change*/*/*/

[tʃeɪndʒ] verb I

1) [I/T] to become different, or to make someone or something different

After a few days the weather changed.[/ex]

The law was changed in 1989.[/ex]

The leaves are already starting to change colour (= become a different colour).[/ex]

The town has changed from a small fishing village to a modern tourist centre.[/ex]

2) [I/T] to stop doing one thing and start doing something different

Dave said he might be changing jobs.[/ex]

Consumers are increasingly changing to low-fat milk.[/ex]

3) [T] to replace something with a new or different thing

Can you help me change a tyre?[/ex]

4) [I/T] to take off the clothes that you are wearing and put on different ones

Hang on, I'll just go and change.[/ex]

I had a bath and changed my clothes.[/ex]

Have I got time to get changed before we go?[/ex]

You should change into some dry socks.[/ex]

5) [I/T] to leave one plane, train, bus etc to get on another

We changed planes in Paris.[/ex]

6) [T] to exchange one type of money for another

Can anyone change a ten-pound note?[/ex]

I need to change some dollars into pesos.[/ex]

•

change hands — to be given or sold by one person to another[/ex]

change your mind — to change a decision you have made or an opinion you have about something[/ex]

I've changed my mind about Steve.[/ex]

change the subject — to stop talking about one thing and start talking about another[/ex]

See:

chop I

- change (sth) into sth

- change over

Other ways of saying change ■ adapt to change something in order to make it suitable for a specific situation ■ adjust to change something slightly so that it is exactly the way you want it ■ alter a more formal word for ‘change' ■ convert to change something so that it can be used for a different purpose ■ modify to make small changes to a machine or system in order to make it suitable for a different situation ■ transform to change something completely so that it looks or works much better than before II

noun

change */*/*/[tʃeɪndʒ]

1) [C/U] a situation or process in which something becomes different or is replaced, or the result of this process

A number of changes have taken place since the 1960s.[/ex]

Older people sometimes find it hard to accept change.[/ex]

We made a few changes to the team.[/ex]

a change in the law[/ex]

a change from military to civilian rule[/ex]

2) [U] the money that someone gives back to you when you give more money than it costs to buy something

Here's your change.[/ex]

3) [U] coins rather than notes

I'm sorry I haven't got any change.[/ex]

Have you got change for a five-pound note (= notes or coins of lower value that you can exchange for it)?[/ex]

•

a change of clothes/socks/underwear etc — another set of clothes, socks etc that you take with you so that you can wear them later[/ex]

a change of heart — an occasion when you change your opinion or plan[/ex]

for a change — instead of what usually happens[/ex]

It's nice to hear some good news for a change.[/ex]

See:

sea change

Words often used with change Adjectives often used with change (noun, sense 1) ■ dramatic, fundamental, major, radical + CHANGE: used about big changes