1mark (letters, words, or other symbols) on a surface, typically paper, with a pen, pencil, or similar implement:he wrote his name on the paperAlice wrote down the address [no object]:he wrote very neatly in blue ink
[no object] have the ability to mark coherent letters or words in this way:he couldn’t read or write
fill out or complete (a sheet, cheque, or similar) in this way:he had to write a cheque for £800
Canadian & South African take (an exam or test):I wrote Prof. Weldon’s Middle English exam last week
[no object] write in a cursive hand, as opposed to printing individual letters.
2compose, write, and send (a letter) to someone:I wrote a letter to Alison [with two objects]:I wrote him a short letter [no object]:he wrote almost every dayEleanor wrote to her sister Laura in Paris
chiefly North American write and send a letter to:Mother wrote me and told me about poor Simon’s death
[no object] (write in) write to an organization, newspaper, etc. with a question, suggestion, or opinion:write in with your query
3compose (a text or work) for written or printed reproduction or publication; put into literary form and set down in writing:she wrote a bestselling novelI didn’t know you wrote poetry [no object]:he wrote under a pseudonymhe had written about the beauty of Andalusia
compose (a musical work):he has written a song specifically for her
(write someone into/out of) add or remove a character to or from (a long-running story or series).
archaic describe in writing:if I could write the beauty of your eyes
4 [with object and adverbial] Computing enter (data) into a specified storage medium or location in store:files can be read and written directly into the file system
5underwrite (an insurance policy).
be nothing to write home about
informal be very mediocre or unexceptional.
be (or have something) written all over one (or one's face)
informal used to convey that the presence of a particular quality or feeling is clearly revealed by a person’s expression:guilt was written all over his face
North American informal used to convey that there is or was nothing more to be said about a matter:every month, you pay $49.95 and that’s all she wrote
write something down
reduce the nominal value of stock or goods.
write someone in
chiefly US (when voting) add the name of someone not on the original list of candidates and vote for them.
write something off
1 (write someone/thing off) dismiss someone or something as insignificant:they were written off as a bunch of no-hopers
2cancel the record of a bad debt; acknowledge the loss of or failure to recover an asset:he urged the banks to write off debt owed by poorer countries
British damage a vehicle so badly that it cannot be repaired or is not worth repairing.
write something up
write a full or formal account of something:I was too tired to write up my notes
make entries to bring a diary or similar record up to date:he wrote up a work journal which has never been published
