texts

IPA/tekst/
KK[tˈɛksts]IPA/tekst/

texts — noun

1. written words in books, magazines, websites, signs, or similar materials, especi

1.nounB1
Definition

written words in books, magazines, websites, signs, or similar materials, especially when you contrast them with pictures or other visual parts

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • short texts
  • texts and images
  • parallel texts
  • warning texts
Synonyms
  • writing

    broader term for written expression in general

  • passages

    usually means selected sections rather than all the written words present

  • copy

    common in publishing and advertising; often more professional in tone

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

texts and images

read the texts

short texts

Usage Note

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

2.nounA2
Definition

short written messages sent or received on mobile phones

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • send texts
  • get texts
  • delete texts
  • answer texts
Synonyms
  • messages

    broader and can include app chats, emails, or spoken messages

  • SMS

    technical label for standard phone text messages

Grammar Patterns

send texts

read texts

answer texts

Usage Note

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,

3.nounB1
Definition

the exact written words of speeches, interviews, poems, laws, or similar works, especially when they are printed or posted in full

Example

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

Common collocations
  • full texts
  • compare texts
  • texts of speeches
  • published texts
Synonyms
  • 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

Antonyms
  • summaries

    shortened accounts rather than the exact words

  • paraphrases

    restatements using different wording

Grammar Patterns

the texts of

compare texts

full texts

Usage Note

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

4.nounB1
Definition

books, plays, articles, or other pieces of writing that students study for a class

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • required texts
  • set texts
  • texts for class
  • buy texts
Synonyms
  • 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

Grammar Patterns

texts for a course

required texts

set texts

Usage Note

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

5.nounB2
Definition

Bible passages chosen for worship or preaching and then read aloud before a sermon or religious talk

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • Sunday texts
  • texts from Luke
  • discuss the texts
  • service texts
Synonyms
  • 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

Grammar Patterns

texts from

Sunday texts

discuss the texts

Usage Note

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

6.nounB2
Definition

the main written parts of pages, books, or documents, considered separately from footnotes, headings, indexes, margins, or other extra material

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • main texts
  • texts and footnotes
  • body texts
  • digitize the texts
Synonyms
  • body copy

    publishing term for the main running text in a layout

  • main copy

    emphasizes the central written material, especially in design work

  • body text

    often used as a mass noun for the central text of a page

Antonyms
  • footnotes

    notes placed at the bottom of a page

  • indexes

    lists used to help readers locate information

Grammar Patterns

main texts

texts and footnotes

digitize the texts

Usage Note

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

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Writing is the broadest everyday term and can mean either the act of writing or the written result. Copy is common in publishing, design, and advertising, where professionals talk about the words prepared for a page, screen, or campaign. Content is wider still because it includes images, video, and audio as well as words. Passage usually means one selected section taken from a larger work. Texts, in sense 1, specifically highlights written words as things to be read and often contrasts them with pictures or other visual material. A museum label may say 'short texts and photographs', while 'short writings and photographs' would sound unnatural in the same context.

writing ↗copy ↗content ↗passage ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • full texts
  • texts and images
  • the texts of
  • required texts
  • main texts

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'textus', meaning 'something woven' or 'a weaving', from the verb 'texere' ('to weave'). The image is of words woven together into a connected piece of meaning. The noun entered English through Old French 'texte'. Modern English 'texts' is the regular plural form of the noun 'text' and also the third-person singular form of the verb 'text'.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a(1) Verb