Etymology From Middle English label (“narrow band, strip of cloth”), from Old French label, lambel (Modern French lambeau), from Frankish *lappā (“torn piece of cloth”), from Proto-Germanic *lappǭ, *lappô (“cloth stuff, rag, scraps, flap, dewlap, lobe, rabbit ear”), from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“blade”). Cognate with Old High German lappa (“rag, piece of cloth”), Old English læppa (“skirt, flap of a garment”). More at lap.
The label signed the band after hearing a demo tape.
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A user-defined alias for a numerical designation, the reverse of an enumeration.
Storage devices can be given by label or ID.
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A named place in source code that can be jumped to using a GOTO or equivalent construct.
the arms or escutcheon of France , hanging by a label on an oaka. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC:
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A small strip, especially of paper or parchment (or of some material attached to parchment to carry the seal), but also of iron, brass, land, etc.
Ere this hand, by thee to Romeo seal'd, / Shall be the label to another deed.c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:
They […] 'sealed the grave, and rolled a great stone at the mouth of it' and as an ancient tradition says, bound it about with labels of iron.1649, Jer[emy] Taylor, chapter 39, in The Great Exemplar of Sanctity and Holy Life According to the Christian Institution. […], London: […] R. N. for Francis Ash, […], →OCLC, (please specify |part=1 to 3):
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Where Balak met Balaam, standing as it were on his tiptoes on the very last labell of his land, to reach forth […]1650, Fuller, Pisgah, IV. i. 25:
The flesh and skin hung down in long Collops and Labels.1679, Hist. of Jetzer, section 5:
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A piece of writing added to something, such as a codicil appended to a will.
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Historical A brass rule with sights, formerly used with a circumferentor to take altitudes.
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Architecture The projecting moulding by the sides, and over the tops, of openings in mediaeval architecture.
Sculptured ends of labels are called label-stops.2018, Marilyn Stokstad, Medieval Art, Routledge, →ISBN:
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In mediaeval and later art, a representation of a band or scroll containing an inscription.
2654. Two-handled globular vase; early Deruta lustred ware; centre surrounded by a band of scroll work; on each side the neck is an oval compartment with clasped hands, and a label scroll inscribed "Co pura fe.;" decoration, blue outline on white ground filled in with yellow lustre.1859, Inventory of the Objects forming the Collections of the Museum of Ornamental Art at South Kensington, Victoria and Albert Museum, page 34:
Boime correctly suggests that medieval artists who employed labels or scrolls to gloss illustrations typically configured text and image in visually overlapping, but cognitively separate, spaces.2000, The Rutgers Art Review:
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The author notes that: Each of these held in one Hand a Scroll or Label, upon which were inscribed in Latin, but in the Old English Character, the Names of Kings and Saints of the Royal Line of MERCIA. Many of the Labels are broke off, others are so much defaced, that only a Syllable or two can be read.2011, Catherine A M Clarke, Mapping the Medieval City: Space, Place and Identity in Chester c.1200-1600, University of Wales Press, →ISBN:
While word balloons had been present in Europe for some time, from the phylactery (inscribed scroll) seen in medieval art to the 'labels' or 'banners' of nineteenth-century English satirical illustrator George Cruikshank, among others ...2012, David Glover, Scott McCracken, The Cambridge Companion to Popular Fiction, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 177:
Etymology From Middle English label (“narrow band, strip of cloth”), from Old French label, lambel (Modern French lambeau), from Frankish *lappā (“torn piece of cloth”), from Proto-Germanic *lappǭ, *lappô (“cloth stuff, rag, scraps, flap, dewlap, lobe, rabbit ear”), from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“blade”). Cognate with Old High German lappa (“rag, piece of cloth”), Old English læppa (“skirt, flap of a garment”). More at lap.
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To put a label (a ticket or sign) on (something).
The shop assistant labeled all the products in the shop.
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Ambitransitive To give (a label) to (someone or something) in order to categorise that person or thing.
He's been unfairly labeled as a cheat, although he's only ever cheated once.
A friend of mine who runs an intellectual magazine was grousing about his movie critic, complaining that though the fellow had liked The Godfather (page 58), he had neglected to label it clearly as a masterpiece.1972 December 29, Richard Schickel, “Masterpieces underrated and overlooked”, in Life, volume 73, number 25, page 22:
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The other side can label and name-call all they want, but I trust the American people to recognize that it is not surrender to end the war in Iraq so that we can rebuild our military and go after Al Qaida's leaders.2008 May 7, Barack Obama, “Transcript: Senator Obama's remarks in North Carolina”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 09 Jun 2018:
And the liberal blogosphere has long labeled Clinton part of the neoconservative wing, a conservative intellectual movement that supports an interventionist foreign policy.2016 August 31, Tal Kopan, “Will Hillary Clinton’s GOP outreach alienate progressives?”, in CNN:
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Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Natural sciences, Physical sciences To replace specific atoms by their isotope in order to track the presence or movement of this isotope through a reaction, metabolic pathway or cell.
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Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Natural sciences, Physical sciences To add a detectable substance, either transiently or permanently, to a biological substance in order to track the presence of the label-substance combination either in situ or in vitro
They may be used to label and image a protein within tissue, to isolate cells on the basis of marker expression, or to physically capture a protein from a complex biological mixture....Apr 15 2015, “Protein binder woes”, in Nature Methods: