Search results for 'idea':

idea noun (ideas) 1 a thought, image, notion or concept formed by the mind. 2 a plan or intention. 3 a main aim, purpose or feature • The idea of the game is to win as many cards as possible. 4 an opinion or belief • He's got the idea that no one likes him. 5 especially with negatives a vague notion or fancy • had no idea what to do. 6 someone's conception of what is a good example of something • not my idea of fun. 7 philos in Plato: a universal model of which all existing examples are imperfect copies. get ideas colloq to have ideas which are over-ambitious or undesirable • He got ideas above his station • You should have known she'd get ideas if you went out with her. put ideas into someone's head to give them over-ambitious or impractical ideas. that's an idea colloq that plan is worth considering. the very idea colloq the mere thought • shuddered at the very idea of it. the very idea! or what an idea! colloq that's absurd! that's outrageous! what's the big idea ironic slang what do you think you're doing.
ETYMOLOGY: 16c, originally in sense 7: Latin and Greek, meaning 'form' or 'pattern'.