Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Charge?

\Charge\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Charged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Charging}.] [OF. chargier, F. charger, fr. LL. carricare, fr. L. carrus wagon. Cf. {Cargo}, {Caricature}, {Cark}, and see {Car}.] 1. To lay on or impose, as a load, tax, or burden; to load; to fill. A carte that charged was with hay. --Chaucer. The charging of children's memories with rules. --Locke. 2. To lay on or impose, as a task, duty, or trust; to command, instruct, or exhort with authority; to enjoin; to urge earnestly; as, to charge a jury; to charge the clergy of a diocese; to charge an agent. Moses . . . charged you to love the Lord your God. --Josh. xxii. 5. Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition. --Shak. 3. To lay on, impose, or make subject to or liable for. When land shall be charged by any lien. --Kent. 4. To fix or demand as a price; as, he charges two dollars a barrel for apples. 5. To place something to the account of as a debt; to debit, as, to charge one with goods. Also, to enter upon the debit side of an account; as, to charge a sum to one. 6. To impute or ascribe; to lay to one's charge. No more accuse thy pen, but charge the crime On native sloth and negligence of time. --Dryden. 7. To accuse; to make a charge or assertion against (a person or thing); to lay the responsibility (for something said or done) at the door of. If he did that wrong you charge him with. --Tennyson. 8. To place within or upon any firearm, piece of apparatus or machinery, the quantity it is intended and fitted to hold or bear; to load; to fill; as, to charge a gun; to charge an electrical machine, etc. Their battering cannon charged to the mouths. --Shak. 9. To ornament with or cause to bear; as, to charge an architectural member with a molding. 10. (Her.) To assume as a bearing; as, he charges three roses or; to add to or represent on; as, he charges his shield with three roses or. 11. To call to account; to challenge. [Obs.] To charge me to an answer. --Shak. 12. To bear down upon; to rush upon; to attack. Charged our main battle's front. --Shak. Syn: To intrust; command; exhort; instruct; accuse; impeach; arraign. See {Accuse}.
\Charge\, v. i. 1. To make an onset or rush; as, to charge with fixed bayonets. Like your heroes of antiquity, he charges in iron. --Glanvill. ``Charge for the guns!'' he said. --Tennyson. 2. To demand a price; as, to charge high for goods. 3. To debit on an account; as, to charge for purchases. 4. To squat on its belly and be still; -- a command given by a sportsman to a dog.
\Charge\, n. [F. charge, fr. charger to load. See {Charge}, v. t., and cf. {Cargo}, {Caricature}.] 1. A load or burder laid upon a person or thing. 2. A person or thing commited or intrusted to the care, custody, or management of another; a trust. Note: The people of a parish or church are called the charge of the clergyman who is set over them. 3. Custody or care of any person, thing, or place; office; responsibility; oversight; obigation; duty. 'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. --Shak. 4. Heed; care; anxiety; trouble. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 5. Harm. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 6. An order; a mandate or command; an injunction. The king gave cherge concerning Absalom. --2. Sam. xviii. 5. 7. An address (esp. an earnest or impressive address) containing instruction or exhortation; as, the charge of a judge to a jury; the charge of a bishop to his clergy. 8. An accusation of a wrong of offense; allegation; indictment; specification of something alleged. The charge of confounding very different classes of phenomena. --Whewell. 9. Whatever constitutes a burden on property, as rents, taxes, lines, etc.; costs; expense incurred; -- usually in the plural. 10. The price demanded for a thing or service. 11. An entry or a account of that which is due from one party to another; that which is debited in a business transaction; as, a charge in an account book. 12. That quantity, as of ammunition, electricity, ore, fuel, etc., which any apparatus, as a gun, battery, furnace, machine, etc., is intended to receive and fitted to hold, or which is actually in it at one time 13. The act of rushing upon, or towards, an enemy; a sudden onset or attack, as of troops, esp. cavalry; hence, the signal for attack; as, to sound the charge. Never, in any other war afore, gave the Romans a hotter charge upon the enemies. --Holland. The charge of the light brigade. --Tennyson. 14. A position (of a weapon) fitted for attack; as, to bring a weapon to the charge. 15. (Far.) A soft of plaster or ointment. 16. (Her.) A bearing. See {Bearing}, n., 8. 17. [Cf. {Charre}.] Thirty-six pigs of lead, each pig weighing about seventy pounds; -- called also {charre}. 18. Weight; import; value. Many suchlike ``as's'' of great charge. --Shak. {Back charge}. See under {Back}, a. {Bursting charge}. (a (Mil.) The charge which bursts a shell, etc. (b (Mining) A small quantity of fine powder to secure the ignition of a charge of coarse powder in blasting. {Charge and discharge} (Equity Practice), the old mode or form of taking an account before a master in chancery. {Charge sheet}, the paper on which are entered at a police station all arrests and accusations. {To sound the charge}, to give the signal for an attack. Syn: Care; custody; trust; management; office; expense; cost; price; assault; attack; onset; injunction; command; order; mandate; instruction; accusation; indictment.