Etimology
From Middle English changen, chaungen, from Old French changier, from Late Latin cambiāre, from Latin cambīre, present active infinitive of cambiō (“exchange, barter”), from Gaulish cambion, *kambyom (“change”), from Proto-Celtic *kambos (“twisted, crooked”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱambos, *(s)kambos (“crooked”). Cognate with Italian cambiare, Portuguese cambiar, Romanian schimba, Sicilian canciari, Spanish cambiar. Used in English since the 13th century. Displaced native Middle English wenden, from Old English wendan (“to turn, change”) (whence English wend). The noun is from Middle English change, chaunge, from Old French change, from the verb changier. See also exchange. Possibly related from the same source is Old English gombe.
verb
change (third-person singular simple present changes, present participle changing, simple past and past participle changed)
(intransitive) To become something different.
(transitive, ergative) To make something into something else.
(transitive) To replace.
(intransitive) To replace one's clothing.
(transitive) To replace the clothing of (the one wearing it).
(intransitive) To transfer to another vehicle (train, bus, etc.)
(archaic) To exchange.
(transitive) To change hand while riding (a horse).
Examples
The tadpole changed into a frog. Stock prices are constantly changing.
Lo I the man, whoſe Muſe whilome did maske, / As time her taught in lowly Shepheards weeds, / Am now enforſt a far unfitter taske, / For trumpets ſterne to chaunge mine oaten reeds, / And ſinge of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds [...]
Of all the transitions brought about on the Earth’s surface by temperature change, the melting of ice into water is the starkest. It is binary. And for the land beneath, the air above and the life around, it changes everything.
Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. […] A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale.
The fairy changed the frog into a prince. I had to change the wording of the ad so it would fit.
Ask the janitor to come and change the lightbulb. After a brisk walk, I washed up and changed my shirt.
You can't go into the dressing room while she's changing. The clowns changed into their costumes before the circus started.
It's your turn to change the baby.
After stopping at these stations, my train has become busy. Returning day-trippers make up a goodly number, along with young people heading for a night out in Bristol, which is where I change once again.
At the first sight / they have changed eyes.
I would give any thing to change a word or two with this person.
to change a horse
Related words
synonyms
(to make something different): alter, modify, make another
(to make something into something different): transform
related terms
exchange
noun
change (countable and uncountable, plural changes)
(countable, uncountable) The process of becoming different.
(uncountable) Small denominations of money given in exchange for a larger denomination.
(countable) A replacement.
(uncountable) Balance of money returned from the sum paid after deducting the price of a purchase.
(uncountable) An amount of cash, usually in the form of coins, but sometimes inclusive of paper money.
(countable) A transfer between vehicles.
(baseball) A change-up pitch.
(campanology) Any order in which a number of bells are struck, other than that of the diatonic scale.
(Scotland, dated) A public house; an alehouse.
Examples
Cause people often talk about being scared of change / But for me I'm more afraid of things staying the same
Of all the transitions brought about on the Earth’s surface by temperature change, the melting of ice into water is the starkest. It is binary. And for the land beneath, the air above and the life around, it changes everything.
The product is undergoing a change in order to improve it.
Can I get change for this $100 bill, please?
a change of clothes
After beating champions Chelsea 3-1 on Boxing Day, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger made eight changes to his starting XI in an effort to freshen things up, with games against Birmingham and Manchester City to come in the next seven days.
A customer who pays with a 10-pound note for a £9 item receives one pound in change.
Do you have any change on you? I need to make a phone call.
This bus ride requires exact change.
The train journey from Bristol to Nottingham includes a change at Birmingham.
It [the Elizabeth Line] will provide a 6tph service and with a single change at Hayes & Harlington offer services towards Reading.
Four bells admit twenty-four changes in ringing.
They call an alehouse a change.
Related words
synonyms
(the process of becoming different): transition, transformation
related terms
(transfer): interchange
exact change