case definition | Dictionary.com

case

1 [keys]

–noun

1.	an instance of the occurrence, existence, etc., of something: Sailing in such a storm was a case of poor judgment.

2.	the actual state of things: That is not the case.

3.	a question or problem of moral conduct; matter: a case of conscience.

4.	situation; circumstance; plight: Mine is a sad case.

5.	a person or thing whose plight or situation calls for attention: This family is a hardship case.

6.	a specific occurrence or matter requiring discussion, decision, or investigation, as by officials or law-enforcement authorities: The police studied the case of the missing jewels.

7.	a stated argument used to support a viewpoint: He presented a strong case against the proposed law.

8.	an instance of disease, injury, etc., requiring medical or surgical attention or treatment; individual affliction: She had a severe case of chicken pox.

9.	a medical or surgical patient.

10.

Law.

a.	a suit or action at law; cause.

b.	a set of facts giving rise to a legal claim, or to a defense to a legal claim.

11.

Grammar.

a.	a category in the inflection of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives, noting the syntactic relation of these words to other words in the sentence, indicated by the form or the position of the words.

b.	a set of such categories in a particular language.

c.	the meaning of or the meaning typical of such a category.

d.	such categories or their meanings collectively.

12.	Informal. a peculiar or unusual person: He's a case.

—Idioms

13.	get or be on someone's case, Slang. to bother or nag someone; meddle in someone's affairs: Her brother is always on her case about getting married. Why do you keep getting on my case?

14.	get off someone's case, Slang. to stop bothering or criticizing someone or interfering in someone's affairs: I've had enough of your advice, so just get off my case.

15.	have a case on, Slang. to be infatuated with: He had a case on the girl next door.

16.	in any case, regardless of circumstances; be that as it may; anyhow: In any case, there won't be any necessity for you to come along.

17.	in case, if it should happen that; if: In case I am late, don't wait to start dinner.

18.	in case of, in the event of; if there should be: In case of an error in judgment, the group leader will be held responsible.

19.	in no case, under no condition; never: He should in no case be allowed to get up until he has completely recovered from his illness.

Origin:
before 1150; ME ca(a)s < AF, OF cas < L cāsus fall, accident, event, grammatical case (trans. of Gk ptôsis), equiv. to cad(ere) to fall + -tus suffix of v. action; cf. OE cāsus grammatical case

Related forms:

caseless, adjective

case⋅less⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. Case, instance, example, illustration suggest the existence or occurrence of a particular thing representative of its type. Case and instance are closely allied in meaning, as are example and illustration. Case is a general word, meaning a fact, occurrence, or situation typical of a class: a case of assault and battery. An instance is a concrete factual case which is adduced to explain a general idea: an instance of a brawl in which an assault occurred. An example is one typical case, usually from many similar ones, used to make clear or explain the working of a principle (what may be expected of any others of the group): This boy is an example of the effect of strict discipline. An illustration exemplifies a theory or principle similarly, except that the choice may be purely hypothetical: The work of Seeing Eye dogs is an illustration of what is thought to be intelligence in animals.

case

2 [keys]

noun, verb, cased, cas⋅ing.

–noun

1.	an often small or portable container for enclosing something, as for carrying or safekeeping; receptacle: a jewel case.

2.	a sheath or outer covering: a knife case.

3.	a box with its contents: a case of ginger ale.

4.	the amount contained in a box or other container: There are a dozen bottles to a case.

5.	a pair or couple; brace: a case of pistols.

6.	a surrounding frame or framework, as of a door.

7.	Bookbinding. a completed book cover ready to be fitted to form the binding of a book.

Printing. a tray of wood, metal, or plastic, divided into compartments for holding types for the use of a compositor and usually arranged in a set of two, the upper (upper case) for capital letters and often auxiliary types, the lower (lower case) for small letters and often auxiliary types, now generally replaced by the California job case. Compare news case.

9.	a cavity in the skull of a sperm whale, containing an oil from which spermaceti is obtained.

10.	Also called case card. Cards. the last card of a suit or denomination that remains after the other cards have been played: a case heart; the case jack.

11.	Faro. casebox.

12.	Southeastern U.S. (chiefly South Carolina). a coin of a particular denomination, as opposed to the same amount in change: a case quarter.

13.	Metallurgy. the hard outer part of a piece of casehardened steel.

–verb (used with object)

14.	to put or enclose in a case; cover with a case.

15.	Slang. to examine or survey (a house, bank, etc.) in planning a crime (sometimes fol. by out): They cased the joint and decided to pull the job on Sunday.

16.	to fuse a layer of glass onto (glass of a contrasting color or of different properties).

17.	to cover (a surface of a wall, well, shaft, etc.) with a facing or lining; revet.

18.	Bookbinding. to bind (a book) in a case.

19.

Cards Slang.

a.	to arrange (cards or a pack of cards) in a dishonest manner.

b.	to remember the quantity, suit, or denomination of (the cards played).

Origin:
1250–1300; ME cas < AF cas(s)e, OF chasse < L capsa cylindrical case for holding books in scroll form, receptacle

Related forms:

caser, noun

case⋅box

[keys-boks]

–noun Faro.

a device, similar to an abacus, for recording the cards as they are drawn from the dealing box.

Also called case.

Origin:
case ² + box ¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To case

case¹ (kās)

An instance of something; an occurrence; an example: a case of mistaken identity. See Synonyms at example.
An occurrence of a disease or disorder: a mild case of flu.
A set of circumstances or a state of affairs; a situation: It may rain, in which case the hike will be canceled.
Actual fact; reality: We suspected the walls were hollow, and this proved to be the case.
A question or problem; a matter: It is simply a case of honor.
A situation that requires investigation, especially by a formal or official body.
Law
1. An action or a suit or just grounds for an action.
2. The facts or evidence offered in support of a claim.
3. In traditional grammar, a distinct form of a noun, pronoun, or modifier that is used to express one or more particular syntactic relationships to other words in a sentence.
4. Case In some varieties of generative grammar, the thematic or semantic role of a noun phrase as represented abstractly but not necessarily indicated overtly in surface structure. In such frameworks, nouns in English have Case even in the absence of inflectional case endings.
A set of reasons or supporting facts; an argument: presented a good case for changing the law.
A person being assisted, treated, or studied, as by a physician, lawyer, or social worker.
Informal A peculiar or eccentric person; a character.
Linguistics
1. In traditional grammar, a distinct form of a noun, pronoun, or modifier that is used to express one or more particular syntactic relationships to other words in a sentence.
2. Case In some varieties of generative grammar, the thematic or semantic role of a noun phrase as represented abstractly but not necessarily indicated overtly in surface structure. In such frameworks, nouns in English have Case even in the absence of inflectional case endings.

[Middle English cas, from Old French, from Latin cāsus, from past participle of cadere, to fall; see kad- in Indo-European roots.]

case² (kās)

A container; a receptacle: a jewelry case; meat-filled cases of dough.
A container with its contents.
A decorative or protective covering or cover.
A set or pair: a case of pistols.
The frame or framework of a window, door, or stairway.
The surface or outer layer of a metal alloy.
Printing A shallow compartmented tray for storing type or type matrices.

tr.v. cased, cas·ing, cas·es

To put into or cover with a case; encase.
Slang To examine carefully, as in planning a crime: cased the bank before robbing it.

[Middle English, from Norman French casse, from Latin capsa.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Case

Case\ (k[=a]s), n. [OF. casse, F. caisse (cf. It. cassa), fr. L. capsa chest, box, case, fr. capere to take, hold. See Capacious, and cf. 4th Chase, Cash, Enchase, 3d Sash.]

1. A box, sheath, or covering; as, a case for holding goods; a case for spectacles; the case of a watch; the case (capsule) of a cartridge; a case (cover) for a book.

2. A box and its contents; the quantity contained in a box; as, a case of goods; a case of instruments.

3. (Print.) A shallow tray divided into compartments or "boxes" for holding type.

Note: Cases for type are usually arranged in sets of two, called respectively the upper and the lower case. The upper case contains capitals, small capitals, accented and marked letters, fractions, and marks of reference: the lower case contains the small letters, figures, marks of punctuation, quadrats, and spaces.

4. An inclosing frame; a casing; as, a door case; a window case.

5. (Mining) A small fissure which admits water to the workings. --Knight.

Case

Case\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cased; p. pr. & vb. n. Casing.]

1. To cover or protect with, or as with, a case; to inclose.

The man who, cased in steel, had passed whole days and nights in the saddle. --Prescott.

2. To strip the skin from; as, to case a box. [Obs.]

Case

Case\, n. [F. cas, fr. L. casus, fr. cadere to fall, to happen. Cf. Chance.]

1. Chance; accident; hap; opportunity. [Obs.]

By aventure, or sort, or cas. --Chaucer.

2. That which befalls, comes, or happens; an event; an instance; a circumstance, or all the circumstances; condition; state of things; affair; as, a strange case; a case of injustice; the case of the Indian tribes.

In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge. --Deut. xxiv. 13.

If the case of the man be so with his wife. --Matt. xix. 10.

And when a lady's in the case You know all other things give place. --Gay.

You think this madness but a common case. --Pope.

I am in case to justle a constable, --Shak.

3. (Med. & Surg.) A patient under treatment; an instance of sickness or injury; as, ten cases of fever; also, the history of a disease or injury.

A proper remedy in hypochondriacal cases. --Arbuthnot.

4. (Law) The matters of fact or conditions involved in a suit, as distinguished from the questions of law; a suit or action at law; a cause.

Let us consider the reason of the case, for nothing is law that is not reason. --Sir John Powell.

Not one case in the reports of our courts. --Steele.

5. (Gram.) One of the forms, or the inflections or changes of form, of a noun, pronoun, or adjective, which indicate its relation to other words, and in the aggregate constitute its declension; the relation which a noun or pronoun sustains to some other word.

Case is properly a falling off from the nominative or first state of word; the name for which, however, is now, by extension of its signification, applied also to the nominative. --J. W. Gibbs.

Note: Cases other than the nominative are oblique cases. Case endings are terminations by which certain cases are distinguished. In old English, as in Latin, nouns had several cases distinguished by case endings, but in modern English only that of the possessive case is retained.

Action on the case (Law), according to the old classification (now obsolete), was an action for redress of wrongs or injuries to person or property not specially provided against by law, in which the whole cause of complaint was set out in the writ; -- called also trespass on the case, or simply case.

All a case, a matter of indifference. [Obs.] "It is all a case to me." --L'Estrange.

Case at bar. See under Bar, n.

Case divinity, casuistry.

Case lawyer, one versed in the reports of cases rather than in the science of the law.

Case stated or agreed on (Law), a statement in writing of facts agreed on and submitted to the court for a decision of the legal points arising on them.

A hard case, an abandoned or incorrigible person. [Colloq.]

In any case, whatever may be the state of affairs; anyhow.

In case, or In case that, if; supposing that; in the event or contingency; if it should happen that. "In case we are surprised, keep by me." --W. Irving.

In good case, in good condition, health, or state of body.

To put a case, to suppose a hypothetical or illustrative case.

Syn: Situation, condition, state; circumstances; plight; predicament; occurrence; contingency; accident; event; conjuncture; cause; action; suit.

Case

Case\, v. i. To propose hypothetical cases. [Obs.] "Casing upon the matter." --L'Estrange.

Language Translation for : case

Spanish: caso,

German: der Fall,

Japanese: 事例

More Translations »

case

A grammatical category indicating whether nouns and pronouns are functioning as the subject of a sentence (nominative case) or the object of a sentence (objective case), or are indicating possession (possessive case). He is in the nominative case, him is in the objective case, and his is in the possessive case. In a language such as English, nouns do not change their form in the nominative or objective case. Only pronouns do. Thus, ball stays the same in both “the ball is thrown,” where it is the subject, and in “Harry threw the ball,” where it is the object.

case (1)

"state of affairs," c.1225, from O.Fr. cas "an event," from L. casus "a chance," lit. "a falling," from cas-, pp. stem of cadere "to fall," from PIE base *kad- "to fall" (cf. Skt. sad- "to fall down," Armenian chacnum "to fall, become low," perhaps also M.Ir. casar "hail, lightning"). The notion being "that which falls" as "that which happens." Widespread extended senses in law, medicine, grammar, etc. In case "in the event" is recorded from c.1340.

case (2)

"receptacle," c.1300, from O.N.Fr. casse, O.Fr. chasse, from L. capsa "box," from capere "to take, hold" (see capable). The verb meaning "examine, inspect" (usually prior to robbing) is Amer.Eng. slang first recorded 1915. Staircase is from 1663. Artillery sense is from 1667, from case-shot "small projectiles put in cases" (1625). Reference in the printing trade (first recorded 1588) to the two trays where compositors keep their types in separate compartments for easy access led to upper case for capitals and lower case for small letters.

Main Entry: case
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin casus accident, event, set of circumstances, literally, act of falling
1 a : a civil or criminal suit or action cases, in law and equity, arising under this Constitution —U.S. Constitution article III> —see also CONTROVERSY

case at bar
: a case being considered by the court case at bar>

case of first im·pres·sion
: a case that presents an issue or question never before decided or considered by the court

com·pan·ion case
: a case that is heard with another case because it involves similar or related questions of law

test case
1 : a representative case whose outcome will serve as precedent for future cases and esp. for pending cases involving similar or related issues or circumstances and often some of the same parties
NOTE: A test case is selected from a number of cases in order to avoid a flood of litigation. All of the parties to the cases must agree to accept the outcome of the test case as binding.
2 : a proceeding usually in the form of a suit for injunction brought to obtain a decision as to the constitutionality of a statute b : the reported facts, procedural history, and esp. decision in an action

land·mark case
: a case that marks a significant turning point on a particular issue

lead·ing case
: a case so well reasoned and important in the rules of law determined and in the principles declared that it becomes well-known and is frequently cited by courts and lawyers as settling the points of law ruled upon and as useful in resolving new questions of law c : the evidence and arguments presented by a party in court —see also CASE STATED

case in chief
: the main part of a party's case including arguments for which the party bears the burden of proof but not including rebuttal

prima facie case
: a case established by evidence that is sufficient to raise a presumption of fact or establish the fact in question unless rebutted
2 : TRESPASS ON THE CASE at, TRESPASS

Main Entry: case
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: cased; cas·ing
: to inspect or study with intent to rob <casing a store>

Main Entry: case
Pronunciation: 'kAs
Function: noun
1 : the circumstances and situation of a particular person or group
2 a : aninstance of disease or injury <10 cases of pneumonia> b : PATIENT 1

case (kās)
n.
An occurrence of a disease or disorder.

CASE
1. Computer Aided Software Engineering.
2. Common Application Service Element.

case
1. switch statement.
2. Whether a character is a capital letter ("upper case" - ABC..Z) or a small letter ("lower case" - abc..z).
The term case comes from the printing trade when the use of moving type was invented in the early Middle Ages (Caxton or Gutenberg?) and the letters for each font were stored in a box with two sections (or "cases"), the upper case was for the capital letters and the lower case was for the small letters. The Oxford Universal Dictionary of Historical Principles (Feb 1993, reprinted 1952) indicates that this usage of "case" (as the box or frame used by a compositor in the printing trade) was first used in 1588.
(1996-03-01)

case

In addition to the idiom beginning with case, also see basket case; get down to brass tacks (cases); have a case on; in any case; in case of; in no case; in the case of; just in case; make a federal case; off someone's back (case); open and shut case.

CASE
computer-aided software engineering

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