label Definition

label
noun

1a. A note, tag or sticker that specifies details of something's contents, destination, ownership, etc;

Thesaurus: badge, marker, tag, sticker, stamp, insignia.
1b. A tag or sticker attached to something, which carries advice about how to use it, wash it, care for it, etc.
2. A word or short phrase which is used to describe a person, movement or school of thought.

Example: The label ‘Left-wing' is a relative one
Thesaurus: characterization, classification, description, epithet, brand.
3. A small strip of material, etc which has the name of the maker or designer on it.
4a. A recording company's trademark;
4b. The sticker in the middle of a record (noun 4) that has information about the music, performers, production, etc on it.
5. computing.
A character or set of characters used as a means of identifying the position of an instruction by citing it in a particular place in a program, and which, having been declared as a label, can then be referred to from elsewhere in the program.
6. chem.
An element, often a radioactive atom, that is used for the identification or monitoring of a chemical reaction, molecule, living organism, etc.

verb labelled, labelling, labeled, labeling

1a. To mark something in a specified way with a special tag, sticker, etc;

Thesaurus: stamp, tag, identify, mark, brand.
1b. To attach a tag, sticker, etc to something.
2. To call someone or some group by a specified name.

Thesaurus: classify, categorize, designate, describe, name, dub, style, christen, specify, define.
3. chem.
To use an element, often a radioactive atom, to identify or monitor (a chemical reaction, a molecule, organism, etc).

Etymology: 14c: French, meaning ‘ribbon'.