label
UK[ˈleɪbəl]US[ˈleɪbəl]
n
A small piece of paper, fabric, plastic, etc. attached to an object and giving information about it.
n
A name or phrase given to a person, group, or thing to classify or describe them.
v
To attach a label to something.
v
To describe or classify someone or something with a particular word or phrase.
Etymology
The word 'label' has a tangible origin, entering Middle English from Old French where it referred to a narrow strip or ribbon, particularly one hanging from a garment. This concrete sense evolved to denote a strip of parchment attached to a document with a seal, which is the direct precursor to the modern informational tag. Over time, the meaning broadened from a physical strip to any piece bearing written information, and finally to the abstract act of assigning a descriptive name or category. Its journey from a decorative fabric strip to a tool for identification and classification illustrates a common path of semantic expansion from the concrete to the conceptual.
Analysis
The modern English word 'label' is a simplex form derived from the Old French 'lambel' or 'label' (meaning a ribbon, fringe, strip). Its ultimate origin is Germanic, likely from a Frankish word, but it entered English as a complete, unanalyzable unit.
Examples
The label on the bottle lists all the ingredients.
He was given the label of a troublemaker in school.
Make sure to label all the boxes before you move.