1 VERB If something recedes from you, it moves away. □ [V prep] Luke's footsteps receded into the night. □ [V ] As she receded he waved goodbye.
2 VERB When something such as a quality, problem, or illness recedes , it becomes weaker, smaller, or less intense. □ [V ] Just as I started to think that I was never going to get well, the illness began to recede. [Also V prep]
3 VERB If a man's hair starts to recede , it no longer grows on the front of his head. □ [V ] …a youngish man with dark hair just beginning to recede. [Also V at/from n]
re|ceipt /r I siː t/ (receipts )
1 N‑COUNT A receipt is a piece of paper that you get from someone as proof that they have received money or goods from you. In British English a receipt is a piece of paper that you get in a shop when you buy something, but in American English the more usual term for this is sales slip . □ [+ for ] I wrote her a receipt for the money.
2 N‑PLURAL Receipts are the amount of money received during a particular period, for example by a shop or theatre. □ He was tallying the day's receipts.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The receipt of something is the act of receiving it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Goods should be supplied within 28 days after the receipt of your order.
4 PHRASE If you are in receipt of something, you have received it or you receive it regularly. [FORMAL ] □ We are taking action, having been in receipt of a letter from him.
re|ceive ◆◆◆ /r I siː v/ (receives , receiving , received )
1 VERB When you receive something, you get it after someone gives it to you or sends it to you. □ [V n] They will receive their awards at a ceremony in Stockholm. □ [V n] I received your letter of November 7.
2 VERB You can use receive to say that certain kinds of thing happen to someone. For example if they are injured, you can say that they received an injury. □ [V n] He received more of the blame than anyone when the plan failed to work. □ [V -ed] She was suffering from whiplash injuries received in a car crash.
3 VERB When you receive a visitor or a guest, you greet them. □ [V n] The following evening the duchess was again receiving guests.
4 VERB [usu passive] If you say that something is received in a particular way, you mean that people react to it in that way. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] The resolution had been received with great disappointment within the organization.
5 VERB When a radio or television receives signals that are being transmitted, it picks them up and converts them into sound or pictures. □ [V n] The reception was a little faint but clear enough for him to receive the signal. [Also V ]
6 PHRASE If you are on the receiving end or at the receiving end of something unpleasant, you are the person that it happens to. □ You saw hate in their eyes and you were on the receiving end of that hate. SYNONYMS receive VERB 1
collect: She had just collected her pension from the post office.
obtain: Evans was trying to obtain a false passport.
acquire: I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.
re|ceived /r I siː vd/ ADJ [ADJ n] The received opinion about something or the received way of doing something is generally accepted by people as being correct. [FORMAL ] □ He was among the first to question the received wisdom of the time.
Re|cei ved Pro|nun|cia |tion N‑UNCOUNT Received Pronunciation is a way of pronouncing British English that is often used as a standard in the teaching of English as a foreign language. The abbreviation RP is also used. The accent represented by the pronunciations in this dictionary is Received Pronunciation.
re|ceiv|er /r I siː və r / (receivers )
1 N‑COUNT A phone's receiver is the part that you hold near to your ear and speak into.
2 N‑COUNT A receiver is the part of a radio or television that picks up signals and converts them into sound or pictures. □ A built-in TMC radio receiver picks up information about tailbacks, and alerted us promptly to a motorway hold-up.
3 N‑COUNT The receiver is someone who is appointed by a court of law to manage the affairs of a business, usually when it is facing financial failure. [BUSINESS ] □ Between July and September, a total of 1,059 firms called in the receiver.
re|ceiv|er|ship /r I siː və r ʃ I p/ (receiverships ) N‑VAR [oft in/into N ] If a company goes into receivership , it faces financial failure and the administration of its business is handled by the receiver. [BUSINESS ] □ The company has now gone into receivership with debts of several million.
re|cent ◆◆◆ /riː s ə nt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A recent event or period of time happened only a short while ago. □ In the most recent attack one man was shot dead and two others were wounded. □ Sales have fallen by more than 75 percent in recent years.
re|cent|ly ◆◆◇ /riː s ə ntli/ ADV [ADV with v] If you have done something recently or if something happened recently , it happened only a short time ago. □ The bank recently opened a branch in Germany. □ He was until very recently the most powerful banker in the city. SYNONYMS recently ADV
newly: She was young at the time, and newly married.
lately: Dad's health hasn't been too good lately.
just: I've just bought a new house.
re|cep|ta|cle /r I se pt I k ə l/ (receptacles ) N‑COUNT A receptacle is an object which you use to put or keep things in. [FORMAL ]
re|cep|tion /r I se pʃ ə n/ (receptions )