change

verb

1. (intransitive)To become something different.

   “The tadpole changed into a frog.”

   “Stock prices are constantly changing.”

2. (ergative, transitive)To make something into something else.

   “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.”

3. (transitive)To replace.

   “Ask the janitor to come and change the lightbulb.”

   “After a brisk walk, I washed up and changed my shirt.”

   “Towards the end of the nineteenth century, boys who had pretended soldiers down through the centuries, now changed their pikes and swords for toy pistols.”

4. (intransitive)To replace one's clothing.

   “You can't go into the dressing room while she’s changing.”

   “The clowns changed into their costumes before the circus started.”

5. (transitive)To replace the clothing of (the one wearing it), especially to put a clean diaper on (someone).

   “It’s your turn to change the baby.”

6. (intransitive)To transfer to another vehicle (train, bus, etc.)

   “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.”

7. (archaic)To exchange.

   “At the first sight / they have changed eyes. (exchanged looks)”

   “I would give any thing to change a word or two with this person.”

8. (transitive)To change hand while riding (a horse).

   “to change a horse”

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The process or result of becoming different.

   “The product is undergoing a change in order to improve it.”

   “Such much-needed changes to the exam format might have a serious effect on candidates' performance.”

   “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.”

2. (uncountable)Small denominations of money given in exchange for a larger denomination.

   “Can I get change for this $100 bill, please?”

3. (countable)A replacement.

   “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.”

4. (uncountable)Balance of money returned from the sum paid after deducting the price of a purchase.

   “A customer who pays with a 10-pound note for a £9 item receives one pound in change.”

5. (uncountable)An amount of cash, usually in the form of coins, but sometimes inclusive of paper money.

   “Do you have any change on you? I need to make a phone call.”

   “This bus ride requires exact change.”

6. (countable)A transfer between vehicles.

   “The train journey from Bristol to Nottingham includes a change at Birmingham.”

   “It [the Elizabeth Line] will provide a 6tph (trains per hour) service and with a single change at Hayes & Harlington offer services towards Reading.”

7. (countable, uncountable)A change-up pitch.
8. (countable, uncountable)Any order in which a number of bells are struck, other than that of the diatonic scale.

   “Four bells admit twenty-four changes in ringing.”

9. (Scotland, countable, dated, uncountable)A public house; an alehouse.

   “1727-1728, Edward Burt, Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland to his Friend in London They call an alehouse a change.”