substance */*/*/

substance */*/*/
UK [ˈsʌbstəns] / US noun
Word forms "substance":
singular substance plural substances
1) [countable] a particular type of liquid, solid, or gas

The wood is coated with a special substance that protects it from the sun.

a hazardous/harmful/radioactive substance:

Some workers had developed cancer after exposure to radioactive substances.

2) a drug that people can start to depend on, especially an illegal drug

Heroin is an addictive substance.

The campus is a substance-free environment.

See:
3) [uncountable] the quality of being important, real, or useful, or something that shows this quality

Her comments added substance to the debate.

The band is all glitz and no substance.

of substance:

The agency hasn't accomplished anything of substance for years.

4) [uncountable] the most important ideas or basic meaning of a discussion or a piece of writing

He refused to discuss the substance of the meetings.

5) [uncountable, usually in negatives or questions] the fact that something is based on accurate information
substance to:

There is no substance to his accusations.

give substance to something (= show that something is true):

Their appearance together gave substance to the rumours of their imminent marriage.

a man/woman/person of substanceliterary someone with a large amount of money or property


English dictionary. 2014.

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  • Substance — • A genus supremum, cannot strictly be defined by an analysis into genus and specific difference; yet a survey of the universe at large will enable us to form without difficulty an accurate idea of substance Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight.… …   Catholic encyclopedia

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  • Substance P — Structure et représentation tridimensionnelle de la Substance P …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Substance — Sub stance, n. [F., fr. L. substantia, fr. substare to be under or present, to stand firm; sub under + stare to stand. See {Stand}.] 1. That which underlies all outward manifestations; substratum; the permanent subject or cause of phenomena,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • substance — 1 Substance, purport, gist, burden, core, pith can denote the inner significance or central meaning of something written or said. Substance implies the essence of what has been said or written devoid of details and elaborations; the term is used… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • substance — sub·stance n 1: substantive law was a question of substance and not process compare procedure 2: something (as language) essential esp. to establishing a valid right, claim, or charge a t …   Law dictionary

  • substance — ► NOUN 1) a particular kind of matter with uniform properties. 2) the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists. 3) solid basis in reality or fact: the claim has no substance. 4) the quality of being important, valid, or… …   English terms dictionary

  • substance — [n1] entity, element actuality, animal, being, body, bulk, concreteness, core, corpus, fabric, force, hunk, individual, item, mass, material, matter, object, person, phenomenon, reality, something, staple, stuff, texture, thing; concepts… …   New thesaurus

  • substance — [sub′stəns] n. [OFr < L substantia < substare, to be present < sub , under + stare, to STAND] 1. the real or essential part or element of anything; essence, reality, or basic matter 2. a) the physical matter of which a thing consists;… …   English World dictionary

  • Substance — Sub stance, v. t. To furnish or endow with substance; to supply property to; to make rich. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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