label: Meaning and Definition of

la•bel

Pronunciation: (lā'bul), [key]
— n., v., -beled, -bel•ing -belled, -bel•ling.
—n.
  1. a slip of paper, cloth, or other material, marked or inscribed, for attachment to something to indicate its manufacturer, nature, ownership, destination, etc.
  2. a short word or phrase descriptive of a person, group, intellectual movement, etc.
  3. a word or phrase indicating that what follows belongs in a particular category or classification: The following definition has the label “Archit.”
  4. a molding or dripstone over a door or window, esp. one that extends horizontally across the top of the opening and vertically downward for a certain distance at the sides.
  5. a brand or trademark, esp. of a manufacturer of phonograph records, tape cassettes, etc.: She records under a new label.
  6. the manufacturer using such a label: a major label that has produced some of the best recordings of the year.
  7. a narrow horizontal strip with a number of downward extensions of rectangular or dovetail form, usually placed in chief as the cadency mark of an eldest son.
  8. a strip or narrow piece of anything.
—v.t.
  1. to affix a label to; mark with a label.
  2. to designate or describe by or on a label: The bottle was labeled poison.
  3. to put in a certain class; classify.
  4. to incorporate a radioactive or heavy isotope into (a molecule) in order to make traceable.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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