label

la•bel

[[t]ˈleɪ bəl[/t]] n. v. -beled, -bel•ing (esp. brit.)-belled, -bel•ling.

1) an inscribed slip of paper, cloth, or other material, for attachment to something to indicate its manufacturer, nature, ownership, destination, etc

2) a short word or phrase descriptive of a person, group, intellectual movement, etc

3) cvb a word or phrase indicating that what follows belongs in a particular category or classification, as the word Physics before a dictionary definition

4) a brand or trademark, esp. of a manufacturer

5) cvb the manufacturer using such a label

6) wall label

7) archit. a molding or dripstone over a door or window

8) med chem. a radioactive or heavy isotope incorporated into a molecule for use as a tracer

9) her a narrow horizontal heraldic band with downward extensions

10) Obs. a strip or narrow piece of anything

11) to affix a label to; mark with a label

12) to designate or describe by or on a label

13) to put in a certain class; classify

14) chem. to incorporate a radioactive or heavy isotope into (a molecule) in order to make traceable

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Etymology: 1275–1325; ME < MF: ribbon, prob. < Gmc la′bel•er, n.