case

a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy

• “the family brought suit against the landlord”

an occurrence of something

• “it was a case of bad judgment”
• “another instance occurred yesterday”
• “but there is always the famous example of the Smiths”

a special set of circumstances

• “in that event, the first possibility is excluded”
• “it may rain in which case the picnic will be canceled”

a problem requiring investigation

• “Perry Mason solved the case of the missing heir”

the actual state of things

• “that was not the case”

a statement of facts and reasons used to support an argument

• “he stated his case clearly”

a portable container for carrying several objects

• “the musicians left their instrument cases backstage”

a person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation

• “the subjects for this investigation were selected randomly”
• “the cases that we studied were drawn from two different communities”

a person requiring professional services

• “a typical case was the suburban housewife described by a marriage counselor”

the quantity contained in a case

a glass container used to store and display items in a shop or museum or home

a specific state of mind that is temporary

• “a case of the jitters”

nouns or pronouns or adjectives (often marked by inflection) related in some way to other words in a sentence

the housing or outer covering of something

• “the clock has a walnut case”

a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities)

• “a real character”
• “a strange character”
• “a friendly eccentric”
• “the capable type”
• “a mental case”

an enveloping structure or covering enclosing an animal or plant organ or part

the enclosing frame around a door or window opening

• “the casings had rotted away and had to be replaced”

bed linen consisting of a cover for a pillow

• “the burglar carried his loot in a pillowcase”

look over, usually with the intention to rob

• “They men cased the housed”

enclose in, or as if in, a case

• “my feet were encased in mud”