margin

Word family

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Newspapers, printing, publishing

mar·gin /ˈmɑːdʒɪn $ ˈmɑːr-/ AWL noun [countable] 1 TCNEDGEthe empty space at the side of a page 页边的空白，页边，白边 Someone had scribbled a note in the margin. 有人在页边写了条批注。 Use double spacing and wide margins to leave room for comments. 采用双倍行距和宽阔的页边空白，以便留出地方写评注。► see thesaurus at edge →5 see picture at 见图 edge12 WINthe difference in the number of votes, points etc that exists between the winners and the losers of a competition or election 〔选票或得分上的〕差数by a wide/narrow/significant etc margin They’re a world-class team and it was no surprise that they won by such a wide margin. 他们是世界一流水平的队伍，以如此大的分差赢得比赛不足为奇。by a margin of 10 points/100 votes etc The bill was approved by a margin of 55 votes. 这项法案以55票的差额获得通过。3 PROFITthe difference between what it costs a business to buy or produce something and what they sell it for 利润，赚头 Margins are low and many companies are struggling. 利润很少，很多公司都在苦苦挣扎。 Within 10 years they had a gross profit margin of 50%. 10年里他们的毛利率达到了50%。4 [usually singular] an additional amount of something such as time, money, or space that you include in order to make sure that you are successful in achieving something 余地；备用的时间[金钱，空间] It’ll take about 30 minutes to dry but I’d allow a safety margin of, say, another 10 minutes. 要30分钟左右才能干，不过保险一点，再多10分钟吧。5 margin of error WRONG/INCORRECTthe degree to which a calculation might or can be wrong 误差值，误差幅度 The survey has a margin of error of 2.1%. 这次调查的误差值为2.1%。6 margin for error how many mistakes you can make and still be able to achieve something 出错的余地 At this late stage in the competition there is no margin for error. 在这个比赛的最后阶段不允许出现任何差错。7 technical or literaryEDGE the edge of something, especially an area of land or water 〔尤指地域或水域的〕边缘，边隅 the western margin of southern Africa 非洲南部的西隅8 on the margin(s) OUT/OUTSIDEa person on the margins of a situation or group has very little power, importance, or influence 处于边缘地位，处于非主体地位〔指无权无势，缺乏影响力〕 SYN on the fringes unemployed youths living on the margins of society 生活在社会边缘的失业青年n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: the empty space at the side of a pageadjectiveswideThe margin should be wider.narrow (=not wide)The margins are very narrow, making the page look cluttered.a generous margin (=wide)Leave a generous margin at the side of the page.the right-hand margin (=on the right of the page)There were some notes written in the right-hand margin.the left-hand margin (=on the left of the page)All typing begins at the left-hand margin.verbsleave a marginThe teacher told us to leave a margin wide enough for him to write corrections.set the margins (=make them a particular size)Set the margins to have one inch on each side.n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: the difference in the number of votes, points etc that exists between the winners and the losers of a competition or electionadjectivesa large/big marginBy a large margin, the book sold more copies than any other this year.a huge margin (=a very big one)They won the championship by a huge margin.a small marginVisitors from other parts of Scotland exceeded foreign visitors by only a small margin.a narrow margin (=a very small one)The proposal passed, but only by a narrow margin.verbswin by a large/small etc marginThe party won by a huge margin.lose by a large/small etc marginHe lost by only a narrow margin.

Examples from the Corpus

margin• By early 1986 margins had narrowed.• The supermarkets then found that they could charge bigger margins on goods that were peripheral to their core business, processed foods.• Considerable margins of uncertainty are associated with the best-fit climate sensitivities identified in an analysis of this type.• The desired margin size is a positive function of the volatility of futures prices.• an eight-goal margin of defeat• Someone had written a note in the left-hand margin.• The poll, which showed Forbes leading Dole by a 31-22 percent margin, figured that 27 percent of independents would vote.• In size and significance, if not charm, Sydney has won out by a small margin.• There were notes pencilled in the margin.• The program sets the margins automatically.• She widened the margins so her essay would look longer.• The margin of error for the study was plus or minus 5 percentage points.in the margin• The Masonic books I inherited from him were well marked and annotated in the margins, in his handwriting.• Each element, he wrote, must be honest, and Goldberg, in the margin, each element: honest.• Eradicate anxiety, he wrote, and Goldberg, in the margin, anxiety.• Excuses, wrote Goldberg in the margin of his typescript with a felt-tip pen, an end to excuses.• Read your story through carefully; each time you come across a transferable skill write it in the margin at the right.• Scribe across the panel then saw it to size and nail in the margin.• There were some penciled notes in the margin.• In addition, many times references within the main part of the text were made to important points presented in the margins.by a wide/narrow/significant etc margin• Kennedy won the election by a narrow margin.• So far, its return has outpaced the Gfund and Ffunds by a wide margin.• This beats even the great Bobby Fischer by a wide margin.• But voters are preferring other candidates to Gramm by wide margins.• So Weinke took the Heisman by a narrow margin and Heupel is anything but a loser.• The initiative passed by a wide margin, but initial court rulings have enjoined its enforcement.• The Diconix was the slowest of the tested printers, by a narrow margin.• Surprise! the seventh firm won the tender by a narrow margin.profit margin• The foodequipment business had a profit margin of 7. 1 % in 1994, with a strong performance from Hobart.• As a result, corporate cash flows have been expanding apace, and profit margins have improved.• And the new interest rate rise could wipe out retail businesses who have cut profit margins to the bone to survive.• The health ministry has fixed the pharmacists' profit margin at 10 %.• He also claimed interest rate profit margins had declined over the past year.• Price cuts failed to boost sales so profit margins have been slashed.• Francis noted that strong profit margins and a committed, rock-solid management team were the key elements for a successful start-up.• Their profit margin is enormous and their revenues increase every year.safety margin• Another effect of the flare is to wind up the blade speed which helps to give a greater safety margin.From Longman Business Dictionarymarginmar‧gin /ˈmɑːdʒənˈmɑːr-/ noun1[countable, uncountable]ACCOUNTING the difference between the price that something is sold for and the cost of producing or buying it. A margin is usually calculated as a percentage of the price that something is sold for, unlike a MARK-UP which is calculated as a percentage of the cost of producing or buying itPrices and margins were down as a result of the recession.margin onThe margin on canned soup is 15% to 20%.a high-margin product.The car division, suffering from weak sales and tight margins (=very small ones), made an operating loss. → gross margin → net interest margin → net margin → operating margin → profit margin2on marginFINANCE if you buy shares or other investments on margin, you buy them with borrowed moneyIndividuals trading on margin sustained heavy losses during last year’s stock price declines.Origin margin (1300-1400) Latin margo “border”

mar·gin noun →n COLLOCATIONS1 →n COLLOCATIONS2LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable

page Business of Corpus a side the at empty space the

margin
mar‧gin W3 AC /ˈmɑːdʒən, ˈmɑːdʒɪn $ ˈmɑːr-/

noun [countable]

Word Family: noun: margin, marginalization; adjective: marginal, marginalized; verb: marginalize; adverb: marginally

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Latin
Origin: margo 'border'

1. the empty space at the side of a page:

Someone had scribbled a note in the margin.

Use double spacing and wide margins to leave room for comments.
2. the difference in the number of votes, points etc that exists between the winners and the losers of a competition or election
by a wide/narrow/significant etc margin

They’re a world-class team and it was no surprise that they won by such a wide margin.
by a margin of 10 points/100 votes etc

The bill was approved by a margin of 55 votes.
3. the difference between what it costs a business to buy or produce something and what they sell it for:

Margins are low and many companies are struggling.

Within 10 years they had a gross profit margin of 50%.
4. [usually singular] an additional amount of something such as time, money, or space that you include in order to make sure that you are successful in achieving something:

It’ll take about 30 minutes to dry but I’d allow a safety margin of, say, another 10 minutes.
5. margin of error the degree to which a calculation might or can be wrong:

The survey has a margin of error of 2.1%.
6. margin for error how many mistakes you can make and still be able to achieve something:

At this late stage in the competition there is no margin for error.
7. technical or literary the edge of something, especially an area of land or water:

the western margin of southern Africa
8. on the margin(s) a person on the margins of a situation or group has very little power, importance, or influence
SYN on the fringes:

unemployed youths living on the margins of society

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 1)

■ adjectives
   ▪ wide The margin should be wider.
   ▪ narrow (=not wide) The margins are very narrow, making the page look cluttered.
   ▪ a generous margin (=wide) Leave a generous margin at the side of the page.
   ▪ the right-hand margin (=on the right of the page) There were some notes written in the right-hand margin.
   ▪ the left-hand margin (=on the left of the page) All typing begins at the left-hand margin.
■ verbs
   ▪ leave a margin The teacher told us to leave a margin wide enough for him to write corrections.
   ▪ set the margins (=make them a particular size) Set the margins to have one inch on each side.

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ adjectives
   ▪ a large/big margin By a large margin, the book sold more copies than any other this year.
   ▪ a huge margin (=a very big one) They won the championship by a huge margin.
   ▪ a small margin Visitors from other parts of Scotland exceeded foreign visitors by only a small margin.
   ▪ a narrow margin (=a very small one) The proposal passed, but only by a narrow margin.
■ verbs
   ▪ win by a large/small etc margin The party won by a huge margin.
   ▪ lose by a large/small etc margin He lost by only a narrow margin.

THESAURUS

   ▪ edge the part of something that is furthest from its centre or nearest the place where it ends: He got up quickly, knocking his plate off the edge of the table. | the outer edge of the village
   ▪ side the part of something that is near its left or right edge: On the left side of the garden there was an old stone wall. | They parked by the side of the road.
   ▪ rim the edge of something circular, especially the top of a cup or glass, or the outside edge of a pair of glasses: a white cup with a gold rim | She was looking at me over the rim of her spectacles.
   ▪ margin the empty space at the side of a page that has writing on it: My teacher had marked my essay and made some comments in the margin. | Leave wide margins on both sides of the page.
   ▪ hem the edge of a piece of cloth that is turned under and stitched down, especially the lower edge of a skirt, trousers etc: If you want the dress a bit shorter, I can easily turn up the hem.
   ▪ kerb British English, curb American English the edge of the pavement (=raised path) at the side of a road: A big black car was parked at the kerb.
   ▪ outskirts the areas of a city that are furthest away from the centre: The new station was built on the outskirts of the city.
   ▪ perimeter the outside edge around an enclosed area of land such as a military camp or a prison: Security guards patrol the perimeter night and day.

mar·gin AW

BrE

/ˈmɑːdʒɪn/

🔊

NAmE

/ˈmɑːrdʒən/

🔊

noun

[countable]