case

case¹

noun

1》 an instance of a particular situation; an example of something occurring: a case of mistaken identity.

    ↘the situation affecting or relating to a particular person or thing: I'll make an exception in your case.

    ↘an incident under official investigation by the police.

2》 an instance of a disease, injury, or problem.

    ↘a person or their particular problem as a subject of medical or welfare attention.

3》 a legal action, especially one that is to be decided in a court of law.

    ↘a set of facts or arguments supporting one side in such a legal action.

    ↘a legal action that has been decided and may be cited as a precedent.

4》 a set of facts or arguments supporting one side of a debate or controversy.

5》 Grammar any of the inflected forms of a noun, adjective, or pronoun that express the semantic relation of the word to other words in the sentence.

    ↘such a relation whether indicated by inflection or not.

Phrases

be the case be so.

on (or off) someone's case informal continually (or no longer) criticizing or harassing someone.

Origin

ME: from OFr. cas, from L. casus 'fall', related to cadere 'to fall'.

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case²

noun

1》 a container designed to hold or protect something.

    ↘the outer protective covering of a natural or manufactured object.

2》 a suitcase.

3》 a box containing twelve bottles of wine or other drink, sold as a unit.

4》 Printing a partitioned container for loose metal type.

    ↘each of the two forms, capital or minuscule, in which a letter of the alphabet may be written or printed.

verb

1》 enclose within a case.

2》 informal reconnoitre (a place) before carrying out a robbery.

Origin

ME: from OFr. casse, chasse (mod. caisse 'trunk, chest', châsse 'reliquary, frame'), from L. capsa, related to capere 'to hold'.