cause

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The thing or person that makes something happen.

   They identified a burst pipe as the cause of the flooding.

2. 2
   verb

   To make something happen, especially something bad.

   The heavy rain caused serious damage to the roads.

3. 3
   noun

   A good reason for thinking or doing something.

   There is no cause for alarm.

4. 4
   noun

   An aim or principle that a group strongly believes in and works for.

   She donated the money to a good cause.

Common collocations

• main cause Adjective + noun
• cause a problem Verb + noun
• cause an accident Verb + noun
• cause death Verb + noun
• cause trouble Verb + noun
• cause worry Verb + noun
• cause a drop Verb + noun
• cause pain Verb + noun
• find the cause Verb + noun
• root cause Adjective + noun
• cause wear Verb + noun
• identify the cause Verb + noun

* From Middle English cause (also with the sense of “a thing”), borrowed from Old French cause (“a cause, a thing”), borrowed from Latin causa (“reason, sake, cause”), from Proto-Italic *kaussā, which is of unknown origin. Doublet of chose (“(law) a thing; personal property”). See accuse, excuse, recuse, ruse. Displaced native Old English intinga. * From Middle English causen, Old French causer and Medieval Latin causāre.

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