mode

B2 Topic:Tools, Machines & Construction

US /moʊd/ UK /məʊd/ See IPA manual

Freq #5911

Meanings

1

noun
A particular way in which a machine or system operates.

He switched the camera to night mode.
2

noun
A particular way of doing something or of something happening.

What was their main mode of transport?
3

noun
A particular state of mind or way of behaving.

After the bad news, the whole team went into crisis mode.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a particular way of doing... fashion

Word family

Forms modes

Derived forms altmodeantimodeb-modebearmodebi-modebimodeboymodedual-modeeigenmodegirlmodeintermodeintramode

Related forms modal modality model modeler moderate moderation moderator modern module mood

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

minor mode
a musical key or mode based on a minor scale

Adjective + noun

Idioms (1)

See all

keep the lights on
Matching variant: keep-the-lights-on mode

to do just enough work to keep a business running, without growth or improvement

Etymology

From Old French mode (masculine), from Latin modus (“measure, due measure, rhythm, melody”). Doublet of modus.

*med- Proto-Indo-European mode Old French modus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Tools, Machines & Construction

External links

# mode

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /moʊd/
**IPA (UK):** /məʊd/
**Frequency rank:** 5911

## Meanings
1. A particular way in which a machine or system operates.
2. A particular way of doing something or of something happening.
3. A particular state of mind or way of behaving.

## Examples
- He switched the camera to night mode.
- What was their main mode of transport?
- After the bad news, the whole team went into crisis mode.

## Derived Forms
- altmode
- antimode
- b-mode
- bearmode
- bi-mode
- bimode
- boymode
- dual-mode
- eigenmode
- girlmode
- intermode
- intramode

## Related Forms
- modal
- modality
- model
- modeler
- moderate
- moderation
- moderator
- modern
- module
- mood

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *med-
- Root: mode
- Root: modus

## Etymology
From Old French mode (masculine), from Latin modus (“measure, due measure, rhythm, melody”). Doublet of modus.

## AI Etymology
Mode comes from Old French mode (masculine), from Latin modus (“measure, due measure, rhythm, melody”). Doublet of modus. The historical chain includes *med- (Proto-Indo-European), mode (Old French), and modus (Latin). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as altmode, antimode, b-mode, and bearmode and related forms such as modal, modality, and model. In present use it covers a particular way in which a machine or system operates, a particular way of doing something or of something happening, and a particular state of mind or way of behaving.

## Topics
- Tools, Machines & Construction

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