charge
To ask someone to pay a certain amount of money.
The word charge has several meanings:
- To rush forward with energy and purpose. When a bull charges across a field, it runs straight ahead at full speed. A football player might charge down the field toward the end zone. Knights in medieval times would charge into battle on horseback, thundering toward their opponents. The word suggests powerful, direct movement, often with determination or even aggression.
- To ask someone to pay a certain amount of money. A store might charge five dollars for a notebook, or a plumber might charge by the hour for fixing a leak. When you charge something to a credit card, you're buying it now but paying for it later. Parents might say they were charged too much for concert tickets.
- To give someone a responsibility or task. A teacher might charge a student with taking attendance, or a coach might charge the team captain with leading warm-ups. When someone is in charge, they're the person responsible for making decisions and getting things done.
- To fill something with electrical energy. You charge your tablet by plugging it in overnight. A battery holds an electrical charge that powers devices.
- In law, to formally accuse someone of a crime. Police might charge someone with theft, meaning they officially claim the person broke the law. These charges must then be proven in court.