texts
/tekst/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈɛksts] /tekst/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈɛksts] /ˈtekst How to pronounce text (audio)/ (ame, mw)
texts — noun
1. written words in books, magazines, websites, signs, or similar materials, especi
written words in books, magazines, websites, signs, or similar materials, especially when you contrast them with pictures or other visual parts
The museum walls showed short texts beside the old maps and photos.
contrast: texts beside photos
Our travel guide uses clear texts and simple drawings for each route.
The app offers audio for the texts, so beginners can read along.
The children compared the warning texts on three different food labels.
- pictures
visual elements rather than written words
- illustrations
drawings or images that accompany writing
文法句型
texts and images
read the texts
short texts
用法筆記
Often used for several separate pieces of writing in design, publishing, museums, and language learning. Distinguish from sense 6, which focuses on the main written part of a page rather than extra notes or margins.
2. short written messages sent or received on mobile phones
short written messages sent or received on mobile phones
Leo saved Ava's texts in case he needed the address again.
save someone's texts
My aunt sends cheerful texts every morning before work.
The coach asked players to answer team texts before eight o'clock.
Feng deleted the old texts after changing phone numbers.
文法句型
send texts
read texts
answer texts
用法筆記
Usually refers to SMS-style phone messages, though many speakers also use it loosely for phone-based chat messages. The singular form is common when talking about one message only.
3. the exact written words of speeches, interviews, poems, laws, or similar works,
the exact written words of speeches, interviews, poems, laws, or similar works, especially when they are printed or posted in full
The website stores the texts of every speech from last year's campaign.
the texts of speeches
Students compared two texts of the same poem before the seminar.
compare two texts of one poem
The archive released the full texts of the captain's wartime letters.
Hari quoted lines from the texts of three old court decisions.
- full versions
emphasizes completeness, not necessarily the wording itself
- transcripts
best for spoken material recorded in writing after the event
- documents
broader and less focused on the exact wording
- summaries
shortened accounts rather than the exact words
- paraphrases
restatements using different wording
文法句型
the texts of
compare texts
full texts
用法筆記
Common when complete written versions are being published, compared, or quoted. Distinguish from sense 1, which focuses on written words as something you read on a page or screen.
4. books, plays, articles, or other pieces of writing that students study for a cla
books, plays, articles, or other pieces of writing that students study for a class
Our texts for sociology include one novel and two research articles.
texts for a course
The teacher put next week's texts on the desk before lunch.
Defne bought used texts because the new ones cost too much.
The first-year texts are shorter than the readings for the final seminar.
- readings
stresses the act of reading rather than the books or works themselves
- set texts
common in school contexts for officially assigned works
- course books
narrower; usually means books designed for teaching
文法句型
texts for a course
required texts
set texts
用法筆記
Common in academic settings when teachers assign several works for study. A text can be a textbook, but it can also be a play, article, speech, or literary work.
5. Bible passages chosen for worship or preaching and then read aloud before a serm
Bible passages chosen for worship or preaching and then read aloud before a sermon or religious talk
The pastor chose texts from Luke and Psalms for Easter morning.
texts from books of the Bible
The choir leader marked the texts for the youth service in blue ink.
Sunday's texts all focused on forgiveness and welcome.
The study group discussed the texts before the evening sermon.
- readings
common church term for passages read during a service
- passages
broader term that is not limited to religious use
- scripture readings
more explicit and more formal than plain texts
文法句型
texts from
Sunday texts
discuss the texts
用法筆記
Mostly used in Christian worship and Bible-study settings. Several texts may be read on the same day, which is why the plural form is common.
6. the main written parts of pages, books, or documents, considered separately from
the main written parts of pages, books, or documents, considered separately from footnotes, headings, indexes, margins, or other extra material
In both editions, the main texts are identical but the footnotes differ.
contrast: texts vs footnotes
The designer widened the texts and moved the page numbers lower.
Researchers digitized the texts first and added the index later.
The texts on these forms stay the same, but each office stamps a different date.
文法句型
main texts
texts and footnotes
digitize the texts
用法筆記
Used in editing, publishing, and document design for the central written material of a page or work. Unlike sense 1, the contrast here is with notes, margins, and other supporting parts rather than mainly with pictures.
texts — verb
- textspresent simple I / you / we / they
- textses3rd person singular
- textsing-ing form
- textsedpast simple
1. to contact someone on a mobile phone by typing a short message, or to communicat
to contact someone on a mobile phone by typing a short message, or to communicate in that way
Femi texts his sister when the late bus finally arrives.
text + recipient
Evelyn texts instead of calling when the message is short.
intransitive: texts instead of calling
The dentist texts patients a reminder the day before appointments.
Minh texts the class group about homework every night.
Tamar texts her mother the gate code after every rehearsal.
- call
to speak by phone rather than send a written message
文法句型
text + [recipient]
text + [recipient] + [message/object]
text about + [topic]
用法筆記
Common in everyday speech and writing. The verb can take a person alone ('text me later') or a person plus the content sent ('text me the address').