same Island: […], London: […] George Robinson [and R. Ward] for Thomas Cadman, […], →OCLC, page 174:Thus vvhilſt he hopt he hild her leaſt, ſo altereth the cace / VVith ſuch as ſhe, Ah ſuch it is to build on ſuch a face.
1726, Nathan Bailey, John Worlidge, Dictionarium Rusticum, Urbanicum & Botanicum:Mares which are over-fat, hold with much difficulty; whereas those that are but in good case and plump, conceive with the greatest readiness and ease.
- A piece of work, specifically defined within a profession; the set of tasks involved in addressing the situation of a specific person or event.
It was one of the detective's easiest cases.
Social workers should work on a maximum of forty active cases.
The doctor told us of an interesting case he had treated that morning.
1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 4, in Pulling the Strings:The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff. These properties were known to have belonged to a toddy drawer. He had disappeared.
- (academia) An instance or event as a topic of study.
The teaching consists of theory lessons and case studies.
- (law) A legal proceeding; a lawsuit or prosecution.
1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Tremarn Case”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:“Two or three months more went by ; the public were eagerly awaiting the arrival of this semi-exotic claimant to an English peerage, and sensations, surpassing those of the Tichbourne case, were looked forward to with palpitating interest. […] ”
- (16) (b)   I demand [that ''they''/*''them''/*''their'' leave for Hawaii tomorrow]
By contrast, the Subject of an infinitive Clause is assigned ''Objective'' '''case''', as we see from:
(17)   I want [''them''/*''they''/*''their'' to leave for Hawaii tomorrow]
And the Subject of a ''gerund'' Clause is assigned either ''Objective'' or ''Genitive'' '''case''': cf.
(18)   I don't like the idea of [''them''/''their''/*''they'' leaving for Hawaii tomorrow]"}},"i":4}}]}">(grammar) A specific inflection of a word (particularly a noun, pronoun, or adjective) depending on its function in the sentence.
The accusative case most commonly indicates a direct object.
Latin has six cases, and remnants of a seventh.
1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 6, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 292:Now, the Subject of either an indicative or a subjunctive Clause is always assigned Nominative case, as we see from:
(16) (a) I know [that they/*them/*their leave for Hawaii tomorrow]
(16) (b) I demand [that they/*them/*their leave for Hawaii tomorrow]
By contrast, the Subject of an infinitive Clause is assigned Objective case, as we see from:
(17) I want [them/*they/*their to leave for Hawaii tomorrow]
And the Subject of a gerund Clause is assigned either Objective or Genitive case: cf.
(18) I don't like the idea of [them/their/*they leaving for Hawaii tomorrow]
- (grammar, uncountable) Grammatical cases and their meanings taken either as a topic in general or within a specific language.
Jane has been studying case in Caucasian languages.
Latin is a language that employs case.
- (medicine) An instance of a specific condition or set of symptoms.
- Antonym: noncase
- Hyponym: index case
- Coordinate term: patient
There were another five cases reported overnight.
2013, Gillian Russell, Delia Graff Fara, Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Language, page 144:We turn next to the puzzle of borderlineness: If Harry is intermediate between clear cases and clear noncases of baldness, “Is Harry bald?” seems to have no good, direct, answer.
- (programming) A section of code representing one of the actions of a conditional switch.
2004, Rick Miller, C++ for Artists:Place a break statement at the end of every case to prevent case fall-through.
2011, Stephen Prata, C++ Primer Plus, page 275:Execution does not automatically stop at the next case.
- (archaic) A love affair.
1867, The Young Ladies' Journal, page 467:Poor fellow, just as I thought! It's a case with him, anybody can see that. He is thinking about Christine, for a certainty. Lovers always take to stargazing and moonlight dreaming — it's part of their complaint.
1876, The New York Drama, volumes 1-2, page 1:I thought it only an amourette when you told me. It was a fire — a conflagration; subdue it. I saw it was a case, and I advised you to try — dissipation.
Usage notes
In medicine, in precise and respectful usage, a case is not a patient and a patient is not a case, whereas a patient has a case. In loose usage, however, the words are often treated as synonymous.
Translations
actual event, situation, or fact
- Arabic: قَضِيَّة (ar) f (qaḍiyya)
- Bashkir: ваҡиға (vaqiğa), осраҡ (osraq)
- Belarusian: спра́ва f (správa), вы́падак f (výpadak)
- Bengali: ক্রিয়া (bn) (kriẏa), ক্ষেত্র (bn) (khetro), ক্রিয়াক্ষেত্র (kriẏakkhetro)
- Bulgarian: де́ло (bg) n (délo), слу́чай (bg) m (slúčaj)
- Catalan: cas (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 事件 (zh) (shìjiàn)
- Czech: případ (cs) m
- Danish: tilfælde (da) n
- Dutch: geval (nl) n
- Esperanto: afero (eo)
- Finnish: tapaus (fi)
- French: cas (fr) m
- Galician: caso (gl) m
- Georgian: შემთხვევა (šemtxveva)
- German: Fall (de) m, Sache (de) f, Beispiel (de) n, Punkt (de) m, Argument (de) n
- Greek: περίπτωση (el) f (períptosi), περίσταση (el) f (perístasi)
- Haitian Creole: ka
- Hebrew: מקרה (he) m (mikré)
- Hungarian: eset (hu)
- Italian: caso (it) m
- Japanese: 例 (ja) (れい, rei), 事例 (ja) (じれい, jirei), 場合 (ja) (ばあい, baai), 事件 (ja) (じけん, jiken)
- Korean: 사건(事件) (ko) (sageon), 경우(境遇) (ko) (gyeong'u)
- Ladino: kavzo m
- Macedonian: случај m (slučaj)
- Mongolian: хэрэг (mn) (xereg)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: tilfelle (no) n
- Polish: przypadek (pl) m inan, wypadek (pl) m inan
- Portuguese: caso (pt) m
- Romanian: caz (ro) n
- Russian: де́ло (ru) n (délo), слу́чай (ru) m (slúčaj)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: слу̏ча̄ј m
- Roman: slȕčāj (sh) m
- Slovak: prípad (sk) m
- Slovene: primer (sl) m
- Spanish: caso (es) m
- Swedish: fall (sv) n
- Ukrainian: спра́ва (uk) f (správa), ви́падок m (výpadok)
- Vietnamese: trường hợp (vi) (場合)
- Welsh: achos (cy) m
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academia: instance or event as a topic of study
law: lawsuit
- Arabic: دَعْوَى m (daʕwā)
- Armenian: դատական գործ (hy) (datakan gorc)
- Bulgarian: дело (bg) n (delo), процес (bg) m (proces)
- Catalan: causa (ca) f
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 案件 (zh) (ànjiàn)
- Czech: případ (cs) m, kauza f
- Dutch: rechtszaak (nl) f or m, proces (nl) n
- Esperanto: afero (eo), juĝafero
- Finnish: oikeustapaus (fi)
- French: cause (fr) f
- Georgian: საქმე (sakme), კაზუსი (ḳazusi)
- German: Fall (de) m, Prozess (de) m, Rechtssache m
- Greek: υπόθεση (el) f (ypóthesi)
- Hebrew: תיק (he) m (tik)
- Hungarian: ügy (hu)
- Irish: cás m
- Italian: causa (it) f, caso (it) m
- Latin: causa (la) f
- Macedonian: судско дело n (sudsko delo), случај n (slučaj), процес n (proces)
- Malay: kes
- Mongolian: хэрэг (mn) (xereg)
- Norman: cause f
- Polish: postępowanie (pl) n, sprawa (pl) f, proces (pl) m inan
- Portuguese: caso (pt) m, causa (pt) f
- Russian: суде́бное де́ло n (sudébnoje délo), проце́сс (ru) m (procéss), де́ло (ru) n (délo)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: слу̏ча̄ј m
- Roman: slȕčāj (sh) m
- Slovene: primer (sl) m, zadeva f
- Spanish: causa (es) f, pleito (es) m, argumento (es) m
- Swahili: kesi (sw) class 9/10
- Swedish: fall (sv) n
- Tagalog: (literally) kaso
- Telugu: కేసు (te) (kēsu), దావా (te) (dāvā)
- Vietnamese: vụ kiện (務件)
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medicine: instance of a specific condition or set of symptoms
programming: section of code
- Esperanto: okazfrazo, okazo ordona
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Translations to be checked
References
- (love affair): John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary
- case on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Etymology 2
From Middle English case, from Old Northern French casse, (compare Old French chasse (“box, chest, case”)), from Latin capsa (“box, bookcase”), from capiō (“to take, seize, hold”). Doublet of cash, chase, and chasse. Compare Spanish caja, Asturian caxa.
Noun
case (plural cases)
- A box that contains or can contain a number of identical items of manufacture.
- A box, sheath, or covering generally.
a case for spectacles; the case of a watch
- A piece of luggage that can be used to transport an apparatus such as a sewing machine.
- An enclosing frame or casing.
a door case; a window case
- A suitcase.
- A piece of furniture, constructed partially of transparent glass or plastic, within which items can be displayed.
- The outer covering or framework of a piece of apparatus such as a computer.
- (printing, historical) A shallow tray divided into compartments or "boxes" for holding type, traditionally arranged in sets of two, the "upper case" (containing capitals, small capitals, accented) and "lower case" (small letters, figures, punctuation marks, quadrats, and spaces).
- (typography, by extension) The nature of a piece of alphabetic type, whether a “capital” (upper case) or “small” (lower case) letter.
- (poker slang) Four of a kind.
- (US) A unit of liquid measure used to measure sales in the beverage industry, equivalent to 192 fluid ounces.
- (mining) A small fissure which admits water into the workings.[1]
- A thin layer of harder metal on the surface of an object whose deeper metal is allowed to remain soft.
- A cardboard box that holds (usually 24) beer bottles or cans.
- Synonym: carton
- (UK, slang, obsolete) A counterfeit crown (five-shilling coin).
1859, Snowden's magistrates assistant, page 90:The price of a case (five shillings piece bad) from the smasher is about one shilling; an alderman (two and sixpence) about sixpence; a peg (shilling) about threepence; a downer or sprat (sixpence) about twopence.
Translations
box containing a number of identical items of manufacture
- Arabic: عُلَب pl (ʕulab)
- Armenian: արկղ (hy) (arkġ)
- Belarusian: скры́ня f (skrýnja)
- Bulgarian: сандъ́к (bg) m (sandǎ́k), кашон m (kašon)
- Catalan: caixa (ca) f, capsa (ca) f
- Chamicuro: kaja
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 箱 (zh) (xiāng), 箱子 (zh) (xiāngzi)
- Czech: bedna (cs) f
- Danish: kasse (da) c
- Dutch: kist (nl) f
- Finnish: pakkaus (fi)
- French: caisse (fr) f
- Galician: caixa (gl) f
- German: Kiste (de) f, Behälter (de) m
- Greek: κιβώτιο (el) n (kivótio)
- Ancient: θήκη f (thḗkē)
- Hungarian: láda (hu)
- Italian: cassetta (it) f
- Japanese: 箱 (ja) (はこ, hako)
- Korean: 상자 (ko) (sangja)
- Latin: capsa f
- Macedonian: сандак m (sandak), гајба f (gajba)
- Norwegian: kiste (no) f or m
- Ottoman Turkish: قوطی (kutu, kutı)
- Polish: skrzynia (pl) f
- Portuguese: caixa (pt) f
- Romanian: ladă (ro) f
- Russian: я́щик (ru) m (jáščik), коро́бка (ru) f (koróbka)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: са̀ндук m, га̑јба f
- Roman: sànduk (sh) m, gȃjba (sh) f
- Slovak: debna f
- Slovene: gajba f, zaboj m
- Spanish: caja (es) f
- Swedish: lår (sv) c, låda (sv) c
- Ukrainian: скри́ня f (skrýnja)
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piece of luggage that can be used to transport an apparatus
- Armenian: արկղ (hy) (arkġ)
- Bulgarian: калъф (bg) m (kalǎf)
- Catalan: caixa (ca) f, maleta (ca) f
- Czech: pouzdro (cs) n
- Dutch: tas (nl) f
- Finnish: laukku (fi), kotelo (fi)
- French: écrin (fr) m
- Galician: funda f
- German: Koffer (de) m, Kasten (de) m
- Ido: etuyo (io), kofro (io)
- Italian: baule (it) m, cassa (it) f
- Macedonian: ку́тија (mk) f (kútija), ку́фер m (kúfer)
- Portuguese: caixa (pt) f
- Russian: я́щик (ru) m (jáščik), кофр (ru) m (kofr), кейс (ru) m (kejs)
- Slovak: puzdro n
- Slovene: kovček (sl) m
- Spanish: caja (es) f, maleta (es) f
- Swedish: box (sv) c, låda (sv) c
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suitcase
- Armenian: ճամպրուկ (hy) (čampruk)
- Belarusian: куфэрак m (kuferak)
- Bulgarian: куфар (bg) m (kufar)
- Catalan: maleta (ca) f
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 手提箱 (zh) (shǒutíxiāng)
- Dutch: valies (nl) n
- Finnish: laukku (fi), matkalaukku (fi)
- French: malle (fr) f
- German: Koffer (de) m
- Greek: βαλίτσα (el) f (valítsa), αποσκευές (el) f pl (aposkevés)
- Hebrew: מזוודה (he) f
- Ido: kofro (io)
- Italian: valigia (it) f
- Japanese: 旅行鞄 (りょこうかばん, ryokou kaban), スーツケース (ja) (sūtsukēsu), ケース (ja) (kēsu)
- Macedonian: чанта f (čanta)
- Portuguese: maleta (pt) f, mala (pt) f, valise (pt) f, valisa f
- Russian: чемода́н (ru) m (čemodán), кейс (ru) m (kejs), диплома́т (ru) m (diplomát)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: ко̀фер m
- Roman: kòfer (sh) m
- Slovak: kufor (sk) m inan, kufrík m inan
- Slovene: kovček (sl) m
- Spanish: maleta (es) f, valija (es) f
- Swedish: resväska (sv) c
- Vietnamese: rương (vi), hòm (vi)
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piece of furniture, constructed partially of transparent glass or plastic
outer covering or framework of a piece of apparatus
- Armenian: պատյան (hy) (patyan)
- Bulgarian: кожух (bg) m (kožuh)
- Catalan: caixa (ca) f
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 盒子 (zh) (hézi), 匣子 (zh) (xiázi)
- Dutch: omhulsel (nl) n
- Finnish: kotelo (fi), kuori (fi)
- French: carter (fr) m
- German: Gehäuse (de) n
- Greek: πλαίσιο (el) n (plaísio), περίβλημα (el) n (perívlima), κάσα (el) f (kása)
- Hungarian: ház (hu)
- Italian: intelaiatura (it) f, custodia (it) f, contenitore (it) m, cabinet (it) m, involucro (it) m
- Japanese: 箱 (ja) (はこ, hako), 筐体 (ja) (きょうたい, kyoutai)
- Portuguese: caixa (pt) f
- Russian: ко́жух (ru) m (kóžux), футля́р (ru) m (futljár)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: ку̏ћӣште n
- Roman: kȕćīšte n
- Slovak: skrinka f, skriňa (sk) f
- Slovene: ohišje n
- Spanish: caja (es) f, carcasa (es) f
- Swedish: apparathölje n, hölje (sv) n, hus (sv) n, kåpa (sv) c, huv (sv) c, skal (sv) n
- Vietnamese: hộp (vi)
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(printing, historical) a shallow tray divided into compartments or "boxes" for holding type
- Armenian: դուրճ (hy) (durč)
- Russian: набо́рная ка́сса f (nabórnaja kássa)
- Spanish: caja (es) m
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typography: the nature of a piece of alphabetic type
pack of (24) bottles or cans
Translations to be checked
Adjective
case (not comparable)
- (poker slang) The last remaining card of a particular rank.
He drew the case eight!
2006, David Apostolico, Lessons from the Professional Poker Tour, page 21:If he did have a bigger ace, I still had at least six outs — the case ace, two nines, and three tens. I could also have more outs if he held anything less than A-K.
Verb
case (third-person singular simple present cases, present participle casing, simple past and past participle cased)
- (transitive) To place (an item or items of manufacture) into a box, as in preparation for shipment.
- (transitive) To cover or protect with, or as if with, a case; to enclose.
1855–1858, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company, →OCLC:The man who, cased in steel, had passed whole days and nights in the saddle.
- (transitive, informal) To survey (a building or other location) surreptitiously, as in preparation for a robbery.
1977, Michael Innes, The Gay Phoenix, →ISBN, page 116:You are in the grounds of Brockholes Abbey, a house into which a great deal of valuable property has just been moved. And your job is to case the joint for a break in.
- 2014, Amy Goodman, From COINTELPRO to Snowden, the FBI Burglars Speak Out After 43 Years of Silence (Part 2), Democracy Now!, January 8, 2014, 0:49 to 0:57:
- Bonnie worked as a daycare director. She helped case the FBI office by posing as a college student interested in becoming an FBI agent.
Translations
to survey surreptitiously