1a price asked for goods or services:our standard charge for a letter is £25
a financial liability or commitment:an asset of some £102.7 m should have been taken as a charge on earnings
2an accusation, typically one formally made against a prisoner brought to trial:he appeared in court on a charge of attempted murder
3 [mass noun] responsibility for the care or control of someone or something:the people in her charge are pupils and not experimental subjects
[count noun] a person or thing entrusted to the care of someone:the babysitter watched over her charges
[count noun] dated a responsibility or duty assigned to someone:I have therefore laid down the charge which was placed upon me
[count noun] an official instruction, especially one given by a judge to a jury regarding points of law:the judge gave a painstakingly careful charge to the jury
4the property of matter that is responsible for electrical phenomena, existing in a positive or negative form.
the quantity of matter responsible for electrical phenomena carried by a body.
[mass noun] energy stored chemically for conversion into electricity.
an act or period of storing electrical energy in a battery.
[in singular] informal a thrill:I get a real charge out of working hard
5a quantity of explosive to be detonated in order to fire a gun or similar weapon:smaller charges, fired on three minute fuses lit by hand
6a headlong rush forward, typically in attack:a cavalry charge
7 Heraldry a device or bearing placed on a shield or crest.
ზმნა
Universal
1demand (an amount) as a price for a service rendered or goods supplied:wedding planners may charge an hourly fee of up to £150 [with two objects]:he charged me five dollars for the wine
(charge something to) record the cost of something as an amount payable by (someone) or on (an account):they charge the calls to their credit-card accounts
2formally accuse (someone) of something, especially an offence under law:they were charged with assault
[with clause] make an accusation or assertion that:opponents charged that below-cost pricing would reduce safety
Law formally accuse someone of (an offence):they filed a lawsuit charging fraud and breach of contract
3entrust (someone) with a task as a duty or responsibility:the committee was charged with reshaping the educational system
4store electrical energy in (a battery or battery-operated device):the shaver can be charged up and used while travelling
[no object] (of a battery or battery-operated device) receive and store electrical energy.
load or fill (a container, gun, etc.) to the full or proper extent.
fill or pervade with a quality or emotion:the air was charged with menace
5 [no object] rush forward in attack:the plan is to charge headlong at the enemy
[with object] rush aggressively towards (someone or something) in attack:I don’t advise anyone to charge that barricade
[with adverbial of direction] move quickly and forcefully:Henry charged up the staircase
6 Heraldry place a heraldic bearing on:a pennant argent, charged with a cross gules
free of charge
without any payment due:a Certificate of Posting is available free of charge at the counter
in charge
in control or with overall responsibility:he was in charge of civil aviation matters
press charges
accuse someone formally of a crime so that they can be brought to trial:the victims often refuse to press charges
put someone on a charge of something
British charge someone with a specified offence:he should be put on a charge of perjury
take charge
assume control or responsibility:the candidate must take charge of an actual flight
