guide

I UK [ɡaɪd] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "guide":
singular guide plural guides
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1)

a) a book about a city, country, or area

The Complete Guide to Norway

They publish a range of city guides.

travel guide:

It is worth buying a good travel guide.

b) a book about a particular subject or type of activity

Get the booklet Income Tax: A Guide for Married Couples.

guide to:

a comprehensive guide to the new simplified divorce procedure

I bought a copy of A Beginner's Guide to Flower Arranging.

step-by-step guide:

See our step-by-step guide on page 17.

pocket guide:

Lots of publishers produce pocket guides to various hobbies.

2) something that helps you to make a judgment about something

guide to/as to:

The doctor will give you a guide as to how much you should weigh.

good/reliable guide:

A plant's leaves are a good guide to its health.

rough guide:

Opinion polls only serve as a rough guide to how people really vote.

•

Collocations:
Adjectives frequently used with guide
▪  approximate, complete, good, practical, reliable, rough, step-by-step, useful

3) a piece of equipment that helps you to find the correct place or amount for something

a cutting guide

This chart can act as a quick reference guide.

use something as a guide:

Draw up the plan using this pencil outline as a guide.

4)

a) tourism someone whose job is to look after a group of people who are visiting a place and give them information about it

Your guide will explain what the different machines were used for.

b) someone who shows you which direction to walk or travel in, especially as their job

mountain guide:

She's working as a mountain guide in the Swiss Alps.

••

See:

tour guide

5) someone who helps you to decide what to do by giving you advice or by giving you a good example to follow

She was his guide and his inspiration.

6) Guide

old-fashioned a girl who is a member of the Guides, an organization that encourages girls aged ten to 14 years to learn practical skills and help other people
II UK [ɡaɪd] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "guide":
present tense I/you/we/they guide he/she/it guides present participle guiding past tense guided past participle guided
**

1) to show someone which direction they should walk or travel in by going with them

guide someone through/to/along etc something:

He guided them through the forest.

Carol will guide you round the museum.

a) to physically help someone to move in a particular direction

guide someone to/along etc something:

Lucy took the old man's arm and gently guided him to his chair.

b) if a light, signal etc guides someone or something, it shows them where to go

We had only the stars to guide us.

The planes are guided in by radio beacons.

c) to carefully move a vehicle or other moving object so that it goes where you want it to go

guide something towards/into etc something:

Slowly he guided the boat towards the dock.

2)

a) to help someone to make decisions or judgments about something

There was no market research to guide them.

His entire life was guided by his religious beliefs.

guiding principle (= a very important belief that influences your decisions):

You must have some guiding principles for the way you run your business.

b) to help someone to do something by giving them advice at different stages

guide someone through something:

We can guide you through the maze of financial planning.

guide someone in something:

Students should be carefully guided in their reading.

3) to try to make a situation or an organization develop in a particular way

a code that attempts to guide the behaviour of officials

guide something towards something:

Harry tried to guide the conversation towards the subject of money.