change

Meanings

Verb

• To become something different.
• To make something into something else.
• To replace.
• To replace one's clothing.
• To replace the clothing of (the one wearing it).
• To transfer to another vehicle (train, bus, etc.)
• To exchange.
• To change hand while riding (a horse).

Noun

• The process of becoming different.
• Small denominations of money given in exchange for a larger denomination.
• A replacement.
• Balance of money returned from the sum paid after deducting the price of a purchase.
• Usually coins (as opposed to paper money), but sometimes inclusive of paper money
• A transfer between vehicles.
• A change-up pitch.
• Any order in which a number of bells are struck, other than that of the diatonic scale.
• A place where merchants and others meet to transact business; an exchange.
• A public house; an alehouse.

Related

Similar words

• alter, modify, make another
• transform
• transition, transformation

Origin

• From Middle English changen, chaungen, from Old French changier, from Late Latin cambiare, from Latin cambīre, present active infinitive of cambiō, from Gaulish cambion, *kambyom, from Proto-Celtic *kambos ("twisted, crooked"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱambos, *(s)kambos.
• Cognate with Italian cambiare, Portuguese cambiar, Romanian schimba, Sicilian canciari, Spanish cambiar. Used in English since the 13th century. Displaced native Middle English wenden, from Old English wendan ("to turn, change") (whence English wend).
• The noun is from Middle English change, chaunge, from Old French change, from the verb changier. See also exchange. Possibly related from the same source is Old English gombe.