Field /(fēld)/

Field

n.
  1. Cleared land; land suitable for tillage or pasture; cultivated ground; the open country.
  2. A piece of land of considerable size; esp., a piece inclosed for tillage or pasture.
    Fields which promise corn and wine.
  3. A place where a battle is fought; also, the battle itself.
    In this glorious and well-foughten field.
    What though the field be lost?
  4. An open space; an extent; an expanse.
    Without covering, save yon field of stars.
    Ask of yonder argent fields above.
  5. The whole surface of an escutcheon; also, so much of it is shown unconcealed by the different bearings upon it. See Illust. of Fess, where the field is represented as gules (red), while the fess is argent (silver). (Her.)
  6. An unresticted or favorable opportunity for action, operation, or achievement; province; room.
    Afforded a clear field for moral experiments.
  7. A collective term for all the competitors in any outdoor contest or trial, or for all except the favorites in the betting.
  8. That part of the grounds reserved for the players which is outside of the diamond; -- called also outfield. (Baseball)
  9. A region containing a particular mineral; as, the diamond fields of South Africa; an oil field; a gold field. (Geol.)
  10. Any of certain structures serving cognition. (Alg.)
  11. A physical phenomenon (such as force, potential or fluid velocity) that pervades a region; a mathematical model of such a phenomenon that associates each point and time with a scalar, vector or tensor quantity; as, magnetic field; gravitational field; scalar field. (Physics)
  12. An airfield, airport or air base; especially, one with unpaved runways.

Phrases & Compounds
Coal field
See under Coal.
Field artillery
light ordnance mounted on wheels, for the use of a marching army.
Field basil
a plant of the Mint family (Calamintha Acinos); -- called also basil thyme.
Field colors
small flags for marking out the positions for squadrons and battalions; camp colors.
Field cricket
a large European cricket (Gryllus campestric), remarkable for its loud notes.
Field day
A day in the fields.
Field driver
in New England, an officer charged with the driving of stray cattle to the pound.
Field duck
the little bustard (Otis tetrax), found in Southern Europe.
Field glass
A binocular telescope of compact form; a lorgnette; a race glass.
Field lark
The skylark.
Field lens
that one of the two lenses forming the eyepiece of an astronomical telescope or compound microscope which is nearer the object glass; -- called also field glass.
Field madder
a plant (Sherardia arvensis) used in dyeing.
Field marshal
the highest military rank conferred in the British and other European armies.
Field officer
an officer above the rank of captain and below that of general.
Field officer's court
a court-martial consisting of one field officer empowered to try all cases, in time of war, subject to jurisdiction of garrison and regimental courts.
Field plover
the black-bellied plover (Charadrius squatarola); also sometimes applied to the Bartramian sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda).
Field spaniel
a small spaniel used in hunting small game.
Field sparrow
A small American sparrow (Spizella pusilla).
Field staff
a staff formerly used by gunners to hold a lighted match for discharging a gun.
Field vole
the European meadow mouse.
Field of ice
a large body of floating ice; a pack.
Field
in a telescope or microscope, the entire space within which objects are seen.
Field magnet
see under Magnet.
Magnetic field
See Magnetic.
To back the field
See under Back, v. t.
To keep the field
To continue a campaign.
To lay, [or] back, against the field
to bet on (a horse, etc.) against all comers.
To take the field
to enter upon a campaign.

Field

v. i.

imp. & p. p. Fielded; p. pr. & vb. n. Fielding

  1. To take the field. [Obs.]
  2. To stand out in the field, ready to catch, stop, or throw the ball. (Ball Playing)

Field

v. t.
  1. To catch, stop, throw, etc. (the ball), as a fielder. (Ball Playing)