Added 3 October 2026
place
/ˈpleɪ̯s/ noun
In Latin: locus, positiō, status Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about place at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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An area; somewhere within an area. An open space, particularly a city square, market square, or courtyard. A street, sometimes but not always surrounding a public place, square, or plaza of the same name.
They live at Westminster Place.
- An open space, particularly a city square, market square, or courtyard.
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A street, sometimes but not always surrounding a public place, square, or plaza of the same name.
They live at Westminster Place.
verb
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To put (someone or something) in a specific location.
He placed the glass on the table.
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To earn a given spot in a competition; to rank at a certain position ().
The Cowboys placed third in the league.
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To finish second, especially of horses or dogs.
In the third race: Aces Up won, paying eight dollars; Blarney Stone placed, paying three dollars; and Cinnamon showed, paying five dollars.
Origin
From Middle English place, conflation of Old English plæċe (“place, an open space, street”) and Old French place (“place, an open space”), both from Latin platēa (“plaza, wide street”), from Ancient Greek πλατεῖα (plateîa), shortening of πλατεῖα ὁδός (plateîa hodós, “broad way”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- (“to spread”), extended form of *pleh₂- (“flat”). Displaced native Old English stōw, stede (partially), and -ern. Compare also English pleck (“plot of ground”), West Frisian plak (“place, spot, location”), Dutch plek (“place, spot, patch”). Doublet of piatza, piazza, platz, and plaza.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)