Charge - Definition

n 1: an impetuous rush toward someone or something; "the
wrestler's charge carried him past his adversary"; "the
battle began with a cavalry charge"
2: (criminal law) a pleading describing some wrong or offense;
"he was arrested on a charge of larceny" [syn: charge,
complaint]
3: the price charged for some article or service; "the admission
charge"
4: the quantity of unbalanced electricity in a body (either
positive or negative) and construed as an excess or
deficiency of electrons; "the battery needed a fresh charge"
[syn: charge, electric charge]
5: attention and management implying responsibility for safety;
"he is in the care of a bodyguard" [syn: care, charge,
tutelage, guardianship]
6: a special assignment that is given to a person or group; "a
confidential mission to London"; "his charge was deliver a
message" [syn: mission, charge, commission]
7: a person committed to your care; "the teacher led her charges
across the street"
8: financial liabilities (such as a tax); "the charges against
the estate"
9: (psychoanalysis) the libidinal energy invested in some idea
or person or object; "Freud thought of cathexis as a psychic
analog of an electrical charge" [syn: cathexis, charge]
10: the swift release of a store of affective force; "they got a
great bang out of it"; "what a boot!"; "he got a quick rush
from injecting heroin"; "he does it for kicks" [syn: bang,
boot, charge, rush, flush, thrill, kick]
11: request for payment of a debt; "they submitted their charges
at the end of each month" [syn: charge, billing]
12: a formal statement of a command or injunction to do
something; "the judge's charge to the jury" [syn:
commission, charge, direction]
13: an assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offence;
"the newspaper published charges that Jones was guilty of
drunken driving" [syn: accusation, charge]
14: heraldry consisting of a design or image depicted on a
shield [syn: charge, bearing, heraldic bearing,
armorial bearing]
15: a quantity of explosive to be set off at one time; "this
cartridge has a powder charge of 50 grains" [syn: charge,
burster, bursting charge, explosive charge]
v 1: to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle; "he
saw Jess charging at him with a pitchfork" [syn: charge,
bear down]
2: blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against;
"he charged the director with indifference" [syn: charge,
accuse]
3: demand payment; "Will I get charged for this service?"; "We
were billed for 4 nights in the hotel, although we stayed
only 3 nights" [syn: charge, bill]
4: move quickly and violently; "The car tore down the street";
"He came charging into my office" [syn: tear, shoot,
shoot down, charge, buck]
5: assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to; "He was
appointed deputy manager"; "She was charged with supervising
the creation of a concordance" [syn: appoint, charge]
6: file a formal charge against; "The suspect was charged with
murdering his wife" [syn: charge, lodge, file]
7: make an accusatory claim; "The defense attorney charged that
the jurors were biased"
8: fill or load to capacity; "charge the wagon with hay" [ant:
discharge]
9: enter a certain amount as a charge; "he charged me $15"
10: cause to be admitted; of persons to an institution; "After
the second episode, she had to be committed"; "he was
committed to prison" [syn: commit, institutionalize,
institutionalise, send, charge]
11: give over to another for care or safekeeping; "consign your
baggage" [syn: consign, charge]
12: pay with a credit card; pay with plastic money; postpone
payment by recording a purchase as a debt; "Will you pay
cash or charge the purchase?" [ant: pay cash]
13: lie down on command, of hunting dogs
14: cause to be agitated, excited, or roused; "The speaker
charged up the crowd with his inflammatory remarks" [syn:
agitate, rouse, turn on, charge, commove,
excite, charge up] [ant: calm, calm down, lull,
quiet, quieten, still, tranquilize, tranquillise,
tranquillize]
15: place a heraldic bearing on; "charge all weapons, shields,
and banners"
16: provide (a device) with something necessary; "He loaded his
gun carefully"; "load the camera" [syn: load, charge]
17: direct into a position for use; "point a gun"; "He charged
his weapon at me" [syn: charge, level, point]
18: impose a task upon, assign a responsibility to; "He charged
her with cleaning up all the files over the weekend" [syn:
charge, saddle, burden]
19: instruct (a jury) about the law, its application, and the
weighing of evidence
20: instruct or command with authority; "The teacher charged the
children to memorize the poem"
21: attribute responsibility to; "We blamed the accident on
her"; "The tragedy was charged to her inexperience" [syn:
blame, charge]
22: set or ask for a certain price; "How much do you charge for
lunch?"; "This fellow charges $100 for a massage"
23: cause formation of a net electrical charge in or on; "charge
a conductor"
24: energize a battery by passing a current through it in the
direction opposite to discharge; "I need to charge my car
battery"
25: saturate; "The room was charged with tension and anxiety"