cage
gb/kˈeɪd͡ʒ/ us/kˈeɪd͡ʒ/
A2
Inglês
~ 8600
Acepções
0 acepção
Substantivo
A2
entity
1
enclosure of bars for animals
A box or room made of bars or wire that keeps an animal or person inside it.
Padrão de uso:
a cage for [an animal]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse "cage" with "case". A "cage" is for living things like animals and is made of bars or wire. A "case" is usually a solid container used to hold objects, like a phone case or suitcase.
Sinônimos
enclosure (More general; not always made of bars or wire and not always used for animals.)
Antônimos
open space (Emphasizes the lack of walls or bars and free movement.)
Colocações
bird cage
|wire cage
|lion cage
|dog cage
|keep [an animal] in a cage
|lock [someone] in a cage
Temas
animals
|daily_life
|law
Exemplos
- The parrot hopped around inside its small cage.
- Zoo workers cleaned the lion's cage early in the morning.
- He opened the cage and let the rabbits run out into the yard.
- The police kept the suspect in a holding cage at the station.
- They bought a bigger cage so the hamster would have more room.
Exemplos para estudantes
- The bird lives in a cage.
- She puts the cat in a cage when they go to the vet.
- The dog sleeps in a cage at night.
- He opened the cage and the bird flew away.
Verbo
B1
action
2
put into a cage
To place an animal or person in a cage so they cannot get out.
Padrão de uso:
to cage [an animal/person]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say "put in cage" without an article. In most cases, use "put in a cage" or "put in the cage". Also, "cage" as a verb is transitive, so you say "cage the bird", not "cage to the bird".
Sinônimos
confine (More formal and general; not limited to cages and can refer to any kind of restriction.)
Antônimos
release (Focuses on letting something go free after it has been held or caged.)
Colocações
cage wild animals
|cage the birds
|keep [something] caged
|be caged overnight
|humanely cage [an animal]
Temas
animals
|law
|daily_life
Exemplos
- They cage the dogs during transport for safety.
- The rescued birds were temporarily caged while the vets examined them.
- Farmers often cage chickens to protect them from foxes.
- He refuses to cage his parrots because he thinks they should fly freely.
- Protesters argued that it was cruel to cage wild animals in tiny spaces.
Exemplos para estudantes
- They caged the bird at night.
- The zoo workers cage the animals after closing time.
- Please do not cage the dog for too long.
- The cat was caged during the flight.
Substantivo
B2
state
3
restrictive or confining situation
A life situation that feels like a prison and stops you from living the way you want.
Padrão de uso:
the cage of [abstract noun]
Erro comum:
Learners may not realize that "cage" is often used metaphorically in literature and everyday speech. When used in this way, it does not refer to a real physical cage but to emotional, social, or financial limits.
Sinônimos
prison (Often stronger and more literal; "cage" here is usually metaphorical, describing emotional or social limits.)
Antônimos
freedom (Highlights the absence of limits or restrictions, the opposite of being in a figurative cage.)
Colocações
feel trapped in a cage
|escape the cage
|a mental cage
|the cage of poverty
|a gilded cage
|break out of your cage
Temas
emotions
|society
|work
|relationships
Exemplos
- For her, the office felt like a cage she had to escape.
- He finally broke out of the cage of debt that controlled his life.
- The story explores how social expectations can become a cage for young women.
- His fear built an invisible cage around him, stopping him from trying new things.
- She lives in a gilded cage, with every luxury but no real freedom.
Exemplos para estudantes
- He says his job is a cage.
- She wants to leave the small town because it feels like a cage.
- Debt can be a cage for many people.
- The rules of her family were a cage for her.
Substantivo
B2
entity
4
fenced area for sport/fighting
A closed space with a fence or net around it where people practice sports or fight in matches.
Padrão de uso:
in the cage
Erro comum:
Some learners think "cage" in sports always means a place for animals. In sports, it is a special, closed area for people to practice or fight, often in baseball or mixed martial arts.
Sinônimos
ring (Commonly used for boxing; usually not fenced all around like an MMA cage.)
Antônimos
open field (A wide, unfenced area, contrasting with the closed cage used in some sports.)
Colocações
batting cage
|step into the cage
|inside the cage
|MMA cage
|practice in the cage
Temas
sports
|recreation
Exemplos
- They spent an hour in the batting cage before the game.
- The fighters entered the cage to start the main event.
- He feels calm as soon as he steps into the cage to train.
- The gym added a new cage for mixed martial arts classes.
- Young players practiced their swings one by one in the cage.
Exemplos para estudantes
- We hit balls in the batting cage.
- The two fighters are in the cage now.
- He trains every day inside the cage.
- The new sports center has a big cage for practice.
Substantivo
B1
entity
5
framework protecting something inside
A strong structure made of bars or bones that goes around something to protect it.
Padrão de uso:
a cage around [something]
Erro comum:
Learners may think "rib cage" means a separate object. It is the name for the bones in your chest area that form a natural cage around your organs.
Sinônimos
framework (Very general; does not always imply protection or an enclosing shape.)
Antônimos
exposed (Describes something that is not covered or protected by a structure like a cage.)
Colocações
rib cage
|protective cage
|metal cage
|safety cage
|a cage around the motor
|a cage around the light
Temas
body
|technology
|science
Exemplos
- The rib cage protects the heart and lungs.
- Engineers added a metal cage around the fan for safety.
- The light bulb is covered by a small wire cage.
- He installed a safety cage on the racing car.
- A steel cage surrounds the machine to prevent accidents.
Exemplos para estudantes
- Your rib cage protects your heart.
- There is a metal cage around the fan.
- The lamp has a small cage around the light.
- The car has a safety cage inside.
Verbo
B2
action
6
limit freedom like a cage
To control someone or something so much that it feels like they are in a cage and cannot live freely.
Padrão de uso:
to be caged by [something]
Erro comum:
Learners may overuse this verb in formal writing. It is often used in emotional or literary language, especially with "feel caged" or "caged by" plus an abstract noun like "fear" or "rules".
Sinônimos
restrict (More neutral and general; "cage" emphasizes a strong feeling of being trapped.)
Antônimos
liberate (Focuses on giving freedom to someone who was previously controlled or trapped.)
Colocações
caged by fear
|feel caged in
|caged by expectations
|caged by rules
|caged by poverty
Temas
emotions
|society
|work
|relationships
Exemplos
- She felt caged by the strict rules of her family.
- The character is emotionally caged by his past mistakes.
- He refused to let his career cage him into one city.
- Many people feel caged in by debt and rising costs.
- Artists do not want to be caged by other people's expectations.
Exemplos para estudantes
- She feels caged by her job.
- He is caged by fear and does nothing.
- They do not want to be caged by tradition.
- I feel caged in this small town.
Gramática
Forma no dicionário
cage
AFI
GB/kˈeɪd͡ʒ/
US/kˈeɪd͡ʒ/
Sílabas e tonicidade
cage (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (cage)
Formas da palavra
Noun
- Base: cage
- Plural: cages
Verb
- Base: cage
- 3rd Person Singular: cages
- Present Participle: caging
- Past: caged
Família de palavras
Forms
cages
noun
caging
verb
caged
verb
Related words
cagey
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
uncage
verb
Expressões
batting cage
1/bˈætɪŋ kˈeɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
enclosed baseball practice area
A long, closed space with nets or fences where people practice hitting baseballs or softballs.
Exemplos
- We took the kids to the batting cage after school.
- He spends hours in the batting cage working on his swing.
- The park recently opened a new indoor batting cage.
bird cage
1/bˈɚd kˈeɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
cage for keeping pet birds
A cage made especially for keeping pet birds inside a home.
Exemplos
- She cleaned the bird cage and changed the water.
- The bird cage hangs near the living room window.
- They bought a larger bird cage so the parrot could move around more.
cage match
1/kˈeɪd͡ʒ mˈæt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
fight or wrestling match in a cage
A wrestling or fighting event where the fighters compete inside a closed cage.
Exemplos
- The main event is a cage match between two top fighters.
- Fans waited all night to see the first cage match of the tournament.
- He became famous after winning a brutal cage match.
cage-free
1/kˈeɪd͡ʒ fɹˈi/
fixed phrase
not raised in cages (animals)
Used about farm animals, especially hens, that are allowed to move around and are not kept in cages.
Exemplos
- The supermarket sells only cage-free eggs now.
- They switched to buying cage-free chicken for ethical reasons.
- Many consumers are willing to pay more for cage-free products.
feel caged in
1/fˈil kˈeɪd͡ʒd ˈɪn/
idiom
feel trapped or restricted
To feel trapped or stuck in a place or situation, as if you are in a cage.
Exemplos
- She feels caged in by her small apartment.
- Many employees feel caged in by strict office rules.
- After months of bad weather, he felt completely caged in at home.
gilded cage
1/ɡˈɪldɪd kˈeɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
literary
comfortable life without real freedom
A life that looks rich and beautiful but still does not give real freedom.
Exemplos
- She married into money but now feels she is living in a gilded cage.
- The novel describes fame as a kind of gilded cage.
- For him, the high-paying job became a gilded cage.
rattle someone's cage
1/ɹˈætəl sˈʌmwˌʌnz kˈeɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
informal
deliberately upset or provoke someone
To do or say something that makes someone angry, nervous, or uncomfortable, usually on purpose.
Exemplos
- The journalist really rattled the politician's cage with that question.
- He's just trying to rattle your cage, so don't let him bother you.
- The new manager rattled a few cages by changing long-standing rules.
rib cage
1/ɹˈɪb kˈeɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
Bony structure of the chest
All the ribs together, forming the hard cage around your heart and lungs.
Exemplos
- The impact bruised his rib cage but caused no internal damage.
- She injured her rib cage in the accident.
- Wearing a seat belt helps protect your rib cage in an accident.
- The doctor pressed gently on his rib cage to check for pain.
- Your rib cage expands every time you take a deep breath.