Anglais

town

gb/tˈaʊn/ us/tˈaʊn/
A1 Anglais
~ 600
Sens
0 sens
Nom A1 entity
1

a small urban settlement

A place where people live that is bigger than a village but smaller than a city.

Schéma d’usage : [someone] lives in [a/an town]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'town' with 'city'. In English, 'city' usually means a larger place than 'town'.
Synonymes
city (Generally refers to a larger and more populous urban area than a town.) | village (Refers to a smaller settlement, usually with fewer services than a town.)
Antonymes
countryside (Refers to rural areas outside towns and cities.)
Collocations
small town |town center |town hall |market town |town square
Thèmes
geography |daily life |daily_life |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • I grew up in a small town near the coast.
  • The town has a population of about 20,000 people.
  • They moved from the city to a quiet country town.
  • The town center is full of shops and cafes.
  • Our town holds a festival every summer.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • I live in a small town.
  • The town has one school.
  • My friend comes from a town near the sea.
  • We went to the town to buy food.
Nom A2 entity
2

central part of a settlement

The part of a town or city where most shops and businesses are.

Schéma d’usage : go into [town]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may not realize that 'in town' can refer to being in the central part of a place, not just any location within it.
Synonymes
downtown (Used especially in American English for the main business district of a city or large town.)
Antonymes
suburbs (Residential areas on the edge of a town or city, away from the center.)
Collocations
go into town |in town |town center
Thèmes
daily life |shopping |daily_life |business |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • I’m going into town to do some shopping.
  • She works in town, near the train station.
  • When we’re in town, we like to visit the old market square.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • I go into town every Saturday.
  • My school is in town.
  • We met in town for lunch.
Nom informal B1 entity
3

residents of a community

All the people who live in one town.

Synonymes
community (A broader term for people living together, not limited to towns.)
Collocations
the whole town |town meeting
Thèmes
society |relationships |core_vocabulary
Exemples
  • The whole town came out to watch the parade.
  • In this town, everyone knows each other.
  • The town voted against the new shopping mall.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • The whole town was at the park.
  • The town is friendly.
  • The town supports the team.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
town
API
GB/tˈaʊn/
US/tˈaʊn/
Syllabes et accentuation
town (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (town)
Formes du mot
Noun
  • Base: town
  • Plural: towns
Famille de mots
Forms
towns noun
Core family
hometown noun A2 downtown adverb A2
Related words
townhouse noun township noun B2
Advanced or less common
townscape noun townsfolk noun
Expressions

go to town

1
/ɡˈoʊ tə tˈaʊn/
idiom informal

act with great enthusiasm

To do something with lots of energy and excitement, sometimes spending a lot of money or using many resources.

Exemples
  • They really went to town on decorating the house for the party.
  • When she cooks, she goes to town and makes a huge meal.

out of town

1
/ˈaʊt əv tˈaʊn/
fixed phrase

away from home location

Not in the place where you usually live, especially because you are traveling somewhere else.

Exemples
  • I’m out of town on business this week.
  • She’s out of town visiting her family.

talk of the town

1
/tˈɔk əv ðə tˈaʊn/
idiom

subject everyone is discussing

Something or someone that everyone in a place is talking about.

Exemples
  • Their wedding was the talk of the town for weeks.
  • The new restaurant quickly became the talk of the town.

paint the town red

1
/pˈeɪnt ðə tˈaʊn ɹˈɛd/
idiom informal

celebrate wildly in public

To go out and have a big, fun celebration, often at night in bars or clubs.

Exemples
  • After the exam, they went out to paint the town red.
  • After winning the championship, they went out to paint the town red.
  • We’re going to paint the town red for his birthday.
  • Let's finish work early and paint the town red tonight.

Bon retour parmi nous !

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