Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

1 N‑UNCOUNT Writing is something that has been written or printed. □ [+ on ] 'It's from a notebook,' the sheriff said, 'And there's writing on it.' □  If you have a complaint about your holiday, please inform us in writing.

2 N‑UNCOUNT You can refer to any piece of written work as writing , especially when you are considering the style of language used in it. □  The writing is brutally tough and savagely humorous. □  It was such a brilliant piece of writing.

3 N‑UNCOUNT Writing is the activity of writing, especially of writing books for money. □  She had begun to be a little bored with novel writing. □  …activities to help prepare children for writing.

4 N‑UNCOUNT [usu poss N ] Your writing is the way that you write with a pen or pencil, which can usually be recognized as belonging to you. □  It was a little difficult to read your writing. □  I think it's due to being left handed that he's got terrible writing.

5 N‑PLURAL [usu with poss] An author's writings are all the things that he or she has written, especially on a particular subject. □  Althusser's writings are focused mainly on France. □ [+ of ] The pieces he is reading are adapted from the writings of Michael Frayn.

6 PHRASE If you say that the writing is on the wall , you mean that there are clear signs that a situation is going to become very difficult or unpleasant. □  After two defeats, the writing is on the wall for the manager.

wri t|ing desk (writing desks ) N‑COUNT A writing desk is a piece of furniture with drawers, an area for keeping writing materials, and a surface on which you can rest your paper while writing.

wri t|ing pa|per (writing papers ) N‑VAR Writing paper is paper for writing letters on. It is usually of good, smooth quality.

writ|ten ◆◇◇ /r I t ^ə n/

1Written is the past participle of write .

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A written test or piece of work is one which involves writing rather than doing something practical or giving spoken answers. □  Learners may have to take a written exam before they pass their driving test.

3 ADJ [ADJ n] A written agreement, rule, or law has been officially written down. □  The newspaper broke a written agreement not to sell certain photographs.

4to be written all over someone's face → see face ➊

wri t|ten wo rd N‑SING You use the written word to refer to language expressed in writing, especially when contrasted with speech or with other forms of expression such as painting or film. □  Even in the 18th century, scholars continued to give primacy to the written word.

wrong ◆◆◇ /rɒ ŋ, [AM ] rɔː ŋ/ (wrongs , wronging , wronged )

1 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say there is something wrong , you mean there is something unsatisfactory about the situation, person, or thing you are talking about. □  Pain is the body's way of telling us that something is wrong. □  Nobody seemed to notice anything wrong. □ [+ with ] What's wrong with him?

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you choose the wrong thing, person, or method, you make a mistake and do not choose the one that you really want. □  He went to the wrong house. □  The wrong man had been punished. □  Could you have given them the wrong information by mistake? □  There is no right or wrong way to do these exercises. ● ADV [ADV after v] Wrong is also an adverb. □  You've done it wrong. □  I must have dialled wrong.