IN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does IN mean? 

• IN (noun)
  The noun IN has 3 senses:

1. a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot

2. a rare soft silvery metallic element; occurs in small quantities in sphalerite

3. a state in midwestern United States

  Familiarity information: IN used as a noun is uncommon.

• IN (adjective)
  The adjective IN has 3 senses:

1. holding office

2. directed or bound inward

3. currently fashionable

  Familiarity information: IN used as an adjective is uncommon.

• IN (adverb)
  The adverb IN has 1 sense:

1. to or toward the inside of

  Familiarity information: IN used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

in; inch

Hypernyms ("in" is a kind of...):

linear measure; linear unit (a unit of measurement of length)

Meronyms (parts of "in"):

em; pica; pica em (a linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing)

ligne (a linear unit (1/40 inch) used to measure diameter of buttons)

mesh (the number of openings per linear inch of a screen; measures size of particles)

mil (a unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch; used to specify thickness (e.g., of sheets or wire))

Domain region:

Britain; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

America; the States; U.S.; U.S.A.; United States; United States of America; US; USA (North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776)

Holonyms ("in" is a part of...):

foot; ft (a linear unit of length equal to 12 inches or a third of a yard)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A rare soft silvery metallic element; occurs in small quantities in sphalerite

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

atomic number 49; In; indium

Hypernyms ("In" is a kind of...):

metal; metallic element (any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.)

Holonyms ("In" is a substance of...):

blende; sphalerite; zinc blende (an ore that is the chief source of zinc; consists largely of zinc sulfide in crystalline form)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A state in midwestern United States

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

Hoosier State; IN; Ind.; Indiana

Instance hypernyms:

American state (one of the 50 states of the United States)

Meronyms (parts of "IN"):

Wabash; Wabash River (a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in western Ohio and flows southwestward across Indiana)

Bloomington (a university town in south central Indiana)

Evansville (a city in southwestern Indiana on the Ohio River)

Fort Wayne (a city in northeastern Indiana)

Gary (a city in northwest Indiana on Lake Michigan; steel production)

capital of Indiana; Indianapolis (the capital and largest city of Indiana; a major commercial center in the country's heartland; site of an annual 500-mile automobile race)

Lafayette (a university town in west central Indiana on the Wabash River)

Muncie (a town in east central Indiana)

South Bend (a city in northern Indiana)

Holonyms ("IN" is a part of...):

Corn Belt (the midwestern states in the U.S. where corn is grown; Iowa and Illinois are excellent for raising corn and corn-fed livestock)

middle west; Midwest; midwestern United States (the north central region of the United States (sometimes called the heartland or the breadbasket of America))

America; the States; U.S.; U.S.A.; United States; United States of America; US; USA (North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776)

• IN (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Holding office

Context example:

the in party

Similar:

successful (having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Directed or bound inward

Context example:

the in basket

Similar:

incoming (arriving at a place or position)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Currently fashionable

Context example:

large shoulder pads are in

Similar:

fashionable; stylish (being or in accordance with current social fashions)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

• IN (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

To or toward the inside of

Synonyms:

in; inward; inwards

Context example:

smash in the door

 Context examples 

But, like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The master is a person of an excellent disposition and is remarkable in the ship for his gentleness and the mildness of his discipline.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

For me, at least, there was no secret about the matter, for I was, in a way, a sharer in his alarms.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

"The hell!" Henry cried in wrath, leaving the cooking to come and count the dogs.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The girls flew about, trying to make things comfortable, each in her own way.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Buck lived at a big house in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck, and said, "For your mother's sake," and went out of the room.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Medical nutrition therapy may help patients recover more quickly and spend less time in the hospital.

(Medical nutrition therapy, NCI Dictionary)

A doctor who specializes in treating cancer.

(Medical oncologist, NCI Thesaurus)

The study of microorganisms with an emphasis on their role in the human disease process.

(Medical Microbiology, NCI Thesaurus)