to impose or ask as a price or fee: That store charges $25 for leather gloves.
2.
to impose on or ask of (someone) a price or fee: He didn't charge me for it.
3.
to defer payment for (a purchase) until a bill is rendered by the creditor: The store let me charge the coat.
4.
to hold liable for payment; enter a debit against.
5.
to attack by rushing violently against: The cavalry charged the enemy.
6.
to accuse formally or explicitly (usually fol. by with): They charged him with theft.
7.
to impute; ascribe the responsibility for: He charged the accident to his own carelessness.
8.
to instruct authoritatively, as a judge does a jury.
9.
to lay a command or injunction upon: He charged his secretary with the management of his correspondence.
10.
to fill or furnish (a thing) with the quantity, as of powder or fuel, that it is fitted to receive: to charge a musket.
11.
to supply with a quantity of electric charge or electrical energy: to charge a storage battery.
12.
to change the net amount of positive or negative electric charge of (a particle, body, or system).
13.
to suffuse, as with emotion: The air was charged with excitement.
14.
to fill (air, water, etc.) with other matter in a state of diffusion or solution: The air was charged with pollen.
15.
Metallurgy. to load (materials) into a furnace, converter, etc.
16.
to load or burden (the mind, heart, etc.): His mind was charged with weighty matters.
17.
to put a load or burden on or in.
18.
to record the loan of, as books or other materials from a library (often fol. by out): The librarian will charge those books at the front desk.
19.
to borrow, as books or other materials from a library (often fol. by out): How many magazines may I charge at one time?
20.
Heraldry. to place charges on (an escutcheon).
–verb (used without object)
21.
to make an onset; rush, as to an attack.
22.
to place the price of a thing to one's debit.
23.
to require payment: to charge for a service.
24.
to make a debit, as in an account.
25.
(of dogs) to lie down at command.
–noun
26.
expense or cost: improvements made at a tenant's own charge.
27.
a fee or price charged: a charge of three dollars for admission.
28.
a pecuniary burden, encumbrance, tax, or lien; cost; expense; liability to pay: After his death there were many charges on his estate.
29.
an entry in an account of something due.
30.
an impetuous onset or attack, as of soldiers.
31.
a signal by bugle, drum, etc., for a military charge.
32.
a duty or responsibility laid upon or entrusted to one.
33.
care, custody, or superintendence: The child was placed in her nurse's charge.
34.
anything or anybody committed to one's care or management: The nurse was careful to let no harm come to her charge.
35.
Ecclesiastical. a parish or congregation committed to the spiritual care of a pastor.
36.
a command or injunction; exhortation.
37.
an accusation: He was arrested on a charge of theft.
38.
Law. an address by a judge to a jury at the close of a trial, instructing it as to the legal points, the weight of evidence, etc., affecting the verdict in the case.
39.
the quantity of anything that an apparatus is fitted to hold, or holds, at one time: a charge of coal for a furnace.
40.
a quantity of explosive to be set off at one time.
Rocketry. grains of a solid propellant, usually including an inhibitor.
44.
a load or burden.
45.
Heraldry. any distinctive mark upon an escutcheon, as an ordinary or device, not considered as belonging to the field; bearing.
—Verb phrases
46.
charge off,
a.
to write off as an expense or loss.
b.
to attribute to: I charged off the blunder to inexperience.
47.
charge up, Informal.
a.
to agitate, stimulate, or excite: a fiery speaker who can charge up an audience.
b.
to put or be under the influence of narcotic drugs.
—Idioms
48.
in charge,
a.
in command; having supervisory power.
b.
British. under arrest; in or into the custody of the police.
49.
in charge of,
a.
having the care or supervision of: She is in charge of two libraries.
b.
Also, in the charge of.under the care or supervision of: The books are in the charge of the accounting office.
Origin: 1175–1225; 1950–55 for def. 39;(v.) ME chargen < AF, OF charg(i)er < LL carricāre to load a wagon, equiv. to carr(us) wagon (see car1) + -icā- v. suffix. + -re inf. ending; (n.) ME < AF, OF, n. deriv. of the v.
one of the basic properties of the elementary particles of matter giving rise to all electric and magnetic forces and interactions. The two kinds of charge are given negative and positive algebraic signs: measured in coulombs.
To impose a duty, responsibility, or obligation on: charged him with the task of watching the young swimmers.
To set or ask (a given amount) as a price: charges ten dollars for a haircut.
To hold financially liable; demand payment from: charged her for the balance due.
To postpone payment on (a purchase) by recording as a debt: paid cash for the stockings but charged the new coat.
To load to capacity; fill: charge a furnace with coal.
To saturate; impregnate: The atmosphere was charged with tension.
To bump (an opponent) so as to knock off balance or gain control of the ball, as in soccer.
To body-check (an opponent) illegally, from behind or after taking more than two strides, as in ice hockey.
To cause formation of a net electric charge on or in (a conductor, for example).
To energize (a storage battery) by passing current through it in the direction opposite to discharge.
To load (a gun or other firearm) with a quantity of explosive: charged the musket with powder.
To instruct or urge authoritatively; command: charged her not to reveal the source of information.
Law To instruct (a jury) about the law, its application, and the weighing of evidence.
To make a claim of wrongdoing against; accuse or blame: The police charged him with car theft. Critics charged the writer with a lack of originality.
To put the blame for; attribute or impute: charged the accident to the driver's inexperience.
To attack violently: The troops charged the enemy line.
Basketball To bump or run into (a defender) illegally while in possession of the ball or having just made a pass or shot.
Sports
To bump (an opponent) so as to knock off balance or gain control of the ball, as in soccer.
To body-check (an opponent) illegally, from behind or after taking more than two strides, as in ice hockey.
To cause formation of a net electric charge on or in (a conductor, for example).
To energize (a storage battery) by passing current through it in the direction opposite to discharge.
Electricity
To cause formation of a net electric charge on or in (a conductor, for example).
To energize (a storage battery) by passing current through it in the direction opposite to discharge.
To excite; rouse: a speaker who knows how to charge up a crowd.
To direct or put (a weapon) into position for use; level.
Heraldry To place a charge on (an escutcheon).
v.
intr.
To rush forward in or as if in a violent attack: dogs trained to charge at intruders; children charging through the house.
To demand or ask payment: did not charge for the second cup of coffee.
To postpone payment for a purchase.
Accounting To consider or record as a loss. Often used with off.
n.
Expense; cost.
The price asked for something: no charge for window-shopping.
A weight or burden; a load: a freighter relieved of its charge of cargo.
The quantity that a container or apparatus can hold.
Supervision; management: the scientist who had overall charge of the research project.
Care; custody: a child put in my charge.
A rushing, forceful attack: repelled the charge of enemy troops; the charge of a herd of elephants.
The command to attack: The bugler sounded the charge.
The intrinsic property of matter responsible for all electric phenomena, in particular for the force of the electromagnetic interaction, occurring in two forms arbitrarily designated negative and positive.
A measure of this property.
The net measure of this property possessed by a body or contained in a bounded region of space.
A weight or burden; a load: a freighter relieved of its charge of cargo.
The quantity that a container or apparatus can hold.
Supervision; management: the scientist who had overall charge of the research project.
Care; custody: a child put in my charge.
A rushing, forceful attack: repelled the charge of enemy troops; the charge of a herd of elephants.
The command to attack: The bugler sounded the charge.
The intrinsic property of matter responsible for all electric phenomena, in particular for the force of the electromagnetic interaction, occurring in two forms arbitrarily designated negative and positive.
A measure of this property.
The net measure of this property possessed by a body or contained in a bounded region of space.
A quantity of explosive to be set off at one time.
An assigned duty or task; a responsibility: The commission's charge was to determine the facts.
One that is entrusted to another's care or management: the baby sitter's three young charges.
Supervision; management: the scientist who had overall charge of the research project.
Care; custody: a child put in my charge.
A rushing, forceful attack: repelled the charge of enemy troops; the charge of a herd of elephants.
The command to attack: The bugler sounded the charge.
The intrinsic property of matter responsible for all electric phenomena, in particular for the force of the electromagnetic interaction, occurring in two forms arbitrarily designated negative and positive.
A measure of this property.
The net measure of this property possessed by a body or contained in a bounded region of space.
An order, command, or injunction.
Law Instruction given by a judge to a jury about the law, its application, and the weighing of evidence.
A claim of wrongdoing; an accusation: a charge of murder; pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A rushing, forceful attack: repelled the charge of enemy troops; the charge of a herd of elephants.
The command to attack: The bugler sounded the charge.
The intrinsic property of matter responsible for all electric phenomena, in particular for the force of the electromagnetic interaction, occurring in two forms arbitrarily designated negative and positive.
A measure of this property.
The net measure of this property possessed by a body or contained in a bounded region of space.
A debt or an entry in an account recording a debt: Are you paying cash or is this a charge?
A financial burden, such as a tax or lien.
Symbol qPhysics
The intrinsic property of matter responsible for all electric phenomena, in particular for the force of the electromagnetic interaction, occurring in two forms arbitrarily designated negative and positive.
A measure of this property.
The net measure of this property possessed by a body or contained in a bounded region of space.
Informal A feeling of pleasant excitement; a thrill: got a real charge out of the movie.
Heraldry Any figure or device represented on the field of an escutcheon.
[Middle English chargen, to load, from Old French chargier, from Late Latin carricāre, from Latin carrus, Gallic type of wagon, of Celtic origin; see kers- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These verbs mean to cause to be filled with a particular mood or tone: an atmosphere charged with excitement; poetry imbued with lyricism; a spirit impregnated with lofty ideals; optimism that permeates a group; letters pervaded with gloom; a play saturated with imagination; a heart suffused with love. See Also Synonyms at care.
A fundamental property of the elementary particles of which matter is made that gives rise to attractive and repulsive forces. There are two kinds of charge: color charge and electric charge. See more at color charge, electric charge.
The amount of electric charge contained in an object, particle, or region of space.
[chahrj] 
verb, charged, charg⋅ing, noun 
