ACT AS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does act as mean? 

• ACT AS (verb)
  The verb ACT AS has 2 senses:

1. function as or act like

2. pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind

  Familiarity information: ACT AS used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACT AS (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Function as or act like

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

This heap of stones will act as a barrier

Hypernyms (to "act as" is one way to...):

function; serve (serve a purpose, role, or function)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

act; act as; play

Context example:

She plays deaf when the news are bad

Hypernyms (to "act as" is one way to...):

act; behave; do (behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself)

Verb group:

act; behave; do (behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself)

act; play; represent (play a role or part)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

 Context examples 

Cottonseed meal toxin may also act as a male contraceptive (a type of birth control).

(Cottonseed meal toxin, NCI Dictionary)

Cullins may act as a scaffold to promote the association of substrates with ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes.

(Cullin Family Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

It is composed of Polymyxins E1 and E2 (or Colistins A, B, and C) which act as detergents on cell membranes.

(Colistin Sulfate, NCI Thesaurus)

By carefully selecting the denaturing temperature below the Tm for the wild-type molecule, only the mismatch heteroduplexes will melt and act as efficient templates for strand synthesis.

(COLD-PCR, NCI Thesaurus)

In addition, cisapride has been found to act as a serotonin agonist, stimulating type 4 receptors, and a serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist.

(Cisapride, NCI Thesaurus)

CXC Cytokine Genes encode Alpha Chemokines, CXC-type dual-cysteine chemokines with paired cysteine residues separated by a non-cysteine residue in their primary sequence that act as chemoattractants for neutrophils, but not for monocytes.

(CXC Cytokine Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

Cytokines act as intercellular mediators regulating immune and inflammatory responses.

(Cytokine Degradation Process, NCI Thesaurus)

It affects how we think, feel and act as we cope with life.

(Mental Health, NIH)

The process by which the two strands of a DNA double helix separate, allowing each strand to act as a template for the synthesis of a complementary strand by specific base pairing.

(DNA replication, NCI Thesaurus)

A radiosensitizer that targets hypoxic cells and act as oxygen substitute making tumor cells sensitive to radiation damage.

(Desmethylmisonidazole, NCI Thesaurus)