write

Universal Words letters / numbers 1 ~ (in / on / with sth) to make letters or numbers on a surface, especially using a pen or a pencil: [V] In some countries children don't start learning to read and write until they are six. * Please write in pen on both sides of the paper. * I haven't got anything to write with. * [VN] Write your name at the top of the paper. * The teacher wrote the answers on the board. * The 'b' had been wrongly written as a 'd'. book / music / program 2 ~ (sth) (about / on sth) to produce sth in written form so that people can read, perform or use it, etc: [VN] to write a novel / a song / an essay / a computer program * He hopes to write a book about his experiences one day. * She had to write a report on the project. * Who was 'London Fields' written by? * Which opera did Verdi write first? * [V] I wanted to travel and then write about it. * He writes for the 'New Yorker' (= works as a writer). * No decision has been made at the time of writing. * [VNN] She wrote him several poems. a letter 3 ~ (sth) (to sb) to put information, greetings, etc. in a letter and send it to sb: [V] Bye! Don't forget to write. * She wrote to him in France. * Can you write and confirm your booking? * I'm writing to enquire about language courses. * [VN, VNN] I wrote a letter to the Publicity Department. * I wrote the Publicity Department a letter. * [Vthat] She wrote that they were all fine. * [VN] (AmE) Write me while you're away. * [VNthat] (AmE) He wrote me that he would be arriving Monday. * [V-ing] They wrote thanking us for the present. state in writing 4 to state the information or the words mentioned: [Vthat] In his latest book he writes that the theory has since been disproved. * [V] Ancient historians wrote of a lost continent beneath the ocean. [also Vspeech] cheque / form 5 ~ sth (out) to put information in the appropriate places on a cheque or other form: [VN] to write out a cheque * [VNN] I'll write you a receipt. * The doctor wrote her a prescription for more antibiotics. computing 6 ~ (sth) to / onto sth to record data in the memory of a computer: [VN] An error was reported when he tried to write data to the file for the first time. [also V] of pen / pencil 7 [V] to work correctly or in the way mentioned: This pen won't write. IDIOMS be written all over sb's face (of a feeling) to be very obvious to other people from the expression on sb's face: Guilt was written all over his face. have sth/sb written all over it / sb (informal) to show clearly the quality mentioned or the influence of the person mentioned: It was performance with star quality written all over it. * This essay has got Mike written all over it. nothing (much) to write home about (informal) not especially good; ordinary: The team's performance was nothing to write home about. moreatWORTHadj. PHRASALVERBS write away = WRITEOFF/AWAY write back (to sb) to write sb a letter replying to their letter: I'm afraid I never wrote back. * She wrote back saying that she couldn't come. write sth<->down 1 to write sth on paper, especially in order to remember or record it: Write down the address before you forget it. 2 (business) to reduce the value of ASSETS when stating it in a company's accounts: All stock over six months old was written down to 50%. * the written-down value of the stock relatednounWRITE-DOWN write in (to sb/sth) (for sth) to write a letter to an organization or a company, for example to ask about sth or to express an opinion: I'll write in for more information. * She wrote in to the BBC to complain. write sb/sth<->in (AmE, politics) to add an extra name to your voting paper in an election in order to be able to vote for them relatednounWRITE-IN write sth into sth to include a rule or condition in a contract or an agreement when it is made: A penalty clause was written into the contract. write off / away (to sb/sth) (for sth) to write to an organization or a company, usually in order to ask them to send you sth: I've written off for the catalogue. write sth<->off 1 (business) to cancel a debt; to recognize that sth is a failure, has no value, etc: to write off a debt / an investment 2 (BrE) to damage sth, especially a vehicle, so badly that it cannot be repaired: He's written off two cars this year. relatednounWRITE-OFF seealsoTOTAL write sb/sth<->off (as sth) to decide that sb/sth is a failure or not worth paying any attention to write sth<->out to write sth on paper, including all the details, especially a piece of work or an account of sth seealsoWRITE(5) write sb<->out (of sth) to remove a character from a regular series on television or radio: She was written out after 20 years in the role. write sth<->up to record sth in writing in a full and complete form, often using notes that you made earlier: to write up your notes / the minutes of a meeting * They had to do a survey of the island and write up their findings. relatednounWRITE-UP