write (r t)v. wrote (r t), writ·ten (r t n) also writ (rt), writ·ing, writes v.tr.1. a. To form (letters, words, or symbols) on a surface such as paper with an instrument such as a pen. b. To spell: How do you write your name? 2. To form (letters or words) in cursive style. 3. To compose and set down, especially in literary or musical form: write a poem; write a prelude. 4. To draw up in legal form; draft: write a will. 5. To fill in or cover with writing: write a check; wrote five pages in an hour. 6. To express in writing; set down: write one's thoughts. 7. To communicate by correspondence: wrote that she was planning to visit. 8. To underwrite, as an insurance policy. 9. To indicate; mark: "Utter dejection was written on every face" Winston S. Churchill. 10. To ordain or prophesy: It was written that the empire would fall. 11. Computer Science To transfer or copy (information) from memory to a storage device or output device. v.intr.1. To trace or form letters, words, or symbols on paper or another surface. 2. To produce written material, such as articles or books. 3. To compose a letter; communicate by mail. Phrasal Verbs: write down1. To set down in writing. 2. To reduce in rank, value, or price. 3. To disparage in writing. 4. To write in a conspicuously simple or condescending style: felt he had to write down to his students. write in1. To cast a vote by inserting (a name not listed on a ballot). 2. To insert in a text or document: wrote in an apology at the end of the note. 3. To communicate with an organization by mail: write in with a completed entry form. write off1. To reduce to zero the book value of (an asset that has become worthless). 2. To cancel from accounts as a loss. 3. To consider as a loss or failure: wrote off the rainy first day of the vacation. write out1. To express or compose in writing: write out a request. 2. To write in full or expanded form: All abbreviations are to be written out. write up1. To write a report or description of, as for publication. 2. To bring (a journal, for example) up to date. 3. To overstate the value of (assets). 4. To report (someone) in writing, as for breaking the law. wrote him up for speeding. Idioms: write (one's) own ticket To set one's own terms or course of action entirely according to one's own needs or wishes: an open-ended and generous scholarship that lets recipients write their own ticket. writ large Signified, expressed, or embodied in a greater or more prominent magnitude or degree: "The man was no more than the boy writ large" George Eliot.
[Middle English writen, from Old English wrtan.] Word History: Every western Indo-European language except English derives its verb for "to write" from Latin scrbere: écrire in French, escribir in Spanish, scrivere in Italian, scribaim in Old Irish, ysgrifennu in Welsh, skriva in Breton, skrifa in Old Norse, skrive in Danish and Norwegian, skriva in Swedish, schreiben in German, schrijven in Dutch. The Old English verb "to write" is wrtan, from a Germanic root *writ- that derives from an Indo-European root *wreid- meaning "to cut, scratch, tear, sketch an outline." German still retains this meaning in its cognate verb reissen, "to tear." Only Old English employed wrtan to refer to writing, that is, scratching on parchment with a pen. English shows a similar contrariness in its verb read, being almost the only western European language not to derive its verb for that concept from Latin legere. |
write Verb [writing, wrote, written] 1. to draw or mark (words, letters, or numbers) on paper or a blackboard with a pen, pencil, or chalk 2. to describe or record (something) in writing: he began to write his memoirs 3. to be an author: he still taught writing, but he didn't write 4. to write a letter to or correspond regularly with someone: don't forget to write! 5. Informal, chiefly US & Canad to write a letter to (someone): I wrote him several times 6. to say or communicate in a letter or a book: in a recent letter a friend wrote that everything costs more in Russia now 7. to fill in the details for (a cheque or document) 8. Computers to record (data) in a storage device 9. write down to record in writing: write it down if you find it too embarrassing to talk about [Old English wrītan]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | write - produce a literary work; "She composed a poem"; "He wrote four novels"draw - write a legal document or paper; "The deed was drawn in the lawyer's office" lyric - write lyrics for (a song) profile - write about; "The author of this article profiles a famous painter" paragraph - write paragraphs; work as a paragrapher paragraph - write about in a paragraph; "All her friends were paragraphed in last Monday's paper" write off - write something fluently, and without hesitation rewrite - rewrite so as to make fit to suit a new or different purpose; "re-write a play for use in schools" write copy - write for commercial publications; "She writes copy for Harper's Bazaar" draft, outline - draw up an outline or sketch for something; "draft a speech" author - be the author of; "She authored this play" annotate, footnote - add explanatory notes to or supply with critical comments; "The scholar annotated the early edition of a famous novel" publish, write - have (one's written work) issued for publication; "How many books did Georges Simenon write?"; "She published 25 books during her long career" write out, write up - put into writing; write in complete form; "write out a contract" script - write a script for; "The playwright scripted the movie" write out, write up - put into writing; write in complete form; "write out a contract" | | 2. | write - communicate or express by writing; "Please write to me every week"write in - write to an organization; "Many listeners wrote in after the controversial radio program" style - make consistent with certain rules of style; "style a manuscript" rewrite - write differently; alter the writing of; "The student rewrote his thesis" sign, subscribe - mark with one's signature; write one's name (on); "She signed the letter and sent it off"; "Please sign here" type, typewrite - write by means of a keyboard with types; "type the acceptance letter, please" handwrite - write by hand; "You should handwrite the note to your guests" jot, jot down - write briefly or hurriedly; write a short note of write up - bring to public notice by writing, with praise or condemnation; "The New York Times wrote him up last week"; "Did your boss write you up?" | | 3. | write - have (one's written work) issued for publication; "How many books did Georges Simenon write?"; "She published 25 books during her long career" | | 4. | write - communicate (with) in writing; "Write her soon, please!"write - communicate or express by writing; "Please write to me every week" correspond - exchange messages; "My Russian pen pal and I have been corresponding for several years" write - communicate by letter; "He wrote that he would be coming soon" | | 5. | write - communicate by letter; "He wrote that he would be coming soon" | | 6. | write - write music; "Beethoven composed nine symphonies"music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner create, make - make or cause to be or to become; "make a mess in one's office"; "create a furor" counterpoint - write in counterpoint; "Bach perfected the art of counterpointing" arrange, set - adapt for performance in a different way; "set this poem to music" score - write a musical score for | | 7. | write - mark or trace on a surface; "The artist wrote Chinese characters on a big piece of white paper"; "Russian is written with the Cyrillic alphabet"stenograph - write in shorthand; "The students were able to stenograph and record the conversation" cross - trace a line through or across; "cross your `t'" superscribe - write on the outside or upper part of; "superscribe an envelope" superscribe - write on the top or outside; "superscribe one's name and address" letter - mark letters on or mark with letters print - write as if with print; not cursive copy - copy down as is; "The students were made to copy the alphabet over and over" | | 8. | write - record data on a computer; "boot-up instructions are written on the hard disk"computer science, computing - the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures record, tape - register electronically; "They recorded her singing" overwrite - write new data on top of existing data and thus erase the previously existing data; "overwrite that file" | | 9. | write - write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word); "He spelled the word wrong in this letter"spell out - spell fully and without abbreviating; "Can you spell out your middle name instead of just giving the initial?" hyphen, hyphenate - divide or connect with a hyphen; "hyphenate these words and names" | | 10. | write - create code, write a computer program; "She writes code faster than anybody else" |
write verb 1. record, copy, scribble, take down, inscribe, set down, transcribe, jot down, put in writing, commit to paper, indite, put down in black and white 3. correspond, get in touch, keep in touch, write a letter, drop a line, drop a note write something off 5. Accounting cancel, shelve, forget about, cross out, score out, give up for lost write something or someone off disregard, ignore, dismiss, regard something or someone as finished, consider something or someone as unimportant  Translations write [ pt wrote, pp written] [raɪt, rəut, ˈrɪtn] vt, vi → escribir; write off vt [+ debt] → borrar (como incobrable);
 write [ wrote , pt , written , pp ] [raɪt, rəut, ˈrɪtn] vt, vi → écrire [+ prescription]; rédiger; write away vi to write away for [+ information] → (écrire pour) demander [+ goods]; (écrire pour) commander
 write [raɪt] [ wrote , pt , written , pp ] vt → schreiben [+ cheque]; ausstellenwrite away write vi to write away for sth → etw anfordern
 write [ pt wrote, pp written] [raɪt, rəut, ˈrɪtn] vt, vi → scrivere;
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writing off